Hiring a PR Agency – advice
Hiring a public-relations agency for your business can be a difficult decision. There’s no guarantee that a PR campaign will produce the desired results and the costs can sometimes be quite high. Yet a successful campaign can help you expand your business in ways you never could on your own.
So how do you find one which is likely to benefit your business?
Basically it comes down to a combination of your budget, expectations, their track record in delivering results, and your chemistry.
Here are some questions to help you assess PR agencies:
How are you going to measure your success?
Before hiring, you need to know how it will measure success. “Likes” on your Facebook page and print media placements are common metrics for success in the PR business. But it’s advisable to use someone who looks beyond those measures to factors that will help your business grow, such as how much traffic to your website has grown because of a PR campaign, for example.
Which media reach my target audience best?
Whether it’s traditional media placements or online promotions, your PR agency needs to know precisely which newspapers, magazines or Web sites reach your target demographic most effectively. You also want an agency which has experience with both old and new media if you plan a variety of campaigns.
Who will be working directly on my account?
When PR agencies pitch your business, they send in their best people. But sometimes they send the main person of expertise out to meetings and then pass you along to someone with a lot less know-how when back in the office. It’s important to find out who you will be working with day-to-day and spend time with them before deciding whether to hire the agency.
Am I locked into a long-term contract?
Most agencies will put you on retainer, requiring an upfront payment so they will be available to offer their services as needed. But you want the option of getting out of such an arrangement. It’s recommended that you require a review after the first three months and if they are not delivering after 90 days, you’ll have an idea whether it’s going to work or not.
How much do you charge for specific services?
PR experts typically will offer you a range of services based on your budget. Ask for an a la carte menu of costs for such services as press releases, features and social media campaigns. You also will want to find out if the agency offers a pay-per-performance model, which allows you pay a lower upfront retainer with payment bonuses linked to results. This approach ensures that the PR firm is sharing the risks with you but can also work out much more expensive if the agency is getting you great results.
Do you provide media training?
Teaching you how to deal with the news media can be invaluable to small-business owners. Find out if the agency offers training for media interviews for example.
How are you going to communicate with me?
You want to know how often the people on your account will be updating you on their campaigns. Can you call them on weekends? Will they be available when they are on vacation? You ideally want someone who can let me call them when I have something important to discuss or to update on any developments.
What will you need from me to make the relationship work?
Some people hire a publicist and expect their workload to be lightened, but that’s naïve thinking. You’ll need to be involved in your own PR, whether by tweeting, blogging or being available to speak with the media on demand and often at short notice. Find out what your commitment will be and make sure you can do what’s needed. There has to be a clear understanding of what the client is going to do and what the agency is going to do.