Sometimes, a great product is not enough to get the attention your company deserves from the public.
Sometimes, you need to make the right waves in order to get noticed, and working with a publicist can help you gain your place in the limelight.
The relationship between a company and its publicist should be long-lasting. If you change public relations agencies regularly, the media may end up being confused with the ever-changing messages and contacts.
Here are a few things to consider to help you find the perfect agency or publicist for your company's needs:
Experience and location
Hiring someone with extensive experience in advertising and marketing hotels is not a good decision, no matter how many awards they have garnered, if your business belongs to the medical industry. Hotels and hospitals are two completely different things and that's why you need someone with experience in handling public relations of hospitals, not hotels.
Likewise, hiring a glitzy agency in a big city may not be a good choice to make if your business is located in the smallest and most conservative town in your state and your objective is to drive foot traffic with local media placements.
Offering something besides trendy
Most people believe that hiring a public relations agency is necessary only when you have to organise a party or get the right people to notice your product. The right publicist can give you that and so much more if you know what to look for.
A good publicist understands that each company is unique from the other, even if they are competing in the same sector. This means different strategies and tactics as well. Given the opportunity, a publicist can also help you determine the right positioning in the industry, make brand recognition possible and identify the target market for your company and products.
Publicists are not all about parties and fun. They get down to business and offer effective solutions - after all, the skills of a publicist are varied and they can wear many hats.
An extension of your team
Getting heard is not enough; the best publicists know that saying the right things at the right time is equally, if not more so, important. The right publicist takes the time to get to know a company inside and out in order to generate the right kind of media frenzy at the right time. They will invest the time in becoming an expert of your product, service, spokespeople and competitors. Having this knowledge allows you to trust your publicist to serve as an extension of your team and attend meetings in your place.
Ability to solve crises and sensitive issues
Publicists are naturally curious and generally act like problem solvers. When a crisis ensues that threatens the reputation or credibility of a company, a good publicist will be able to step in to smooth out ruffled feathers and restore damaged reputations. Ideally, you should look for someone who can preempt risk and provide recommendations to mitigate issues in the first place.
Creativity and out of the box thinking
The right publicist never runs out of creative ideas to help promote your company and they understand that the world around us is constantly changing. By keeping their finger on the pulse, a publicist can pitch fresh ideas that are relevant and timely to generate media coverage. They can also think of new angles by connecting with other businesses to create a strong story to get a journalist over the line.
At the end of the day, the right person will have your best interests at heart, even if it may not seem so at first glance. Publicists tend to ask the right questions which can sometimes come off as tough love so it’s important you build trust with whoever you begin working with to get the best results.
Want to learn more?
Find out when to plan a media release, how to evaluate campaigns, or if working with an influencer is right for you on PR Insights.
