Women's Network April 2018 | Page 56

CHOOSE THE RIGHT PR AGENCY FOR YOUR BUSINESS When it comes to the availability of PR and communication firms in Australia, there will never be a shortage. In fact, they exist on almost every other street corner and office building in all major cities and towns. W hile many of them specialise in particular fields, others will provide PR campaigns across a broad range of industries. Additional services (apart from press releases) such as content development, social media, ghostwriting, events and sponsorships may make part of the overall campaign. Having lots of options is great, however it can make it hard to identify the right agency for you and your brand. Here are some key elements on which to choose the right PR firm for your business. and crisis management… the list is endless. And, whether you like it or not, the turnaround rate between acquiring a media opportunity and getting the run can range between weeks to just a few hours. Therefore, publicists have to be able to adapt between different forms of communication and tightly manage their interaction between a publication and client – e.g. email correspondence, picking up the phone for a chat, writing speedy content for a quick run or pitching your talent to a journalist on the fly.   COMMUNICATION ADAPTABILITY Ask questions to get a feel for the capabilities and experience of the agency and its team. A lot can happen in one day in the office – meetings, multiple back and forth phone calls to journalists and clients, writing content, strategising campaigns, event management and, issues 56 Women’s Network Magazine WORD CRAFTMANSHIP Whether it’s writing emails, content for social, blog posts, book chapters, ready to publish articles or pitches to journalists, PR practitioners have to be versatile in their writing abilities. It is all good and well if they can identify between them, but are they able to systematically switch between 3 of them all before their second cup of coffee for the day? Writing, when done right, is incredibly effective in PR and one of the main-stakes that sets it apart from advertorial and other communication forms. Look at their website to see their writing style(s), ask to see past campaigns, articles and press releases they have written in order to assess their versatility and suitability to your brand. A WELL DEVELOPED MEDIA CONTACT LIST As is the case in many professional industries – it’s not necessarily what you do but who you know. PR is no exception.