Ted Turner, media mogul and founder of the cable news network CNN was well known for saying, “There are three secrets to success. Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and publicise.” Okay, he didn’t actually say publicise – he used the word advertise. But I think personal public relations and branding is a great way to launch your product, service or YOU. You don’t always have to advertise. PR is certainly cheaper than advertising but not necessarily free. You may need to allocate some funds toward a personal brand communication campaign. So in the final of my Brand Plan series, we look at L A N.
L is for the ledger – the budget – or the loot
How much will your campaign cost? Are you buying new brochures? What about a post card mail out to your database? Will you hire someone part time to help you? Maybe it’s having new professional photos taken or the new wardrobe you need to raise your personal image. You need to look at the resources you have to put towards this project. If its $5,000, how can you effectively use that money? It might be that you spend $2,500 on brochures or publicity – perhaps getting someone to send out a media release. Maybe you will allocate $2,500 on an image consultation and new outfits. Then evaluate it.
See if you get more comments about how great you look or what PR worked by asking people how they found out about you. Look at what gets the most effective return on your investment.
A for Action
Implementation. Here, you review your desired outcome and the PR tactics you are going to undertake to achieve your aim. Then you need to work out how you’re actually going to do everything you’ve planned for your brand plan.
Put a time line into place. What needs to be done to make it all happen?
Well let’s work backwards on your timeline. Say we set an end date for November 30 or perhaps 12 weeks from today. And let’s say your personal objective might be to raise your profile by making a presentation to an association networking group. By week 11, you would need to have well and truly rehearsed your presentation and have it completely prepared. So about week eight you might get some presentation training so you feel confident and have shopped or planned your outfit. By week four, you would have contacted all those potential networks from a list you would have compiled in week one and have your date locked in. And so on for all the tasks associated with your plan. Come up with a detailed plan of action, a project plan or a work in progress (WIP). You can simply write it up in a word table, excel spreadsheet or use an online tool like Teamwork PM.
N for Notice
Have you attracted notice? This is where you evaluate and measure if your plan has worked. After it’s all over, look back at your objectives that you so carefully wrote out. Were those goals achieved? Have they been met? Did you get the promotion or new job you were seeking? How about that public speaking presentation you were planning – did you take the necessary steps to make it a success? Did your postcards result in a client meeting?
This is where you look back and see what you’ve achieved and if you got value for your money.
With your brand communication plan in hand I do hope you will put self promotion into practice – because without promotion what happens? Nothing! This article is part of a three-part series by Sue Currie. Missed Part 1? Read it here. Missed Part 2? Read it here.
