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In Dire Need of Public Relations?

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If you are one of the thousands of businesses looking to gain national exposure for your business, corporation or product then you are probably facing the difficult decision of finding the right public relations 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 companys publicity objectives?

Here are 10 tips on how to choose the right public relations firm to get your message the media coverage that you desire.

1. Find a public relations firm that specializes in your industry. For example, says Friedman , if you have a technical B2B business then you should find a national public relations firm that specializes in Business to Business . If the public relations firm regularly works with companies that are in your industry, they will be familiar with how to communicate your message to the media. Another great thing is that they will be able to get started immediately.

If you choose a local public relations firm who is clueless to your field , 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 public relations firms 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 publicity 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 public relations firms can charge anywhere from $20,000-30,000 per month.

2. Choose a public relations firm that specializes in your media of choice. If you are ready to hire a public relations firm, then chances are that you have given a bit of thought as to what medium you want to use.

By the time you get to the point where you are looking for a PR firm, you should know if you want to use tv, radio or print to gain attention for your company. It is useful to know that not all public relations firms work with all types of media, says Friedman.

A whopping 95% of firms specialize exclusively in print. 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 public relations firm what media that they specialize in!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. Make sure to ask what the duration of the campaign was. For example, if they show you a public relations 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 - be cautious.

If it took 2 years to get one major newspaper , based on the minimum retainer level, you would have paid a massive $72,000 for that one newspaper hit. Sample public relations campaigns are a great indicator of the effectiveness, especially the cost effectiveness, of a public relations firms work.

4. Find a pay-for-performance public relations firm! The costly monthly retainer can put a crunch on your finances, so it is good to know that there are other options out there. Friedman says, There are a handful of public relations firms out there that get paid based on their performance.

The reason is that they only pay for the media exposure that my public relations firm actually obtains for them. So instead of paying a monthly fee, they pay for the results that my public relations firm obtains for them.

By choosing a non-retainer based firm you are truly making your public relations firm put their money where their mouth is!

5. Speak to the public relations firms clients. When you are choosing a national public relations firm it is very important to ask to speak to some of their clients, past or present.

When you get them on the phone, ask the public relations firms clients what sort of radio, TV and print exposure they received and how long it took for the public relations firm to obtain it for them. Friedman adds, Great questions to ask are; How well did the public relations firms staff interact with them? Was the firm interested in making their campaign a success?

Did the pitches and press releases communicate your message? These answers will give you valuable insight as to how the public relations firm will handle your campaign.

6. Be confident in their skill in PR. Before you agree to work with a PR firm, make sure that you are convinced that the public relations firm will be able to deliver a successful campaign.

Dont forget 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 Friedman, ask the important questions.

What sort of media would they suggest to meet your campaign goals? How long the campaign will last? What are the quantitative and qualitative goals of the campaign? When will these goals be met? How the public relations firm answers these questions will ultimately determine the level of confidence you have in their ability to service your account.

7. Dont limit yourself to public relations firms in your area. If youre looking for regional or national exposure dont limit your search to public relations firms that are located within your vicinity.

Many people believe that you need to have a firm located just down the street so that you can have regular face-to-face meetings with them, says Friedman. But this is not how it works. In my 20 years of gaining local media attention for my clients, I have only had a face-to-face meetings with a handful of them. The reason for this is that it is not essential . All of a public relations firms work can be done via phone which is a far more efficient, and time saving, way to work.

If your goal is to attain national media attention, find a public relations firm that specializes pitching to the national media. A national media public relations firms experience level 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.

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 public relations firm.

8. Meet your Campaign Manager. There is one person in particular who plays a vital role in driving the success of at the public relations firm: your Campaign Manager. Knowing all about your Campaign Manager could make or break your decision to use a public relations firm.

Find out what their experience level is and how long they have been with the public relations firm. A great nugget of information is that many Campaign Managers are rookies fresh from college, says Friedman. Even more frightening is that many national and local public relations firms hire interns to handle the client accounts that they do not deem a top priority.

If you dont investigate the qualifications of your Campaign Manager, then how can you be confident that your campaign will be handled with professional care ?

9. Find a public relations firm that believes in your message. The best type of public relations firm is one that not only understands your message but also has lots of enthusiasm for your topic.

Friedman says, If you find a public relations 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 public relations 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 instincts . Friedman says, My final tip to choosing the right public relations firm has everything to do with that almighty gut feeling.

When you are in the process of deciding if a public relations firm is a right fit for your needs it is inevitable that you will have strong views about their work and approach. I would advise that even if everything looks fantastic on paper, or in a snazzy presentation, if you have absolutely any reservations think twice about choosing the firm.

Gut feelings tend to be accurate, so if the chemistry is off in any way, be weary of signing the contract . 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 public relations firm for you!

Article Source: http://www.direct-articles.net

About the Author (text)

For 20 years Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations as CEO of EMSI. Go to www.publicitythatworks.com to claim your free book publicity

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