If you are one of the hundreds of businesses looking to gain national exposure for your company, products or services then you are probably facing the difficult decision of finding the right PR firm. What can make this decision difficult is that there are so many different kinds of public relations firms out there. Some are local, some national. Some retainer based, some project based. So how do you know which PR firm will be the best fit for your company’s objectives ? Here Marsha Friedman, founder of EMSI, a national and local publicity firm , will share her 10 tips on how to choose the RIGHT PR firm to get your message the media coverage that you desire.
1. Find a firm that specializes in your industry. “For example,” says Friedman ,” if you have a technical Business to Business then you should find a national PR firm that specializes in Business to Business . If the PR firm regularly works with companies that are in your industry, they will be familiar with how to express your message to the media.” Also, they should be able to get started right away . “If you choose a national or local PR firm who is unaccustomed to your industry, be prepared for them to spend some time researching your industry in order to get a full handle on your topic” adds Friedman . And guess who will be paying for the PR firm’s research time: you! “Most firms charge a costly monthly retainer, so the longer it takes for them to get started the more money that will be coming out of your PR budget . Just to give you an idea the minimum is around $3,000 per month, the industry average is approximately $5,000 per month and the large PR firms can charge anywhere from $20,000-30,000 per month.”
2. Choose a firm that specializes in your medium of choice. If you are ready to hire a PR firm, then chances are that you have given a bit of thought as to what medium you want to use. “When you are ‘auditioning’ public relations firms you probably know what media you want to use. It is useful to know that not all PR firms work with all types of media,” says Friedman . “A whopping 95% of firms specialize exclusively in newspaper and magazine exposure .” So if you are interested in doing radio or television you need to find a firm that specializes in these mediums. “The best way to find out,” says Friedman, “is to ask the PR firm if their specialty is radio, TV or print !simple as that!”
3. Make sure you request sample campaigns. “Before choosing a public relations firm, request to see some sample promotional campaigns that the firm executed for their clients,” says Friedman. “This is a great way to find out how hard the PR firm works for their clients.” Also, find out how long the campaign was. “For example, if they show you a PR campaign that has one huge newspaper placement (such as USA Today or The New York Times) and the duration of the campaign was 2 years - think twice. “If it took 2 years to get one major media placement, based on the minimum retainer level, you would have paid a massive $72,000 for that one newspaper hit.” Sample PR campaigns are a great indicator of the effectiveness, especially the cost effectiveness, of a PR firm’s work.
4. Find a pay-for-performance PR firm! The costly monthly retainer can drain a tight budget , so it is good to know that there are other options out there. Friedman says, “There are a handful of PR firms out there that get paid based on their results . My PR firm is one of these and it really works for our clients . The reason is that they only pay for the media exposure that my PR firm actually secures for them. So instead of paying a monthly fee, they pay for the results that my PR firm obtains for them.” By choosing a pay-for-performance firm you are truly making your PR firm put their money where their mouth is!
5. Speak to the PR firm’s clients. When you are choosing a national PR firm it is very important to ask to speak to some of their clients, past or present. When you speak to the clients , ask the PR firm’s clients what sort of radio, TV and print exposure they received and how long it took for the PR firm to obtain it for them. Friedman adds, “Great questions to ask are; How well did the PR firm’s staff interact with them? Did they seem interested in the campaign? Were the press releases and pitches up to snuff? These answers will give you valuable insight as to how the PR firm will handle your campaign.”
6. Be confident in their ability to deliver . Before you sign your public relations contract , make sure that you are convinced that the PR firm will execute a dynamic and successful campaign . Make sure to ask lots of questions, request copies of sample campaigns and then do a comprehensive review of all of the materials. “I would suggest that before you make your final decision you talk to owners and definitely request a proposal”, says Marsha Friedman , “ask the important questions. What media will they be using to get you exposure? How long the campaign will last? What are the goals of the campaign? How long will it take to meet these goals? How the PR firm answers these questions will ultimately determine the level of confidence you have in their ability to service your campaign .
7. Don’t limit yourself to PR firms in your area. If you’re looking for regional or national exposure don’t limit your search to PR firms that are located within your area . “Lots of clients think that the firm needs to be right around the corner so it is easily accessible for weekly meetings , “says Marsha Friedman . “But this is not how it works. In my 20 years of gaining national and local media attention for my clients, I have only had a face-to-face meetings with a small number . The reason for this is that I don’t need to. All of a PR firm’s work can be done via phone and email which is a far more efficient, and time saving, way to work.” If your goal is to attain national media attention, find a PR firm that specializes pitching to the national media. A national media PR firm’s skill level and specialization is what is important, not where they are located. If your goal is to gain local media attention, this is when it is a good idea to look for a local firm. Marsha Friedman says “As they are immersed in the market you are after, their contacts and knowledge will be far more effective than that of a national PR firm.”
8. Meet your Campaign Manager. There is one person in particular who plays a vital role in driving the success of at the PR firm: your Campaign Manager. Before you make the decision on which PR firm you use, meet your Campaign Manager. Find out what their experience level is and how long they have been with the PR firm. “A great nugget of information is that many Campaign Managers are rookies fresh from college,” says Marsha Friedman . “Even more frightening is that many national and local PR firms hire interns to handle the client accounts that are not at the ‘top of their list.’ ” If you don’t investigate the qualifications of your Campaign Manager, then how can you be confident that your campaign will be handled in a professional manner ?
9. Find a PR firm that believes in your message. The best type of PR firm is one that not only understands your message but also has bags of excitement for your topic. Marsha Friedman says, “If you find a PR firm like this, their enthusiasm for your message will show in how they handle your campaign . Their efforts will be more creative and their communications to the media will be attention grabbing and clear.” In order for a PR firm to successfully work for you, they need to understand your passion and be able to translate it into something that will be of interest to the masses. If they miss your point completely, it can really be costly. ”
10. Trust your gut. Marsha Friedman says, “My final tip to choosing the right PR firm has everything to do with your instincts ‘. When you are in the process of deciding if a PR firm is a right fit for your needs it is inevitable that you will have strong views about their work and approach. Even if everything seems perfect, if your instincts tell you otherwise - listen to them! ” Gut feelings tend to be accurate, so if the chemistry is off in any way, be weary of pushing the working relationship forward. There is nothing worse then finding out your gut feelings were right when it is too late!
There you go ! The 10 tips on how to choose the right PR firm for you! If you would like to learn more about gaining national or local media attention for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Friedman is available to be of service . Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a PR expert Marsha has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without monthly retainers .
Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations for nearly two decades as CEO of Event Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to receive her free Ebook “How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest” visit http://www.emsincorporated.com.
- Marsha Friedman
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