We’ve all heard the constant murmur of fear and chaos that has been buzzing this year and for the last half decade. On top of that buzz, there are real budget cutbacks and shifts happening that can make it all feel like too much to handle. As a business owner myself, I can relate to the feeling, but I don’t let it stop me.
No matter what happens, there are always business leaders that figure out the recipe through no matter what is happening in the economy and to other businesses. My favorite is when people say it’s luck. That is true if luck means consistency, relentless motivation, creative ideas, and sheer determination. When I see a successful business owner, I see someone who has figured out what works for them.
At Olive Public Relations, we work with a lot of those kinds of leaders. The kind that find a way, who focus on thriving, and make the necessary adjustments. There is one thing our clients have in common, they have hired a PR firm to share their story. We believe hiring a PR firm can make all the difference because PR done right will always be a powerful tool.
Strategic public relations has changed a lot in recent years. The days of solely depending on media coverage are a thing of the past. When hiring a public relations firm you need to ask some key questions to get started: Would it be valuable to hire a PR firm near you or do you have the flexibility to hire a specialized team from somewhere else?
At Olive, we are traditionalists in the sense that we always go back to the birth of public relations, which is that public relations is about establishing mutually beneficial relationships between the organization and the publics for which its success or failure depends. We are not stuck in the days of PRis synonymous with publicity and you shouldn’t be either. Media relations plays a key role in building credibility, but it is not an end-all, one-stop-shop solution to building visibility for a brand. These days we have so many powerful tools to work with. Be sure you are asking the question: How do you define public relations? If they focus on media relations only, move on to the next. A truly strategic public relations team will start with bigger business-focused questions and they will only talk about media relations when it’s time discuss tactics for reaching your target audiences.
The days of casting a wide net are over. Now, we can get hyper focused on who we want to reach. If you hear the words “casting a wide net”, you might consider it’s time to wrap up the meeting.
Depending on your industry, you might ask yourself whether you want a national firm, a regional firm or an industry specific firm. There are so many different types. At Olive, we specialize in both regional and national public relations campaigns, but we have some specializations too. For example, we have an excellent track record working with neighborhoods and communities. With that comes a lot of different types of clients for which we also build communities like luxury multi-family developers and major hospitality brands with on-site venues open to the public. For example, many hotels don’t struggle to keep heads in beds, but they need to lean into the local community to fill their restaurants. That’s where we come in.
Having a pulse on the community allows us to develop creative partnerships and collaborations to bring people together. That is an unstoppable strategy that keeps our clients thriving.
You might find that building community for your brand is not dependent on a Public Relations firm who is near you at all, but one that understands your industry. Afterall, their job is really to build the relationships around you, not to simply leverage the ones they have.
At Olive, one of our core specializations is that we have the ability to operate like a local agency from a distance. While we always need to have a discovery trip and familiarize ourselves with a community, it isn’t critical that we live there. For example, we have been representing a neighborhood in the Bay Area for over eight years and we are based in Southern California. This works great because we specialize in representing neighborhoods and our formula makes it successful, allowing us to achieve incredible results even though we do not live there. Plus, we have developed all the relationships needed to create success.
Other questions you need to ask: Does this agency have a successful track record and are they willing to introduce you to their existing clients?
Our clients often take calls on our behalf to support new potential clients in feeling confident they are choosing the right team. You wouldn’t hire an employee without references and you shouldn’t consider hiring a public relations firm without them either.
Maybe more important than all of the questions we have discussed, why hiring a PR firm can make all the difference? With the advancement in technology and the state of the world, businesses are having to work a little harder on marketing than ever before to stay competitive in the marketplace. Consumer behavior has changed and stress levels are high with politics and controversy leading headlines and captivating attention. People need a bigger nudge to get out of their athleisure and get to their favorite restaurant. Business owners start their business because they are brilliant in that area. For example, a restauranteur loves hospitality and a certain kind of cuisine. A non-profit director is passionate about their mission. Working with a PRfirm allows a client to stay focused on their brilliance and allows us to focus on promoting them and building the relationships that will support them in their success.
So let’s recap these important questions:
- Do you need to hire a public relations agency near you or would you prefer to hire an agency that specializes in your industry? Or does it matter at all?
- Be sure to identify whether you’re working with an agency that is staying current and not stuck in old ways of doing business. You can ask how do you define public relations?
- Do you want a national or regional agency? Or do you need someone with both skills?
- You must always ask for examples of experience.
- Ask for referrals.
- At the end of your meeting, you should understand clearly how hiring the PR firm can make a difference in your business.
We get asked all the time… does PR Work? And our answer every single time is yes, it works powerfully when done with strategy and experience.
We are happy to guide you through a discovery meeting to determine the ways PR can support you in building deeper relationships with the audiences you serve. today.
