prauditWith a new year comes new goals, dreams and resolutions. While we look forward to the promise that the new year offers, it’s also a good time to look back on PR accomplishments of the previous year.

Some questions to ponder: What did you learn this year? What were your successes? What needs improvement?

Review

Review your public relations strategy.  Take a look at your campaign results based on each audience (internal, external, partners, stakeholders, prospects, customers, etc.) Were you able to measure goals and outcomes? Can you tie them to business goals for the C-Suite? What worked? What didn’t work? Come up with a spreadsheet with your metrics and campaigns. Prepare a competitor review and pull any new industry research. Talk to marketing and share insights.

Refresh

Refresh your messaging. Is your website up to date? Are your materials and social profiles current? Do they support your strategy? Make sure your media contact information is up to date. Check media editorial calendars and make a calendar of holidays and important dates for your business including lead times. If you are blogging, set up a content calendar and create an outline with ideas and resources for the blog.

Reenergize

Refuel your public relations program by identifying what you need for the year. What is your budget? Do you need additional resources or staff? Create your plan and a 3, 6, 12 month outline. What conditions have changed this year that need to be addressed? Have you identified new markets? Talk to your customers, vendors and partners. Reconnect and find out what is going on in the industry.

PR Toolkit

Here are some PR tips and resources to get you started planning your 2013 year.

Developing Your Content Editorial Calendar for 2013  (Free template Excel spreadsheet link)

EdCals – Free Editorial Calendar Research Tool from Cision

2013 Calendar with Holidays, Events and Notable Dates (free Word/Excel template downloads)

Editorial Calendar Template for planning your public relations program and campaigns.

Website Launch Checklist and Daily Tracker – track statistics of website, social accounts and more.