Today word of mouth simply is not enough to run a successful business. Incorporating PR into your plan is an important step to giving your brand a voice, and as we always say at Eventful PR, ensuring it is heard. On the surface, PR keeps you relevant, ensuring the public is informed of your news and offerings. It’s media coverage at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising, or even free-of-cost – what we call “earned media” in PR speak, which is more authentic and resonates on a deeper level with potential clients.

Indeed, public relations is more than just media coverage; it connects you with the right audience, builds relationships, establishes trust, respect in your industry and puts your brand top of mind when a “browser” is ready to become a buyer. PR isn’t just a task to cross off your to-do list. It’s an ongoing, multi-faceted strategy to help you build your business and strengthen your brand, for years to come.

By this point, you may conclude that PR is a full-time job, and you’re right. Working with an experienced professional can set you up for success, while freeing up your valuable time, so you can do what you do best. Now that you have some of the “why,” let’s dig into the “how.” Here are some rules for success.

Know your goals. When you connect with a PR firm, be clear about your objectives, challenges and brand message. What do you stand for? What do you want people to know about your business? And who are you targeting with that narrative? You don’t need to know how to project your brand message – that’s where your PR professional comes in. You just need to know what that message is. To help us do our job effectively and serve our clients’ PR needs and goals, we ask the following questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• How wide of an audience do you want to reach?
• What do you want to share about your brand?
• What are your business goals?
• What type of coverage are you aiming to achieve?
• Do you have photos and video that showcase your services to media?

These answers will help guide the conversation between the client and with a PR agency, and for us let us then create the right media strategy and to ensure on the best path forward.

Patience is a virtue. Understand the various means of engagement and remember that PR is a process. It doesn’t happen in a day, so make the commitment and trust the process. As a PR office our goals are twofold: first, to serve our client; second, to serve the media. When possible, we work with our clients to tailor the content to align with the publication’s editorial calendar. PR pros are specialists, and our relationships with media are a slow build, gaining traction with pitches and in the end, engaging content. This takes time, so don’t think of your PR as a race but a marathon.

Team work makes the dream work. Eventful PR is here to guide and help guide you through the process to marketing your business, being heard and getting noticed! Here are some initial questions to ask a PR office when looking to hire their services.

• What is the agency’s overall mission?
• How long have they been in the industry?
• What is the process and style of client communication?
• Length of campaigns offered?

Choose an agency with experience in your specific market. They will be far more effective if they have already worked in the same sector, developed those media relationships and know how to speak to a particular audience.

Do your job. Yes, there is such a thing as a “good client.” Here’s what we look for in an ideal candidate:

• Clearly define your goals: Before hiring a publicist, have a clear understanding of what you would like to achieve.  Communicate your expectations
• Establish communication guidelines: Set up regular monthly and quarterly check-ins with your publicist to review progress and discuss upcoming initiatives.
• Provide resources: To ensure that your publicist has everything they need from all relevant resources, including images, bios.
• Trust their expertise: Your publicist has experience and expertise in their field, so trust their recommendations and strategies.
• Be responsive: publicist may need your input or approval on materials, so it’s important to be responsive and communicate regularly.
• Be realistic about outcomes: While a publicist can help you achieve your goals, it’s important to be realistic about what they can achieve. Don’t expect immediate results or guaranteed coverage, but work with your publicist to develop a strategy that aligns with your goals and budgets.

Of course, the best client is an informed client, and this applied to the business of PR. So, ensure you understand the agency’s fee structure. Here are some common billing types:

• Retainer-based: A PR agency typically charge monthly or quarterly fees based on the number of hours estimated to complete the agreed work. If more time is needed than what was originally estimated by the agency, then additional fees may apply.
• Fixed fee: In this model, your PR agency will work with you on a project-by-project basis and charge a flat project rate for services provided. This may work well for clients with a limited scope of work.

PR can be with the right team, a  wonderful tool to help you begin to grow your business and your brand. Contact us to receive information about our process, and discover how we can assist you with all your PR marketing needs, now and in the future.

Looking to tell your brand story? Click HERE to schedule your brand discovery call with us.