There are PR agencies out there that mislead their clients because competition is so high. That’s why it’s important to know as much as possible about the PR agency that you want to hire.

You need to ensure that the agency you select has the same values and objectives as your brand, which can be quite a selection process.

With that in mind, here’s how to choose the correct agency for your brand:

1. Clarify your brand’s goal

Before you hire a PR agency, it is vital for you to ensure that you have a clear idea of what your brand wants to achieve. Once this is done, you need to draw up a conclusion on how a PR agency will be able to assist your brand in achieving its goal.

For example, do you want to tell your brand’s story, or do you want to ensure that you make use of the correct communication channel? These questions are important because different agencies will focus on different aspects.

Therefore, the better you understand your goal, the easier it will be for you to determine what PR agency will meet all of your requirements.

2. Do your research — then ‘talk money’

Thanks to technology, you’re now able to find out exactly what previous clients had to say about a particular PR agency.

Do yourself, and your brand, a favour and have a look at some of the reviews of the agency you would like to hire. Take a good look at their social media pages, Google, Glassdoor, etc. in order to get an idea of how they’re rated, as well as some of the work they’ve done.

If you see a lot of negative comments, it will be safer to move away from that company and rather opt for one with good reviews.



Once you have found an agency with great reviews, the next step is to talk about money. You need to ask the PR agency what their services cost and then get quotes from other agencies to see how they match up.

Make sure that what you are paying is fair and worth it. You don’t want to end up paying more than what their work is actually worth, so make your research count!

3. Confirm that the agency connects with the right influencers

There are dangers and risks that come with making use of influencers when promoting your brand. But that is something that you can have more control over when you hire a PR agency.

You need to communicate with the agency before hiring them to find out how their relationships are with influencers, and if they have the right tools in place to ensure that your brand can connect with them.

Communicating about these things from the start will ensure that your relationship with these influencers run smoothly.

Influencer marketing is a big thing in South Africa, so when you are looking to hire a PR agency, you need to make sure that they have connections with influencers that have the same audience that you want to reach and connect with.

Influencers can reach a different type of target audience with their following, allowing your brand’s audience to grow.

What type of PR agency do you think would suit your brand? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Is your PR agency misleading you? Make sure that you’re not wasting your brand's potential by taking a look at our article.
*Image courtesy of Pixaby