Three things you can do TODAY to up your AR game (plus a bonus tip that might make your day better)
Between launches, events, scheduling (and rescheduling) briefings and inquiries, and creating assets and follow-ups for all the above, it’s easy to get into a bit of an AR rut. Here are three quick steps you can take today to make sure your program is on point. None of these are rocket science, but chances are at least one will uncover an overlooked opportunity. I like to set calendar reminders to run through these on a regular basis or include them as rolling action items during team calls.
1. Check, check, double check your analyst list. Chances are your list is too long. Or maybe you’ve overlooked an analyst who is new to your space. If you haven’t done so over the 30 days, pull that list of analysts you work with, review their recent research, blogs, and social posts, and make sure they are still relevant and appropriately tiered, and aligned with your program and business objectives. Not tiered, you say. See1a below.
(1a. Analyst tiers can take several formats – ranked by the value they provide your internal product and marketing teams, sorted by coverage area, sorted by research types, or a combination of multiple factors. The important thing is that you know who you follow and update, why you do so, and ensure you have the right interaction cadence with these folks to ensure you meet your AR program and business goals. How you do it is up to you. Sorting analysts into groups (or tiers) and setting individualized cadence goals is a great approach. (ARInsights ARchitect is a great tool for creating, tiering, and managing lists and interaction cadences.)
2. Do an interaction cadence health check. While simply measuring the number of analyst interactions one conducts can provide a false sense of security – it is quality not quantity that counts! – the right number-oriented measures can help keep your program on track. This is where those tiers really come into play. Pull up that list of yours again and cross-check your most important analysts and their research schedules against your interaction history with them. If you see a gap, take action to fill it – just be sure your interaction approach provides as much value to the analyst as it does to you.
3. Audit your personal investment in your analyst firm account team relationships. Yup, that’s what I said. Your investment. Are you providing the people who manage your analyst firm subscription accounts enough information and insights into your needs to help them help you? Are you spending time with account reps from firms you don't subscribe to? These folks can provide a steady stream of useful information, help an elusive analyst better understand why it’s in their best interest to take a briefing at a particular time, and help you come up with the perfect analyst content or commissioned asset for your Marketing or Demand Gen teams. Just remember, they can’t do any of these things in a vacuum. And it can't be all about you. Nurturing account team relationships and understanding how you can help each other succeed can deliver amazing dividends.
Bonus tip:
Take a walk. Or a run. Or a Coffee. No two AR people are alike, but one thing seems to run true… we tend to push super hard, forget about personal boundaries, and burn the proverbial candle at both ends. Some of that is beyond our control. But some of it is not. I was working through a daily checklist with my business coach the other day. When I thought I was done, she suggested I add, “What will I do today to fill my “Holly Cup?” I kind of chuckled and then I realized she was spot on. After hanging up, I went for a short walk. No music; no podcast. Just me and my dog, Moxie. And wouldn’t you know, aside from getting some much-needed exercise for both of us, I also solved a work problem that had been nagging me.
What will you do today to sharpen your AR program and fill your personal cup?