Do you consider your pr firm as a business partner(1)

Do You Consider Your PR Firm as a Business Partner?

Hiring a Public Relations Agency in Australia is a big decision – obviously. It’s a partner working with your business to get results. Without doubt, PR firms change things in a huge way for businesses. They can enhance your reputation. They can generate millions of dollars worth of “money can’t buy” publicity.

They can defend your reputation. They can help avert a crisis. They can ensure your message gets across. They can – in many cases – get coverage for messages that might otherwise not make it into the news cycle.

There are numerous PR Agencies in Sydney and PR Agencies in Melbourne that are highly focused and results driven. These are companies that know how to create innovative campaigns – in partnership with you – that will get coverage and media cut through.

In general terms, an effective PR firm in Melbourne or Sydney will have over a decade of experience in working with many different clients in many different sectors. They will be able to show you clear examples of results. Ask for references to see how many clients are willing to put pen to paper to endorse the work of the agency.

Here are some other things to bear in mind when you are hiring an Australian PR agency: • Be very clear about your goals: Prior to hiring a PR agency, decide exactly what it is you want them to achieve and outline this clearly. Think big. Reach for the sky. No ask should be too big. Be clear about objectives, targets, timing and the kind of results you want.

Ensure that the work of your PR agency and other marketing activities are aligned with each other and each person involved with that process understands what is actually expected of him or her.

• Define the Deliverables: Obviously there are all kinds of elements to PR work. This includes media relations, speech writing, promotions, media coverage, crisis counseling and handling communication during any kind of corporate crisis, script writing, organizing events and launches and much more.

Different agencies will have different areas of expertise. Know what you are looking for. Choose an agency that specializes in that particular field.

Find out how your PR agency is going to work: Obviously your PR firm really should understand your messages and your culture inside and out. They need to know how you think, what you are really trying to achieve and they need to have the ability to ‘think outside the box’ and come up with creative solutions.

PR agencies will often offer the same kind of services to clients without thinking too much. It’s all in the creativity and the thought behind the campaign. Ask yourself has the PR firm really considered how the goals will be achieved? Ask yourself, how credible will the messages be when they are put out in the market place? Has the PR firm taken time out to really brainstorm your messages and the best ways to get them across? The last thing you want is a campaign that just looks like everyone else’s campaign.

And you need someone who cares about their reputation and your reputation – because you only have one.

One of the biggest issues that have developed in PR in recent years is the simple fact that media are now on a 24 hour news cycle. Something small can blow up to become very big news indeed at a high speed.

And something that initially is just a local news story can get “out of hand” and become nationwide news and even global news.

So it is important to take a hard look at the journalistic abilities of a Pr Company in Australia. You want people who have a real depth of experience in the field and people who lead by example. You want people who know how to package materials that make people sit up and notice the story. In this new era, media are constantly bombarded with materials and it takes a lot to surprise them. A successful campaign will have the ability to make people “shocked” and definitely surprised.

Also never discount the simple fact that with any successful campaign, there needs to be a huge component of media driving. People getting on the phone and selling your message to media. Media are

under a lot of time pressure. Often it’s going to take a number of calls to get their attention and get them focused on your messages.

Without question, the more “noise” you make, the more you’ll be heard and the more likely it is your PR Company will get you effective PR results.

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