What’s the best way to set your media relations efforts on track for 2016? One word: planning.

This doesn’t mean just looking ahead either, but rather taking a holistic look at where you’ve been throughout the year and where you may be going in 2016. During the typically slow month of December, it’s the perfect opportunity to review your materials to get things in order for the coming year and also capitalize on building relationships. Consider the following:

Review your media list(s)

• Clean up your list by removing old contacts or outlets.
• If you have more than one list, consider combining them.
• Take some time to search for new contacts or outlets.

Update monitoring sources

• Review your key news outlets for new niche newsletters, columns, website formats, etc. Sign up for relevant newsletters and delete those you don’t need anymore.
• Update search keywords in monitoring databases.
• Are all of your Google alerts still necessary? Delete or edit those that aren’t hitting the mark.

Express gratitude

• Work with a media contact on a regular basis? Now’s the time to send a personal note of admiration of their professionalism and appreciation for their working relationship.
• Keep your “Thank You’s” personal. This is your chance to build a relationship on mutual professionalism, outside of your client(s).

Share your knowledge

• Make time for junior staffers to ask questions about past media angles, particular scenarios that happened during the year, or how you approach certain contacts or outlets.
• Practice “pitching” through written or verbal exercises with your team.