{"id":9377,"date":"2014-10-06T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-10-06T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/?p=9377"},"modified":"2020-03-30T18:59:54","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T22:59:54","slug":"take-plunge-hire-right-pr-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/take-plunge-hire-right-pr-agency","title":{"rendered":"Take the plunge and hire the right PR agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every entrepreneur dreams of growing their company by leaps and bounds. But while you\u2019re focusing on product development, management and the daily grind of running the business, what are you going to do about PR and marketing?<\/p>\n

Getting the word out about your product, brand, or service is crucial at this point, but it\u2019s difficult to do it on your own. And honestly, would you even know how to do it or where to start? Maybe now is the time to hire a PR agency.<\/p>\n

Does this sound familiar? Oftentimes it\u2019s tough to decide, especially when you may not know much about the media world and agency fees seem astronomical.<\/p>\n

As an industry veteran of over 10 years, I understand that every dollar counts to small businesses and avoiding a bad agency experience is also avoidable.<\/p>\n

Here are the key takeaways from my recent talk at WeWork Soho<\/a> for any entrepreneur who is looking to take the next steps in PR and marketing:<\/p>\n

Be clear on what PR is<\/b><\/h2>\n

PRSA<\/a>, the Public Relations Society of America, defines the practice as \u201ca strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sound ambiguous? It breaks down like this: The \u201cstrategic communication process\u201d is a campaign that creates an ongoing conversation between brands and their target markets. The \u201cmutually beneficial\u201d part refers to building credibility, trust, and a rapport with your audience.<\/p>\n

Although this was a main point during our discussion, it\u2019s important to understand that public relations is not a sales tactic and should not be misinterpreted as one. Sure, PR is a great sales tool and certain initiatives may result in an increase of sales, but what PR truly delivers is branding and credibility.<\/p>\n

Give clear goals<\/b><\/h2>\n

When meeting with an agency, be clear on what your marketing and\/or sales goals are. This will help the agency best determine how to interpret those goals for PR purposes. Don\u2019t hold back; be direct and upfront. Ambiguity will result in unclear expectations and obscure goals.<\/p>\n

Ask questions<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re about to invest in an agency, there should be no stone left unturned. Ask specific questions about their agency, such as who would be your day-to-day contact, a list of other clients they\u2019ve worked with, and recent case studies. Make sure to ask how they measure results and to see a timeline. Also ask for references, from both clients and members of the press.<\/p>\n

Understand the fee structure<\/b><\/h2>\n

In PR, a monthly retainer is just the beginning of expenses. In addition to an agency\u2019s fee, you will need to anticipate monthly messenger fees, entertaining and gifting costs, and transportation and travel expenses. In addition, consider the cost of sampling your product to your audience and allow for a totally separate budget for special events and other major initiatives.<\/p>\n

Have your internal structure set for PR<\/b><\/h2>\n

You\u2019ll want to dedicate at least one employee to overseeing and communicating with your agency. That person should have a basic understanding of marketing, even if they\u2019re not in a marketing role, and be in constant communication with the agency. They should also be able to provide the agency with whatever information, samples, quotes, etc. they need. Having a point person will make the communication between your company and their agency flow smoothly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every entrepreneur dreams of growing their company by leaps and bounds. But while you\u2019re focusing on product development, management and the daily grind of running the business, what are you going to do about PR and marketing? Getting the word out about your product, brand, or service is crucial at this point, but it\u2019s difficult […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1304,"featured_media":9380,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTake the plunge and hire the right PR agency<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here are the key takeaways from my recent talk at WeWork Soho for any entrepreneur who is looking to take the next steps in PR and marketing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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