pr: levels 2 and 3

PR isn't just about getting coverage in newspapers and magazines - although that's still good! Not only do most publications have their own websites, some publications are purely online. In fact, online has assailed the world of PR on all sides. LIke it or not, it's get on board or get left behind.

The reason why PR has a prominent place in the marketing spectrum is because it's influential - far more influential than advertising, for example. That's because the content has been vetted independently and deemed to be newsworthy enough for publication. Of course, the skill lies in making sure that your company is newsworthy in a positive, not a negative light!

That applies more in online PR than offline because online is open access. There's no more waiting for a letter to the editor to appear in next month's issue - people can respond on the spot! To be successful, you need to take part because people will be talking about your company online whether you want them to or not. Better to be involved.

Take the classic case of Dell in 2006. One customer blogged about its standards of support, the sentiment gained momentum, spread online, featured in the New York Times and Dell's share price dropped like a stone. Dell's CEO got involved (eventually), set up a blog to receive all the complaints personally, sorted the situation and their internal process out - and that community of Dell users now works with the company on its product development. Neat.

PR isn't rocket science but it needs to be done well. Welcome to the No Nonsense version.