Your Name in Lights

Every business can benefit from effective public relations. No matter the size, the industry, or the type of customer base, enforcing strong PR strategy in your marketing plan can do wonders. After all, efficient PR protocol generates much needed news about your company into local, regional, and even national news outlets. And having your face in the news can certainly boost sales and popularity. As such, it is extremely important to generate good news and develop a strong public appearance. In today’s cut throat business environment the age old adage of “all press is good press,” simply isn’t true, and in order to separate your company from negative press you need the talents of public relations professionals.

Individuals well trained and well versed in the ways of public relations can become huge assets to your business as they know all avenues of news reporting and are experts in navigating the treacherous streets of media. It is their job to get businesses in the news, and when employing such knowledgeable persons you can expect well written reports and press releases for all types of broadcast outlets, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and the Internet. Furthermore, PR professionals work in close contact and cultivate ongoing relationships with reporters from each media source, which translates into more exposure for you and your company.

Now you might be thinking that staffing a full or even part time PR department is too costly and time consuming, and in the grand scheme of things, your right. Hiring, training, and maintaining a professional and effective group of PR experts can consume a generous portion of company resources. However, there is a cost-effective alternative; companies under such strain can outsource PR services.

Outsourcing Public Relations

Let’s face it, public relations is a time intensive job that requires a huge amount of persistence. In order to establish a legitimate and effective PR strategy, individuals must actively track market trends, cultivate personal relationships with reporting outlets, and continue to improve their skills in the delicacy of press reviews and reports. And companies who decide to retain such work in-house can severely cripple core competencies due to the draining effects of PR on company resources. Even if you decide to hire an individual to handle all PR internally, that person usually splits his/her time on other tasks, and in the end, both your PR department and other departments are hurt. Each portion of your business should be prioritized in order to ensure efficiency. Therefore, by hiring an outside agency focused exclusively on deploying PR strategies, you can ensure a smoother running of all aspects of your company, as well as a legitimate presence in the news. Let’s take a closer look.

Benefits of PR Outsourcing

First and foremost, an external PR agency reduces company costs. Think about it, all the baggage with an internal hire – the salary, benefits package, vacation schedule, and paperwork – adds up to a decent amount of money. An outside agency, on the other hand, is paid based on a monthly fee or on a per project basis. You essentially pay for the work that is done without any overtime expenditure. Additionally, you will save money on office expenses as you no longer need to pay for extra office space, phone expenses, furniture, or computer equipment. As such, outsourcing is certainly more cost effective than a struggling in-house PR organization.

Second, a PR agency provides expertise and perspective that an internal group does not possess. Agency representatives are immersed in the world of public relations, and are trained to know all the in’s and out’s; they know every crevice and every entryway. And such insight allows for quick responses to ongoing projects, and a guarantee to meet deadlines. As mentioned before, in-house associates simply do not have the time to complete all PR projects as well as other internal tasks. So, rather than letting PR duties drop to the bottom of the to-do list when core projects demand attention; hire a specialized and dedicated PR team to elevate your name and brand.

Lastly, by outsourcing your PR needs you ensure consistent communication with various media contacts, which in turn keeps your marketing up-to-date. Because public relations experts interact with reporters regularly, they know what the big stories are, i.e. what’s popular and desirable at any given time. Thus, they are capable of quickly altering your marketing plan to account for market fluctuations.

So as you can see, every businesses and corporation can benefit from PR outsourcing. It not only provides your business with the necessary coverage in the news, it will feature your amenities in relevant media, which in turn builds credibility. And best of all, you get experienced specialists on your side who can deal with market fluctuations in a timely manner and for a lower cost than in-house representatives.

Daven Michaels is an award-winning outsourcer and author of the book, ‘Outsource This!’ Daven has been honored more than any other individual or outsourcing organization. You can get more information on outsourcing by visiting www.123Employee.com