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SNAKE OIL SALESMEN!
by Mike Valentine
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The popular media image of the "PR hack" makes the snake oil
salesman look good by comparison. I've spent my entire
professional life on the edges of PR, and now find myself in
the center promoting my own online ventures and those of
web clients as well.
As a newspaper photographer, I was often called upon to "make
__fill_in_the_blank_here__ LOOK GOOD" even when that was an
unlikely prospect.
Later, as a magazine photographer, I was often called upon to do
the same thing.
Again, as an advertising photographer, I have been challenged
with making "EVERYTHING look good" because that's what I'm
paid to do. The interesting thing is that, more often than not, I
become an enthusiastic promoter of those things I've been paid
to "make look good". I'm proud to show the photograph of the
rivet gun in my portfolio beside the jewelry photo and the wine
bottle photo because I was successful in my mission to "make
them look good".
My point here is that when I believe in a product, I become an
admirer and then a promoter. The key seems to be in the honest
personal appraisal and true enthusiasm over the subject of the
PR. Nobody blelieves you if you don't believe it yourself. This
could be one reason why PR directors move so often from one
product or subject to the next, because when they lose the
enthusiasm for the new product or discover flaws in the service
they can do nothing to resolve the suddenly hollow praise. It's
time to improve or move.
The internet is the same for me. I create something new and
innovative and then set about "making it look good" while in
the process, if I don't fall in love with the idea or product,
I can't honestly praise and promote it. I only get involved
with clients that I feel the same way about. If their service
or product is just another version of the same ol' widget, I
can't go very far in my praise or enthusiasm.
How do you feel about your website? Can you honestly talk
about it with enthusiasm and promote it with pride?
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