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What You Can Do To Find the Best PR Company for Your Company

People say opinions don’t matter but when it comes to how the public views certain businesses and companies the public’s opinion is everything. Many companies will hire a PR firm that is trained in helping get the word out there about your company or business. However, there are millions of PR firms available so how do you know which PR firm is right for you? Here is a look at some things you can do to make sure that you are getting the right PR firm for you and your company.

Create a Plan. Before you start calling up PR firms you should create a plan. It is important to know exactly what you want the PR firm to do and how you want to use the firm. This can be using them for an event or for your whole business’ PR needs.

Research. There are hundreds of PR firms in the area. However, not all PR firms are familiar with your products or services. Make sure that you do the research and find a company that specializes in what you offer in terms of services and products. This will allow them to create PR plans that will work for your company.

Interview the PR Firm. You will want to conduct personal interviews with those that will be working for your PR company. This will allow you to see what they can do for you, if they know what they are doing and even help you see some of the plans they might have for your company.

Request Proposals. Before you choose a PR firm request a written proposal for what they will do for your company. This will allow you to see what their plan of action is and what they want to do for your company. This will also allow you to compare the companies to each other and see which one offers you the best solution for your PR needs.

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What to Consider Before Looking for a PR Firm

Many small business owners believe that they can handle any type of public relations needs their company might have. However, unless you have a degree or extensive knowledge in public relations you might find that you are overworked, overstressed and that public relations for your company gets pushed to the side. This is why many small business owners decide to hire out a PR firm to help them with their PR needs.

Before you go out and hire the first PR firm that catches your eye you will need to figure out a few things about what you want in a PR firm and what you can realistically afford. Here are a few things you should consider before you hire a PR firm for your small business.

Their Role. You will need to determine what exactly you want the PR firm to do for you. Do you want them to be your point of reference should something happen to your company or do you want them to handle all the public relations for your company? This is important as some firms will specialize in one type of PR and not be well established in another.

Frequency. You will need to decide exactly how often you plan on using this PR firm. Will they be used for your whole PR needs, a one time deal or to help you develop a PR plan that maybe you can implement yourself at a later date.

Budget. Decide on a budget and stick to it. Many times PR companies will propose millions of dollars’ worth of PR marketing needs. You need to know what you can afford in terms of marketing and even what you can afford to pay for a PR firm. This will help guide you to which PR firms are fight for you and your company. It will also help you not overspend when it comes to your marketing needs.

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Ways to Handle Bad PR

Sometimes bad situations happen to good companies. This could be a scandal with workers, a crisis in the upper management or a faulty product that was released to the public before it should have. Whatever the issue the media loves to jump all over companies that mess up and that can create a lot of bad press relations.

Once a company has experienced bad press relations it is important that they try to rebuild themselves in the eye of the public. However, that is easier said than done. Here is a look at what companies can do to rebuild themselves in the eye of the media and the public after a bad PR stint.

Handle the Original Problem. You need to handle the original situation. This can be taking action against the employees, looking into what is wrong with the product or other measures. If you own your actions and start to fix them this will go over better than companies who ignore the issue or deny there was a problem.

Update the Media. You will want to keep the media updated about your company’s situation and what you are doing. This will allow you to develop a good relationship with the media and hopefully start to rebuild the trust you had before. It is also important to create a company spokesperson so that there is also someone for the media to contact. It is important should bad PR happen that you have someone responding to it and not ignoring it as it won’t go away overnight.

Community Events. People view companies that are involved with community events better than those that aren’t. Start to get your company involved with the community and making donations where you can afford it.

Makeover. Some companies find it hard to build themselves back up after a really bad PR stint. These companies however do find success in changing things up a little. They will change their logo, name or marketing campaign. This allows them to have a feeling of a fresh start and the public will view this as such.

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Networking in the Field of Public Relations

You’re probably already aware that the field of public relations works just a little differently than others, so for this reason, your networking strategies need to be a little different. There are a few ways that public relations networking is different, and some tips on how you can make this difference work to your advantage.

  • Public relations can be a crowded field. The person or company you are trying to reach may be the same one that practically everyone is wanting to contact, also. You’ve got to figure out a way to stand out from the crowd.

One way to do this is purchase small business cards carriers with your business logo and contact information printed on the front. Then, let your personal business card be the first one in the carriers. Not only will you have provided your contacts with a means of storing the other business cards they receive, but both the carriers and your business card be the first thing he sees.

