The Danger Of Do-It-Yourself PR
It’s fantastic that more people than ever are waking up to the wonders of PR. A well executed PR campaign can do far more to raise the profile of an individual, product or organisation than expensive advertising. But why is it that having discovered the effectiveness of public relations so many people believe they can do it themselves?
If my car failed to start tomorrow morning would I call the AA or would I pop open the bonnet, grab my claw hammer from the shed and start clobbering the engine with all my strength? Granted, a person’s business is not the same as their car. No, it’s far more important than that (to paraphrase Bill Shankly). So why so many want to jeopardise their reputations with ill conceived and poorly written PR leaves me scratching my head in disbelief.
Admittedly some have done an okay job at DIY public relations but they are the exception rather than the rule. Generally speaking, unless you’ve spent years inside a newsroom yourself, you’re better off hiring someone else who has (my contact details are on my website – click here). Professional PR can be a lot cheaper than you think. Certainly much less expensive than making a laughing stock of yourself and trashing your own reputation with lame PR.
And before you say, “He would say that wouldn’t he?” let me give you a case in point.
The following is a press release which was sent to me today. I have changed the woman’s name to Jane Doe through sheer kindness – although she seems more than happy to send this out to the whole world with her real name, address and contact details intact! This is a professional lady in a serious business. Yet she seems to think the only way to promote herself is to make a complete fool of herself in the media. I’ve spent years in newsrooms and, believe me, press releases like this only end up in one place – the bin.
This is real, I kid you not…
PRESS RELEASE
19 October 2007
ACCOUNTANT COMMITS THE PERFECT CRIME!
Last week, sitting in a compartment on a train was Jane Doe, the founder of Doe Accounts, the tooth fairy and an expensive accountant. On a table between them was a briefcase full of money. Suddenly the train entered a tunnel and everything went dark. When the train exited the tunnel and the light returned, the briefcase was gone. Who took the briefcase? Well, it’s obvious really. It had to be the expensive accountant as there’s no such thing as the tooth fairy or a cheap accountant!
Does that mean Jane can get away with committing the perfect crime? Well let’s hope not.
“I am certainly not your typical accountant,” says Jane Doe, the self-styled “Stelios of the accounting world.” After working at some of the nation’s leading firms over the last 20 years, Jane spotted a gap in the market for a quick, efficient, cheap accountancy service for small businesses with big ambitions.
Earlier this year Jane, who is a Chartered Accountant and also an IT specialist, developed an Internet based software system, which allows her to provide accountancy services for small businesses online.
“My company Doe Accounts provides an instant financial snapshot for businesses who can review their finances anytime, day or night. By automating the repetitive work and the ‘sums’ I can offer a quality service at an affordable and very competitive price.
“Launching the business has been a great learning curve but through word of mouth and client recommendations I have a steady stream of clients signing up each week.”
Have I made my point? Would you hire an accountant who is, by her own admission, away with the fairies? Me neither.
At best doing your own PR if you don’t know what you’re doing is an expensive waste of time. At worst it could cost you your good name. Reputations take years to build but they can be destroyed in a moment. So do yourself a favour and hire a consultant who knows what they’re doing.