4 signs you’re ready to hire a PR agency
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So your startup is gaining traction in the marketplace and now you want to give your sales and marketing efforts a boost.
You might consider hiring a PR firm to officially put your company on the map and bring the credibility you need to be seen as a key player in the mind of key stakeholders including customers, investors, and potential hires.
No matter what size your budget, you'll want to make sure you have some key elements in place to increase your chances of campaign success.
So how do you know when it's the right time for your company to invest in startup PR? Here are a few signs that you're ready to turn your PR efforts over to a pro.
1. Your product or services is solid.
Every new startup has some kinks. That said, you don't want to turn on the PR game before you've addressed any bugs, glitches, or other major hiccups. For a tech company, this means doing your due diligence in building your product. It means running a successful beta, gathering as much feedback as possible, and improving the product to the point where you are fully market-ready. This helps you strengthen your PR strategy in the long run because you’ll truly understand what it is about your product or service that resonates in the marketplace.
2. You have clear goals and objectives.
PR can do a lot of different things for a brand, but it's definitely not one-size-fits-all. What do you want your agency to help you accomplish? Do you need to raise awareness? Accelerate growth? Hire? Is there a certain market perception you need to move away from -- or strengthen? Without knowing what you're aiming for, your PR firm won’t be able to do an effective job on your behalf.
3. You know who you need to reach.
In the early days of your startup, you might set out to serve a particular market segment. After you launch, you realize your early adopters are in a completely different place than you thought. That's OK (and happens more often than you think) -- but before you hire a PR agency, you need to know exactly who is using your product, and just as importantly, why. Having a clear idea of your target user helps us create a PR campaign that's more tailored to your audience and where you anticipate growth.
In some cases, your audience may go beyond potential customers. If you’ve recently (or are looking to) raise a round of funding for your business, you’ll want to target investors, too. They want to feel confident in you and your team, and know that you're continuing to see traction in the marketplace. Getting in front of the press can only raise your credibility and keep you top of mind with your investors.
4. You have news (and a compelling story.)
This may be the most important factor of all. Public relations is all about storytelling. Without a strong story that the media and their audiences will care about, you likely won’t see the PR results you're looking for. Funding announcements, new hires, product expansion, significant company growth or milestones are all newsworthy items that help generate awareness.
When you have a solid product, a well-defined target market, and clear objectives, the right startup PR firm can be an amazing growth partner for your brand.