Finding a PR agency to entrust your brand and business communications can be a daunting task and something that generally gets put in the too hard basket when push comes to shove.
Over the past 15 years in the industry, 360 PR Founder & Director Lisa has seen clients come and go and presented a countless number of pitches. The biggest lesson and the best partnerships we have developed all started with our six tips for hiring a PR agency below.
By identifying the key objectives, attributes and concerns of each and every client prior to going through the pitch process, you can save yourself and the agency a lot of time. It’s almost like doing a pre-interview over the phone with a potential employee.
Our six tips for hiring a PR agency include:
Tip 1: Have clear and measurable objectives
You’ve probably heard this a million times before but it is really important to have SMART objectives in place prior to even looking for an agency to represent your brand. Ensure these objectives are clearly communicated from the outset and work with the agency to determine how each objective will be measured and within what timeframe.
Tip 2: Determine your budget
Too often we find that brands say they don’t have a set budget and instead, they ask us to recommend what they should be spending and how it will be allocated. The problem with this is, how long is a piece of string! There are so many ideas and activations that agencies can recommend that can be scalable but in many cases out of the ball park. You will always get the best response to brief, in line with what you can realistically afford if you provide even a rough estimate.
Tip 3: Size doesn’t matter
Large or small agency – how to decide? Some say smaller brands get lost in bigger agencies and that the boutique options are the better way to go if you want more focus on your brand. Truth is, if you work with a reputable agency that has a strong team across the board, all brands should feel like they are getting the service they are paying for and deserve.
Tip 4: Chemistry is key
Most of us spend more time with our colleagues and clients than we do with our families and friends, so consider your agency your extended family. If you have a gut feel that it’s not going to be a fun and successful partnership – walk away.
Tip 5: Get your brief ready
Having a PR brief ready to submit to a number of agencies will not only speed up the process of appointing an agency and working towards kicking your goals, but you’ll also have a great base to get moving. If all the agencies receive the same information at the same time to pitch, it’s easier for you to compare and make a decision.
Tip 6: Make sure you know what and who you are getting
Don’t be afraid to ask who will be assigned to your account and what role the founder or director will be playing in working with the team to achieve your objectives. As your agency is extension of your team, it’s important to meet them and make sure it’s right!
Image Credit and Full Story Published on Australian Giftguide.