PR and the online business

I write last week about how not to approach a blogger as an agency. Dave McClure has a great post about why PR agencies have trouble from a geek perspective, especially with online business. In summary (but go read all the reasons why):

• Pr firm does not understand the technology they are selling
• PR firms are not trusted, they are seen as spinners
• PR firms do not know how to communicate to the online community
• PR firms prefer big media
• the PR firm does not understand social media

A good PR firm, buzz agent, outreach firm, community evangelist/leader (multiple titles for roles that can overlap, but whose preception gets worse from start to finish of that list) are key in creating online buzz. It’s rare indeed that just producing a product will get you noticed without having this skill set or employing someone who does. Yet many agencies, who look for work in this area, really do not understand the space. And the companies that employ them often, unfortunately, don’t understand the PR space and don;t get when there is a mismatch. Work on both sides is needed.