Fun fact: I worked in showbiz for around five years of my life on and off. I still “casually” work there from time to time. The truth is that I know a lot of people who make headlines, go viral, and do other things like that. As I’ve watched my friends grow and develop, I noticed a very strong, unmistakable trend among them: their PR agents.

It’s true. A good PR agency can make anyone famous, and I’ve actually seen how much of a difference it can make. That’s why I always tell people to hire a PR agency. But, how do you do it wisely? Moreover how do you know that you’re getting good PR?

Hiring a good PR agency is something that needs to be done with extreme vetting and care. When hiring an agency, make sure that keep these tips in mind:

• Check to see the press that the agency has been able to deliver on a consistent basis.
• Ensure that the agency in question has connections with people in your field.
• Avoid PR agencies that only offer blog post connections.

As someone who has worked in PR, I can tell you that the right agency can make a night and day difference. It’s time to talk about it. 

What should a PR agency do?

A public relations agency is not just a random company that issues out press releases. They offer several services that make them worth their salt. These include:

• Press Release Services. Yes, this is a big part of it. They make press releases and send them out to major sites. In some cases, they may also start submitting releases to individual bloggers, too. 
• Scandal Assistance. If you recently were hit with a major scandal, then you should contact a public relations agency that can work with reputation remediation or statement coaching. They are there to help you ensure you avoid mistakes that could worsen your outcome. 
• Influencer Services/Connections. Once in a while, they will also make an effort to connect with you influencers for an appearance. This is not quite the same as what influencer agencies will do, but it’s very similar. 
• Media Introductions. Many public relations reps will make a point of introducing clients to the movers and shakers in their industry’s media. This is done in hopes of getting good coverage. 
• Public Appearance Bookings. If you need to generate hype or want to make yourself into a public figure, then you will need to get a PR agency to work with you on this aspect of things. 
• Social Media Management. If you have a tendency to put your social media in a tailspin, then you might want to ask them what they can do fo your social media campaign. With that said, this might be more of a digital marketing agency’s job depending on your needs. 
• Media Buying. They may be able to do some buying at a “pay for play” publication. This is the only real way to guarantee visibility.
• Online Reputation Assistance. Bad reviews? Bad rep? Some, but not all, agencies may help you out with that. They usually work heavily on social media platforms. 

Do all companies need a PR agency?

Honestly, yes and no. 

If you are in an industry that is more low-key, such as plumbing or lawn care, then you might be able to ask a standard marketing agency to help promote you. This is because most companies are not going to want to cover something like local gardening supplies. 

However, every single company is going to have moments where they need help with online reputation management. Moreover, if you have a scandal that you need to brush under the rug, you may want to hire a professional agency to help you out.

When should you hire a public relations agency?

There are several major reasons why a small business would choose to hire a PR firm. These include the following major issues below:

• You need help with brand awareness. Branding agencies can’t do it all alone. If you want to get the word out about your brand, you will need to get media help.
• Your brand took a major hit. This often happens with major scandals, especially when it comes to people who made your company look bad. 
• To a point, you just want to grab the spotlight. Media connections are the easiest way to do that. PR agencies can do that well, especially when you want to go beyond social media.
• You’re well-aware of the fact that you might be doing something that’s harming potential clients’ views of you. Did you ever have people back away from your company for “ethical issues?” Well, it could be because you have bad press. A PR agency can figure out how to make things better. 

How much does a public relations agency cost to hire?

The price of a public relations agency can vary greatly depending on what services you want and the depth of the assistance you want to have. Most companies should expect to pay between $3,000 to $5,000 per month for services. 

On the low end of things, you might be able to get $1,000 per month as a quote for some very light press release and business working. On the other hand, if you want to hire one of the top agencies in the world, it could cost as much as $10,000 per month or more. 

How should you choose a public relations firm for your small business?

Honestly, hiring a PR firm for a small business is tricky. Many PR agencies will not work with small businesses unless they already have a track record of success. Here’s what you need to know…

1. Seek out PR firms that are aligned with your industry. 

The first thing I want you to do is realize that not all PR firms are going to be able to service you well. Almost every PR firm worth its salt will have a specialization. This is especially true if you want to work in a “high glamour” type of industry---such as a music, movies, or film. 

Ideally, you will find public relations companies that have a solid reputation in your specific field rather than the general industry. For example, finding PR agencies that are in fashion is great. Finding ones that work with sustainable fashion is even better, if you’re a “green” fashion company.

