Answering the Most Asked Questions about PR Agencies

If you’re looking to appoint a PR agency, or just curious about what a PR agency can do for you, you’ve come to the right place.

To debunk the myths and common misconceptions around the role of a PR agency, we asked the team to answer some of Google’s most asked questions:

1. What is a PR Agency?

A PR agency specialises in building and maintaining a positive brand image through positive news coverage, relationships with key media, running events, liaising with media and influencers and crafting brand stories.

2. What does a PR Agency do?

PR agencies undertake a variety of strategies that ultimately build brand awareness and generate leads through media coverage. This could be through a creative campaign, activations and stunts, drafting and pitching press releases, liaising with media and influencers, planning partnerships, hosting press events and more.

3. How to choose a PR Agency?

Ultimately, choosing the right PR agency for your business comes down to a few things; are they the right fit to work in partnership with your internal team? Do they understand your business goals and aspirations? If you’re looking to appoint an agency, you can share a brief with multiple agencies of your choosing and ask them to pitch for your business – at this stage you can assess the agency, their team, ideas and ways of working.

4. How to brief a PR Agency?

When briefing a PR agency, it is important to give as much relevant information as you can provide – this ensures the agencies you’re briefing fully understand your objectives, goals and requirements and can provide the most accurate and helpful response. Make sure to include your objectives, audience information if you have it and what success looks like to you.

5. Why hire a PR Agency?

If you’re wondering, why hire a PR agency in the first place? PRs understand the media landscape, they know what journalists are looking for and have access to the tools, insight and data required to build brand awareness and craft genuine stories. By hiring an agency, you also gain access to the creative minds of multiple people; those working directly with you and your business, and everyone else in the agency.

6. What is the difference between PR and Advertising?

There are many differences between PR and Advertising; but one of the simplest ways to look at it is that PR is ‘earned’ media and advertising is paid for. The goal of PR is to earn media attention and coverage through storytelling, news and creative campaigns.

7. How do PR Agencies measure success?

Different PR agencies will likely have different ways of measuring success. Success looks different to every business so it is important to look at the objectives of the business, or brief and set measurable outcomes from there. Some metrics that can often be used include the amount of coverage, amount of people reached and inclusion of things such as imagery and key messages.

8. Can PR Agencies help with social media?

Whilst PR and Social Media Marketing are two different disciplines, many creative agencies will offer both PR and social media services. Ensuring the two are aligned is important, as creative campaigns can work in synergy across both. With social media changing constantly and becoming a source of news for younger generations, PR and social media need to work closely together.

9. What industries benefit the most from PR Agencies?

Any industry can benefit from hiring a PR agency. Whether B2B of B2C focused, any business that is looking to increase brand awareness and reach new audiences can benefit from a PR agency. Equally, crisis management – which is often included in a PR remit – can offer peace of mind to business owners who want peace of mind that should a crisis occur, their partner agency will manage it on their behalf.

10. How do PR Agencies handle a crisis?

As PR is about brand reputation, PR agencies also offer crisis management as a service. Crisis management differs depending on situations, but you can expect a member of the team to be available at all times should a crisis arise, and handle each circumstance as needed.

11. How long does it take to see results from a PR campaign?

Results can often be seen quickly in terms of securing media coverage, however you can often see both long and short-term results depending on the campaign and its desired outcome. Whilst coverage can be seen almost immediately, the effects of the coverage and surrounding campaign may come in the weeks to follow; as your prospective audience sees the campaign.

Additionally, digital results can take longer to convert; improving your sites traffic, authority and standing on search engines.

12. How do PR Agencies interact with the media?

The ways that PR agencies interact with media can vary day-to-day and has changed a lot over the years. Typically, many journalists prefer to be contact via email, due to working circumstances such as working from home. PRs will also pick up the phone to journalists where appropriate, meet them for coffees and chat to them at events amongst other forms of communication.

13. How can PR Agencies work with AI tools?

AI tools are sweeping industries, and PR is no different. As an industry that relies heavily on creativity and communication, it can be helpful but also challenging. It is important in PR that professionals understand how to use AI tools for the right reasons; as a prompt for creative thinking for example.

If you want to hear more about a PR agency could benefit your business, get in touch at hello@hatch.group