How To Have a Great Brand / PR Relationship
With a little help from some friends, you could be well on your way to world domination. Here’s our top 3 tips on how to make the most out of the PR/Brand relationship:
Communication is key
As a client, knowing what to expect from your agency is fundamental, but so too is providing your agency with the information they need to be able to do their best work for you. This means communicating what you would like to achieve from the relationship can avoid any potential confusion. Avoid the ‘data dump & vanish’ and use first meetings as a base introduction – leaving plenty of room to build off goals in the progression of the relationship. Remember, these agencies have a number of clients so remaining active and keeping them updated about your latest news can achieve better results – they can’t pitch it if they don’t know about it!
Trust in me
Setting off on any new relationship is daunting, so it’s normal to have some trepidation early on. Make sure you’ve done your homework and have spent time selecting the right bunch for you. There are some amazing PR agencies out there (Team Flaunter is lucky to work closely with many of them!)
While your agency will be letting you focus on other things while they work they magic, it’s essential you still take time to participate in the process (in consultation with your agency of course). You’d be surprised just how many of your own ideas could actually be the catalyst for your next feature.
Examples of valuable participation:
Content Creation: Contextual advertising is a common, valuable strategy nowadays, and many agencies will create content for you. However, you know your brand best! If you’ve made insta-worthy material, or taken a great snap of your team in action, don’t be shy to share it with your agency or on the social channels you’re managing.
Relevant write up: Any information that speaks to the uniqueness of your brand’s story or product should be shared with your agency. Ultimately, you have the choice in how you’d like to be seen. For example – Drawing attention to special materials & techniques used in your manufacture, collaborations with other brands/people, news/events in your industry that your brand could comment on… Don’t be shy to write up information to share with your PR agency – you mightn’t know what angle the media are seeking next, but your agency will…and they want to have a reason to put your brand forward.
Social media is power. Your agency can be your guide.
Think of your online profile as the ‘cheerleader’. Ultimately a large following does not always equal success, it’s how you engage with & develop your audience that defines your success. Your agency will give advice for the optimal social strategy including how to present to your particular audience, posting times, types of content etc. If you’d like to push out certain content, remember lead times and give your agency notice! What you may think works for business may not always be appropriate or effective in terms of your agency’s greater strategy. We recommend using apps such as Plann and Schedugram to pre-plan the content you wish to share.
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Image: James Lacroix via pinterest.
