Can I do my own PR or do I need an agency?

Public relations (PR) is an important tool to grow any business. But the question many entrepreneurs and small business owners ask themselves is “Can I do my own PR or do I need an agency?” In this article, we’ll answer this question for you.

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.” Daniel J. Boorstin

In-house Public Relations vs Outsourced Public Relations

Getting help

Let’s first consider some of the reasons why you might consider using a PR agency.

• They have the right kind of connections

With public relations, who you know is as important, if not more important than what you know. Not only do PR agents have many different relationships and networks, but they also have the right kind of connections and move in the right type of circles.

• They push through rejection

Seasoned PR professional, Robert Wynne, says, “PR professionals, smart entrepreneurs, and readers of this column for the past eight years know that public relations isn’t only difficult, in some cases, it’s nearly impossible.” PR agencies are used to rejection. The trick is they’ve learnt to push through rejection by finding what doesn’t work with your PR, fixing it, and moving on.

• They provide a different perspective

A fresh pair of eyes can do wonders. Public relations agencies can provide a valuable outside perspective to ensure your company comes across to others in the best possible way.

Flying solo

To decide if you can or want to do your own public relations, you should ask yourself a couple of questions. These include:

1. What are my goals for my PR campaigns?
2. Do I have the resources to do my PR in-house?
3. How big is my budget?
4. Do I have the time to do my PR myself?

The way you answer the questions above will determine if you can or should do your PR on your own. For example, if you know you need a long-term public relations strategy to create and sustain awareness, but you don’t have people in your team with the necessary expertise or time to carry this task out, you might need to consider hiring a PR agency.

On the other hand, if you have short-term PR projects in mind, and you have the necessary resources and the time to do it, but you lack the budget to pay an agency every month, then it might be the best option to do your own PR.

Thankfully, nothing is ever cast in stone so whether you decide to do your PR or hire an agency to do it on your behalf, you can always change your mind if the answers to the above questions change.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

Become an expert in digital public relations with the Digital School of Marketing’s  Digital Public Relations Course. The digital era has drastically changed the way we do traditional PR and the way PR work is measured. With this course, you will learn how to meet organisations’ and your target market’s needs while weaving the fundamentals of traditional Public Relations into a digital world.

This course will teach you the art and science of engaging with media on all different digital channels to enable you to spread your brand’s message through strategic communications. Contact us today to find out more about our digital public relations as well as our other online digital marketing courses!