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10 Tips to Chose the Perfect Public Relations Firm

by Marsha Friedman

If you are one of the hundreds of businesses looking to gain local exposure for your business, corporation or product then you are probably facing the difficult decision of finding the right public relations 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 marketing plan ? Here Marsha Friedman, founder of Event Management Services Incorporated, a local and national PR firm , will share her 10 tips on how to choose the RIGHT public relations firm to get your message the media coverage that you desire.

1. Find a PR firm that specializes in your industry. "For example," says Marsha Friedman," if you have a technical Business to Business then you should find a national public relations firm that specializes in Business to Business . If the public relations firm regularly works with companies that are in your industry, they will be familiar with how to share your message to the media." Also, they should be able to get started right away . "If you choose a national or local public relations firm who is clueless to your field , be prepared for them to spend some time researching your industry in order to get a full handle on your topic" adds Marsha Friedman. And guess who will be paying for the public relations 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 marketing 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 public relations firms can charge anywhere from $20,000-30,000 per month."

2. Choose a PR firm that specializes in your medium of choice. If you are ready to hire a public relations firm, then chances are that you have given a bit of thought as to what medium you want to use. "When you are 'auditioning' public relations firms you probably know what media you want to use. It is useful to know that not all public relations firms work with all types of media," says Marsha Friedman. "A whopping 95% of firms specialize exclusively in pitching to the print media ." So if you are interested in doing radio or television you need to find a firm that specializes in these mediums. "The best way to find out," says Friedman, "is to ask the public relations firm if they specialize in electronic or print media !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. "Here you can find out how much media they have obtained for their clients and what quality the media is." When you are given a campaign it is important to know what the duration of the campaign was. "For example, if they show you a public relations 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 - take notice . "If it took 2 years to get one major magazine , based on the minimum retainer level, you would have paid a massive $72,000 for that one media hit." Sample public relations campaigns are a great indicator of the effectiveness, especially the cost effectiveness, of a public relations firm's work.

4. Find a pay-for-performance public relations firm! The costly monthly retainer can drain a tight budget , so it is good to know that there are other options out there. Marsha Friedman says, "There are a handful of public relations firms out there that get paid based on their the media attention the they actually obtain for their clients . 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 public relations firm actually secures for them. So instead of paying a monthly fee, they pay for the results that my public relations firm obtains for them." By choosing a per project or pay-for-performance firm you are truly making your public relations firm put their money where their mouth is!

5. Speak to the public relations firm's clients. When you are choosing a national public relations 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 public relations firm's clients what sort of national or local exposure they received and how long it took for the public relations firm to obtain it for them. Marsha Friedman adds, "Great questions to ask are; How well did the public relations firm's staff interact with them? Did they seem interested in the campaign? Did the pitches and press releases communicate your message? These answers will give you valuable insight as to how the public relations firm will handle your campaign."

6. Be confident in their skill in PR. Before you sign on the dotted line , make sure that you are convinced that the public relations firm will create, and execute, a successful campaign . Don't forget to ask lots of questions, request copies of sample campaigns and then do a comprehensive review of all of the materials. "I would suggest that before you make your final decision you talk to owners and definitely request a proposal", says Marsha , "ask the important questions. Where are they going to get you media exposure? How long the campaign will last? What are the goals of the campaign? How long will it take to meet these goals? How the public relations firm answers these questions will ultimately determine the level of confidence you have in their ability to service your campaign .

7. Don't limit yourself to public relations firms in your area. If you're looking for regional or national exposure don't limit your search to public relations firms that are located within your vicinity. "Many people believe that you need to have a firm located just down the street so that you can have regular face-to-face meetings with them, "says Marsha . "But this is not how it works. In my 20 years of gaining national and local media attention for my clients, I have only had a face-to-face meetings with a small number . The reason for this is that I don't need to. All of a public relations firm's work can be done via phone and email which is a far more efficient, and time saving, way to work." If your goal is to attain national media attention, find a public relations firm that specializes pitching to the national media. A national media public relations firm's skill level and specialization is what is important, not where they are located. If your goal is to gain local media attention, this is when it is a good idea to look for a local firm. Marsha says "As they are immersed in the market you are after, their contacts and knowledge will be far more effective than that of a national public relations firm."

8. Become familiar with your Campaign Manager. There is one person in particular who plays a vital role in driving the success of at the public relations firm: your Campaign Manager. Knowing all about your Campaign Manager could make or break your decision to use a public relations firm. . Find out what their experience level is and how long they have been with the public relations firm. "A great nugget of information is that many Campaign Managers are rookies fresh from college," says Marsha . "Even more frightening is that many national and local public relations firms hire interns to handle the client accounts that are not at the 'top of their list.' " If you don't investigate the qualifications of your Campaign Manager, then how can you be confident that your campaign will be handled by a professional?

9. Find a public relations firm that believes in you . The best type of public relations firm is one that not only understands your message but also has lots of enthusiasm for your topic. Marsha says, "If you find a public relations firm like this, their enthusiasm for your message will show in how they handle your campaign . The pitches and press releases will be more creative and their communications to the media will be attention grabbing and clear." In order for a public relations firm to successfully work for you, they need to understand your passion and be able to translate it into something that will be of interest to the masses. If they miss your point completely, it can really be costly. "

10. Trust your instincts . Marsha says, "My final tip to choosing the right public relations firm has everything to do with your instincts '. When you are in the process of deciding if a public relations firm is a right fit for your needs it is inevitable that you will have strong views about their work and approach. Even if everything seems perfect, if your instincts tell you otherwise - listen to them! " instincts tend to be accurate, so if something seems a little off in any way, be weary of pushing the working relationship forward. There is nothing worse then finding out your gut feelings were right when it is too late!

Well there you go! The 10 tips on how to choose the right public relations firm for you! If you would like to learn more about gaining national and local media exposure for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Marsha Friedman is available to be of service . Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a public relations expert Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without costly 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.

Published March 18th, 2008

Filed in Advertising, Marketing


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