How to work with PR and marketing to get the best results
Appointing a PR and marketing agency or consultant can be intimidating, particularly for small business owners and developing brands. That’s why we at FAR Communications have put together our guide to getting the best out of the relationship with your PR team. This includes everything from choosing the right representation to how to manage the various teams and ensure communication runs smoothly.
Elect the right PR and marketing representative
Agree clear guidelines
Share information
Establish effective communication
Review progress regularly
Be flexible
Elect the right PR and marketing representative
There are many factors that should be considered when selecting a PR and marketing representative. We could go on forever on the subject, but ultimately this has to be someone that shares your values and you are confident can articulate your product, experience or service, to the right people.
Working face to face with an independent PR consultant like FAR Communications offers more flexibility for small and growing brands who require a little more guidance along the way. Be transparent when discussing your needs and available resources including time and budget. We work closely with our clients to examine their full customer journey, highlight their specific needs, and review them regularly. We’ll ensure your social media, marketing and media impressions showcase the best of your product or service and drive to achieve your business goals.
“Whether it is shifting focus to capture a growing trend or redirecting resources during unpredictable closures, we evolve with our clients' needs and with one eye on the news agenda, we are in the best position to guide you through the process.”
Agree clear guidelines
Once you have chosen your PR and marketing representative it is important to clearly define your approach to working together. We work with our clients to agree two or three clear objectives and put together a roadmap to achieve your goals. Within this we’ll refine your key messages, identify your customer profiles and highlight the key media and influencer titles that they engage with.
We’ll construct creative and meaningful PR and marketing initiatives that demonstrate your unique values, drive awareness to your brand and connect with our treasured industry networks to make a lasting impression on your prospective customers. We also lay down the fundamentals, like the frequency and content of your reports, day to day contacts, preferred method of communications and set out our payment plan.
Share information
Once you’ve kicked off with your PR and marketing consultant and agreed your strategy, you’ll want to ensure the team has access to your brand assets. We recommend setting up a shared Google Drive where both teams have access to a set of approved imagery and team headshots, senior team biographies, a logo, a handful of previous press releases, any brand guidelines you have in place, and any fact sheet information about the product, service or experience. If you don’t have this information to hand we can help you set it up for you. Here we’ll also share monthly reports and approved plans so everyone can access them easily.
Establish effective communication
One of the most important aspects of a PR / client relationship is communication. At FAR Communications we act as an extension of your team and are eager to be looped into your discussions regarding new products, services and experiences. We know the industry inside out so can offer feedback on what will resonate with your target audience.
At the same time it is important to remember we are not present with you and though we work closely together, we rely on your team to share updates with us so we can brief our media contacts. We’ll always establish a day to day contact within your team. With lots of things to juggle, this doesn’t have to be the owner themselves, this can be an admin or marketing assistant who is able to field enquiries swiftly. We frequently receive urgent media requests so it is vital we have a point of contact on the ground who is able to source the information we need, fast.
Review progress regularly
Ultimately, PR and marketing is designed to support your business goals, whether this is increased restaurant bookings, hotel stays, retreat bookings or product purchases. There are many elements that can impact this trajectory and this is why it is so important to review progress regularly.
We compile monthly reports for clients, highlighting the key indicators they identify as the most useful. We also schedule monthly catch up calls with the team where we check in on requirements, analyse progress and review the route forward. Here we incorporate data from your Google Analytics, social media engagement, enquiries and bookings or purchase orders to identify what works for you and what doesn’t to continue to drive you towards your goals.
Be flexible
Finally, be flexible. We know now, more than ever, that life and work can change in an instant. As a small business, we know acutely how important it is to be agile and have the resources to adapt with the changing environment. Whether it is shifting focus to capture a growing trend or redirecting resources during unpredictable closures, we evolve with our clients' needs and with one eye always on the news agenda, we are in the best position to advise and guide you in the process.
Get in touch with Alana at alana@farcommunications.co.uk to explore ways we can help support your PR and marketing strategy.
