In this blog, we want to help you identify the pros and cons of in-house versus outsourced Public Relations. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s cover some basics…
Firstly, what do we mean by PR?
Having great publicity is predominantly down to how you’re perceived in the media, known as ‘good public relations’. Public relations (PR) refers to managing how you, the brand, or your business are viewed by the public. It works to maintain your image and circulate important information, news or events. The dictionary definition says it’s “the business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm, or institution”.
Public Relations with Carnsight Communications
Here at Carnsight Communications, we believe PR support is about creating strategies and campaigns to showcase our clients’ brilliant work. PR is not advertising. It’s more of an organic reach and isn’t focused on promoting products or services through a paid-for placement. The focus is on maintaining a positive and consistent image of the brand through the media.
Measuring PR success
Measuring the success of your PR strategy is different for each client we work with. We always start with objectives, which vary by client, project and industry. As a result, once these are defined and agreed we can measure against them using metrics to really get down to the core of the success of each campaign.
Now we’ve covered the basics, you’re in the right place to get your PR journey moving forward. But maybe you’re stuck on whether to choose an in-house PR manager or to outsource. It can be a complicated decision process. You want to be able to maximise efficiency and keep costs down where possible. However, many business founders are not familiar with PR or how to invest their budget to maximise their efforts.
Benefits of outsourcing PR vs In-house
1. Teams of individuals who bring unique expertise
Having a team of experts who work within an agency or consultancy has many benefits for your business PR strategy. For example, each professional will usually bring their own expertise in many forms of PR such as marketing/copywriting or even journalism. They are usually uniquely experts in a certain field of PR which brings weight to their strategy. You can dip in and out, using expertise where necessary, rather than relying on one person for everything.
2. Extensive media contacts within many sectors
Agencies tend to have extensive media contacts within many sectors built up over years to help them cast the net wider when reaching publications. They can also reach out to friendly networks to support them and are also likely to have access to resources and tools to help them identify new targets.
3. Hand the reigns straight over
The agency is also ready when you are, armed with all the necessary tools and expertise that you require. No need to go down the difficult path of recruiting for a PR position, which can often be a challenging task. In fact, not only can it be hard work, but you will need to trust that your in-house PR manager is going to have the relevant media contacts for your business. And that they will be self-starting whilst also needing to be guided through their day-to-day. Such as setting tasks and evaluating the results.
Outsourcing your PR hands over all of these reigns. The agency will come up with realistic strategies and will explain its process and expected results. As a result, you only need to provide your time every so often, which gives you more freedom to work and focus elsewhere.
4. No downtime – PR can be done on a project basis
Finally, a PR consultancy can be used on a project basis – it doesn’t always need to be retained. You can do set bursts of PR throughout busier periods such as product launches or announcing exciting news meaning there won’t be workflow or downtime issues.
Outsourcing your PR or recruiting for an in-house PR manager is down to what you feel suits your company best. It needs to be right for you, the business needs and your brand image.
If you’re feeling unsure of where to go from here, feel free to get in touch with us. You can also find some information on hiring a PR agency on the HubSpot website.
In the meantime, why not read our recent blog on the best PR tips for small businesses?
https://www.carnsight.com/2020/02/19/pr-tips-for-small-businesses/
