As a business owner or leader, at some point you will probably need to enlist the services of a PR (public relations) specialist or PR agency to build brand awareness and credibility. Who you choose to hire can either result in thousands wasted or gaining very valuable branding for your company. Here are 5 things you want in a PR Agency or PR Specialist:
- They Are Anti Spray and Pray Pitching
As much as I love the PR industry, sadly there is a large number of unprofessional PR agencies and pros. Many of them will deploy a tactic we refer to as “spray and pray.” It is where a PR pro will build a media list and send out mass pitches to the media. This process is usually done with no research or no thought out strategy. These lists are generally built out using a media database like Cision, MuckRack etc. I always warn people about doing this as a media database isn’t a substitute for thorough media research. Most journalists and reporters cover specific niches. A database will just put them in a broad area like tech, that can mean a lot of things. They may also change beats, stopped writing for a particular segment series or maybe they covered a certain area for a holiday only.
- They Aren’t Promising Big Results
When something sounds too good to be true, it’s usually false. Same applies to PR agencies and pros who say something like 10 PR hits a month. Something as valuable and organic as earned media does not happen instantly. Can a trainer help you drop 30 pounds in a month, probably not. PR campaigns take time to build up stem number one. Two, there are variables you can’t control in media outreach. Three, PR campaigns involve a lot of strategy and pivots.
- They Don’t Brag About Connections
The biggest lie in PR is that we get coverage based on connections. Having a contact does nothing more than maybe get your email read. Journalists and reporters don’t cover your client because they like you, it’s because the client has something to offer their readers. If they don’t, no story. It’s very key to not pitch contacts unrelated or bad stories, they will likely block your email which is the kiss of death.
- They Have a Track Record of Success
When you’re hiring a PR pro or agency, be sure that they’ve had successful campaigns. Take a look at their press clippings, which are clips of media coverage they’ve secured. Also, try to find the links if they don’t supply them. Be sure that these press hits they have aren’t a bunch of press release pickups. They will typically not have an author listed (it may have one), it will be word for word from the press release and not on a typical website page. When you have a legit media placement it will probably appear on a normal section like business, lifestyle, entertainment etc.
- They’re Thorough in Their Work
In the PR world, sometimes you hear that it is about quantity vs. quality. It is true that it takes a lot of time to land a placement and that means pitching a lot of people. However, that does not mean you should be trying to pitch as many people as humanly possible. A good PR pro makes sure they’re pitching the right targets. You will hear them talk about doing media scanning, media research and newsjacking. They will probably talk about taking time to develop good commentary with you, create various pitching angles and really learn your story and knowledge. You don’t want to work with someone or an organization that is preaching quick results.
Cwamne PR 
Leave a comment