While a lot of bloggers are posting their 2010 predictions, I thought I’d share three rules to keep in mind for your 2010 spending. All of these were valid long before the recession, but I became even more important in the last 18 months.

1. Focus on value. One of the first lessons of the recession is to find and eliminate spending bloat. Too often, I think we do things simply because it’s how we’ve always done them. For example, I strongly suggest everyone take a look at your press release distributions. Releases still serve a purpose, but they don’t drive coverage and don’t need to be spammed to the AP News desk at every regional newspaper (agencies are huge culprits of this). If you’re still spending over a grand on your releases, you’re easily wasting $10,000 a year. Now is the time to look at your budget line items to make sure you’re spending levels align with the value received.

2. Know what you’re paying for. When you’re finished looking at your budget, take a look at any existing contracts you have – and read the fine print. It amazes me that some of the old school PR firms still pass on their costs of doing business to companies. Reread your contract and make sure you’re not paying for phone usage, magazine subscriptions or the agency’s access to analyst firms and databases. Other agencies will bill back the donuts they provide for a 10 a.m. planning meeting. The charges may seem small, but often they can eat up almost 10% of your annual agency budget (which could potentially cover your revised release budget). You may decide you’re okay with the fees, but realize you’re paying an added premium. And know that many agencies dropped this billing practice in the last few years.

3. Measure, measure, measure. The fastest route to getting a budget approved is having the numbers on your side. Unfortunately, many PR pros wait until budget time to look at measuring their program. You always pre-define success and measure yourself along the way. And, just as importantly, the results need to be communicated to your execs (whether they ask for it or not). It’s the only way to ensure that what you’re measuring resonates with them. If not, you can adjust along the way. Then, come budget time, ROI is an easy topic to discuss.