PR ByIntention®

By April Neill, CEO/Founder April Neill Public Relations

Publicity can be a powerful tool for small business owners looking to build their brand image and increase their customer base, however, if PR isn’t in your wheelhouse, finding a publicist or PR firm that’s right for you can be a daunting task.

As niche experts in the professional services, healthcare and not-for-profit sectors, we know that there are certain aspects of a PR firm or publicist that will increase your success in obtaining your goals and make the journey more enjoyable and more importantly, more profitable. Here are seven tips to consider before hiring an agency or freelance publicist for your company.

1. Passion. Find a publicist who is passionate about what they do. The best publicist or PR firm for you is one that is passionate about PR and loves, loves, LOVES the process!
2. Belief. Find a publicist who believes in you and your brand. Don’t compromise on this point. It’s imperative that your publicist believes in you, your service, your product, and believes in your message.
3. Creativity. Does the publicist you’re evaluating have a vision for your brand and innovative, strategic ideas for driving the outcomes that are important to you? Find a publicist who is not only innovative, but also one whose creativity and ideas you can trust and believe in.
4. Experience/Expertise. You’re on a mission to increase your brand awareness and grow your business. For those reasons alone you’re hiring a professional publicist to leverage their experience so you can achieve bigger and better results for you business than you could envision on you own. Ask yourself the following: Do they have the experience and proven track record that demonstrates they can produce the results you want? Do they have experience/expertise working in your industry?  Don’t be shy about asking to see their portfolio and past campaigns they’ve managed. You really need to evaluate their capabilities.
5. Media Relations. Often, small businesses need a publicist or PR firm to work the media on their behalf. If you need a publicist to pitch journalists or disseminate press releases to targeted media outlets for you, ask them how they build their media lists. Do they have access to journalists in your industry? It’s always good to find a publicist who has access to the most up-to-date media contact lists and who has well-established media contacts in your space.
6. Writing Skills. Today’s public relations are becoming more and more “content-driven” and it’s imperative that a publicist or PR firm represents you with good writing. It’s a good idea to look at samples of their work and ask your self if they can adapt their writing style to fit your brand image, target market and business goals. Also, do they have published clips to show of contributed articles they’ve written for other companies? It’s one thing to be a skilled writer; it’s another to have your articles actually picked up by the media.
7. Free Consultation. A good PR firm will offer a free no-obligation consultation that will give you the opportunity to access their capabilities and discover if they’re a good fit for your business and your budget.

Special Offer: April Neill Public Relations is passionate about working with small businesses to increase their brand awareness and name recognition. We offer a complimentary 30-minute in-person or phone consultation. Email AprilNeill@gmail.com to make your appointment today or call (815) 651-0656 for more information. Visit us online at AprilNeillPR.com.