As a business owner looking to hire a PR agency to help build your brand awareness, you want to ensure you find one that matches your goals and understands your brand vision. But how can you know it is a good match and trust they will help you land your dream media features? Well there’s a few questions you can ask in the process of getting to know an agency. Ask these 5 questions before hiring your PR agency.
1. Who are some of your previous clients, and how did you achieve success?
A client roster isn’t everything, but it sure is something! While having larger businesses that you can easily recognize is a plus, it is more about seeing what the previous type of work has accomplished for the brands and how the brand was portrayed when in the hands of the agency. By knowing a previous and current client list, it will give your team some more insight about the type of work they may perform for you. Ask to see Case Studies – similar to ours at Jelly.
2. Are you able to act quickly with newsworthy bulletins?
Being on the pulse is one of the most important aspects of PR, thus needing an agency who will spot the best newsworthy opportunities for your business. Gather concrete examples of times when the agency was able to harness a key piece of news and use it to benefit their client’s goals as well as theoretical examples of what they would search for, for your particular business.
3. How do you measure success for a client?
Your version of success may differ from the agency’s – which is completely normal and good to know prior to entering a contract. Especially in the world of PR, which can be very unpredictable, it is important to hear how the agency plans for increasing brand awareness through a variety of modalities. Before entering a contract, check in if success is measured by the number of wins versus the quality of wins they will achieve for your business. This will give your team a clear idea of what both parties are looking for when working on a PR strategy.
4. How does your team like to communicate?
Communication is the key for most things, including your PR agency. A well-oiled machine includes clear and transparent communication among team members as well as with the client. When interviewing an agency, ask what type of communication and organization platforms are used and what are their timelines for getting responses. Not only does this give you an idea of how they work, it gives a better idea of your expectations for them moving forward.
5. What are your company’s key values?
Company values extend far beyond internal communications and teams. Values and company culture often extends into every arm of an agency – including the clients. Getting clear about how established an agency’s values are and how they implement them, will give you a better idea how they will handle your business goals. Additionally, your business likely has a set of values to begin with and having the two companies align is a great step for compatibility.
Find the Right PR Agency
Good luck finding the right PR agency for your business! Check out how we can help you out with your next PR campaign.
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Public Relations
