Hiring a Public Relations Specialist: 4 Tips to Remember

Are you thinking it’s time to hire a public relations specialist?

Well, that’s probably a very good idea. But, before you do, it’s essential you take the time to choose the right one. This could make all the difference in protecting your name or raising your hype.

Hiring a public relations specialist can be dicey because you are putting your reputation in someone else’s hands. So, before you do, follow these four tips on how to find the right public relations agency that will actually make a difference to your public image!

1. Know What You Are Paying For

Most people don’t know what a public relations specialist does. It’s something like a dark art that only a few people can manage.

But before you hire a public relations specialist, you should be absolutely sure about what it is this person or agency is going to do for you. Don’t get sucked into jargon that doesn’t have any substance behind it.

Know what you are paying for!

2. Set Targets

Another difficulty of hiring a media and public relations specialist is that it’s often unclear what they are going to achieve for you. It’s often difficult to quantify everything a public relations specialist does.

But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be setting clear expectations that your expert has to meet. For example, you can set quantitative targets like a percentage rise in online traffic to your business.

3. Cover All Angles

Some public relations specialists will literally be specialists in just one aspect of public relations. This isn’t good enough, particularly if you only have enough money to pay for one service.

You want to be getting value for your money, and that means finding a PR Agency that covers all the angles: press, social media, online image, branding, etc.

In the modern age in which we are saturated with media, it’s critical that we are operating in every media channel to be accessing as many people as possible. In particular, social media is non-negotiable.

4. Damage Control

Many public relations specialists will be really good at setting you up and getting you on the right path with your public image. But not all of them are going to get you through a difficult period.

Whatever you might think about your personal profile or your business, at some point you are going to face road bumps or even serious scandals.

So, you need to prepare for this by finding a public relations specialist who has a proven track record of responding quickly and effectively to these situations. Don’t get caught high and dry with a great Twitter page but no plan to deal with a public relations disaster.

Communicate With Your Public Relations Specialist

So, are you ready to hire a public relations specialist? You should be!

Now you’ve got the lowdown on how to find a public relations guru who is actually going to make a difference. But the last thing we can suggest is that, once you’ve found your public relations specialist, make sure you keep up good communication with them.

Don’t get complacent!

If you’ve found this information useful, why not check out some of our other great articles on business topics?