My goal today was to write a blog post highlighting the virtues of a solid public relations plan for small businesses. However, as I started writing, I realized that many individuals reading this post would have a differing opinion of Public Relations.
Having been in this industry for more than 20 years, I have witnessed the practice of public relations change significantly. I also have heard dozens of descriptions and definitions for this marketing tool. Thus, I decided to research society’s common view of PR.
Google “What is PR” and you’ll find 1,690,000 results. Time being a constraint, I reviewed only the top 10 results.
While these assumptions are not exactly right, they are not far off base either. According to Wikipedia, Public Relations is the practice of managing the flow of information between an individual or an organization and the public.
Most often, the aim of PR is to persuade others to maintain a specific point of view about a company or organization, its leadership, products or services. Public Relations can take the form of a well-planned campaign or a spur-of-the-moment reaction to a situation. Yet, it can also be found in everyday moments such as the greeting callers receive over the phone or the handshake employees give at social functions.
In other words, effective PR means representing your company at its very best during each and every interaction with others – both online and in person. In light of the fact that PR means different things to different people, it makes sense that a solid public relations plan includes how your company will allow others to perceive it during each and every interaction – no matter the situation.
