A Small Business Owner’s Guide for Choosing a PR Firm
Hiring a PR firm is never easy, even for big businesses and corporations. There’s a lot of money and reputation at stake, and there is no room for chances. As a small business owner, you need to be extra cautious about your choice. In this post, we have enlisted a few tips to choose one of the top PR firms.
Start with a budget
Business communication needs to be effective, but the budget is always a big concern, at least for new and growing firms. There’s no point of chasing PR firms that you cannot afford. Talk to the marketing and accounting team to decide the budget for public relations.
Check reputation
If a PR company claims great things, they must have good market value and reputation to substantiate their words. Check online to know if the company as credible web presence, and in case of any doubts, you can always request for client references.
Scalable efforts
PR and business communication can be measured easily. Yes, there are scalable metrics that can be used to understand the effectiveness of a PR exercise. For example, if you are running a PR campaign on social media, you need to check the “likes” on Facebook page, the increase in Twitter followers and how the tactics has added traffic to your portal. Ask the company about the metrics and data techniques they use.
Don’t commit for a long-term contract right away
Most PR firms want clients on a retainer format, which surely ensures steady income for their tea,. However, it’s best not to commit for an extended period right away. Try a smaller period, maybe around 90 to 180 days, depending on the nature of the campaign. The company must offer direct results, so that the efforts can be evaluated rightly.
Check online now to find a few services in your city!