When it comes time to hire a PR agency, how do you decide with which one to work?  The industry is filled with professionals at every level of knowledge and experience.

“Back in the day,” businesses made important decisions about their company internally, such as what events to have, who to invite to those events, how to best launch a new product, and so forth.  There was no Internet, no social media and no 24-hour news cycle.  What PR people had were media contacts…and he who had the best media contacts ruled.

We are often surprised when potential clients still place the most weight on who to hire based on what contacts a freelancer or agency seems to know.  And there are no lack of PR pros who will drop names for that very reason.  But it’s striking in today’s world where companies and entrepreneurs are much more sophisticated and are seeking experienced consultants in many areas, how simply “knowing people” is not nearly enough.

We were at a meeting this past week discussing a client’s product not yet on the market, and it won’t be launching for months.  The client looked to us to for counsel in regard to such things as how and when to launch the first products, potential distribution methods, price point recommendations and the pros and cons of an influencer outreach campaign.  At some point in the launch, “who we know” will come into play, but even then it’s less about what media you know, and really how to develop a compelling pitch that will get the attention of ANY journalist - buddy or not.

Even an expert who wants to become better known in their industry and primarily needs the support of a media relations campaign should look beyond those just touting media contacts.  For the experts with whom we work, we also support them in areas of their business such as strategic partnership identification and development, other creative ways in which to reach their customer, how to package and leverage the media coverage they get for even more awareness, and so forth.

Before seeking PR representation, take time to assess all the areas where you need counsel that public relations can provide.  If you find you need a broader range of support than just media contacts, then look beyond someone’s Rolodex to find the best fit for you.