Make No Mistake – Pr Works!

First of all, it is important to have a budget in mind before any approach is made to a PR firm as the cost varies and also depends largely on the level of service required. Some companies prefer to pay a one-off fee, whereas others invest in a longer-term PR strategy to ensure their firm is kept in the spotlight.

Fledgling business may be happy to generate some initial media coverage then bring PR activities in house to save money. In this case, PR firms may well put together a press release, send it out, and hope that it delivers results but there are never any guarantees. However, if the money is there to invest in a longer-term, more targeted campaign then it can pay dividends.

Most PR firms will charge a daily rate but single press releases can cost anything from £200-£400. However, there is more to press releases than simply penning an article. The process involves the generation of ideas, writing the press release and distributing it to a targeted media audience. This is usually followed up with phone calls to select journalists a few days after it is issued to assess how many plan to use the story.

A good PR firm will take time to research its clients and cultivate a sound understanding of the industry in which they operate. This is vital as they must understand each individual company, its background, competitors, and what makes it special or unique. Be cautious if they don’t appear interested in taking the time to understand your company.

Another desirable aspect of a PR firm is a good local knowledge and awareness. Local contacts and insider knowledge can be extremely advantageous for any company working within that region. For instance, an Edinburgh PR agency would be well advised to acquire and develop an expert understanding and awareness of local activities and industry developments.

Many PR firms will also act as media centre taking enquiries from journalists and may also offer crisis management so, should problems arise, they can provide pre-planned initial responses to the media, then work closely with clients to coordinate an official response to minimise the impact of the crisis.

A good PR agency is a busy PR agency. They shouldn’t be desperately trying to encourage firms to take them on – they should simply present the facts and let potential clients decide in their own time. They should also have local, regional, and national press contacts – previous work should illustrate this.

By: Harvey McEwan

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