One of the effective ways that a startup company can attract people’s attention is through effective public relations. With it, you can steadily cultivate a positive image for your brand and draw their interest.
But doing PR requires a lot of work and you need to be active in generating that interest. For a small startup like yours, this can be a challenging endeavor. Here, outsourcing would be a good option. Dive into how you can use it to build and strengthen your public image more.
Why Outsourcing PR Will Be Good For Your Startup Company
At this point, you might wonder whether outsourcing PR work is a good idea. As it turns out, there are some great benefits to it beyond just the cost savings. These benefits will help you better launch and run your PR campaign.
Getting Better Connections
A large part of the success of any public relations campaign hinges on who you can connect with. Whether it is a big media outfit or a popular influencer, that network of connections will determine your public reach. Building that network on your own for PR work will take a lot of time.
Image from Evinex
But through outsourcing, you can tap into such a network faster. That is because outsourced PR firms have already built a network of their own. It frees you from all the legwork. What’s more, that network will likely be larger than what you can muster on your own. With that, you spread your campaign much faster.
Flexibility
While you might not think of it, PR campaigns can be quite dynamic. Sometimes, you will find yourself having to deal with new developments. And these changes can significantly affect the budget for the campaign.
An outsourced team can help you handle your PR budget more effectively. These firms will typically have flexible quarterly costs. That means that your agency fee will be based only on that quarter’s campaigns, giving you better control.
External Perspective
Trying to do PR in-house can limit your perspective on things. Often, you go with the things that you are accustomed to. That can prevent the campaign from reaching out to a wider group of people.
Image from Communique PR.
With an external agency, you can get a fresh perspective on how to run your PR campaign. The agency can provide you with new ideas that you might not have thought of before. It can also provide you with new ways to use existing campaign strategies.
Preparations For Outsourcing Public Relations
As is with any outsourcing effort that your startup company embarks on, preparation will be the key to effective PR outsourcing. The big question you will have here is when you should go with the move.
That would generally have to do with the size of the campaign that you want to embark on. If that project is much larger than what you can handle, outsourcing will be a suitable option. Additionally, you can opt for it to launch a campaign beyond your usual ones.
Deciding What Your Startup Company Should Outsource
Another consideration when planning your PR outsourcing is deciding what to send over to a provider. While you can outsource pretty much the entire campaign, there might be some instances where you would opt to do just part of it. In here, you need to think closely about which of the tasks you would be better off sending over.
Image from Cogniview.
For many startups, this would often be the writing and communications aspect of the campaign. That is because PR relies heavily on how effectively you can convey your message to the public. PR firms are very knowledgeable in creating content for different platforms. This gives you more opportunities to expand your reach to those you are not yet present in.
Beyond this, you can also outsource other people-facing functions. For instance, while customer service is a separate task, it also figures significantly in your PR effort. Additionally, you can outsource support duties like project management if needed.
Doing SWOT Analysis
An effective way to determine what exactly to outsource is to do some old-fashioned SWOT analysis.
- Strengths: Look into what is working for you in the PR department.
- Weaknesses: Identify the elements you are missing to launch a PR campaign, such as skills or resources.
- Opportunities: Identify the areas where you can potentially move your business through PR.
- Threats: Take a look at potential changes in the industry and determine how they can impact your startup company.
This analysis will help you shape your in-house PR strategy. From there, you can develop your outsourced PR effort to complement it.
Working With The Outsourced PR Team
When entertaining proposals from PR firms, ask that the team who will be handling your campaign be the ones to make the presentation. That will give you a better idea of their work even before you get started. You can gauge how well you can interact with them.
You would also want to consider the size of the PR agency that you will be working with. Larger firms have a larger reach. That is great if your intended campaign wants to target a broad audience. On the other hand, a smaller agency can provide a more niche and localized approach. That option is great for a more focused campaign.
Image from Slide Player.
Once you have your public relations campaign underway, you need to communicate regularly with them. Schedule routine meetings to discuss the progress of the campaigns. You would also want to tackle any changes you have to make for the campaign.
Lastly, you should be flexible when working with an external PR team. Developments in the PR industry can come in fast, so you need to be ready to decide at a moment’s notice. On the other hand, you should be ready to commit to a decision. That will ensure that the campaign can proceed without significant interruptions.
Build Your Startup Company Image With The Help Of Outsourced PR
Outsourcing your startup business public relations campaign can help a lot in ensuring its success. And with the right team helping you, you can guarantee that. Virtua Solutions is ready to help you by providing you with support services for your public relations efforts. Contact us today and we will show you what we can do.