So, you’re thinking about hiring a public relations firm, but you have no idea what they charge or how they work. Just like any other professional who provides a highly specialized service, costs and/or fees relate to the amount of time, energy and effort that goes into servicing the account. In public relations this equates to two key variables; a) the actual “creation” of the press release(s), and b) the “distribution,” in other words, where will the press release be going and what media will be receiving it?
Within the context of the above, below are some questions that you must be aware of and equally must be able to answer (as much for yourself) before any public relations company or professional can provide you a quote for providing services.
- Have you or your company either worked with a public relations firm or received any press?
- Are there any press releases that have ever been written about your company, its product/service?
- Do you have any prior press releases handy, and do any of the facts contained therein still apply to your company, its product or service?
- Does your company have a well defined product and/or service? Is this well known and/or understood by the consumer and/or the B2B environment you work in?
- Is the company new or old? Does it have a big or small client base? Does the company have achievements and/or success for what it does?
- Is the product or service you are introducing new or old?
- Is this a consumer product/service or is it a business-to-business product/service?
- Is there good information already written about whatever you are trying to promote, in the way of collateral materials, or do promotional materials need to be created?
- Do you want and/or should there be images/photos to accompany the release?
- Do you want and/or should there be any “video” that supports your news/story?
- Is there or are there clear “public relations” possibilities for this company/product or service or do story ideas, angles, pitches, etc. need to be invented/created in order for there to be a compelling/legitimate “news” story about it?
The aforementioned are just some of the basic, but essential and preliminarily critical questions that any public relations professional will want to know as these directly relate and equate to the amount of time, energy and creative effort that needs to go into producing a powerful and effective press release and any supporting public relations campaign built around it.
Does “Writing” a Press Release Mean I am Going to “Get Press?”
It is very important you know that the act of just simply writing a press release is one thing, but writing it with the appropriate content and intent, with the “right news angle and spin” is what truly allows a public relations professional to legitimately generate publicity. Just because someone writes a press release for you does not mean that you automatically “get press.” That’s just not how it works.
What is Your Desired or Intended Distribution?
The next issue related to price/cost is distribution. Here are the questions you need to answer and a public relations professional needs to know in order to be able to properly provide you with a quote and cost for providing service.
- What is the geographic reach you are trying to achieve with your publicity?
- Related to the above, is your reach local, regional or national?
- Is your media outreach efforts geared for or intended for print, radio or television media?
- Related to the above, is your outreach to one, two or all three of these media?
Length + Depth = Cost
Be aware that the length of the release affects cost. Professional press release “wire services” charge according to word count and distribution circuits. So, beyond just the cost of creating and writing the release the other factor that affects cost is the actual word count/length of the release combined with the depth and breadth of your intended/desired geographic reach.
For example, a press release of 400 words is a different cost than a press release of 800 words. A press release distributed just in your “local market” is naturally different than if it’s regional, or national.
By now you see how the questions above, and your answers to each of them, directly relate to time, energy, effort and cost/fees, as well as for the potential for achieving public relations success.
At the end of the day, regardless of how much money you spend, you will expect to see “your news” somewhere. Your answers to the above questions and how your public relations professional addresses these first and fundamental questions should give you some sense as to their level of professionalism and their potential ability to generate media attention and coverage for your company and/or its product or service.
The Bamboo Agency is a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations firm that has obtained tens of millions of dollars in print, radio and television coverage for its clients, locally, regionally and nationally. Jeff Mustard is the President of The Bamboo Agency and can be reached at 954-801-8263, or via email: jeff@thebambooagency.com; www.TheBambooAgency.com
