Hiring a PR agency to help your organization achieve its goals can be a very daunting an excruciating task given the wide range of agencies available to choose from. While this task may not be easy as you have to sieve through a number of agencies before you can hire the right fit for your brand, there are a few tips that can guide you. Before you set out on your search for the right PR agency for your brand, digest these 6 tips to guide you, and ease your quest.
Set out clear goals before you start
“If you do not know where you are going, any road will lead you there.“
This famous quote rings true for all marketing and PR campaigns. If you do not know what your brand is set out to achieve, any PR agency may seem to be the best-fit right for you. Sadly, Without a goal, there can be no clear strategy and tactics. Therefore, the first step to success is being able to determine and set out clearly what you are trying to achieve. Is it brand awareness, media engagement, crisis management, thought leadership? Once you know what your organization’s goals are, it will help you pick the right agency to help you meet them.
Determine your budget
Hiring a PR agency is not cheap. Therefore it is important that you determine how much your brand can afford to spend especially if you would want to have a PR agency working with your team on a retainer. Determine how long you want to hire the agency for, how much you are willing to spend on a quarterly, bi-annual, or yearly retainer and 3rd party costs.
Decide if you are hiring for a one-off project or a retainer
Depending on your short and long term goals, you can choose to hire an agency for a one-off campaign or for a retainer. If you are skeptical about hiring an agency for the long term, you can hire the PR agency for a one-off campaign or a trial period. The performance of the PR agency during the trial period or one-off campaign can help you determine if you will be willing to have a long term relationship with them or not. There is nothing wrong with dipping your toe in the river to check for its depth before lounging into the deep.
Decide on the process for Qualification RFP or no RFP process
You can either hire a PR agency through a referral from your peers or go through the request for proposal process also known as RFP. When putting together a request for proposal, ensure that you give a brief overview of your brand, state clearly the goals you want to achieve, the expertise you require from the agency to get the job done, what you want the agency to do, and your KPIs. Once you have done this, go online and search for prospective agencies that meet your requirements and reach out to them. Ensure that the agencies you contact have proven experience in delivering the goals you are set to achieve. Once you have done this, you can ask these agencies to send a request for qualifications. This will help you sieve the list and pick out qualified agencies that will pitch for your business.
Hire an extension your team
When hiring a PR agency, have it at the front of your mind that you are not just hiring an agency or a third party to assist with your business goals. You are hiring an extension of your team. Your team and the agency have to be in sync, carry each other along, and trust each other to deliver on tasks assigned to both parties that will lead to the success of your organization.
Understand your contract
When you decide on a PR agency, have them draw out a contract. Review it carefully to ensure it covers all the terms, the scope of work, deliverables, and agreed budget. If you do not have a lawyer in house, hire one to go through the contract carefully.
About Caritas Communications
Caritas Communications is a full-service public relations, reputation management, digital engagements, and management consultancy. We are trusted by the world’s most highly-admired companies to help them protect, manage, and capitalize on their reputation. We do this by offering full public relations services as well as research, consultancy, and training to support all aspects of companies’ stakeholder communication, management, and outreach.