Find out what to look for in a public relations and PR expert
Great brand awareness and reputation is hard-earned and easily lost. Public relations and digital PR professionals are the experts when it comes to improving and managing people’s perceptions of your brand.
There are many reasons why you might look to hire the services of a public relations professional, such as:
- You want to raise awareness of your brand
- You want to influence opinion and behaviour
- You want to come back from negative press/media attention
- You’ve had a post that’s gone viral and you’re attracting sudden, mass attention
- You’re in the middle of a PR crisis and you need to act quickly
- You want to build the relationship between you and your community
- You need a press release written and distributed for maximum exposure
Using a PR consultant is a great way to achieve these things; they’ll have the knowledge and address book, along with the external perspective to be able to help manage and protect your reputation while showcasing your brand in its best possible light.
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What is public relations and digital PR, and what’s the difference?
First, let’s look at what public relations and digital PR actually is, because there is often some confusion.
What is public relations?
A public relations supplier manages your brand and reputation via traditional, offline means, for example getting your brand featured in local and national newspapers and magazines, building relationships with key stakeholders, and assessing public attitudes towards your brand. It focuses on earned media placements, which is the hardest and therefore most powerful form of marketing as you can’t pay for it; you have to offer something of value.
What is digital PR?
Digital PR is exactly the same thing as traditional public relations, but it uses online platforms as part of its media coverage strategy. This could be in forums, on social media, via guest posts and anywhere else your brand may have relevance. It’s no surprise that digital PR has become more and more in demand, given the rise of 24/7 news and social media.
Whether traditional or digital PR, it’s important to remember that while many people think it is just reactive (i.e. only necessary when things go wrong), managing public relations should actually form an integral part of your proactive marketing strategy, too.
What should a public relations expert do for you?
Your PR expert will be able to assess current levels of brand awareness and what people really think of you through a variety of tactics. They may carry out consumer surveys, they could trawl online reviews and forums to see what people are saying about your brand, and they may also speak to staff and key stakeholders to ask them their perceptions of your brand and what they hear people saying about it too.
(Of course, if you’re in the eye of a media storm then they’ll need to work a lot faster as time will be of the essence. In this case, they’ll guide you through the best way to manage your response to the crisis in real-time, monitoring responses and making sure any damage done to your brand and reputation is limited.)
Once they have a thorough understanding of your current reputation, they will begin to design and deliver a PR strategy that is proactive and supports your wider business goals.
There will be a lot of skill crossover between a PR expert and other marketers, and you’ll likely find that your PR supplier will also be good at content creation, because good writing and communication skills are such an integral part of PR.
What makes a good PR and digital PR supplier?
As mentioned above, whether it’s a traditional public relations or digital PR expert you work with, they should have exceptional communication skills. They should be well known, with good interpersonal skills and a wide network. They should have the contact details of all the key decision makers in the industry that you’re operating in, or know how to get them (there are paid-for databases of key contacts with email addresses etc. available online).
Your PR professional should have an instinct for a newsworthy hook, and be able to maximise its impact with exceptional storytelling and smart distribution. That’s why you often find that PR experts are ex-journalists – both use very similar skills.
How do public relations suppliers price, and what factors affect this?
If you’re looking for one-off PR support, then you’re likely to be charged an hourly or daily rate. This will depend on the urgency of the job – if it’s an out-of-hours PR emergency then you should expect to pay a premium for their advice.
Brands playing the long game with public relations will usually opt to commit to a PR agency on a monthly basis, so that a proactive strategy can be designed which cumulatively builds and nurtures their reputation and seeks to get them more coverage in national media, whether online or offline.
Whether it’s a one-off job or a long-term arrangement, like most digital marketing services, the price you pay will depend on the seniority, influence and experience of the public relations supplier in question.
What’s the difference between using a freelance PR expert and a public relations agency?
A freelance PR expert will have lower overheads, so they’re likely to be able to provide the services you need at a lower price, and they may also be able to work with more agility and flexibility too if you need urgent help.
A PR agency on the other hand may have access to more in-house skills and could also have more experience and influence in your industry. It’s always best to speak to a couple of PR freelancers and agencies to understand their process before you commit.
Marketing Supermarket’s top tips for finding the perfect digital PR supplier for you
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Slow down
Even if you’re in a huge rush because you’re in the middle of a media crisis, take a breath and choose your PR expert wisely. It’s important that they are the right person to help you manage the issue.
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Ask what’s included
When it comes to media coverage, a lot of PR work can be speculative with no guarantee of publication, and it can be difficult to know what you’ll get for your budget. Ask them to be clear about the deliverables of the project, and get it in writing.
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Ask them about their approach
See how they would approach your public relations and digital PR and ask what they know about your industry already (and who they know, too).
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Check their social proof
It should go without saying that a good PR agency should have impeccable PR themselves. What sort of media coverage do they get? What are people saying about them in reviews and testimonials? This will tell you a lot.
Why use Marketing Supermarket to help you choose your PR expert?
Our quick, free and easy online tool significantly speeds up the process of finding digital marketing suppliers, because we know what questions to ask to match you with the perfect PR supplier for you. We also know that costs are regularly a deciding factor, so we only match you with PR experts who can work within your budget so your time is used most efficiently.
At Marketing Supermarket, you can easily find and compare PR experts. Check out our guide on how to compare PR suppliers to help you make your choice.