Hiring a PR firm might not be on your radar, but if it is there is definitely some research involved in choosing one that fits your company’s specific needs. There are so many to choose from, ranging from digital firms to more traditional ones. You need to first determine your specific company goals and decide what you’re hoping the future to hold.
Here you can find some helpful advice if you need help with the decision making process involved in hiring a PR firm. Learn about these 5 essential qualities that every top PR firm exhibits.
The firm should have a good reputation among its clients
Obviously this should be a top concern of yours; if the PR firm does not have a solid reputation then you can’t trust them to get the job done to your liking. Always look into the overall perception of the firm and if it is a negative one, don’t choose them for your public relations needs. Agencies with the best reputation often have 5+ years in the industry.
They have stellar networking skills
Networking is the name of the game in public relations. The firm’s main job is to connect you with a variety of journalists, online publications, and other media outlets in order to make your brand more universal. Without networking skills this would not be possible. They need to have the ability to make solid business connections in order to relate to the public.
The firm’s agents use the powers of persuasion
This goes without saying, but a PR rep needs to be extremely persuasive. This doesn’t mean just batting their eyes at potential clients to get what they want. They need to use their intelligence and knowledge of the field in order to accomplish what they’ve set out to do. The best PR agents are detailed, thorough, determined, and extremely persuasive.
They have the ability to innovatively adapt
WIth the changing times in the world of marketing it is important for a PR to be extremely adaptable. Traditional PR firms that focus on print-based media, TV and radio coverage will become obsolete if they don’t learn how to adapt. They are required to start investing more of their time in digital marketing like search engine optimization and social media marketing.
As the market changes, the PR firms has to change as well. They don’t just need to meet the needs of the current market but to exceed it. When they do that you can trust that the firm will be the best PR option for you and you’ll experience a high ROI.
They need to be passionate about the business
Just like any provided service, the best job is done when the service provider is actually passionate about what he/she does. If your assigned PR agent isn’t passionate about relating to the public, chances are your expectations will not be met. During your initial consultation with the agency you’ll be able to tell if the passion is there or not.
