It’s high time to debunk an old yet enduring myth about the public relations profession: that it’s only about ‘spinning’ or simply about pumping out press release after release.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The real practice of PR — especially the tech PR business, in which companies must fight daily to gain visibility in a noisy, highly competitive environment — goes well beyond these limiting and inaccurate labels.
Tech PR is a strategic discipline. It’s about analyzing clients’ corporate and technology assets, target markets, competitive issues, and customer needs, and then devising a customized strategy to reach their key audiences via the right combination of messaging and delivery vehicles. This may include press releases, pitching and other common tools and tactics, but it frequently involves other activities as well, including blogging, social networking and SEO.
At the end of the day, PR is about helping a company manage how it interacts with, and is viewed by, its public.
A good PR professional is trained in the “art and science” of verbal and written communications, communications strategy, positioning, and a host of other skills. So, to suggest — as some critics have — that PR is nothing more than glorified telemarketing and press release writing completely misses the mark.
And, it certainly does nothing to help the many tech organizations that could benefit from experienced PR counsel.
Interested to hear your feedback.
Geo2
Tags: blogging, media relations, PR strategy, press release, social media, tech PR