The New Year is a time for goal-setting. Establishing benchmarks for progress that often fall to the wayside; the treadmill gathers a Pompeiian coat of dust, ashtrays remain filled and overflowing, and interest continues to mount on the credit card from that ill-advised spree at the mall. One week into January, and many are already rationalizing the grip they’re losing on their personal resolutions, but what is the status of those of the professional variety? What outline have you set to ensure profitability and relevance in 2012?
The main item on your professional resolution list should be full-immersion in print media. Your articles and interviews in trade and association publications as well as daily newspapers and newsstand magazines establish you as the expert in your field, and put your name into the hands of decision makers and industry leaders daily. There has been no lull in the viability and power of print, and this trend will continue, regardless of other avenues. Want to increase the frequency and fees for speaking engagements? Concentrate on getting your name in print.
Want to diversify your online footprint? Become active on the litany of social media sites available. Mashable.com just released a social media preview for the New Year, and many niche sites such as Quora and Plaxo are on the upswing, continuing to attract new users daily. Intelligent activity on the big three: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are givens, but inclusion of other social media platforms into your online cloud only serves to promote your brand and increase visibility.
-Carter Breazeale
PR/PR Public Relations
