When is it time to hire a PR firm?

You've successfully managed to finalize your business plan and have a great team behind you, but aside from your utility company and solicitors nobody knows you exist.

It's time you considered your options for effectively and efficiently connecting with your audience. It's time to hire a PR firm.

Hiring In-House The cost of hiring a firm versus trying to bring someone in-house can vary widely. You certainly could bring these services in-house and save money short-term by hiring an entry level employee. Often this means that these individuals are straight out of college, are eager and willing to apply what they've studied from books in real life, but lack the expertise and experience to actually do so.

No matter how many years you study PR, you cannot learn how to respond to a crisis on social media when thousands of people are sharing misinformation about your company without actually having been there and done that. You cannot learn how to manage dozens of communication channels all at the same time without having truly experienced that juggle. It takes years of experience to be able to produce a successful and sustainable PR campaign, and it's not likely that you'll find that with entry-level staff.

You could hire a more experienced PR professional to work in-house, but that comes with a significantly increased price tag - often greater than what you'd pay in one year for hiring a PR firm. Don't forget the benefits, trainings, vacation time and all of the other bells and whistles that go along with that decision too. It's not a bad idea, but it certainly isn't the most affordable option. Hiring a PR Firm

You could also hire a team of experts through a PR firm without the overhead of an in-house employee(s). This often means that you get more than one person with years of experience supporting your company at any given time.

It's important to consider the kind of firm you work with too. Look for a PR firm that has clearly presented case studies, accolades and client testimonials to prove their abilities. Ideally, you want a firm that can integrate into your organization and ultimately act as an extension of your team.

Lastly, understand that although the cost of hiring a firm might feel like more upfront, in the long-run it's far more affordable to hire an entire team of experts who can support your PR goals and provide sound advice than to try to train someone who wants to get you the results you're looking for, but may not know how to do so.