Before you hand them your business, here are some questions you should ask a PR firm to make sure it is the right fit for you.
- What is your strategy for media placements?
- Strategy is the most important component, so force the PR firm to give you specifics. Make sure you understand the firm’s proposed strategy.
- How would you position my product or service?
- Make the PR firm elaborate on how it sees your product or service. This tests how well they understand your brand.
- Will I work with you, or is someone else developing my media strategy?
- Make sure you know who exactly is going to be representing your company to the media and developing your strategy — is it the top sales person who won your business or some inexperienced entry-level employee?
- What media have you secured for your clients?
- If a PR firm can get clients from different industries into the same leading media outlets, it shows they have a strong understanding of media strategy.
- When can we see results based on your experiences?
- The PR firm’s answer to this question indicates how confident they are with your potential business.
- What is your experience?
- Look for a PR team composed of creative and critical thinkers rather than salespeople. This is because PR is about understanding what the media wants in a story — a strong narrative, a timely component and an assessment of the competition.
- Why is your PR firm better than others?
- Listen for objective reasons on why their PR firm is the best.
- What is we don’t get along or I’m not happy with the results?
- Make sure the PR firm will let you switch publicists or team leaders if you feel the need to.
The PR App 