Why prioritising PR matters in business
As a time management coach, I often see small business owners who are caught up in the delivery of their service or product and they neglect the non-urgent business activities such as PR, Not due to a lack of importance, but because of perceived time constraints. Are you struggling to find time to boost your business’s visibility and credibility through PR? You’re not alone.
Finding time for PR
I’m willing to suspect that you do in fact have the time, but rather there is something else holding you back from the task – we’ll get to that shortly.
In terms of time, a lot of people are not intentional with their time. They let their inbox dictate their schedule, and do not plan ahead their days and weeks in advance. Our mindset is also really important, and the language that we use around time.
We might get asked, “How are you?” and we reply, “I’m busy” or we might be discussing our PR efforts with a business bestie, and confess “I just don’t have time for that right now.”
I’d encourage you to challenge these negative thoughts, and ask if they are based on evidence or if they are just assumptions. With all of my clients, one of the first exercises that we will do is time tracking. Shining a light on how you currently use your time can be very impactful. Suddenly you can see in black and white the amount of time you are spending on your phone or watching TV, or the amount of time you spend in your inbox.
My free Time Audit workbook might be a useful tool and a good place to start on your time management journey. Download your copy here.
Maximising Business Efficiency: Treating Time as a Valuable Resource
Viewing time as a valuable resource prompts us to prioritise tasks based on their importance and contribution to long-term goals. We want to ensure our tasks and to do list are aligned with personal and professional goals and values. A great question to ask yourself, which came from one of the coaches who trained me, is “Is your diary reflecting your dreams?”
Recognising time as a valuable resource also encourages effective planning and organisation. We are more likely to invest time in creating thoughtful schedules, setting clear goals, and breaking down large tasks into manageable steps when we know time is valuable and limited.
I love to work with my clients on their values and future vision. Can you picture yourself as a successful business owner, whatever success means to you? Can you see all the tasks that this successful business owner does as part of their day? Can you create an image of all the tasks that this successful business owner has done to get to where they are now? And I’m willing to bet that getting visible, and working on PR is part of this!
Knowing this, can you then choose to prioritise your PR efforts and see this as an important part of your business?
Knowing this, can you intentionally carve out 10 minutes each day for your PR activities?
I hope the answer is a wholehearted ‘yes’.
Overcoming barriers to consistent PR efforts: What’s holding you back?
I mentioned earlier that there might be something else, other than lack of time, that’s holding you back. Often there’s a combination of forces that create time management concerns, which Julie Morgenstern shared in her book, “Time Management From the Inside Out”. These are:
- Technical errors
- External factors
- Psychological obstacles
Let’s consider them in turn. Firstly we have technical errors, which tend to be easily resolved. For example you need a skill or a technique that you don’t have. This might be that you can’t remember what you have to do, or your space could be disorganised.
Then there are external factors that are typically beyond your control – for instance, you might have a health problem that limits your energy (I’ve got Crohn’s Disease, which impacts my energy and in turn my time).
And lastly there are psychological obstacles, which might be a self sabotaging habit or story that you’re carrying that is preventing you from moving forward.
When it comes to making time for PR, it might be that the problem is technical in that you don’t actually know what it is that you should be doing or it could be psychological in that there is a fear that is holding you back. Perhaps a fear of sharing your story or being seen as ‘showing off’ (this article by Caroline might be helpful).
Developing Effective Time Management Skills for Better PR
If however it genuinely is a lack of time, then here are three strategies that you might try:
- Plan your time in advance
- Prioritise your to-do list
- Avoid distractions
And know that time management is a skill that can be developed and improved, over time. I think knowing that it takes practice to develop time management skills can also be helpful. You wouldn’t expect to pick up a clarinet as a beginner and play a masterpiece without lessons or practice, and this is no different (fun fact – I used to play the clarinet at school, although I didn’t enjoy it much and certainly wasn’t producing any masterpieces!!).
Let’s cover these strategies in more detail:
1. Plan your time in advance
Plan your time in advance, this might look like time blocking or day theming, which is a softer approach to time blocking e.g. Monday might be your day for PR & marketing, Tuesday is a delivery day, Wednesday is your main day for meetings and so on.
By planning in advance you can be strategic about when you schedule your tasks. Batching similar tasks together can be a helpful approach. If you group similar tasks together and address them during designated time slots it can minimise context-switching and enhances efficiency.
As well as planning weekly, I’d also incorporate an end of day wrap up for reflection on the day and to plan the day ahead.
2. Prioritise your to do list
By planning in advance you can ensure you’re carving out time for your non-urgent but important tasks, like PR, and not letting your inbox dictate your schedule.
You might try focusing on completing your high-priority tasks first each day, and know that it’s ok to postpone the less urgent ones. This ensures that the most crucial things get done, even if your schedule is tight.
Understand that you might need to try a few different approaches. I encourage my clients to adopt the mindset of a scientist – there isn’t a one size fits all answer to time management. There are so many different tools and techniques. We need to experiment, see what works, reflect and make tweaks before keeping going.
3. Distractions
There are so many distractions in our modern world, that learning how to harness your focus is a crucial skill to cultivate.
A quick win is your work environment – is your desk clean and clear, or is it cluttered and chaotic? A clean and clear desk can have a profound impact on our ability to focus, reduce distractions, and enhance our overall efficiency. The presence of physical clutter can lead to mental clutter, making it difficult to prioritise tasks and stay on track. By organising our workspace, we create an environment that promotes calmness and clarity of thought. I’m a massive fan of decluttering!
Conclusion
Prioritising PR often takes a backseat, not due to its insignificance but because of perceived time constraints. However, by reframing our mindset and treating time as a valuable resource, we can proactively plan, prioritise, and overcome barriers to carve out dedicated time for PR.
Embracing effective time management strategies empowers us to confront any obstacles and unlock the full potential of PR as a tool for long-term business success. So, rather than searching for extra hours in the day, it’s about making intentional choices that align with our goals and values, ensuring sustainable growth and visibility for our businesses.
Hopefully these tips have been useful – best of luck with your PR efforts!!
This is a guest blog submitted by Sarah Stewart, Time Management Coach and Mindfulness Practitioner
👋 Hi! I’m Sarah, Glasgow-based conscious time management coach.
🐶 I’m a single mum of two: my 14 year old gaming-obsessed son and my sassy 13 year old daughter. We also share our home with Evie, our cavachon.
🏢 I’m an ex-pharmacist, and even have a PhD in pharmaceutical science! I worked for 14 years in project management roles in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as Senior Director of Global Program Management.
🤍 People and organisations work with me as they want to feel more in control of their time, to procrastinate less, to be more organised on a daily basis and more present to fully focus whilst at work (and at play). Through my workshops and individual support I have now helped hundreds of people improve their relationship with time.
🕰️ My passion for making the best use of our time and for being present in each moment comes from losing my mum to cancer as a teenager; I have an acute awareness that our limited time is precious – both at work and at home.
🚐 I use the time I have gained outside of work to have adventures in my campervan and to volunteer at the local hospice where I run mindfulness meditations for the out-patient visitors.
