I don’t think it really matters what industry you’re in, in a communications or PR role or not, but chances are you’ve heard someone utter the phrase “it’s about doing more with less” a few times this year.
It’s now officially on the corporate buzzword bingo card. We get it. We’re all doing more with less.
Bingo!
It got a little ridiculous for me when I was doing some video work at a marketing trade show/conference back in March, when every single marketer I interviewed dropped the line. Granted, at least they took a stab at defining what that meant for them and their marketing colleagues, no matter where they worked. Having less money your budget means you have to get more for the dollars you do have. Makes sense.
But doing more with less should be the mantra whether the economy is in the toilet or not. You owe it to yourself, your boss, your volunteer capacity… to always attempt to do more with less. There’s nothing honorable about wasting money on ineffective tactics, PR or otherwise. Waste is a sign of inferior leadership, not something to be admired.
Parents involved in kids activities – like Scouting and youth sports – know the importance of stretching every dollar. You don’t plan a weekend campout that costs $200 per kid, you aim for $100, etc… You don’t pay for college students to coach your organization’s baseball teams if you have a willing, qualified parent who can do the job effectively.
It’s about being efficient.
But it’s not just about money. In PR, it’s about resources and tools needed to get the results you are looking for. Where can you realize savings along the way to the desired project end? Whatever you do, in doing more with less, should still lead to more brand visibility. More conversations. More revenue.
If I’m going to be taking the time to research and write a news release for a client’s Gizmo version 3.3… There’s no reason my research work can’t also provide me with enough material for a post on the corporate blog, in addition to the news release. In fact, nearly every interview I do related to a news release I’m working on is also recorded on video or audio – that way I’ve got a soundbite or podcast option if the project is worthy.
Do more – blog posts, podcasts, white papers, etc…
The trouble for communications and PR pros is there are still only 24 hours in a day. That’s another post. But the more/less mantra means you might have to be more selective about the projects you say ‘yes’ to. If you’re in a corporate setting, like me, it’s hard to say ‘no’ when various clients around the business come to you with requests for your expertise.
And if there are a few less of you in your role in your office than their was a year ago, clients need to understand that what used to be a one-week turnaround could be more like two, depending on your workload at the time. You still need to do quality work. Doing more with less shouldn’t affect the quality.
Doing more with less. Scott Anthony at Forbes.com also framed it nicely a few months back. Worth checking out his post for more insight on this.
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