The right PR consultant for your company
As a company, you want as many people as possible to know and speak positively about you. This is where PR, or Public Relations, helps: the relationship you have as a person, organisation or institution with the outside world. Maintaining that relationship or (pro)actively communicating with external parties takes a lot of time. That is why many companies hire a PR consultant. But where do you find the right PR advisor for your organisation? We would be happy to help you with that.
What does a PR consultant do?
A PR adviser, or PR consultant, helps organisations with stakeholder communication. This can be internal stakeholders, but in most cases it involves external communication. This includes reporting to media relations, (potential) customers, partners, investors and the wider public. The advisor almost always aims for free publicity for this. He or she can use several channels for this:
- Traditional media such as newspapers, radio, television and internet;
- Social media;
- Fairs, events, campaigns.
This requires the PR consultant to creatively communicate with the public about the company. Thus, on one hand, you want to tell the commercial story of the client, while on the other hand, you need to take into account the needs of independent media. So the PR consultant has to make sure the story has news value.
Why do you need external PR advice?
Hiring a PR consultant is not always necessary, although it can help in many situations. Below, we have listed a few for you:
- A PR adviser focuses on tasks that are often done 'on the side' in organisations;
- An external view recognises opportunities faster and is more likely to offer an objective view;
- PR contributes to visibility, brand awareness and a positive image;
- Outsourcing PR often costs less than hiring someone full-time;
- A PR consultant has warm media relations.
What main tasks can you judge a PR consultant on?
Basically, a PR advisor helps with the alignment between your organisation and external stakeholders, especially through the media. Because an external advisor looks at your organisation from the outside, he or she must first analyse your needs. During your first meeting, does your intended advisor not ask many questions or come across as uninterested? Then you pretty much know that this is not the right person for the job.
Does the advisor ask enough questions and have a clear picture of your needs? Then it's time to respond creatively. It is time to put your key messages into stories, define angles and work out strategies. Are the first ideas a bit disappointing or could you have come up with them yourself? Then keep looking for a better candidate.
It is then up to the PR consultant to draw up plans and budgets and then work out his or her own strategy. This includes writing catchy press releases and opinion pieces, or deploying other PR tools. Of course, this also involves contact with the press and further coordination with external stakeholders. Do the services of your PR adviser not cover the entire process from A to Z? Then think carefully about whether they can offer you the right help.
When is a PR consultant right for you?
But when is a PR consultant really right for you? Of course, cultural match is important; you need to get along with the consultant. Moreover, a match with your industry or the clients you serve is necessary. If the consultant has no feel for your working environment, then conveying an interesting story to the outside world is impossible.
Apart from the culture match, it is important that a PR consultant works quickly and accurately, acts proactively and looks ahead. It also helps enormously when the consultant is broadly interested and developed, allowing him or her to think along at both operational and strategic levels. Finally, a bit of bravado is no luxury: a PR consultant needs to sell stories and not be afraid to pick up the phone.
Does a consultant help with PR and media advice?
It is not surprising that many people think of media when they think of a PR adviser, because ultimately, such an adviser is the link between business and the media. If you are purely looking for media advice, it is still better to look for a specialist for that. Whereas a PR adviser is well informed about the media landscape and has many relationships with radio, television and written media, a media adviser knows better how to explain in which medium you can best advertise, for instance.
In other words: a PR consultant will help you with free publicity, whereas a media consultant will more often focus on paid publicity. Depending on your needs, you can look for the right consultant in a targeted way. If we can give you a tip...
At a PR agency or not?
Hopefully, the advice above has helped you find the right PR consultant. Maybe you are still hesitating to go for an independent or an adviser working at a PR agency. Again, there are some pros and cons to both options. For instance, a freelancer is often cheaper, in most cases they have the right experience and, as their own bread earner, they commit to providing the best service. At the same time, a freelancer is limited to his or her own time, resources and knowledge. In other words, you are putting all your money on one horse.
With a PR agency, you have slightly different pros and cons. Agencies often cost a bit more - though it still doesn't outweigh a full-time salary - but you also get considerably more in return. Agencies, for instance, have several people working on your story, giving you more knowledge, time, creativity and connections. Moreover, agencies have the resources to invest in smart tools, which contribute to the quality of work and potential reach. Also, with a PR agency, you always have a guarantee of service; not all employees go on holiday at the same time.
Use this advice to find advice
Hopefully, the above advice will help you find the right one. If not, feel free to call for additional advice! No kidding, Mediatic employs many talented and experienced PR consultants who help progressive clients tell their stories on a daily basis. Want to know what we can do for you? Then get in touch with us.
Looking for PR advice?
Wondering how we can help you with Public Relations? Get in touch! Leave your details here behind or contact Thomas Bekker, on +31 (0)6 1932 8584 or thomas@mediatic.eu/en.
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