There is a lot of misunderstanding about what PR does.

Some people 'get it' instantly, others don't really know what to expect.

Because of this, when new clients sign up with us, we always explain to them what it's all about.

First and foremost, we emphasise that just because you are in the FT, Daily Telegraph or Daily Mail does not mean that the phone is going to ring and that traffic to your site will go through the roof.

Yes, we have clients who have picked up new business immediately on the back of publicity in the media. But that is by no means guaranteed to happen.

What PR is really about is creating credibility.

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Look at this dud image I scraped off Google. It's simply terrible.[/caption]

When we put companies into stories that are relevant to them, we are promoting them as an authority within their field, which goes down well with both existing and new clients.

And here's the thing. If you are quoted regularly in the media, people will naturally view your company as more authoritative and more knowledgeable than companies that are not in the media.

As my colleague, Jack Izzard, says time and again: whatever we think to the contrary, people do believe what they read in the papers and they do believe what they watch on TV.

So if you're in the papers or on TV regularly, talking with authority on your area of expertise, they'll believe in you, too.