Five resolutions for PR and marketing professionals for 2014

NEW YORK, USA: Affect, a PR and social media firm specializing in technology, healthcare and professional services, shares five New Year's resolutions businesses should consider for 2014.

These resolutions reflect lessons learned from the past and opportunities in the year to come. The company's experience working with businesses in various industries has inspired these resolutions across social media, marketing and public relations:

Develop and execute content marketing strategy

It has been nearly two decades since Bill Gates said, "Content is King," and it has never been more true. With a plethora of information available and individuals constantly connected to mobile devices and tablets, the value of content is high.

For most companies, this means understanding what its audience wants to see, always having a plan to deliver and making sure to have the appropriate resources in place to support that plan. The challenge is to have enough new and engaging content to continually provide valuable information. When the company delivers value, then customers turn into loyalists. (See Affect's free Content Marketing guide for more information.)

Consolidate and concentrate

The proliferation and diversification of channels to communicate through has never been more challenging than it is right now. For some marketers, these choices can be overwhelming, or worse, companies strive to be included in all of the conversations and wind up being ineffective.

It is better to be positioned as an expert in one area than to be stretched too thin and not excel in any. By focusing on what the company does well, it can be established as a thought leader and add even more value to the conversation.

Utilize data driven decision-making

More channels to access news and information and a constantly connected user base means that data is generated around the clock. Unlike the old days, when we relied on our gut to tell us what customers wanted, today we have access to meta data and micro data that can turn customer satisfaction into an exact science.

All these digital interactions mean that audiences are voluntarily and inadvertently telling us what information they want to consume and when and how they want it. Companies need to constantly measure and analyze the data they collect in order to create a consistent and accurate strategy that significantly increases the odds for marketing success.

Embrace risk

Risk is part of everything we do. Often times, the greater the risk, the greater the potential for success. An innovative company can take measured risks, for example, getting C-suite approval to use a small budget, say 10K, for experimenting on new processes, technologies and resources. If the first trial is successful, then a larger budget can be allocated to further test these efforts. If you are always waiting for a ‘proven' methodology, you will miss the opportunity to be a pioneer and industry leader.

Marketing and PR professionals should keep in mind that all risks should be weighed and measured in order to ensure any new project remains on track. In order to mitigate the chances of negative outcomes, all companies need a crisis plan. This plan will help companies understand the worst-case scenario and decide on the best path to move forward.

Go back to school

Never stop learning and embracing new technologies and methodologies. There are always new gadgets, emerging social platforms and new channels out there to try. It is important that communicators stay up to date with these new trends. It isn't realistic to rely on the past to dictate the future of communications. Educating yourself about new developments is required to be a top communicator and to provide opportunities for your organization to stand out in the market.

"Affect has a commitment to continuous professional development and a tradition of embracing change to help us optimize our clients' marketing and PR efforts," said Sandra Fathi, president, Affect. "Knowledge and action are two critical factors in establishing market leadership. We plan to keep our resolutions to drive our clients' success in 2014."