On the hunt for a new PR firm? There is only so much you can learn from a PR firm’s website. To find the right firm to meet your PR goals, you’re likely going to have to interview several PR firms to find the one best suited to you and your company.It’s imperative to talk with each PR firm to get a sense of how the PR firm works, their skill levels, attitudes and the strategies they’d each employ for success. Some PR firms may butter you up and try to wow you with a killer presentation deck, but when it comes to PR results, a deck isn’t going to sell your story. It’s going to take a stellar PR account team with the right storytelling skills, media relationships and expert strategizing to land media coverage.

I’ve Interviewed a Number of PR Firms — Now What?
Once you’ve interviewed the firms in your initial list, you’ll want to pare down your list down to the top three to five PR firms and make your choice from there.

Here are six questions to ask yourself when choosing the right PR firm:

1. Were They Excited and Ask Questions?
   You want your brand’s story to be in the hands of PR professionals. You’re smart enough to know you need a PR firm, and you have some ideas of how you want your business to be presented and to whom. A PR firm that simply gives you price packages and doesn’t pepper you with questions about your company, product and business pipeline may utilize a “cookie cutter” approach with each client. Equally, a PR firm that doesn’t ask you what success looks like to you, how you want your company and products presented to media, what your dream publications are, and what type of access they will have to your company spokesperson(s), also might be more concerned with their bottom line than they are with your overall PR success.It’s also a simple fact that if someone is excited about the work they’re doing, then they’ll do a better job. Did the PR firm you spoke with seem like they were genuinely enthusiastic about your company and helping you succeed? Did you feel like they genuinely wanted to dive in and start helping you get the media coverage you deserve? If excitement was lacking in an initial call, it’s unlikely they’ll be more eager when they get to work. Find a firm that is as excited about your business as you are.
2. Do They Understand My Product and Technology?
   A good PR firm is one that can take complex products and technology — and then distill it into an easily understood narrative in layman’s terms. Ask them for examples of PR work they’ve done in your sector — names of other companies they’ve worked with and some examples of the media coverage they generated. Ask for examples of press releases they’ve written and op-ed or contributed content they’ve ghostwritten — this will enable you to easily see their writing skills capabilities. If it feels like a PR firm is still in the dark about exactly what you do once you’ve spoken, they’re not a good fit and you’d be better served elsewhere.
3. Will They Make Me and My Company a Priority?
   The larger the PR firm, the more likely you will be a small fish in a big pond. During your initial call, did the firm make you feel like you were the center of attention — or were they just trying to wow you with their reputation? Larger firms have resources and connections, but plenty of businesses have come away from those firms with a sizable bill and feeling like they didn’t receive the care, or the coverage, they deserved. Small to mid-sized firms are typically more agile and offer the consultative approach of a big PR agency. They also typically include senior team members with deep expertise who have worked at larger PR firms previously.
4. What Is the Skill level of the PR Account Team I’ll Be Working with — and Who Will My Day-to-Day Account Lead Be?
   A lot of the introduction calls you’ll have in your search for a PR firm will be with PR firm management, but the reality is many of the people you speak with initially are only involved in bringing in new business — not the day-to-day running and management of your PR program. Don’t make the mistake of being caught in a “bait and switch” scenario. Make sure you ask who will be on your account team, what their experience levels are — and importantly, who will be your day-to-day account lead.
5. How Do They Measure Success?
   Measuring the success of a PR program is not as cut and dried as measuring marketing where the standards are more clear — e.g. page views, time on site, cost per click, open rates, etc. — but robust software exists to help measure media coverage. Metrics that matter include media mentions, sentiment, share of voice, keyword pull through, circulation and unique visitors per month, aggregate reach and more.Does the PR firm measure earned media coverage vs. newswire coverage? What metrics do they use to determine PR success? What type of media monitoring tools does the PR firm use to measure the success of PR campaigns and programs over time? Cision and Muckrack are two of the top media monitoring solutions used by reputable PR firms. Coverage Book also functions as a news clipping service. Measurement is a critical component of PR and it’s said that “what gets measured, gets done.” Make sure you have a solid understanding of the metrics your PR program will be measured against and how they will be measured.
6. Did They Overpromise?
   You have high hopes for what a public relations firm can deliver, but it’s important to be realistic. It’s important to be skeptical if a potential PR firm is promising the sun, moon and stars. They want your business and should work to deliver success, but that success should be mapped back to your business strategy and goals. If their predictions for success seem overly optimistic and unrealistic, they most likely are. Pushing back and ensuring expectations are aligned upfront is far better than having a conversation in six months as to why KPIs were not met.

