Do’s and Don’ts for Onboarding Your Press Relations Agency
“Transparency, communication, and value creation are the three pillars of a win-win relationship between a client and a PR agency.”
Communication is the essential tool that connects a company with its market. The PR agency’s role is to make companies known to their market. This activity requires transparency, trust, and a true partnership between the agency and its client.
The agency as an extension of your business
Because it serves as an interface between the company and the outside world, a PR agency should be seen as an extension of your company. More than a simple service provider that relays major customer announcements, your PR agency should be your partner in charge of the communication strategy.
Think of the agency as a colleague, not as a service provider. The success of your media strategy depends heavily on the quality of this relationship.
Speak with your dedicated team on a daily basis. Use and abuse your communication channels, and always share information. The agency will be able to advise you on whether or not to go public with it.
Transparency and trust
When working with a PR firm, give them access to as much information as possible so that they can tailor their communications to the target audience. The agency will have a hard time doing its job without this transparency about the company’s current situation, with regard to a product or service, R&D, customer references, potential fundraising, or any other matter. A client-agency relationship hinges on both transparency and trust between the parties. On the one hand, the company must be assured that any information they give the agency will be official only after it is approved, and on the other hand, we must be the first to be informed of announcements, after the parties involved. After all, learning information through the media, social networks, or other channels that should have been communicated in advance (such as an acquisition, presence at an event, etc.) can ultimately prove counterproductive for the company.
The agency as a communication channel between key journalists and the company
Journalists are bombarded from all sides and can be difficult to access. According to a 2016 study by the PR consulting firm Gootenberg, “A journalist receives an average of 60 press releases per day. That’s one press release every 8 minutes for a journalist who works 8 hours a day! The top 10% receive more than 200 press releases a day.” What’s more, journalists hear from agencies with targeted calls and emails, which go ignored or even mocked, flooding their inbox with a hodgepodge of information. As proof, take a look at the #CommuniquéIdiotDuJour of Bertrand Lemaire, Editor-in-Chief of CIO, who posts each day’s most offbeat press release for his target audience.
A PR firm’s professionalism lies in its ability to identify and target the most qualified journalists suited to its clients’ area of specialization. It is a long-term endeavor, which requires thorough knowledge of each journalist’s specializations so that they can promote the company to them. As a true communication channel, we help our clients to develop an excellent relationship with journalists.
The agency must create value for the company
An agency should support the company with promotion by developing clear and concise communication. But beyond solutions and services, a good knowledge of the company allows the agency to make use of other opportunities to boost visibility. Good knowledge of the HR environment will help the agency build value and work with the employer brand, master career paths, and boost expertise and motivation among managers for their own personal branding.
With its expertise, an agency should propose communication formats. Close knowledge of the client allows for a more targeted approach, meeting the specific needs of each journalist/media outlet. Such precision is possible only through an excellent relationship and detailed knowledge of journalists and clients in order to strike the right balance with them.
The time for mass distribution of press releases is over. Content is now handled differently to suit journalists and marketing and/or social networks. This will make it possible to promote a subject through a study offered exclusively to key media outlets, an infographic, a video, a podcast, posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, a testimonial to clearly demonstrate other elements, and more. A whole range of tools that can be deployed in a clear, coordinated manner. But all this requires planning and can only come to fruition if the client/agency relationship is transparent and built on trust!
