Do what’s necessary, not what would be amazing.
My current client is a Not for Profit, an area I have never worked in before. To be honest, the last six months have been a big, ugly wake up call for me.
My lesson from 2013? PR for profit making businesses doesn’t translate well to the sector that cares/advocates/raises money.
Reinstating a newsletter and e-bulletin, re-writing and designing a company brochure and updating a website did not seem enough for my client, a health Not-for-Profit. I wanted more – a Youtube channel, social media suite, slick information packs, tweetable key messages…….
This organisation was doing great work, I wanted to shout their praises from the tallest building in Perth. My PR-trained head was saying hold up little lady, get the house in order first.
Now it’s January 2014 and my head has stopped spinning, my feet have firmly touched the ground and it’s time to run, but not before I can walk.
The house does have to be in order first. I have learned to stop and listen not only to my logical self but also to my audience and realise how important the newsletter is to them and right now that’s my highest priority. They won’t care about a Youtube channel if they can’t ‘touch’ what we’re doing or see themselves in our publication.
I’ve learned that what is small to me is huge to other people. My mantra for the first quarter of 2014 is to do what’s necessary, not what would be amazing.
Amazing can be the last half of this year.
Second resolution? No more cliches, I promise.