You’re launching a new product or service but how will this generate extra revenue for your company if nobody knows about it or fully understands the customer benefits? To effectively reach new customers and maintain a healthy dialogue with existing clients, you need an effective communications strategy. You may be confident about managing your own PR and dealing with journalists, however if you select the right PR agency you’ll be even more successful.
Deciding whether to use a PR agency is an important decision for any business, especially for smaller organisations with limited budgets and perhaps limited experience of PR. So here are a few pointers to explain the benefits of partnering with a PR agency.
Media savvy
First of all, PR agencies have a great knowledge of the media. They have relationships with journalists and editors and understand how they work, how to manage them and how to get the best results. Very importantly, agencies can identify the right press, online and offline, to ensure that your message reach your target audience.
Strategic nous
PR agencies can provide advice on how to best position your company, products or services in the market and can develop key messages for each of your target audiences. Whereas you have an insider’s perspective of your business, an agency will approach your communications from a potential customer’s point of view and offer a fresh perspective.
Thinking outside the box
By their very nature PR agencies attract creative thinkers, who think outside of the box and can deliver communication campaigns that stand out. Individuals working within an agency generally have a wide range of experience and are constantly learning. Their knowledge can be used for the benefit of your organisation.
A wealth of expertise
Using an agency will also give you access to, not just one PR or marketing expert, but a whole range of expertise from diverse backgrounds with many different skills. These are likely to include copywriting, social media, events management and digital media experts, all who will ensure that your communication is clear, consistent and geared towards the audience you are trying to reach.
Industry know-how
Most agencies represent a cross-section of clients and as a result will have built up a lot of knowledge about a specific industry. Their understanding of a particular market, coupled with their knowledge of the media, makes for a powerful combination to generate quality media opportunities, leaving you to focus on your core business.
Partnership of equals
At the end of the day, to get the most out of an agency, you need to commit to your side of the partnership by routinely sharing information about your business and responding quickly to the opportunities they present you with. In turn a good PR agency should be able to set realistic yet ambitious targets that they can deliver on, to help take your business to new heights!
