Consider that working with a PR team is like purchasing a new car—it’s exciting when it’s brand new and running great, but it won’t continue to run well unless you change the oil, rotate the tires and schedule regular tune-ups. At this stage in the New Year, let’s say you’ve kicked off with your PR firm and have begun executing your 2017 marketing plans. How can you ensure that your car, and PR partnership, will continue to run great throughout the year?
Check out these three important tips on how to best motivate your agency throughout your partnership:
Communicate with your PR agency team what you’re working on and what your executive suite is concerned about. A good PR agency will work with you to determine how they can best help.
Additionally, while a strong PR team staffed with experienced individuals won’t need hand-holding, they depend on timely responses to everyday projects as well. This could include final approval on a press release, timing for a product launch, or signing off on budget for an event. To avoid becoming a gatekeeper, set a precedent with your PR team by giving them direct access when appropriate. It’s typically not a good use of your time when you’re the middle man. The PR agency should be responsive to your time-sensitive requests, too. When you say “by end of day,” do they understand that means 5 p.m. your time?
Hiring a PR agency is an important decision, and one not taken lightly. Once you get into a productive partnership with your agency, your company will reap the benefits. The more successful the partnership is, the better for everyone.
At Karbo Com we’ve found that the longer we work with a client, the more successful the PR program is because our knowledge deepens and the relationships we establish on behalf of the client with reporters, analysts, event organizers and industry influencers shift. Influencers begin to come to us with opportunities for our clients.
How else have you seen PR agency teams productively motivated? Tweet me at @KarboCo @CameronSmead and let me know! In the meantime, if you keep your new car running smoothly with regular tune-ups, you’ll get more mileage out of it.