This is an archived blog from when I ran Conscious Public Relations Inc. from 2008-2018. Excuse the potential outdated-ness!
Review business relationship basics before talking about change in 2017.
I had a very fascinating conversation on Monday with someone who had a client looking for some marketing help. I knew that our conversation was going to involve pitching our business, as this person was most likely shopping around for the best company to help their client, but it ended up being a conversation about people I should meet, places I should network, and even marketing tactics I should consider for my business in the next year or so. It felt like I had to take a seat at my own concert and let this person perform for me.
You might have noticed that we’ve been blogging less frequently than before, and it’s not out of laziness or a lack of content ideas. Hoggan’s I’m Right and You’re an Idiot book comes to mind and the fact that there is too much content out there — and is it really helping anyone? We don’t get many comments on our blog, and if we keep pumping out top “Five PR Tips” type blogs, without knowing if it’s what our audience really wants, our efforts are falling on deaf ears.
The same goes for any business activity we do. Joining the Vancouver B Corp community this year has been really awesome, and certifying allowed me to attend the first BLD (B Corp Leadership Development) Conference held in Vancouver. But did I waste my time at other events, on other initiatives? Should I have been at the other event across town, talking to that person who could have made a bigger difference in the business?
Me with Lunapads’ Madeleine Shaw at BLD – Photo by Theo
December is a great time to reset and think about how to do things better in 2017. I already know that relationships is going to be a BIG theme for us next year based on the conversation I had yesterday. While it’s easy to judge a business and say they aren’t doing any PR because their social accounts are inactive or because they’ve barely been mentioned in the media (or at all) this past year, perhaps it’s because that business that is taking the time to reset and revamp and rebuild their relationships. And that’s likely going to reward them ten times more than a media campaign will.
There will be lots of changes in 2017 at the company, and they aren’t all going to happen at once. The effects of change happen slowly, even though in our minds it may seem like it’s going to be a quick landslide. I know I’m not the only one who’s slowing down and trying to get new perspective this month, so if you aren’t gearing up for that big launch on social media or talking about a new product in a huge way in January, I hear you.
It’ll come. In time.
