Hiring an outside firm to manage your organization’s public relations is a big decision and a significant investment. But it can also have a dramatic payoff, especially when you lack the staff or resources to manage these efforts in-house. When done right, a dedicated PR team will proactively nurture relationships with your target audiences—including the media, your social media followers, referral sources, community partners, and others—to identify opportunities to promote your key messages and build your brand’s positive reputation.

After signing a contract with an outside firm, it’s important to note that this does not mean the responsibility for your PR efforts is completely off your plate. Getting the greatest results (and highest return on investment!) out of your PR firm means staying actively engaged in the partnership and providing the team with the information, expertise, feedback, and accessibility they need to succeed on your behalf.

Before you engage with an outside PR team, make sure you are willing and able to provide these key things in order to maximize the ROI on your partnership:

1. Access to you and your data. Log-in information to social platforms and other resources, current and past strategic plans, press releases, media clips, campaigns, and more—any and all background information you can provide on your company and your previous PR/marketing efforts will help your new firm determine the best strategy for success moving forward.
2. A single point of contact. While your firm may work directly with many members of your team, assigning a single point of contact to be your PR firm’s liaison will foster a more efficient workflow. By collaborating with your point of contact, your PR firm can help coordinate the review and approval of PR materials, schedule meetings and/or interviews, recommend subject matter experts on your team, and more.

3. A designated public spokesperson or spokespeople. It is essential to ensure this person is easily reachable and available for interviews before your PR team begins media outreach. If your representatives aren’t yet comfortable with media interviews, your PR firm will be able to provide media training, draft talking points, and help prepare your spokespeople for all media opportunities in advance.
4. Regular updates on the current issues impacting you and your industry. As your PR representative, your firm will do its very best to stay on the pulse of the developments, trends, and conversations that are currently making news in your community and/or industry. This allows them to pitch timely and relevant stories that will generate media interest and feature your company’s news, key messages, and subject matter experts. But no one knows what topics matter most to your target audiences than you do! Your PR team will appreciate you keeping them apprised of any issues that are currently impacting day-to-day life for your company, employees, clients, industry, etc. Examples might include changes in legislation, technological developments, challenges you are currently facing, or services/products that are currently in high demand. If it is important to you, chances are there is a broader story to tell, and your PR team can help amplify it.
5. Clear communication. Successful partnerships rely on efficient communication and workflow. When your PR team sends over content to review, have your primary point of contact collect all group feedback before responding to avoid multiple rounds of revisions. Also, be upfront with your PR firm. If you have content changes, goals, expectations, feedback (preferably more constructive than “I don’t like it”)—your PR team wants to know! Specific and honest feedback helps produce accurate work faster. Also, establish your preferred method of communication—whether it’s email, text, instant message, phone calls, or another form of connecting, make sure your PR team knows the best way to contact you to get timely responses.
6. Have a dedicated newsroom page on your website. Securing a media placement is only step one of making PR work for you. To maximize impressions and help with your SEO, be sure to publish all media placements generated by your firm’s PR efforts on your website and social media pages. Other ways to merchandise your media clips might include featuring significant media clips in your email blasts, blogs, or newsletters, and adding positive news stories to your sales kits or other marketing pieces.

There are many assets to working with an outside PR firm. You will benefit from a fresh, expert perspective on effective strategies to stay top of mind while maintaining a positive perception with your target audiences, and you will gain new bandwidth to uncover and pursue more opportunities. But to be a truly effective partnership, your new PR team will need regular access to your company’s leadership, both to gain input and insight when needed and to fulfill media and other public commitments. The best PR campaigns are produced when both the PR firm and the client are equally committed to success.

To learn more about how a PR partner can bolster your marketing and communications efforts and support your brand’s strategic goals, request a meeting with our team!