Looking for help with pr strategy, digital pr, or public relations? MGP public relations is a top PR firm. Get in touch with us at hello@wearemgp.com

On the hunt for a new PR firm? There is only so much you can learn from a PR firm’s website. To find the right firm to meet your PR goals, you’re likely going to have to interview several PR firms to find the one best suited to you and your company.It’s imperative to talk with each PR firm to get a sense of how the PR firm works, their skill levels, attitudes and the strategies they’d each employ for success. Some PR firms may butter you up and try to wow you with a killer presentation deck, but when it comes to PR results, a deck isn’t going to sell your story. It’s going to take a stellar PR account team with the right storytelling skills, media relationships and expert strategizing to land media coverage.

I’ve Interviewed a Number of PR Firms — Now What?
Once you’ve interviewed the firms in your initial list, you’ll want to pare down your list down to the top three to five PR firms and make your choice from there.

Here are six questions to ask yourself when choosing the right PR firm:

1. Were They Excited and Ask Questions?
   You want your brand’s story to be in the hands of PR professionals. You’re smart enough to know you need a PR firm, and you have some ideas of how you want your business to be presented and to whom. A PR firm that simply gives you price packages and doesn’t pepper you with questions about your company, product and business pipeline may utilize a “cookie cutter” approach with each client. Equally, a PR firm that doesn’t ask you what success looks like to you, how you want your company and products presented to media, what your dream publications are, and what type of access they will have to your company spokesperson(s), also might be more concerned with their bottom line than they are with your overall PR success.It’s also a simple fact that if someone is excited about the work they’re doing, then they’ll do a better job. Did the PR firm you spoke with seem like they were genuinely enthusiastic about your company and helping you succeed? Did you feel like they genuinely wanted to dive in and start helping you get the media coverage you deserve? If excitement was lacking in an initial call, it’s unlikely they’ll be more eager when they get to work. Find a firm that is as excited about your business as you are.
2. Do They Understand My Product and Technology?
   A good PR firm is one that can take complex products and technology — and then distill it into an easily understood narrative in layman’s terms. Ask them for examples of PR work they’ve done in your sector — names of other companies they’ve worked with and some examples of the media coverage they generated. Ask for examples of press releases they’ve written and op-ed or contributed content they’ve ghostwritten — this will enable you to easily see their writing skills capabilities. If it feels like a PR firm is still in the dark about exactly what you do once you’ve spoken, they’re not a good fit and you’d be better served elsewhere.
3. Will They Make Me and My Company a Priority?
   The larger the PR firm, the more likely you will be a small fish in a big pond. During your initial call, did the firm make you feel like you were the center of attention — or were they just trying to wow you with their reputation? Larger firms have resources and connections, but plenty of businesses have come away from those firms with a sizable bill and feeling like they didn’t receive the care, or the coverage, they deserved. Small to mid-sized firms are typically more agile and offer the consultative approach of a big PR agency. They also typically include senior team members with deep expertise who have worked at larger PR firms previously.
4. What Is the Skill level of the PR Account Team I’ll Be Working with — and Who Will My Day-to-Day Account Lead Be?
   A lot of the introduction calls you’ll have in your search for a PR firm will be with PR firm management, but the reality is many of the people you speak with initially are only involved in bringing in new business — not the day-to-day running and management of your PR program. Don’t make the mistake of being caught in a “bait and switch” scenario. Make sure you ask who will be on your account team, what their experience levels are — and importantly, who will be your day-to-day account lead.
5. How Do They Measure Success?
   Measuring the success of a PR program is not as cut and dried as measuring marketing where the standards are more clear — e.g. page views, time on site, cost per click, open rates, etc. — but robust software exists to help measure media coverage. Metrics that matter include media mentions, sentiment, share of voice, keyword pull through, circulation and unique visitors per month, aggregate reach and more.Does the PR firm measure earned media coverage vs. newswire coverage? What metrics do they use to determine PR success? What type of media monitoring tools does the PR firm use to measure the success of PR campaigns and programs over time? Cision and Muckrack are two of the top media monitoring solutions used by reputable PR firms. Coverage Book also functions as a news clipping service. Measurement is a critical component of PR and it’s said that “what gets measured, gets done.” Make sure you have a solid understanding of the metrics your PR program will be measured against and how they will be measured.
6. Did They Overpromise?
   You have high hopes for what a public relations firm can deliver, but it’s important to be realistic. It’s important to be skeptical if a potential PR firm is promising the sun, moon and stars. They want your business and should work to deliver success, but that success should be mapped back to your business strategy and goals. If their predictions for success seem overly optimistic and unrealistic, they most likely are. Pushing back and ensuring expectations are aligned upfront is far better than having a conversation in six months as to why KPIs were not met.

Looking for help with pr strategy, digital pr, or public relations? MGP public relations is a top PR firm. Get in touch with us at hello@wearemgp.com