Welcome to PRactically Speaking, a way for you to gain
practical insights and perspectives about business
communications for the real world. Share this with your friends
and colleagues too, and let us know what you think.
Enjoy!
Can I
Afford PR?
Money matters, especially for small- and
mid-sized businesses. So, can you afford PR?
The answer: Yes you can. Any company
of any size intent on sharing its story can
afford public relations (PR). But the more
important question for
any business owner or executive is, "Will
PR support and strengthen my
business goals?" Before you take the leap
and hire a public relations (PR) firm, ask
yourself these questions:
Why do I need a PR agency?
What do I expect a PR agency to deliver?
Do I have an overall plan for marketing
my company, products and services?
Is that plan written, defined and
applied, and does it mirror your business
goals and objectives?
What other marketing communications
efforts exist at my organization, and can I
measure their success?
How do I measure PR results? And does my
agency even measure results?
Do I want a strategic communications
program, or just a tactical "doer" to achieve
specific results?
Now, as you begin your quest for the agency
that's right for you, here's the bottom line:
The "entry point" for many agencies is
$5,000 per month; smaller firms typically
start programs at $2,500 to $3,000 per month
Most agencies prefer a retainer agreement
of 6 months to one year, with a 30-day
termination clause
Most do not provide "project" work
Many (not most) use Sizzle to sell you a
program, then have junior-level PR
professionals do the work (all sizzle, no
steak)
Fees are typically formulated by
estimating the number of hours by the number
of personnel and their individual billing
rates, plus variables such as "crisis needs,"
strategic counsel and others. Rates may be
anywhere from $50 per hour to $250 per hour.
Agencies often have specialties. If
you're a business-to-business firm, don't
hire an agency specializing in consumer
accounts.
Please note, there are hundreds of PR
professionals and agencies in the greater
Dallas area, many of whom are high-integrity,
high-quality experts. There are others who
aren't that great. Choose carefully. And
remember, you can afford PR. Really.
Find out how you can start an effective PR
program. Contact
us.
An interesting online discussion about PR
costs and value, click here. to see what one expert
shares about the cost and value of PR.
Getting Practical
News & Views You Can Use
How to Select a PR Agency
Find an agency that listens first, sells
second
Ask for a referral to a good PR agency.
Avoid blind Google searches, "cold calls,"
and published "Top PR Agencies" lists. Find
trusted resources you know and ask them if
they have a good PR contact.
Identify the agency that wants to help
you achieve success, even if it's just a
project vs. a long-term retainer
Know your budget and stick with the
project/program for as long as you can (PR is
about consistent outreach over a period
of time vs. short bursts of activity).
Meet the agency principal and/or the team
ready to work for you
Make sure you feel a "connection" with
the account supervisor/primary contact
Know what you're getting and set
expectations upfront; clarify "results" and
what that means to you
Seek an agency intent on hard work and
creative ideas that Share Your Story to the
marketplace.
Find an agency with integrity, honesty
and commitment to your cause.
Make sure there's a roadmap or plan to
your PR efforts so they complement business
goals and objectives.
Why you care about editorial calendars.
What's an editorial calendar? Newspapers
and magazines often produce editorial
calendars--a schedule of upcoming story
topics. By knowing what's coming, you can
talk to editors and reporters about specific
success stories and ideas. Often,
reporters are working several weeks to
several months ahead of the publication date
(as listed below), so it's important to
contact them early. For example, the
Dallas Business Journal includes these
story topics for September and October:
Sept. 21 Residential Real Estate
Homebuilders, Title Companies Health Care
Heroes, 114 Corridor
Sept. 28 Women Owned Businesses,
Minority-Owned Businesses, Highest-Paid Women
Executives, Corporate Relocation Companies
Corporate Expansion & Relo
Oct. 5 Law IP Law Firms, Audio Visual
Equipment, Audio Visual Production Tech Titans
Oct. 19 Health Care HMOs, PPOs,
Busiest Hospitals, Assisted Living Centers,
Nursing Homes Las Colinas
Oct. 26 Shopping Centers and Malls
Commercial Real Estate Quarterly
For the complete year of DBJ story listings,
click
here.
Inside RGM Communications
What's with branding lately? Seems
like every company struggles with
Differentiators and Key Messages. August was
the month of helping companies assess and
articulate how they can improve the story of
their strengths and success.
Several clients and projects came our
way this month, including a Richardson law
firm, a private school, some work for a civil
engineering
services firm and more.
Ever heard of an all-weather, all-terrain
sales guide? A new book from a wonderful
localite and sales expert is coming soon.
I've had the privilege to help her with it.
More to come.
QUESTION: How do you know if something is
newsworthy?
ANSWER: To be "newsworthy," a topic
usually must be timely and have some impact
on the reading audience. Often, "newsworthy"
means sharing a story that taps into a
current event, issue or trend. For example,
RGM was able to get three clients in a The
Dallas Morning News article to comment on
the subprime mortgage impact on the local
economy.
Thank you for reading this issue of
PRactically Speaking.
We want YOUR FEEDBACK, thoughts, ideas,
questions and constructive criticism.
