carrotbaitby Susan Carol

The online world is an amazing place. You can accomplish things quickly there – independently and often without guidance or experience. Inexpensive tools to help you communicate are just a click or a swipe away.

In some ways, it’s awesome that today’s options for communication are so abundant. Yet there’s a downside, too. Over relying on free content or cheap service apps can be a waste of time – and a risk to brand.

How often have you retrieved online content only to find it’s limited, or too dense to understand, or clearly intended for the provider’s commercial marketing? Also, do you know the source of that content you want to repurpose? It’s important to verify facts and be sure the source is current and respected.

Overusing free material can produce content that lacks depth, perspective, or real value. That can hurt your brand, not help it.

To have an impact on the market through our online communications, we must go far beyond “likes” and “followers.” Professional communication services – based on in-depth knowledge, seasoned practice, and real relationships – are still where the true value resides. Investing in the capabilities that stem from real-world experience, continuous study and training, and carefully cultivated interactions will always be “worth it.”

Our firm was one of the first public relations agencies on the Web, staking our online presence more than 25 years ago and helping our clients readily share their great ideas and information. Always on the lookout for new ways to help them tell their stories, we continue to expand our capabilities and increase efficiencies through cloud services, integrated marketing tools, and social media sharing.

For the best path through the maze of today’s communication options, we recommend a blend of the new and the “tried and true”: continuing to access online tools while also investing in professional communication services that add depth, save time and prevent costly mistakes.