When to hire a Public Relations Agency

Hiring a PR agency can often be a substantial investment from a financial and resource perspective and for this reason, many companies actively question when is the best time to hire a Public Relations (PR) agency. While the measurement for the effectiveness of PR is clearly becoming more evident as part of today’s digital and data-driven world, the decision to hire an external service provider may appear as a risk when the return on investment is unclear. However, the truth is that all brands require an active investment into their brand messaging, positioning, reputation management, and influencer outreach.

While we recommend hiring a PR agency at the start-up phase, we understand that budget plays a role. In this article, we’ve outlined five instances that necessitate the hiring of a PR agency.

Upcoming event, launch, or business development

When your company makes a big announcement, public relations is a great way to get the word out. They not only assist with content generation (e.g., press releases, blog articles, fact sheets, social media posts, etc. ), but they also have the relationships to communicate your story to appropriate journalists and analysts for maximum impact.

Increased competitor visibility

Nothing is more frustrating than seeing your competitors receive more press than you, especially when you know your service offering is better, faster, or less complicated. If you see your competitors mentioned more within the media, beating you in sales discussions with prospective clients, or standing out in terms of defining your market, it’s definitely time to hire a PR agency to increase your own visibility.

Marketing strategy broadens communication channels

A strong public relations campaign will only serve to enhance other aspects of marketing and vice versa. If you’re expanding your marketing activities with the goal of driving marketing-specific KPIs back to the business, hire a public relations agency to assist you.

Need for increased brand awareness and recognition

If your company is small and agile, but simply unknown, it could be a good time to invest in a PR agency to help change that. A PR agency will increase your efforts in how you position your service offering, ensure you’re reaching the right people within the media and analyst communities, and help you create smart content for thought leadership.

Need for improved lead generation

Account-based marketing, or customised marketing efforts for certain (and frequently unique) niches or clients, is popular right now. Your sales staff requires the correct collateral to show cold leads why you’re important and/or how your services may help them solve key problems. PR can provide third-party validation for your services, such as unique coverage or client testimonials and case studies, in addition to creating content to promote sales.

While many PR agencies are ready to work with prospective clients on flexible retainers and scopes of work, it’s critical to start talking to agencies as soon as you can while considering the investment. That way, the agency will have enough time to become familiar with the people, processes, and products that are unique to your company, allowing them to execute with exponentially better success when a high-profile assignment comes up.

CF Communications strategically conceptualise and manage public relations campaigns to influence, engage, and build relationships with key stakeholders across a host of platforms to shape and frame the public perception of your brand. We also offer media training.

Book a free consultation today! There is no obligation, we want to understand a bit about your goals and your marketing vision. During the call, we will best be able to advise you and direct you to the best services for you and your company.

Why you need to hire a Public Relations Agency

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Cathlen Fourie, CF Communications