Should I Hire a PR Firm? Why Paying for Publicity Isn’t a Bad Thing
Every day I see articles giving advice to entrepreneurs and small business owners on how they can increase the visibility of their brand with little or no money. This type of guerrilla branding is possible, but the fact of the matter is, you really do need to spend money to develop your brand.
A guerrilla branding campaign can be effective if done correctly; however, it can also backfire if you do not know what you are doing. You could wind up in a bind where you need to hire a publicist anyway. Of course, the choice is ultimately yours, but here are a few things to consider before deciding to go out on your own versus hiring a publicist.
Guerrilla campaign vs. hiring a professional PR firm
A guerrilla campaign to brand yourself may take little or no money, but one thing it does take is time. Think about how much time you are spending trying to brand yourself. Now take that time and put a dollar figure to it. Chances are you are losing money by trying to brand yourself without the help of a professional.
When you deal with branding, you need to develop a good media outreach strategy. This is your blueprint to how you are going to present yourself to the public. It includes crafting your story, reaching out to media contacts, and promoting any stories about you that appear in publications. Sounds easy, but developing a good strategy is not something you can do overnight.
So how can you remember the difference? There's an old adage in the industry that says, "Advertising is what you pay for; publicity is what you pray for."
Guerrilla campaigns are really “praying” for free publicity. When dealing with a professional, you are “paying” for results, though many agencies will not charge you unless you receive a return.
Why hiring a PR can pay off
Developing a PR campaign takes skill
“Many new entrepreneurs are unclear when it comes to marketing and publicity,” writes business and marketing strategist Ciara Pressler in the Huffington Post. “What needs to be done, when, and how much it should cost.”
Pressler points out that most of us don’t have the knowledge of how to develop a good publicity or media outreach strategy—but a publicist does. While it could take you weeks to even understand how to begin to develop such a plan, they can likely come up with one for you within hours.
PR professionals have the contacts
Sometimes a publicist can speed up the branding process because they know how to make the right contacts and get you noticed. They know exactly whom to reach out to and who is likely to write your story based on media lists that they've developed over the years.
“What is it the professional publicists do for clients they cannot do for themselves?” asks Michael Levine, public relations expert and author of Guerrilla P.R. “In addition to energy and curiosity, the pro has contacts. More than anything, we offer clients entrée to the media.” He also adds that a publicist knows the art of pitching a client as they do it every day, coming up with stories for journalists to write about.
Make the choice that fits your business
So why pay for a publicist? Well, you don’t really have to, but there are benefits in doing so. Whatever decision you make (go it alone or pay a professional), you will find results from both. Just don’t shy away from a PR firm simply because they are “public relations.”
Don’t think you have to engage in guerrilla tactics when it comes to building your brand. There is nothing wrong with paying a professional to do the work for you. Don’t abandon the free and inexpensive methods of branding your business, but remember that it’s not a bad thing to pay a publicist.