2. Check out their reviews and business profile.

Admittedly, this won’t usually tell you much. After all, public relations companies are literally in the business of making people look good. If they can’t even get their own business profiles to look halfway decent, then they really putzed up. 

Even so, this should still give you somewhat of an idea of what they can do. Most public relations groups will also have a small portfolio of clients that they’ve worked with. If you like what you see, then that’s a green light. 

3. Call at least three different public relations groups and talk to them. 

This is going to be the “interview” process of the hiring aspect. You may want to ask the following when you finally get a sit-down with them:

• Can you show me your portfolio of work related to my field? Sometimes, you might find out more names that you may not have realized were clients. If you notice names you can’t quite place, you might want to take a look at their press before you sign.
• What would you want to do with my company, strategically speaking? Would they want to announce something? Is there a particular route that they would suggest? It’s a good idea to listen to how they would approach getting you press.
• Has there ever been a time when a client had to deal with a scandal? If so, how did you handle it? It’s good to understand how well they work with people who may attract scandals.
• Are there any types of firms or cases you will not take? Believe it or not, many PR agencies have their own “hard stops.” You need to make sure that the agency will take you on as a client before you move forward.
• Do you have any close ties to any publications? It’s good to know where you stand with this stuff and what they can offer. Be wary of companies that offer a guarantee with certain blogs, as this can actually be a red flag.
• Do you have numbers behind the campaigns you’ve run, and if so, how much publicity have you been able to get? A good public relations agency will be able to show you how many views your name gets at a minimum. 
• How much do you charge, and what can you guarantee for that price? You want to be able to get some kind of guarantee that’s solid and trackable. Otherwise, you put yourself at a disadvantage towards fraud.
• Do you understand my business and what we want to do? If your PR agent won’t understand what your brand is, they won’t be able to properly provide you with quality work. 

4. Do follow up research.

In most cases when it comes to matters of hiring marketing agencies, you’d do the research before the interview. With PR, things are different. There are oh, so many cases where public relations managers have claimed to do work that others did. It’s actually kind of wild, really.

Before you sign on the dotted line, reach out to some of the companies advertising and marketing departments. Ask for references, to see if they are really pleased with the work the agency did. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, it’s okay to ask agencies for references too.

5. Hire your top candidate.

After vetting your PR agencies heavily, it’s time to hire a top candidate. This involves pulling out a contract, negotiating prices (if applicable), and signing on the dotted line. After that, your work should start out.

What should you avoid when trying to hire a public relations agency as a small business owner?

So, there are several issues that you may have when you are trying to hire PR agencies as a small business owner. You need to know what the red flags are when you try to work with a PR firm. These below may help you avoid a major gaffe:

• Avoid public relations firms that claim that they can get you backlinks or exposure on sites that you’ve never heard of. You should try to do some kind of research on the sites. A lot of public relations firms that don’t have their ish together tend to go for “link farms” that will offer coverage of a topic for a fee or as a way to get their own favors called in. Most of these sites are terrible. Don’t fall for them.
• Big name PR firms might not be as good as you hope them to be. Yes, that PR agency worked with a name like Coca-Cola. Yes, it looks good. However, it’s important to remember that this is NOT a guarantee of quality. This is especially true when you are talking about their track record of success with small companies. Small PR firms will need different public relations work than large ones. Moreover, large companies might not give smaller names the same level of work and attention that they would with major names.
• Do not engage with any public relations firms that can’t back up their work with numbers. Ideally, the numbers in question will be verified, too. Do their “no name” blogs really have 10,000 views per month? Or is it more bots than anything else? 
• Avoid being sold a sexy “spin” on a contract. Public relations firms make a living from selling people on a good story or setting up a nice spin on people’s social gaffes. This means that they are very well-versed in telling people what they want to hear. Don’t assume, for a second, that they won’t try to use that skill to sell you on a contract!
• Get multiple price quotes to compare goods. It’s not uncommon for certain types of agencies to high-ball people who they feel are not well-versed in the price of good press. 

The next steps

Now that you know how to hire a PR agency, it’s up to you to do the rest of the legwork. This means that you should:

1. Determine if you need a PR agency to help you out
2. Seek out firms that work in your field and contact them
3. Interview them, vet them, and research their work
4. Choose the right PR agency for you