PR is often used interchangeably with marketing, advertising and is, paradoxically, often misunderstood. While academics, PR gurus and institutions have highly considered descriptions, this vivid explanation attributed to American author S. H. Simmons, sums it up quite nicely.

As a team of experienced former journalists, it’s our job at Accord PR to help our clients make the news and build the kind of profile that opens doors for their business.

There’s a myth that journalists are only interested in bad news. The truth is that, like any good business person, they are very aware of their market. They want a story that interests, engages and resonates with that audience.

We understand that because we have been in their shoes and we use that knowledge to create quality coverage that builds trust and opens doors for our clients.

The way we get information and news has changed. We are active seekers, not passive receivers. The media has never been more complicated – online, offline, social and broadcast. For small and medium-sized businesses this complexity means greater opportunity. More media = greater demand for more newsworthy stories.

Thanks to the Internet, today’s news is also tomorrow’s news, and the next day’s. It exists online for the duration.

Stories on genuine news sites also rank highly on Google and as more people search for news and information, positive news stories about your business can create a lasting impression, over and over again.

Accord PR takes a multi-channel approach, using online and social media channels as well as traditional magazines and newspapers.

We work with small to medium sized, owner managed businesses often, but not exclusively, in a business-to-business market.

We help those businesses create a widespread reputation that builds trust to ultimately boost business.

Accord PR offers specialised services for small and medium sized businesses. Click on the links below for more information on each of these services.

Social media is just a buzzword until you come up with a plan’. Anon.

Social media is an arena of fast moving trends. Think social media today and Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Linkedin will come to mind, but not that long ago we may have been talking about My Space. Tomorrow, who knows whether Google+ will have eclipsed the all-powerful Facebook? Keeping on top of those trends can be vital if you are going to get the maximum benefit out of these free channels as marketing tools.

Social media used for PR and marketing can deliver many things for your business such as:

1. List: Followers, fans and connections all build an audience for your products and services.
2. Research: Engaged followers can be a great place to get feedback on your product or services to help you refine it further.
3. Customer service: Facebook and Twitter are places to engage. Your clients or potential clients, can ask questions and interact with your business.
4. Media: This is of course a fantastic way of keeping people informed of what you are doing and how, as well as offering some customer service.
5. SEO: Those all-important links back to your website.

That’s a healthy list of pluses, but one thing to remember: It is a medium. Social media is not the brand, not the message and not the market.

It’s important to make sure that your social media and PR channels reflect your company or brand and that takes some planning and thought. Just like traditional media you have to make sure that you are reaching the right market with the right messages.

It also works best if it’s integrated into your PR and marketing activities.