There are many rules and guidelines that used to be followed in accounting firm PR. Everyone would follow them because they thought that this was the best way to represent their firm. Some of the old guidelines for accounting firm PR were to use smoke and mirrors to confuse people, qualitative research, having one person speak for the entire group, and using print advertisement. There are some new guidelines that you should know about for your accounting firm PR that can change the way that you conduct PR. Here are some comparisons between the old guidelines and the new guidelines in accounting firm PR.
Smoke and Mirrors/Transparency
It used to be the normal for accounting firm PR to put up a lot of smoke and mirrors in order to confuse the general public. These firms will worry about telling their words in a way that makes them look good but hides any of the things that make them look bad. But because of many of the accounting mishaps that came up in the 2000s, the general public is not buying everything that they are being told. It is now more important to be truthfully honest when you are talking about your company because someone is bound to find out about it if you are lying or covering something up.
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Measurement
There are two types of research that can be used in public relations. Quantitative is when you try to get a certain amount of research, or put a number on it such as you have saved a company so much money. Qualitative is when you try to get the best research possible but you do not concentrate on the numbers. Qualitative used to be the research that was used because it is difficult to find enough quantitative research, it is easier to get a few really good facts then it is to spend a lot of time finding facts.
One Person vs. Everyone
There used to be only one person who would talk for the whole company. They would be considered the face of the company and would let everyone know what is going on. They were also the first one to fall if something went wrong with the company because this is the person that everyone associated with the company. It is now more likely that everyone will have a voice in the company and this helps to make the company seem more open to the public.
Print vs. Online
Print used to be the only way that you would receive any news. You would read it in the paper, or through a flyer, or maybe even on the radio. Now there are so many more options that are available. Most people want to get their news on the go and so being able to keep up with this is an important step. Accounting firm PR will have to help keep a website going and send out emails to people who are interested in hearing about the company.
