When you go to a diner and order an all-American hamburger, you expect and usually get the same thing: a meat patty between a bun topped with a few veggies. However, whereas a typical hamburger is the same from place to place, a public relations agent is not the same everywhere you go.
PR is a creative business. That means there are certain styles, personalities, and tricks that a PR person uses to get the best results for his or her client. However, since it is a creative industry, there are times when an individual PR agent’s efforts do not work for certain businesses. Unfortunately, many business owners stick with a PR person, even if they are ineffective. Why? Because they do not know that PR strategies differ from agency to agency, and they put too much trust into a PR agent to do the best for their business.
Getting the best PR results sometimes means more than asking your PR person to do more or work harder. It often becomes part of a PR agency change.
So how do you know if your PR agency is doing the best they can for your business? Here are some questions you should ask that can help you determine whether it is time to fire your PR agent.
What Are My Past and Current PR Goals?
What were your PR goals when you hired your agency? Were you attempting to build a better, more recognizable brand? Were you trying to get more customers in the door of your retail store? Your PR person may be working to achieve the goals you set when you hired them. However, if you discover that your goals have changed, talk to your PR person and see if you can get back on track.
Is My PR Person Always Offering Excuses?
If you are not getting the PR results you want or achieving the goals you set with your PR agency, what are the reasons? If your PR person is in the business of giving you excuse after excuse why their efforts are failing, it may be time to look into new PR grounds.
Why is My Competition Getting More Headlines?
One of your main marketing strategies should be to do better than your competition. If you find that your competition is seen more often in news stories or headlines, then your PR person may not be seizing all the opportunities you need to succeed.
Why Isn’t My PR Person Online?
Many PR people still use the old excuse of “it’s always worked in the past.” Rather than adapting to new media like online marketing, blogging, social media, and internet buzz, they stick with older “analog” methods that do not work for your company.
Why Doesn’t My Target Audience Know Who I Am?
If you ask this question after a reasonable amount of time, it may be time to cut your losses and switch. A good PR agency will know how to get your firm name in on radio, TV, newspapers, online media, and other mediums as well.
If you ask yourself these questions and realize that your PR could use improvement, consider a switch to a new agency or freelance PR person.
