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Smoke & Mirrors

Posted by Scott Cytron on 735 printer friendly

For my first blog posting with AccountingWEB, I thought I'd start out with something accountants and other professionals ask me all the time: Isn't PR all about smoke and mirrors?

Not so much. Perhaps for publicist focusing on a celebrity client, but certainly not for professional services. Here are my thoughts on what PR is and what PR isn't:

  • PR isn't spin. It's about maintaining the highest degree of ethics and about complete transparency.
  • PR isn't marketing. Some argue that marketing and PR are two completely separate endeavors; I maintain that PR is, instead, a subset of marketing and supports marketing efforts.
  • PR is about helping a company or firm grow - over time. Professionals who expect immediate results for any PR efforts should look elsewhere for gratification. It takes time to build a firm's image and to communicate that image to clients and customers.
  • PR isn't costly. Not really - it can be, certainly, given any particular campaign or set of circumstances, but there are hundreds of great PR tactics that can be done on a shoestring or even free in many cases.
  • PR is not a panacea. It isn't the end-all and be-all of any firm or company's communications efforts. Instead, it is one tool in an entire set of tools.

In future postings, I'll explore all of this and much more. Ping me with any questions you have about PR and I'll respond and/or explore them in future blogs.

 

This blog

PR Matters
Scott H. Cytron, ABC, is president of Cytron and Company, known for helping companies and organizations improve their bottom line through a hybrid of strategic public relations, communications, marketing programs and top-notch client service. An accredited consultant, Scott works with companies, organizations and individuals in professional services (accounting, finance, medical, legal, engineering), high-tech and B2B/B2C product/service sales. Contact him at scott@cytronandcompany.com and visit his blog, www.absolutecytron.com.

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