No one will ever be as passionate in regards to a product than its creator — you — and putting your trust and money into a PR firm or publicist can be a difficult decision. Doing it yourself gives you control, but inexperience in PR can be a hard hurdle to overcome especially if time is of the essence. It really comes down to time vs. money, so a thorough self-evaluation of your abilities, your time, and your finances is key. But if after careful consideration you see yourself leaning toward hiring a publicist I’d like to offer you some advice.
Look, there’s going to be the intangibles like whether or not you two get along and if there’s a connection. Of course price is another thing and if you can really see yourself building a relationship with this person or firm. But two questions are of utmost importance when you’re talking with a potential publicist:
1) What coverage have they gotten their clients? And
2) What coverage have they gotten their clients recently?
The answers to these two questions should be key to your decision. If they’ve gotten their clients the coverage you’re looking for and have landed these placements recently, then you’re talking to the right person.
L. Drew Gerber is CEO of www.PublicityResults.com and creator of www.PitchRate.com, a free media connection service for journalists, experts, and publicists. Sign up now for free publicity advice including a free online marketing course. Gerber's business practices and staffing innovations have been revered by PR Week, Good Morning America and the Christian Science Monitor. His companies handle international PR campaigns and his staff develops online press kits for authors, speakers and companies with Online PressKit 24/7, a technology he developed (www.PressKit247.com). Contact L. Drew Gerber at: AskDrew@PublicityResults.com or call him at 828-749-3548.