In the words of Talking Heads: “How did I get here?”

Andrea Daniels, a creative with a background in IT and web design joins Kinetic PR. read more about her.

In the words of Talking Heads: “How did I get here?”

It is an odd chain of events that brings me to the doors of Kinetic PR. After a quick conversation over coffee with a friend, an introduction and an informal chat with the inimitable Angela, followed by a taster day, I find myself sitting at a sweeping glass desk at the small but perfectly formed offices of Kinetic PR.  Nothing strange here you would think, other than I know very little about PR and all of it based on misconceptions.

I was once offered PR services in trade for my business services. I remember thinking “Why do I need PR?” I am a small business, in a niche market – what need do I have for press releases, or news conferences, or spinning to persuade the public on a biased opinion of a story? So, I dismissed the offer and went about my day. How wrong I was.

In the few days that I have been here, I have learnt a lot, especially about the astonishing level of detail and breadth of knowledge gleaned about brands, their culture, people, values and industries. However, the biggest revelation is finally understanding what PR really offers businesses:

 

To connect them with their target audience by delivering key messages through print and digital media in a way that benefits both them and the audience.

It sounds simple but the process of connecting those dots is highly skilled, highly involved and highly complex.

I am also learning how fast paced it is: “PR is mental” was the reaction a marketing friend had when I explained my posting to Kinetic. After requesting clarification, he explained, much to my relief, how quick fired and very responsive PR is, how far it has advanced in 5 years, moving away from traditional print PR, and what an exciting area it is to be involved with. I feel positive about this new field and the challenges it may present.

So where do I fit in you may be asking? As a small business owner of 15 years, I bring a different perspective to the table. You see, as a business owner, I understand that time is valuable and limited. I know what I want (most of the time), know how I want it delivered and the level of care and service I expect to receive. I also want to avoid jargon; company buzz words, techno speak and lengthy, ill-considered sales pitches have no place in my meetings. I want providers to care about my business, become experts in my field so they can provide the service best suited to my needs – this can only be achieved by the time forgotten art of listening.

I also understand the importance of an effective website with relevant content, SEO principles and the invaluable use of social media engagement to reach your target audience – it doesn’t always mean I have the time to perform all these tasks so if I were to engage a PR company, I know what I would want from them.

Over the coming months, I’ll be learning, and writing blog posts about, the various aspects of PR, the importance of knowing your client and their business, doing great research, and writing relevant content and how all this benefits businesses. If you want to join me on this journey, check back regularly or follow us on twitter, Facebook and Google+.

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