Monday, April 21, 2014

Guidelines For Choosing The Best Media Relations Consultant

By Essie Osborn


For any organization to remain relevant in the market today, it must adopt innovative marketing strategies. There are many shifts that managers need to cope with to stay in touch with their clients. The emergence of the internet as a business and communication tool has made things easier, but it has also increased the presence of fierce competitors who are now able to reach a wider market.

Many companies simply do not have the time required for managing their communication channels. Employing someone on a fulltime basis to offer these services is also not cost effective. However, it is much easier and cheaper to hire a media relations consultant. Hiring a specialized agency can really transform your presence in the market. Below are some guidelines that can help you with the hiring process.

Directories are normally the best places to begin your search. Whether you are looking for vendors or consultants, you will easily get them from selected websites. You can also be sure of getting highly competent companies through this channel. However, it poses a challenge in that you will get a lot of feedback. Therefore, you have to know how you are going to narrow your search to get one that is relevant.

The record of accomplishment of the establishment is very important. It is prudent for you to ask for a few case studies that the agency has worked with in the past. This will help you to check the strategies they applied and whether those techniques were really successful. This will enable you to tell whether they understand the needs of every client.

Examine the social footprints of the agency. This basically means their presence in many of the media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, print, radio, and television. You must ensure that they clearly understand these channels and the audience they present. They have to be all round if you are to benefit from their services.

A good agency should have an outstanding reputation. You can get this information by seeking independent, impartial opinions. However, ensure that they have used the services of the agency before. Take both negative and positive comments, as this will help you build a more detailed picture of the company.

Ensure that you understand the approaches they use when conducting demographic research. You need to understand how the consultancy will identify your audience and how they will reach them. They need to offer statistics so that you understand the process and its benefits.

Check their standardized reports. You should be able to understand the key performance indicators they look for. Ensure that you are able to understand their performance. This may require that you develop and define key metrics. For a start, you may use ROI, conversion rate, and amplification rate. These should be very specific to your business.

Ensure that you have a clear mutual understanding. This company will determine how your business image is portrayed to the outsiders. Therefore, take your time to do some consultation and lay down strategies before you do the hiring.




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