PR is constantly changing and over the last 5 years, it just hasn’t stopped. The digital revolution is changing everything and although PR was put into competition with digital agencies, they’re still around and going strong. The way any sort of business engages with their audience had changed thanks to the digital age and PR agencies are certainly no different. The days of stack them high press releases issued in a scattergun fashion are long gone, and now integrated marketing communications has taken its place.
As you’re probably aware, social media is a must have for your business. Social media is vital for maintaining your connections, and increasing your traffic. Fashion Rider knows it can be difficult to do a good job keeping on top of every single one of them; Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, Instagram, Google+, tumblr… the list goes on and on. So we suggest, if you’re doing your own PR, stick to two of three of them maximum. Keep it simple, they all have their qualities, but make sure you do your research and only start them if you can guarantee you’re not going to neglect them. There’s a reason why PR, social media, and digital agencies are ever growing in the industry.
PR is all about building your reputation, and we’ve been doing some digging for you. Here a few hints of how PR agencies have built their own reputation… What better way to do your PR than taking tips from PR agencies themselves?
• Deliver all of your client work to 100% of your ability.
• Have your client’s best interest at heart!
• Never stop networking. Ever.
• Set up an attractive, well working, and interesting website.
• Make yourself accessible.
When running your own business, if you’re doing it all alone, PR is such a huge chunk. It’s almost a full time job but it can also be rewarding. However, if you decide to use a PR agency, it’s a different story.
There are many benefits from choosing to work with an agency when you’re ready. But choosing when you’re ready can be difficult… You need to think about when and what you want to achieve. It might be increased sales, more users, better conversion rates, or improved customer satisfaction. Whatever it may be, you need to set yourself goals of when you want it done by. If it’s an urgent deadline, and you know you might struggle to achieve it (be honest with yourself!) that’s when you need to look into an agency.
However, if you’re going to a PR agency to take a load off your plate, then just be wary because it isn’t as simple as just passing the baton on. You need to adopt a partnership approach. Just handing over a project to an outside agency can only lead to trouble.
When choosing an agency, make sure you are comfortable with who you’re working with. If the chemistry doesn’t flow, and you struggle to add anything to a conversation, then that agency is not for you. You need to be able to chat to them, because you need to be able to add value to your own PR! When asking PR agencies, many of them have told us that they don’t want to be spoon feeding you. They have to want to work with you as well as the other way around! They’ll be looking for enthusiasm and passion, just as you should be looking for it in them.
Having said that, you should still expect a lot from them. You should expect to see any targets you’ve set routinely hit. You should expect a personal, responsive service from an enthusiastic, informed and dedicated team. Settle for nothing less. If you’re splashing your cash on a PR agency, always make the most out of your money. You should easily be able to check if your PR agency is doing what you need. You should be able to see the results through web analytics, sales performance, and the public warming to your brand. So if you’re not 100% sure what you’re getting from your PR agency, then you’re probably not with the right one.
If you’re still unsure, don’t forget Fashion Rider is here to help. Please don’t hesitate in getting in contact and let us take the stress out of it for you. Also if there are any different areas we can help in just let us know.
0161 300 8794
