9 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Hire a PR Firm

Photo: Smith House Photography for Create & Cultivate

An important part of scaling your business involves getting your story out there so people can learn about who you are and what you do. PR is a great way to start getting the word out about your business without paying an arm and a leg for advertising.

Earned media brings awareness to your business through traditional means, such as online editorial, print newspapers, and magazines, TV appearances, and others. This form of building brand awareness is incredibly powerful because it builds third-party credibility and helps you reach a new audience that already gives their attention to the outlet that features your story—and, in many cases, you don’t have to spend a dime if you do all the work yourself!

But where do you start?

PR is its own full-time job. So many times, the next step is hiring a freelancer or a PR firm to help get the word out about your brand and story.

Earned media has so many benefits: building brand awareness, getting new customers, having new eyes on your social media channels, helping you gain authority in your industry, and even driving more sales.

Here’s what you need to ask yourself before you make the leap.

1. What does success look like to you?

This question will help you flesh out your expectations, and ultimately, allow the PR firm you use to create points of measurement for success. Be realistic, but don’t be afraid to reach for the stars either.

2. How can you reach your target audience?

Where can your PR manager find your audience? What is your audience reading? How are they communicating with you? You should be helping your PR firm as well by providing them with your current routines.

3. What does your PR budget look like, month to month?

Be realistic about how much you can pay a month. PR is an investment, and you need to treat it like one.

4. What kind of communication do you want to have with your PR firm?

How will you stay in touch with your PR firm and respond to press inquiries? You need to have a clear understanding of how you want to be communicated with (ie. emails, calendar invites, etc.). Otherwise, you could miss a big press opportunity. Always respond within 24 hours as some opportunities are very timely.

5. Can you clearly define your brand and brand story?

You need to be able to provide clear messaging, otherwise, you will need to have your PR team help you develop it. Your message is key to developing pitches and how your PR team positions you.

6. What problem(s) do you solve for your audience?

Your PR team can use this to help with press angles, as well as a way to communicate your success to the world. This can also be part of your messaging strategy.

7. What are your top business goals for the next 3 months? 6 months? 1 year?

Setting goals will help you and your PR firm measure your success throughout your contract. It will also help you think about the bigger picture.

8. Do you have time to dedicate to PR in your business?

This is important! If you don’t have the time to dedicate to interviews or press opportunities, then why do you want PR? A big reason the media is interested in your brand or product is you, and you need to be sure to make PR a priority for your brand.

9. Are you open to new ideas and collaborating with a PR firm?

Think of your PR team as an extension of your brand. They are there in the trenches with you, and it’s important to keep them up to date with what you’re doing, and also recognize their specialty. They are the professionals, and their success if yours as well.

Use these questions when you’re ready to invest in PR for your business, and clearly answer each question. Use this questionnaire to communicate with potential PR firms or freelancers that you’d like to work with.

Wondering what else you need to know before signing on the dotted line? Here are a few more important factors to consider while hiring a PR firm.

The Definition of Public Relations 

PR can have various meanings to people, but overall, it is the controlled message that you’re putting out into the world. You have power over this messaging.

How Getting Featured in the Media Helps to Grow Your Business 

You are getting your name, and/or your brand name out there in front of people who support you, but also many who may not know of you yet. Being able to say that you were featured in certain top-tier publications will also give you a lot of credibility, and help build authority in your industry.

Where to Start If You’ve Never Been Featured in the Media

If you plan on working with a publicist or PR firm, be sure to have these ready prior: aligned social media channels, messaging, and a “dream list.” Where would you really like to be featured? Make a list of all of the places you think your story or product is a fit for.

Then study these media publications. Look at what they are publishing and putting out there. Look at how they’ve formatted their interviews and prepare yourself. Create a one-sheet of go-to information for yourself to ensure you’re prepared for interviews.

You’ll need a press page to show off your awesome media placements and coverage. Be sure to also post and repost your live links whenever possible and tag the publications and editors.

Different Types of Media Opportunities

• Interviews: These could be anything from a simple five-minute phone interview or a five-minute on-air TV segment. A media member expresses interest in your story or product and wants to discuss it with you.

• Product reviews: Editors and writers are always looking for new products to test for editorial inclusion.

• Round-ups: Just like reviews, publications always have product round-ups pages that they work on where they can potentially feature your product.

• Features: This can range from a full story to using your quotes as an expert point of view. The media is always working on different stories, and many times they want to speak to experts.

About the Author: Heather DeSantis is the SHE-O of Publicity For Good and a Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee. Heather is the leading female millennial publicist of her generation with a fresh take on life, which translates to a disruptive approach to PR, as evident with her choosing to run her agency nomadically from an Airstream. Together with her fiancé, they go around the U.S. spreading the word about the unique way and mechanism PFG does PR.

PFG is a millennial and female-led boutique PR agency that guarantees media results in the first 30 days. PFG is a boutique PR agency with a purpose and makes PR relevant in the digital age. PFG publicists are consumers first and transform their clients from “just another brand” to heroes among their target audience.

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