In PR, Communication is Key

So you’ve hired a PR firm, what next?  In order to make the most out of your relationship with your firm and get the best results, communication is key.  Information has to flow both ways to ensure that your firm is able to meet your needs and be effective. Here are a few items that are essential to a productive relationship:

1. What are your goals?  It is important that both your short term and long term goals are clearly communicated up front so that your firm has a picture of what success looks like for you.  Those goals could change over time, so be sure to update your firm as your needs evolve.  Remember to think big, but also to be realistic, especially when it comes to timing.  Rome wasn’t built in a day!

2. Where do you want to be?  You know better than anyone what publications your clients read and what news sources are most important to your targets and to your industry.  Make sure you communicate with your agency so that they are aware of all of those publications and news outlets and can work them into their strategy.

3. Who are your competitors and who is having the most success?  Knowing where your competitors are will give your agency a good idea of where you should be as well.  Knowing who you think is having the best success with public relations in your area will also help to shape their understanding of your goals.

4. What are the trends impacting your industry?  

This one is important to communicate up front and to continually update.  You know your industry and area of practice better than anyone, and you must keep your firm informed of the important trends, breaking news and upcoming events that will make a big impact and keep you ahead of the curve.

So, the bottom line is you must communicate with your agency in order to effectively execute your PR strategy.  Clear, consistent communication of key information will help you to continually make the most of your investment.