2015 is already shaping up to be huge. From the general election and royal baby to the Rugby World Cup and a new Star Wars movie, whatever your PR specialism, it’s going to be a busy year. While the final weeks of 2014 have been spent drafting new year’s resolutions copy for clients, you’ve probably not had chance to reflect. So, to save you the hassle, here are eight resolutions any PR will need to make 2015 their year:
Ditch the creativity
Thinking outside the box was so 2014. While creative ideation experts might try to convince us otherwise, we all know that the best ideas come when we’re alone, minutes before deadline, wired with caffeine. But, in an era where the process is everything, any PR worth their salt needs to at least play along with the notion of collaboration. 2015 is the year to embrace the brainstorm for what it is – group therapy with a flipchart – and save your real critical thinking for your alone time.
Know your audience
PRs should live and breathe the organisations they represent. You might have tried a bit of client immersion in the past, but 2015 is the year to go full-on Meryl Streep with your work. Starting on a young adult alcohol brand? Unleash the method actor within and spend a week re-engaging your inner youth – listen to One Direction until you know all the words to their album tracks, read The Hunger Games again, go drinking in the park. It probably won’t make your work any better, but it could help you snag a Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) award.
Talk the talk
Touch base, flag up, check-in, sell-in, reach out, close of play … You’ve tried long enough to avoid using PR-speak, but you’re fighting a lost battle. Sure, these phrases don’t really mean anything, but hamming up the industry lingo is guaranteed to boost your clients’ trust in you and make your senior management team take notice. Use it enough, and you might start to believe in yourself too.
Embrace the next big thing, again
If there’s one thing we can guarantee in 2015, it’s that another viral craze will come along demanding we degrade ourselves on one digital platform or another. Probably in the name of charity. As a professional bandwagon jumper, it’s key you’re one of the first to get involved. Or at the very least not the last. Kick it all off in January by finally doing your ice bucket challenge.
Tweet/post/blog/vlog/Vine more
In the same way a falling tree makes no noise unless you’re there to hear it, your hard work means nothing without a trail of online updates. The trick to curating a strong professional feed is dishonesty. You don’t need to read articles before you share them, just make sure your post is snappy and includes a touch of personality, eg “Interesting read … ” or “Great piece from @PRWeek … ” Looking like you enjoy your job is also key; in-jokes and group photos will help build your online brand, even if you hate your colleagues.
Update your LinkedIn
Remember the intern who stopped by for a few days last summer? They were someone’s client’s nephew, or something. Well, they have a better LinkedIn profile than you. Seriously. They could barely get a coffee order right, but from their profile you’d think they were more accomplished than David Karp. With top companies trawling the site for talent, it’s time to embrace the cringe. Add pics, join groups, and list skills – both abstract (creativity, team work) and specific (flirtatious Gchat-ing, ring-binding, passive-aggressive email writing) – then watch as the job offers flood in.
Get a new headshot
A picture speaks a thousand words and, let’s be honest, yours isn’t saying much. Headshot day might drag, but if you don’t nail at least one, you’re going to regret it long after that amateur photographer packs up his kit. Unleash your inner Ariana Grande and demand a reshoot in Q1. Insist on picture approval before your session is up. No folded arms, no awkward leaning, and, ladies, no statement jewellery. Simply turn to your best side, stare down the lens and make that camera work for you.
Rise above the day-to-day
2015 is the year of big picture thinking. Avoid getting bogged down in too much of the nitty-gritty by becoming an expert in delegation. The key here is in packaging it up as empowerment. Empower your juniors to take more ownership of admin. Empower your seniors to use their specialist knowledge. In no time at all, you’ll have empowered your way to a clear plate and have more time to focus on improving your own skillset.
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