As we hurtle into the home straight for 2019, hopefully you’ve reviewed your year’s activity and have confirmed the strategy for the next twelve months so that you have a clear idea of the direction and focus of your communications for 2020.
Here in Dubai, things tend to run much more last-minute than we would all like, and a lot of the feedback we are getting is that people are still finalising their plans, and we therefore thought it might be handy to share some advice on planning PR campaigns for the year ahead:
1. Take the time to create a fully researched and thought out plan
When things are busy, and we’re trying to wrap up before the holidays, planning communications can often be seen as a lower priority and therefore it’s pushed to the back of the queue and not given the attention it deserves. It may seem like a lot of effort, but taking the time to create a fully researched plan now will ensure that you start 2020 on the front foot, organised and ready to take advantage of opportunities that others have been to slow to see. Suck it up and set aside half a day in the next week to get this done!
2. Be clear about your objectives, timeframes and budget – and make sure everything you do is measurable
I’m sure al of us are familiar with SMART strategies, but it can be easy to forget these key elements of any plan. When it comes to your PR and communications, you need to be sure your plans are focussed and targeted – you should be aiming to make an impact on the business which can be measured and easily understood at all levels of the organisation. ‘Increasing brand awareness’ is not a strong communications goal! Do you know what your brand awareness is? How will you measure if it has been achieved? What is your benchmark? You probably don’t know the answer to these questions, and if so, then you can’t use that as a goal. What is it you are ultimately trying to achieve from your ‘increased brand awareness’ – is it sales, enquiries, referrals? It’s probably more than just people being familiar with your name…
3. Create a target media/influencer list
The media industry is incredibly fluid, there are changes all the time, as people move from one publication to another, or change their roles or interest areas. Outlets close, and new ones come into the market, at the same time, influencers are constantly evolving and developing, which can have a huge impact on their relevance, availability and suitability for your organisation. Take the time to review the people you need to build relationships with, and prioritise the list.
4. Research key industry and business events, and relevant associations/groups
Most of the big conferences, trade shows and events already have their 2020 dates booked, make sure these are in your plans, so that you can approach organisers in plenty of time for speaking and marketing opportunities. Research other events and trade shows that might be happening for the first time in the market in 2020. Next year is a particularly active year for Dubai, with Expo 2020, are you familiar with all of the planned activities around this key global event? Check the Dubai World Trade Centre and ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre) website for their 2020 calendar to see what else is happening that may be relevant for you. Also, research business and industry organisations and business/networking groups that might be relevant for you too as they will all be finalising events plans and may be looking for speakers and partners now.
5. Review magazine forward features for 2020
Most of the trade and industry magazines will have confirmed a plan for editorial content for 2020 in the next few weeks, particularly monthly magazines. Take a look at the schedule to see which editions are most relevant for you, and any planned supplements and special editions and makes sure you can approach editors in plenty of time to allow you the chance to contribute to editorial content, or plan advertising for the most relevant issues.
6. Create a calendar of holiday dates, peak periods, celebrations, and relevant awareness days
Know when the school and public holidays are, too ensure you don’t plan key events and campaigns when everyone is out of town – or when it’s likely to be too busy and competitive for peoples’ time and attention. Spend some time online researching awareness days and celebrations that could be relevant to your business, whether that’s International Women’s Day, International Day of Happiness, Emirati Women’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, or International Tea Day (which is today incidentally!)
7. Brainstorm with others to add variety and fresh ideas for campaigns
Don’t just keep doing what you have always done, even if it’s fairly successful. Think how you can maximise the successes and build on them, stop doing the things that aren’t generating results, and think about new ways of reaching and engaging your audience to achieve your objectives. There are so many PR tactics you could use, brainstorm with people form outside your immediate team, and think about including competitions, podcasts, events, sponsorships/partnerships, staff/client profiling, guest blog posts/web content, social media channel takeovers, live content/streaming, Q&A’s, speaking opportunities, polls, tips and advice, FAQ’s, features and op eds.
7. Create a content bank of non-time sensitive content (written content, videos and images)
There will be times when things are quiet, particularly here in the UAE during the long summer months, so make sure you have plenty of content that does not relate to a specific date, and plan when will you use these pieces of content – and always keep a few stories in reserve in case of emergencies!
There’s no quick and easy fix to do this, it’s going to take a little bit of time and effort, but it is so worth it to know that you are organised for the year ahead, and ready to take advantage of all and every PR opportunity that comes your way. If you’d like some advice on drafting your PR plan (or even to have someone do it for you!) please do drop us a line: sam@footstepcommunications.com
Happy planning!!
