3 things to ask when hiring a PR agency

So, you’re looking to hire a PR firm and you’ve never done it before. You have lots of questions and you don’t’ know where to begin—all at the same time. Here are three questions you could ask to get the ball rolling.

Have you ever worked with a company in our line of business before?

It’s great to work with somebody who has more than a passing knowledge of your industry as it will lessen the learning curve in getting your campaign kicked off. It also provides a starting point for you to ask what types of things you did for that previous client.

How does your process work?

Ask for an outline of how the agency works with clients. If they can put it in writing, even better. Then walk through it with them. Understanding how the agency works with clients is important on a couple of levels. First, it’s good to know. Second, PR is a collaborative process between agency and client. The agency will need some of your time or the time of somebody designated by your company to review, edit and provide feedback. If that’s you, then you must be honest and assess how much time you will have to provide that feedback. Knowing the process ahead of time will help with your assessment.

Who is crushing it in the world of PR?

Does your prospective agency keep up on trends in their own industry? This question may seem like it’s out of the blue. Yet it gives you an idea of how current the agency is. It also gives you a chance to listen and observe them talking about what they do. Are they knowledgeable and do they speak with passion or excitement? Or is it the same old, same old? You want to work with people who are excited both about what they do and working with you.

If you’re looking to hire a PR firm, please consider PR Works. We can answer those three questions and a whole lot more.