In the last few weeks, we’ve been approached by a range of B2B and B2C clients who have been unimpressed by their current PR agencies and are questioning whether they should change firms or stop PR all together.
At Agent99, of course we believe in the power of PR, and we see firsthand every day the business impact this has for our clients, but we also know that every investment needs to have a strong ROI to be justified.
If you are currently with an agency and questioning if they are the best fit, I’d encourage you to ask these questions:
- When was the last time you heard from them?
If you have to chase your agency for updates, they aren’t engaged enough. There should be clear communication between you and your account lead, and at least one interaction or update should happen daily. After all, they are an extension of your marketing team.
- How are they tracking against their KPIs?
Setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) KPIs are crucial from the outset of any campaign. Both the client and agency should know what success looks like, and agree on how to track this, before working together. For example, if your goal is to increase sales and drive website traffic, by how much and by when is everyone aiming to achieve this? Setting these will also make it simple for you to monitor their progress.
- Are the opportunities they are securing in line with my audience?
Good PR firms ensure publicity opportunities are properly vetted, and if you are required to do an interview or provide insights, that it’s time well spent. If you are being sent opportunities that you don’t believe speak to your target market, it’s worth asking them what value they see coming from the piece. They may have a great rationale, but often this is a sign that the firm is struggling to generate solid wins.
- Are they regularly offering value?
Your agency should be aligned with your business objectives and goals, and offer ideas in line with these. If your firm is a good fit they should be brainstorming and sharing creative and outside-the-box concepts regularly that speak to these objectives.
- Do they offer different solutions if something isn’t working?
PR isn’t a crystal ball, and there are so many reasons that a strategy formed at the beginning of a campaign may not be the most effective one a few months down the track. It’s important that your agency acknowledges when it’s time to pivot, and offers solutions on the best way to do this.
Working with an agency should be a partnership, and your account lead should feel like an extension of your team. If it doesn’t feel that way, it’s likely that the firm isn’t the best fit for you. If that is the case though, the good news is that if you use the above same questions during the first meeting, you’ll quickly get a sense of the agency’s values and hopefully find the perfect fit.
If you’d like to hear more around finding the right agency for you, feel free to reach out to me on nicole@agent99pr.com
Agent Nic
