Why Hire A PR Agency?

Thinking of hiring a Public Relations firm? You are not alone. PR is more vital than ever before − given the explosion of engagement through established and emerging social media channels, the decline of traditional advertising due in part to ad blockers, and the rising cost of grabbing a consumer’s attention.

However, this valuable partnership can be a major investment for a company and, like all investments, should be approached with due diligence. How will you tackle PR effectively? Do you have an in-house resource that can manage the relationship? Have you defined your strategy and your budget? Do you have a complete understanding of what success looks like for your company?

Here are the key benefits we hear from happy InkHouse clients on why they choose to go the agency route:

Expertise:

Leaving aside the fact that no one PR manager can do the work of an entire agency, finding that someone with deep experience in PR within your specific industry can be nigh on impossible. You’ll rarely find a PR pro who is gifted at media relations, crisis management, social media and analyst relations. When you hire an employee, you get that individual’s personal experience. When you hire an agency, you get a whole team’s perspective and background. An agency will already possess knowledge of industry-wide issues affecting your brand, rather than just knowledge of your particular vertical.

Contacts:

How about instant credibility? Most internal hires will need time to develop media relationships. Media relations is what agencies do all day, every day. We’re pitching pros. Hiring a PR agency with a team of connected people can greatly increase your chance of breaking through with the media and consumers.

Objectivity:

An agency has people that work across teams and media segments so are constantly being exposed to the newest innovations and media, while an in-house practitioner has the perspective of one company and market. More contact outside the company means interacting with different kinds of press and influencers. We use this to shape stories that will resonate outside your company. An agency constantly monitors the news and often sees opportunities that others don’t.

Partnership:

A client/agency connection should be treated as a true partnership, not a typical vendor/service relationship. Our most successful clients treat us as a trusted partner and an extension of their staff. They invite us to key strategic planning meetings and trust our advice. The dialog is open, respectful and frequent.

Value:

This one is self-explanatory. An agency will save you the time and expense of recruiting and training a PR generalist. When you work with a quality PR agency, 100 percent of your investment goes directly into meeting your PR goals. You don’t pay taxes, benefits, or vacation time. And because the cost is spread across the entire client base, agencies offer access to services that would be cost prohibitive for one company.

Creativity:

Thinking beyond product and company, agencies strive to craft compelling stories and recruit to foster this creative culture. We employ former journalists, designers and content specialists, and frequently use group brainstorms as part of the ideation process. We come up with insightful, strategic ideas that compel others to tell (and repeat) our clients' stories.

It is an agency's remit to delight their clients with ideas, creativity and expertise. Partnering with a good agency will reap benefits beyond coverage.