May 7, 2015: Public Relations is a highly effective tactic to increase brand exposure and create a strong public image about a company. And while it’s common for a business to seek a PR agency when it is looking to increase sales, acquire more customers and/or outshine its competitors, the mere fact that a company has these needs doesn’t necessarily mean it is ready for PR.
I’ve put together a checklist that will help you figure out if you’re ready to engage with a PR agency. If you check off all of the below items, you’re in the ideal position to pursue public relations.
PR CHECKLIST:
☐ Your Company Possesses a Definitive Brand: In order to conduct an effective PR campaign, it’s important that branding and PR efforts support each another. Otherwise, there can be a major disconnect and neither tactic will be successful. If you’re either re-branding your company or do not currently have a consistent brand, PR will be a waste of time and money. Here are some questions to ask yourself: What is my brand? What are the messaging and talking points about my brand? Are there differences in opinion among executives about your brand and messaging?
☐ You Can Outline Clear Goals: If a client does not have a clear understanding of its goals, it will be impossible for a PR professional to do his or her job effectively. Ask yourself the following: What problem or challenge do you solve for your target audience and how? What are your top business goals for the coming year? Goals should include: sales revenue, number of client acquisitions, and increase of website traffic by a certain percentage, etc. What sets you apart from your competition?
☐ You Can Allot a PR Budget: Most PR agencies offer an ongoing client retainer, lasting 6 months to a year, initially. Such a retainer will run anywhere from $3K to $10K per month, depending on the nature of the PR campaign. For example, if you’re interested in local and/or regional publicity, retainer pricing in the $3K – $5K monthly range is likely. If you’re looking for national coverage, the range will jump to $6K – $10K.
☐ You Have PR Stories to Tell: Some business owners have the belief that PR professionals can make publicity magic happen. That is certainly not the case. In order for PR pros to do their job effectively, they need something to work with. Here are some important questions to ask: Is your product or service unique? Do you have a story to tell? Is there a launch coming up? Are there any prominent people associated with your company? Do you have an interesting backstory or human interest angle? Do you do any charity work? Are there developments in current events that you can comment on?
☐ You Have the Time: A client working with a PR agency needs to dedicate at least a few hours each week to work with a PR team or consultant. While the PR team does the majority of the work, clients must carve out some time to discuss topics, approve press materials, and answer questions. It’s critical for a PR client to be available and responsive on email. Business owners who simply don’t have the time often remedy the problem by either hiring someone or assigning an internal employee to be the liaison. It’s very helpful if this designated person has some level of experience in public relations and/or marketing. And, most importantly, a client must have one or more individuals available for in-person and phone interviews with news reporters.
If you’ve checked off all of the items in my checklist, you are ready to pursue PR and we’d love to hear from you.
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