Desperate For a Public Relations Firm ?
If you are one of the hoards of businesses looking to gain local exposure for your corporation then you are probably facing the difficult decision of finding the right PR firm. What can make this decision difficult is that there are so many different kinds of public relations firms out there. Some are local, some national. Some retainer based, some project based. So how do you know which PR firm will be the best fit for your company’s publicity objectives ? Here Marsha Friedman, CEO of Event Management Services Inc (EMSI), a national PR firm , will share her first 5 tips on how to choose the RIGHT PR firm to get your message the media coverage that you desire
1. Find a public relations firm that specializes in your industry. “For example,” says Friedman ,” if you have a technical Business to Business then you should find a national PR firm that specializes in Business to Business . If the PR firm regularly works with companies that are in your industry, they will be familiar with how to convey your message to the media.” Another great thing is that they will be able to get started immediately . “If you choose a local PR firm who is unaccustomed to your industry, be prepared for them to spend some time researching your industry in order to get a full handle on your topic” adds Friedman . And guess who will be paying for the PR firm’s research time: you! “Most firms charge a costly monthly retainer, so the longer it takes for them to get started the more money that will be coming out of your public relations budget . Just to give you an idea the minimum is around $3,000 per month, the industry average is approximately $5,000 per month and the large PR firms can charge anywhere from $20,000-30,000 per month.”
2. Choose a public relations firm that specializes in your media of choice. If you are ready to hire a PR firm, then chances are that you have given a bit of thought as to what medium you want to use. “By the time you get to the point where you are looking for a PR firm, you should know if you want to use tv, radio or print to gain attention for your company. It is useful to know that not all PR firms work with all types of media,” says Friedman . “A whopping 95% of firms specialize exclusively in magazine and newspaper attention .” If you want to use the electronic media to spread your message to the masses it is in your best interest to search for a public relations firm that deals exclusively with these. “The best way to find out,” says Marsha Friedman, “is to ask thePR firm what media that they specialize in!simple as that!”
3. Make sure you request sample campaigns. “Before choosing a public relations firm, request to see some sample promotional campaigns that the firm executed for their clients,” says Friedman. “This is the best way to find out the quantity and quality of their work.” Make sure to ask what the duration of the campaign was. “For example, if they show you a PR campaign that has one huge newspaper placement (such as USA Today or The New York Times) and the duration of the campaign was 2 years - think twice. “If it took 2 years to get one major newspaper , based on the minimum retainer level, you would have paid a massive $72,000 for that one newspaper or magazine hit.” Sample PR campaigns are a great indicator of the effectiveness, especially the cost effectiveness, of a PR firm’s work.
4. Find a pay-for-performance PR firm! The costly monthly retainer can drain a tight budget , so it is good to know that there are other options out there. Friedman says, “There are a handful of PR firms out there that get paid based on their performance or per project. My firm is one of these and my client’s really love it. The reason is that they only pay for the media exposure that my PR firm actually obtains for them. So instead of paying a monthly fee, they pay for the results that my PR firm obtains for them.” By choosing a non-retainer based firm you are truly making your PR firm put their money where their mouth is!
5. Speak to the PR firm’s clients. When you are choosing a national PR firm it is very important to ask to speak to some of their clients, past or present. When you get them on the phone, ask the PR firm’s clients what sort of radio, TV and print exposure they received and how long it took for the PR firm to obtain it for them. Friedman adds, “Great questions to ask are; How well did the PR firm’s staff interact with them? Attentive to your needs as a client? How creative were the pitches and press releases? These answers will give you valuable insight as to how the PR firm will handle your campaign.”
There you go ! The first five tips on how to choose the right PR firm for you! Stay tuned and Marsha Friedman will share her next five tips in Part 2. If you would like to learn more about gaining national or local media attention for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Friedman is here to help . Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a PR expert Marsha Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without budget busting monthly retainers.
Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations for nearly two decades as CEO of Event Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to receive her free Ebook “How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest” visit http://www.emsincorporated.com.
- Marsha Friedman
Tags: art, attention, authority, book, busines, Business, campaign, company, ebook, expert, form, lead, Marketing, media coverage, medium, message, money, Online, phone, pr, pr expert, press release, product, promotion, radio, search, services, www
Related posts
Tags: art, attention, authority, book, busines, Business, campaign, company, ebook, expert, form, lead, media coverage, medium, message, money, Online, phone, pr, pr expert, press release, product, promotion, radio, search, services, www
