Should You Hire A PR Agency?
PR or public relations agencies can accomplish many things for a company. They can help you enhance your image with your audience. They can also help you gain the media attention that you desire. However, it can also be argued that any company can just as easily take care of these same tasks and responsibilities on their own. So let’s take a look at what a PR agency can do for you, and talk about the pros and cons.
What Does a PR Agency Do?
According to the Public Relations Society of America, a PR agency anticipates, analyzes, and interprets public opinion about an organization. They then counsel the company on the best course of action to improve their press and PR. From that point there will be a process of researching, evaluating and adapting on a continuing basis.
The recommendations and assessments aren’t always limited to press and PR, but may also take into consideration a company’s financials, employee and community relations, and other programs. They can be involved in many of a company’s departments and may not be specifically limited to marketing.
At a fundamental level, a PR firm will take care of many of the basic tasks required for press and publicity including, but not limited to:
- Writing press releases
- Distributing press releases
- Writing media pitches
- Organizing and executing special events
- Conducting market research
- Writing copy
- Managing public relations crises
- Managing social media promotions
The Benefits of Hiring A PR Agency
The benefits of hiring an agency are numerous. You can have all of your press and public relations handled by specialists. They may be able to access the media in a way that a company may not be able to, or have the time to. Some public relations agencies already have good media relationships. While a PR agency can be expensive, they may be able to get you to your goals faster than you can on your own.
The Benefits of Managing Your Own Public Relations and Press
With all of the resources available to business owners, including small to medium sized businesses, you can manage your PR on your own. You can also choose to outsource some tasks and take care of others internally. For example, you can write your own press release and then use a press release distribution service to get it into the hands of the major media outlets. You can also take care of your own pitching, your own market research and social media. Handling it internally may or may not save you money. It depends on the staff that you have and the press release strategy you create.
The bottom line is that if you want to take your press and publicity to the next level, but you’re not sure how to, then hiring a PR agency can be a great next step. However, if you’re not sure what your goals are or you don’t have the budget to hire an agency, then it may be time to focus on those two objectives first.
