MEDIA MATTERS: When should you hire a public relations firm or contractor?

By Kristi Eaton

Knowing when to hire a public relations firm or contractor is an important step to growing your brand’s visibility. Too early and it won’t materialize correctly. Too late and you’ll miss opportunities. Finding the right time and capitalizing on that is important. Below are some things to consider when you’re deciding whether to hire a PR firm or contractor:

• Messaging is in place. Your company, cause or brand has clear messaging and a strong story to share to the media. 

• There is a clear goal to hit. Maybe you want to increase attendance at your next event by 15% or increase sales by a certain amount. PR can help with this, although it is not as clear cut as marketing in terms of ROI. PR is more about building a brand’s recognition so when someone mentions it in a conversation, it’s known. It builds credibility slowly, rather than becoming an overnight success story 

• Your internal team needs support and can help the outside PR team or contractor. You may need outside PR support when the internal PR team needs support, media contacts or otherwise needs additional help on gaining media coverage and visibility. At the same time, it’s important that the internal team is responsive and reliable in order to get the assets and materials for the outside firm or contractor quickly. In some cases, ke comms works with teams who have no internal PR teams. We work with small nonprofits, authors, grassroots organizations and others. As long as there is a point of contact who can conduct interviews, send over images and answer questions that I cannot answer, it is good to go. 

• Your competitors are earning coverage. Is your main business competitor on the front page of the local newspaper or on the local news? It might be time to consider investing in PR. You can't expect to compete with an entity that is getting their own regular stream of coverage. 

• You have a budget for public relations. PR takes time and resources and it’s vital that there is a budget in place. I recommend at least three months for a launch but longer term retainers if you want sustained media coverage on a regular basis. While a project-based launch campaign is better than nothing, your brand can quickly be forgotten if there is not a steady stream of coverage each month. That’s why a six-month retainer contract is often the best option, in my opinion.

Keep these tips in mind while considering whether you are ready to bring on a public relations firm or contractor. As always, reach out with any questions or feedback at kristi@kecomms.com.