To hire or not to hire a PR firm?
It’s up to you if you would like to hire a firm to take care of your PR. For a lot of companies this is a real brainteaser. Which is why we’re glad to help you a few steps in the right direction, the one that suits your company best, that is.
3 reasons why you shouldn’t hire a PR firm and DIY
- Time
Time is a valuable thing. And it will take a lot of your time to inform your PR person what your business is all about. You must find the time to continuously educate him/her about how they should respond to questions from the media they are contacting.
All this while you could also be communicating directly with the media and develop a direct relationship. - Social media
There never was a better time to manage your own PR. Nowadays you can reach hundreds of people at the same time trough social media websites like Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin. You only have to know (or learn) how to proclaim your message. And of course connect with the right people. - Contacts
When you outsource your PR you’ll never develop a direct relationship. These relationships are very important. And for example if your PR person quits his/her job you’ll probably lose your relationships because they were his/hers and not yours directly.
5 reasons why you should hire a PR firm
- More than one
When you hire a firm you’ll have more than one person plus all their knowledge available to you and your campaign. You’re not dependent on one person and one person only. 1 + 1 = 3 in this case. - Expertise
It’s their job. They know what it’s all about. For example you won’t build your own home, you’ll hire an expert to do this. It’s the same in PR. The PR people have the knowledge, the tools and the connections. You have other things within your business to worry about. - Advice
PR firms can also assist you. If you hire a firm of PR person it does not automatically mean that they take over everything. Together you can consult what will be the best approach for your brand or company. Maybe you have all the connections but just don’t know how to reach them in an efficient way. Or you have a great message but just don’t know how to translate this message to your (future) customers. - Creativity
To write good copy you need some creativity and not everyone is blessed with this gift. It is reasonable to expect that a PR person has got this gift. - Connections
Most PR firms do have a great network. It’s up to you to examine if they have enough and the right connections within your branch. If so, it saves you a lot of time. Think about the time it will take you to find these connections and build a relationship.
What is your take on this?
