I've had experience from both the client and agency side of business, and I know what a good public relations firm can do. Here are the reasons I believe companies, especially small companies, should hire an outside public relations firm to do the dirty work.
You don't have time to do PR. You can't just turn off your public relations for a period of time. Just like other functions of the business, it's something you need to keep up. PR is something you need to plan and execute. Just like SEO, the more effort you put into your public relations plan, the more you'll get out off it.
To maximize a launch. Public relations is much more than just writing a press release and putting it over a wire service. If you hire a firm, you'll have a partner to help maximize your media relations, social media, events, award opportunities, etc. However, again PR is not something you can just turn off. One of the worst PR incidents is when a company does a huge launch and a lot of PR for a short time and then stops completely. Again, your public relations efforts need to stay consistent.
To revitalize a product or service. Good PR agencies know how to look at a product, service or company and see something new, something buzzworthy. PR firms can take something you think may be losing it's jive in the market and give it new legs. One thing to note though is even the best PR firm can't save a dieing product. Remember to be honest with your agency and tell them of the product or services successes and failures.
Bonus Tip:
You are in a crowded market. Small businesses trying to complete in a busy, hectic market may find a PR firm more useful. A good PR firm will create a strategy that focuses on your company's strengths and differentiators that make you stand out. Often agencies can break through all of the noise in the market and reach those you want to hear about your offerings.
No comments:
Post a Comment