Choosing the right PR agency for your business
Choosing the right public relations agency for your business is not a decision to take lightly. Working with a PR agency that is the right fit for your business could be the difference between growing your business’s reputation and brand and losing ground on your competitors.
PR is more important for businesses than it’s ever been. With the internet and social media, in particular, helping information spread almost instantly, the need for brand credibility and customer loyalty is at an all-time high.
To help you find the right PR agency for your business, we’ve put together a list of the top things to consider:
Set and stick to a budget
One of the best ways to narrow down the field of potential PR companies you’re able to work with is to set a budget, and of course stick to it.
You can’t afford to be shy about talking about money. Find out exactly what an agency is offering per month and for what price.
Pick a PR agency that knows your industry
Most PR agencies will want to work with you, regardless of how much experience they have working with companies in your industry.
However, industry knowledge and experience is invaluable in PR. If a PR agency is able to leverage existing relationships in your industry, that’s going to give your PR campaign a jumpstart.
Interview each PR agency and take your time
As with any business relationship, you want to meet with a few prospective agencies without making any hasty decisions.
You also have to keep in mind that PR agencies are great at selling themselves – it’s what makes them good at PR.
It’s on you to put them on the backfoot and ask them a lot of difficult questions to see how well they really align with what you want from an agency.
Find out what areas they specialise in
There’s no PR agency that can do it all, at least not to the stand that you want. If you’re a startup, look for a startup PR agency, if you’re B2B, then look for a B2B PR agency, and so on.
Every agency will specialise in one area and type of business more than another. The public relations market is competitive, there are dozens of excellent PR agencies in London alone to choose from.
Look through their portfolio
PR is very much a “show me what you’ve done” industry. You should be able to see a portfolio of an agency’s work by looking on their website. If not, you should ask them for some real world examples of their work.
This will give you a good feel for what type of work an agency has done, and the way they approach PR for their clients.
Check reviews and testimonials
You really can’t beat genuine reviews and testimonials. Don’t look on an agency’s website or ask them for testimonials, do your own due diligence and find some for yourself.
You don’t necessarily have to be put off by one or two bad reviews. But if you see a pattern of the same complaints or the good reviews do not outweigh the bad, that is definitely cause for concern.
Use your gut and your head
Ultimately, you’re going to have to make the best informed decision you can with what you have to work with.
The best you can do is use both your head, based on the research you’re carried out and the tips we’ve covered. Along with going with a gut feeling.
If an agency is saying all the right things, you get a great feeling about them, and they’re experienced in your industry, you should give them a shot.