When it comes to raising your profile and reaching wider audiences through PR and communications, you have a few options – you could recruit an in-house person or team, or you can outsource to a PR company.
When picking between these options, there is a lot to consider – and your final choice will depend on how much support your business needs, how it is set up, what you are trying to achieve and what resources are available to you.
So, which solution could be right for your business? These tips from the team at Polymedia PR might help you decide.
- You are looking for a friendly, critical eye.
Many organisations find themselves weighing up the pros and cons of hiring an external PR agency versus using in-house teams. Often, successful communications can benefit from the fresh perspective an external PR Agency can provide.
PR requires a deep understanding of the business, its values, and its audiences. In-house teams can provide this, but because they are part of the business, they can lack that vital independent perspective. Hiring a PR Agency provides you with a critical friend – an experience eye that can tell you what your organisation looks like to those on the outside.
- Access to a wider network
The best PR Agency will already have a large network of contacts in news outlets, magazines, and online publications – all ready to use for your benefit. In effect, you are paying for access to these contacts and the ability to use them to your advantage.
A PR Agency brings legitimacy and impact – a recent survey noted that journalists respond to only 3% of the pitches they receive and are more likely to respond to an email from a PR firm than a company – as they come across as more reputable. Their contact book is likely to save your company time and even open doors to new possibilities.
- You will have a team on it
Most PR Agencies give you a dedicated day to day account manager who becomes your main contact. A key advantage is that this person will be part of a team – so instead of just having an in-house person, you are benefiting from the experience of several people in the agency. They will bounce ideas off each other, share ideas and collaborate on tricky issues with experts from a variety of fields – all in a way that is not usually possible for in-house PRs.
This leads to smarter strategies and stronger thinking, as they know what is working for other brands and can use this information to keep your business ahead of the competition.
- You will get bigger, bolder ideas
Outsider perspectives don’t just bring new, fresh ideas – their way of thinking can also help you to take a bolder approach. An in-house team might be reluctant to propose something challenging or time-consuming – but your typical PR Agency has no such qualms! They are always looking to challenge traditional ways of thinking – and are not held back by thoughts like “we’ve always done it this way,” “the team won’t get this,” or “this can’t be done.”
With an unbiased outsider opinion, you will get real time feedback from a group who have been through dozens of campaigns, meaning they have the diversity in clientele to keep you ahead of the game for creative strategies and can push appropriately to make sure things are done properly.
- It can be more cost effective
A PR Agency already comes stocked with the tools you need for your PR campaign, from media monitoring services and media database tools, to technology and equipment like cameras and editing software.
With an in-house department, you must spend the time and money to go out and collate your own resources and kit – and with so many areas falling under the PR category, this adds up.
