| To an amazing extent, markets coalesce around | | | | In the Web Marketing Association's 2005 Internet |
| conversations. In fact, that's what the popular slogan | | | | Standards Assessment Report, public relations |
| "Markets are Conversations" (thesis #1 in really means. | | | | agencies ranked low across all categories (design, |
| If your market conversation turns against you or | | | | innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting |
| dismisses you, all the brand awareness or media | | | | and ease of use). The PR skills gap is the main reason |
| coverage in the world won't save you. Sadly, most | | | | why it's getting harder and harder for PR to justify its |
| companies are totally clueless about key | | | | budget - or even its existence -- when the CMO |
| conversations happening in their marketplace. This is | | | | comes calling for accountability. DO YOU HAVE THE |
| why we recommend a drastic step: Most companies | | | | SKILLS YOU NEED? How up-to-date are your |
| should fire their current PR team. Traditional PR | | | | PR-tech skills? Do you know how to: |
| practice largely ignores key market conversations. | | | | · Design the online component of a campaign |
| Worse, it cannot offer the clear, bottom-line results that | | | | to turn media coverage into recordable, measurable |
| business demands. Instead, companies should hire | | | | results. |
| conversation-savvy, results-focused PR pros - or learn | | | | · Set up analytical systems to supply data that |
| to do their own PR by adopting 21st-century skills. | | | | show how your most relevant market conversations |
| PR IS ALIVE AND WELL I'm not saying that PR is | | | | are going. |
| dead or worthless. In fact, smart PR practitioners and | | | | · Analyze site statistics to determine which of |
| agencies are more valuable today than ever before. If | | | | your efforts yield the greatest impact to revenue? |
| you're a PR professional, right now is a prime | | | | · Find, track, and join relevant online |
| opportunity to reignite your passion, climb the learning | | | | conversations in your market? |
| curve, and move your career forward by leaps. And if | | | | · Analyze online market conversations to |
| you hire people to do PR for you, opportunities also | | | | recognize new opportunities and challenges? |
| abound to dramatically enhance your visibility and | | | | · Interpret conversational data to gauge how |
| reputation. If you're ready to shift your focus directly | | | | you compare to the competition? |
| onto customers and the people they listen to, it's time | | | | If you don't yet know how to accomplish these and |
| to update your PR skill set. WHAT IS THE PR SKILLS | | | | related key tasks of 21st-century PR, don't worry. The |
| GAP? More often than not, PR professionals are hard | | | | best way to learn them is to partner with smart |
| working and dedicated. However, they generally don't | | | | colleagues so you can leverage each other's abilities. |
| possess adequate technical skills (especially in | | | | This is why we started our Capture the Conversation |
| measurement, analytics and ROI) to succeed in today's | | | | service - to help you do PR more effectively. |
| environment. The general lack of appropriate, | | | | You can start learning right now how to navigate this |
| up-to-date technical skills is the Achilles heel of the | | | | newly exciting, challenging, and rewarding landscape. |
| public relations industry. | | | | |