The challenges came when the reviews weren’t good.

Or when we couldn’t give previews.

Or when a product manager got testy with a reporter.

That’s when the subtle communications skills become really valuable and PR was absolutely necessary – good PR.

Maybe one of the big problems here is that everyone thinks PR means “media relations.” There is a lot of that – but let’s not forget, it doesn’t stand for “press release.” It stands for PUBLIC relations. Don’t your public constituents go well beyond the media?

Wait, that’s not how it works? *grin*

I like to learn things from the inside out, and to hear people say on blogs and elsewhere that PR is dead haven’t even been in a paper or on TV or HAD publicity. Sure you can pick up a science book and THINK you can make your own rocket that will go to Mars…but yeah…good luck with the execution.

I’ve been in the LA Times, WebMD, ABC News, and the Chicago Tribune in the last three months. I’m here to say PR is NOT dead, PR agencies are necessary and good.

That’s coming from someone who has gotten their own publicity in real places. Not some blowhard know-it-all who thinks they can just “figure it out.”

As I was putting together some tips and tricks for web design and SEO it occurred to me that it might not be good to ‘give away my secrets.’ (as if a couple of clicks on Google wouldn’t turn up the same thing.) Maybe some would-be clients would read them and do it all on their own! OH NO! Then I thought about my fence.

We got a new pup and needed to put up a fence. So I Googled “how to make a fence”. No problemo. Went down to Home Depot, bought my premade panel, some nails, a few extra pickets and a couple of things I needed, all the while singing “Sistahs are doing it for themselves…”. My girls and I were going to build a fence! And save some money at it too! AND learn a new trade to boot!

To make a long story longer, after buying the wood, bringing the pieces home, standing outside in the snow and giving more thought to the what-seemed-so-easy-before task at hand, I placed an ad on Craigslist and hired a professional!

I tell this story to that would-be client who wants to do it themselves…

Beth – I totally respect your opinion and am thankful for your insights. I love the assessment that we make it look easy! And, good to know about Philly – thanks for the tip :)

Thank you both for reading! Would love to keep collaborating on such topics – see you on Twitter!

To me, this is akin to “anyone can be a marketer.” PR (and marketing) pros make it look easy because they *know* what to do & they know understand their craft…and sure people will think it’s easy to do. Heck, cooking is easy to do, but does that make me a chef?

And I am with you, I don’t think social media is threatening PR at all…it’s just giving us more tools to use. The Social Media Club/Philadelphia just had a meetup in December with some editors from the Philadelphia Inquirer/Philly.com and we asked them about social media tools and pitching using these tools. They said their staff isn’t using ‘em (only a few are on Twitter). So, if someone wants news in Philly, they best better pick up the phone or send an e-mail. :)

PR and PR firms are definitely not dead. As you mentioned it’s really about the people and you can’t get this from social marketing replacements. There are some really great small/large PR firms that do a great job for their clients and get results that their clients would not have been able to reach on their own. Whether or not you need a PR firm is really dependent on how important public relations is to you and/or your business.

-Timothy

Personal Branding can go a long with experienced
PR specialists as well. I mean, sometimes companies have got their own vision, concept on how they want to market themselves. So, PR managers should feel, envision their perspectives
of themselves. So, it’s very mutually interdependent relationships. And outsourcing
is quiet helpful.
And PR can be essential in dealing with some
negative responses, misinformation. So, Personal
Branding can’t only survive on its own.

I’m for everything new and innovative whether
its social media or personal branding.

Stefan, thank you very much for reading and commenting. I have to say that I disrespectfully disagree that PR is only those two things you mention. PR is about relating with your public – and that goes well beyond just the media. That’s part of the reason social media is such a game changer – it makes relating with your public constituents easier than ever! But I still don’t think it means everyone is good at it. I do agree – PR is changing. I just don’t think it’s dead.

Alin – thanks for reading!

While I agree upon the benefit of hiring a professional in order to get a job, any job, done swiftly, I can’t help to believe that PR is threatened by the advent of social media.

The reason I believe this that I find traditional PR to be a matter of two things: a) contacts with journalists and b) the know-how of writing newspaper articles which can be printed right away.

Now, social media does in a way disrupt this relationship as news and information can move more freely due to common people being empowered with publication tools as well as distribution tools.

In addition the language used out here is not necessarily the same as the language used in newspapers which even can cripple the traditional PR person. You need to talk the talk if you want to walk the walk, if you please.

I find many mechanisms applied earlier to be out of date and if not the PR business can adapt to the new ways of communication they may face some severe problems. In addition we’re all humans, aren’t we. So communicating with other people is something we’ve been taught since day one.

So I’d say that traditional PR transforming into “new” PR may be an issue of tools since many peeps may not know where to start. Of course it may be a matter of time as well, but since initiatives within social media tends to take plenty of time it is uncertain that anyone could afford to hire a professional – well, unless you have a large turn-over.

(Pardon my French. English isn’t my first language)

Angela Connor | @communitygirl on twitter