7 Things to know before hiring a PR agency

The PR agencies also bring into the company, the general attitude, ideals and the take of the audience to the company which will help the company alter its objectives to match the needs of the audience.  So, a PR agency is a must for the budding enterprises as they need external support to gel in with the public and to get the company’s goodwill and image be publicised in the market in the initial days of the launch of the product. 

As a PR agency will hold a long-lasting relationship with the company, you must be extra vigilant to pick your right partner. They can take you sky high or deep dirt. Similarly, PR is important for the Wikipedia page. Only 0.7% of the individuals are eligible for a Wikipedia page. Hence Wikipedia page creation services will look for a positive PR image for both the individuals and organisations.

Well, there are few things to be kept in mind before you select your perfect partner in being your Public Relations Agency as they will represent your face in public. 

1. Know the right timing

 You should have a thorough check on yourselves regarding the state in which you are seeking a PR agency. 

You must be mentally, emotionally, and financially ready to take up huge responsibilities and to take decisions that will decide the future of your company.  You must have long term goals and be ready to take the next step in your business enterprise. 

2. Know if they are “THE ONE”

• They should need high website grading which indicates their strong knowledge and strength in social media engagement, search engine optimization, content marketing etc.
• Make sure that the company has a blog of its own. An agency that does not have a blog do not understand the importance of content marketing.
• Make sure they have very clear billing procedures. Make sure they have transparent values and results. 
• Keep a track of the ROI. Their methodologies must be clear and communicated with you. 
• Check on their client base and their ability to handle the situations outside your cabin. Understand their qualities and their acceptance to answer any queries that you raise. 

3. Know what you need them to do

With the position that you are in, you must decide what you need the PR to do or why you need a PR.  You must decide on whether you are going to launch your product or company. 

4. What you are going to focus on. 

It is important that you let the PR agency know what you need them to do so that they can lay out their future plans according to your needs.

•  Know their approaches: Before they start works for you, you should know what the agency has within them for you. 
• Understand how they assess the success of your company:  It can be different methods according to different situations, scenarios, and nature of companies. Clippings, TV ads, media impressions, PR value, etc are all different methods used to evaluate the success of an enterprise. 
• Understand their core services: With the search engines defining the shape of your company inline, your PR agency must be strong enough to mold and reshape your presence online. 

5. Size doesn’t matter

Well, it is a common notion to believe that companies that are global and spread onto larger areas are well enough to handle your works. But it is not the case that you have to reject agencies who are local and have limited spread only. 

Any company who can truly understand your business goals and work towards the realization of it by creating a customised PR strategy for you can be the best option for you. 

The problem with very large companies is that they use the same strategy for almost all companies. Exceptions do exist and it is not a generalised opinion. 

Also, the distance must not be a factor in deciding your PR agency. You should not just confine yourselves to an agency just because they are local to access. 

It is the connections that really matter. Hence, focus more on the coverage of the company and the radius of the impact the agency can put on.

6. Expertise is important

Not all PR agencies have expertise in all business enterprises. Hence, you must verify if the public relations agencies have enough knowledge to lead your company.  They must have complete knowledge of the business domain as they must be able to give you important advice regarding your company. 

Also, you must be able to find really senior and expertise PR advisors that lead your team as it is quite important to have them on board. Do avoid the agencies who are new to the field with little expertise and junior members on the team. 

7. Remember, PR is not a genie

You cannot just wish PR to be a genie who will grant all your wishes. PR cannot make it possible to give out all the results that you wish to occur. Mishaps may occur and strategies might not work out. 

Also, they will not work on the vacuum. They will need their tariffs completely accepted before starting the work. Hence make sure that you are ready to make the payments without delay and lag. They must be provided with the proper resources they need to help your company grow. 

All the objectives and principles of your company and the PR agency must be aligned together to work towards the same goal to get the best of the results. With having a new PR agency on your journey to achieving all the dreams of you and your company, the hustles are lessened to a great level if the one you hired is the one right for you. Or else, it can create a lot of confusion and put you in more trouble.

So, hire the best one for you, create your happy space and keep building your empire!