If there’s one thing all PR pros know, it’s the futility of “planning your day.”
All it takes is one phone call or email to shatter your lovingly prepared to-do lists into a million pieces.
The good news (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, at least) is that summer is a perfect time to tackle things you’ve been meaning to do, but haven’t had the time to do them.
Summer does not necessarily mean things slow down. Vacationing team members can increase workloads for those still stuck in the office, and for some industries, the season is what Christmas is for retailers.
However, for many PR pros, things gear down in July and August—which usually means September will come with a rude awakening.
That’s exactly why you should use the next several weeks to conduct a PR tune-up, so you’re ready for the upcoming busy season. Here’s how:
1. Schedule face-to-face meetings.
You can finally talk to the reporter you haven’t met, someone who has been identified as a potential brand ambassador or that elusive executive. Even with vacations, summer is a great time to meet and talk. Do it now before family, work and business travel once again consumes their time.
2. Clean up your contact list.
People move around, and things can quickly get out of date. We’ve all been there: you turn to your trusted contact list, only to find out it’s no longer accurate. No more excuses—now is the time to whip your spreadsheet back into shape.
3. Proactively write blog posts.
Even people who love writing under pressure know it’s no fun to squeeze out a post an hour before deadline while juggling five other tasks.
Create a few “timeless topic” pieces and store them for the future. You can publish the articles when they’re needed the most.
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4. Conduct a competitive analysis.
PR pros are drowning in data, so you should know how you and your team are performing on metrics—whether it’s articles, click-through rates, engagement or message pull-through.
However, many communicators are less sure how their competitors are doing.
Now’s the time to take a cold, hard look in the mirror and compare yourself to them. Conduct an audit and talk to your colleagues in sales and marketing to see how they view the world. Learn not just where you stand, but also how you stack up against the rest of your industry.
5. Revisit your crisis plan.
If your crisis playbook is laying around somewhere and was overseen by your long-departed predecessor, it probably has outdated contact information and messages. Update it before the next crisis hits.
6. Take a vacation from your routine.
With nonstop work comes a “just get it done” mentality. That usually means that no one (including yourself) is in the mood to experiment with new tactics or find new content sources and stories.
Summer is a fantastic time to stretch your legs. Read up on best practices, talk to your peers and learn what your counterparts in other industries are doing. Connect with colleagues in your organization that you don’t normally see and mine them for ideas.
Experiment with something new before summer is over.
7. Review your vendor list.
PR pros get their fair share of cold emails from people offering services that include everything from monitoring technology to photographers.
If you use vendors, take an honest inventory and identify gaps or where you’re weak, and then go back into your inbox and follow up with potential vendors. There’s no shortage of talent, so you shouldn’t settle for second-best.
8. Test-drive an agency.
If you work for a startup, you’re lucky enough to work in an organization that doesn’t require 30-page requests for proposals and a mountain of procurement rules. If you’re strapped for time, acquaint yourself with a new agency. Remember that smaller agencies are more likely to accommodate a small project on short notice, especially in the summer.
Even if you don’t take on a new agency now, acquainting yourself with a potential PR partner can help you know what’s available when bigger projects arrive later in the year.
9. Submit award submissions.
Winning awards can be fun, but filling out submissions is not.
Summer is not awards season, but you might have sense of what project or campaign you’re considering submitting later. Do the heavy lifting now and prepare your copy for early approval. You will thank yourself months from now.
10. Take a break.
Don’t be that person who accumulates loads of vacation time. PR jobs can be tough. Use that time.
Believe me, your colleagues, clients, friends, family and dog will all thank you.
Michael MacMillan is the executive vice president of Provident Communications. A version of this article originally appeared on the agency’s blog.
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