  • Take advantage of social media websites, both to network and to find out information on upcoming events that may provide you with additional networking opportunities. Post your information on these sites, and, if possible, let the person or company who has posted an upcoming event know you are planning to attend.
  • If you are engaged in public relations networking in the writing field, make sure you attend events and take the opportunity to befriend editors, other writers, bloggers, reporters, or anyone else who can help you. Provide them with several business cards (the carrier idea mentioned earlier will work here, also), but also maintain contact with them right up until you send them your press releases or other content. Doing this will ensure that they remember you, which may cause them to notice your work first before others in your field or genre.
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Customer Relation Ideas for Clients and Prospective Clients

You have an old client; one that has stuck with you through thick and thin. A new client who has just begun to see the value you have to offer, and there are others who don’t know about you yet but may just be interested if you approached them in the right way.

So how?

These ideas will help:

  • Send a holiday card. Write on the card personally, including how important the client is to your business and why, don’t just sign your signature.
  • Make sure you send a thank you note after the conclusion of your work together. This note should be hand written and mailed snail-mail.
  • Invite an individual client to dinner. Pay for the event. Get to know the client outside their realm of business.
  • When getting to know someone new, shake hands firmly, look the prospective client in the eyes, and smile. A smile does wonders for a first connection and further work together.
  • Make sure you have a business card at your fingertips. Leave it with the prospective client.
  • Return phone calls by new as well as established clients as soon as possible. Return emails with the same speed. If you have to, make sure you return calls and email messages at the first of every day.
  • Be willing to fix a problem when you see it, don’t let it drag on. Take responsibility for your actions. If the problem began with you, be big enough to admit it. If the problem was initiated by the client, don’t point fingers but let them know of the problem you see and ask for ideas on how you might solve it together.

Customer relations with clients and prospective clients not only keeps you and your co-workers happy but allows your client to see you in a positive light; a light that can’t help but figure into your future business together.

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Planning Your Yearly Business Party

Whether you’re in charge of the yearly business luncheon or the annual writer’s conference, there is a lot you need to know. And in this age of quickly fading work gatherings, it would be easy to stop the traditions all-together and vie for getting to know others while visiting in the break room, but what about what you know they look forward to? What about the unity you wish to maintain through these yearly events?

In the quest for the perfect conference, one that fits your budget as well as the desires of your employees, consider these options:

  • Tone it down. Instead of providing a summer ticket to the nearest outdoor attraction as well as a free luncheon and an hour of prize drawing, have a get-together at the local park. Have lunch and keep the prizes within your budget.
  • Think about the talents of your co-workers. Do you have singers in your midst, instrumentalists? Poets? Folks who walk hand in hand with theatre and could provide a reading of a well-known scene from Shakespeare? Get them involved in a talent night.
  • Hold the event within your own building. Have a small establishment? Find a home (maybe it’s yours) within your list of employees that is large enough to hold a gathering of your size. If you hold the event in the summer, rather than at Christmas when most of us think to hold an event, then you’ll be able to use the outside grounds as well.
  • Check with your clients. See if they are willing to make a trade. Perhaps they have a space they will allow you to rent for free and in return you have a service or product that you can give them in return for their assistance.

When it comes to the perfect party, what is most important is that folks feel welcome and that they have an enjoyable time no matter what you choose to do.

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Advertising on the Cheap

You want to advertise your new business via television, radio, newspaper and other media resources. Can you do it cheaply and still attract the customers you want?

You bet. Here’s how:

  • Produce a television commercial for about $1,000 through freelancers and small production agencies. This takes some work to locate individuals, but it can be achieved. Keep in mind that on average a 30-second commercial will cost the business owner about $350,000.
  • Get on an afternoon cooking or decorating show. Home shows are popular in the afternoon where local folks talk about their newest book, recipe or ways to save money.
  • Radio is cheaper than television and will run you between $850 and $1,000. Again, if you can get on a radio station through a new book or innovative idea, your visit is free.
  • Newspaper advertising is the least expensive route in telling others about your business, but keep in mind that fewer and fewer folks are dipping into their newspapers for the latest goings-on. Many newspaper fanatics are getting their news online.
  • Online advertising, the latest and greatest place to advertise on the cheap. If you have a blog or a website, advertise. You can advertise without being blunt or in someone’s face. Let’s say you have a new design of girl’s hair bows that you want online visitors to know about. Sure, you provide pictures, descriptions and prices for your products, but you are mostly concerned about giving your readership ideas for wearing the hair accessories, what ages would like what products, and what ideas the public has for future endeavors. Your blog is all about the readership, (not about you), and what they want.
  • Write articles for other sites where you can display a link back to your website.
  • Let others know of what you do through social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook.

