Should I hire a PR agency or build an in-house PR-team? This is a dilemma many companies will face at some point. In this blog, we explain why we think agencies are the better option.
More media relationships and connections
Media contacts are the bread and butter of good PR, and partnering with an agency will give you instant access to a large network of connections built up from years of experience and successful campaigns. Agencies are also well versed in the unwritten rules of journalism – something that comes in handy when trying to get journalists’ attention.
For the majority of journalists, your email is just one out of the hundreds of daily emails they receive, so it’s easy for a press release sent from your company email to go unnoticed. On the flip side, if a journalist recognises an agency name attached to the email, they might be much more inclined to open it.
A lot of the time, it doesn’t matter if you have a great story to share. A good relationship with a journalist can be the difference between getting media coverage or not.
Fresh perspective
PR agencies are full of creative people offering an outside perspective, which can be valuable for companies seeking fresh ideas and strategies. They can help identify blind spots, refine messaging, and are far more likely to propose bold changes if needed.
Their deep knowledge of the media landscape and under-the-radar trends will also help keep your company ahead of the game. This is particularly beneficial if you’re in a highly competitive industry. Agencies also have the unique bonus of working with different clients in a variety of fields, giving them knowledge in lots of niche areas that can come in handy in ways you didn’t expect.
Expertise
Hiring a PR agency will allow you to gain access to senior experts and professionals with years of experience and expertise, ranging from marketing, journalism and copywriting to social media, design and podcasting. This breadth of experience would be very difficult to replicate in-house, particularly for smaller or newer companies.
Timesaving and cost-effective
From interviewing to the onboarding process, putting together an in-house PR department from scratch can take a lot of time - time that will be taken away from your business.
While it may initially seem more expensive, getting help from an agency will likely be much more cost-effective in the long run. Agencies typically operate on a retainer basis, allowing companies to access high-quality PR services while avoiding the additional costs associated with hiring full-time employees, such as national insurance, benefits, and training.
An agency is also more likely to get you faster results (for the reasons we’ve explored above), including audience and customer growth.
Crisis management
An experienced PR agency will have had their fair share of crises to deal with over the years, and are likely to have a plan of action at the ready, including emergency contacts. An in-house PR team may simply lack the experience to adequately deal with a crisis, and when it can go from bad to worse very quickly, the stakes are high. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you are looking to outsource your PR to a leading agency, get in touch. Petersens PR offers a range of services, from traditional PR and media relations to social media management and podcast production.
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