Advertising using familiar media resources doesn’t have to be an expensive venture using the tips above.

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Inexpensive Public Relations Tips for Your new Business

Have a new business and want to get the word out? What are the best and most effective tips to get your business known? What can you do that won’t cost you an arm and a leg?

These ideas will help.

  • Purchase business cards and keep a few with you. Don’t try to create the card on your own. It shows. Unless you have a knack for computer graphics it’s better to farm out this work. Vistaprint.com charges you for shipping (no cost for the cards) if you purchase at the right time; sign up for their emails to get the best deals.
  • Buy some postcards. Share with others what your new business does. You can also mail them out when you have a sale or open house.
  • Have an open house. Include blanks on the entry forms for address and phone number. Have a booth that explains your new business, some food (cake and punch is fairly inexpensive) and make sure there is something fun for families to do. Face painting is always a hit as are those air-filled play lands for kids.
  • Personally visit businesses that are within walking distance. Introduce yourself. Leave a small gift with your business card attached. If you’re opening up a new bakery, for example, leave a few samples.
  • Fliers are a good way to share your business as long as you don’t leave them on cars. Be professional. Talk about what you do and what those who come to your business will gain from the experience. Add a coupon. Keep them handy near the front of your store or when you put together an event such as an open house.

When it comes to public relations, spending a mint does not always equal the same results. Very few new businesses can afford television or even radio ads, but they can afford to make friends with the community—a sure fire way to bring new customers in.

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What does the Tax Compromise Mean for Your Planning?

There isn’t any specific health care and insurance information in the administration’s compromise with the GOP, but there are a few things you should know when you sit down with your insurance agent to plan your future. The picture is clouded by the near-universal condemnation from the Democratic side, but there’s still plenty that you can learn. While industry leaders need resolution of death tax and gift tax rules, individuals need to know how these issues will affect their planning for the inevitable. There is confusion, and the compromise does not really clear up anything for most people.

Assuming nothing gets repealed or changed at a later date, planners still have to take into account the uncertainty of how an estate will be treated because the tax rules remain in limbo. It has been said that if you plan to die soon, do it before December 31 of 2012. From a planning perspective it appears this deal will have an overall negative effect for two reasons: 1) the $5 million exemption may lead individuals to believe planning is unnecessary; and 2) the 35% rate is the same as the income tax rate, which may lead people to believe there is no gain to be had from serious planning.

There are other options, though, that can be considered. If you have a good tax planner, he or she can definitely help you get the breaks that you need. Putting things in trust and using other options can also help you avoid too much estate tax. The take-away from all of this is simple – planning is even more imperative when the rules are changing almost daily. If there is any possibility that your estate will be affected by changes in the rules, see a qualified legal adviser or estate planner. The consequences of failure to plan can be devastating.

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Using Social Marketing for Public Relations

Public relations are very important for a business. If you don’t have good PR, you might end up really alienating your customers or stopping potential customers from even giving you a chance. You also have to consider that it’s important to make sure customers know you’re there. Too many businesses fail because they just don’t market themselves the way that they should. It’s unfortunate, and it’s something that could completely be avoided by businesspeople who are paying close attention and who are interested in succeeding. If you’re taking your business seriously, one of the things you can do with PR is get a social media presence.

Whether you use Facebook, Twitter, or something else – or a combination of many different sites – you can easily find that you can create a strong presence with the right words. People should be able to find you, so you should be searchable. The words and phrases that people would type into a search engine to find what you’re selling are the words and phrases that you want to have on your social marketing pages. That way, you’ll be a lot more likely to get found.

You also want to post things often. If you wait too long between posting, you’re not going to attract as many people to your social media presence. Conversely, though, you don’t want to post something every few minutes, because that gets annoying and can cause you to lose followers. A few times a day – or even a few times a week – will keep you in the forefront of people’s minds and help ensure that you’re getting your name and other information out there. Be sure to offer more than just information about how to buy what you’re selling. Be helpful to others, and you’ll gain respect as an expert in your field.

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