Public Relations (PR) is excellent for connecting with your target audience and possible new clients and for keeping those clients loyal to your brand.
Effective PR for your brand also supports community development, which is essential for the health of your company and its reputation. PR is becoming necessary for businesses to survive and thrive, especially in the past few years with the various challenges we have faced.
Your brand can benefit from having good public relations in numerous ways. PR can help you initially avoid crises or resolve them quickly. Additionally, it enables you to improve the company’s financial standing. The big question for your brand shouldn’t be if you should employ a PR strategy but whether you should hire an in-house PR manager or an external agency.
Pros and Cons of Hiring an In-House PR Manager
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An in-house PR manager—or even an entire in-house PR team—is a sound choice for larger companies and organizations. It provides your company with a variety of benefits. You will be able to control your messaging on a daily basis, and you can keep extremely close tabs on the market chatter surrounding your business. Your internal team will also have the autonomy to decide how to deal with various crises without involving third parties like an agency.
No Onboarding Time
The fact that your in-house PR team will already be familiar with the company is a major benefit. They will be aware of the company’s principles and practices. As a result, they may convey the business’s mission, objectives, and vision more quickly and effectively than an outside agency, which would require some time to onboard.
Employee Loyalty
When you have an internal PR team, your team members will have a particular passion for the business and its mission. They’ll likely be quite motivated to see the business succeed and build a strong, positive reputation in the community.
Less Innovation
In-house PR teams might be limited by institutional politics and guardrails, whereas a PR agency is adept at innovating and thinking outside the box. PR agencies can also apply what they’ve learned working with other similar clients to their campaigns for your brand.
Costs Are High
People typically believe hiring an in-house PR team to handle all the PR and marketing initiatives would be more cost-effective. However, it is often more costly because you will need to pay for the employees’ benefits and their full-time salary. Most companies can leverage the manpower of multiple agency employees at a fraction of the price.
Pros and Cons of Hiring an External PR Agency
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By hiring an external PR agency, your company will delegate PR management to an outside group of people. In order to reap the best results, you’ll need to give the team full access to your business history and resources and treat them like an extension of your company. Here are a few of the benefits and disadvantages of hiring a PR agency.
Wide-Reaching Networks
External public relations firms have established business with many contacts. As a result, they may more effectively reach the intended audience because they are more connected to your local community, government agencies, and more. You can leverage your agency’s network as you work together to secure media placements, speaking opportunities, and beyond.
Relatively Cheaper Price
There is little doubt that outsourcing to an external PR agency is cost-effective because you do not have to cover a full-time employee’s salary and benefits. You’ll also be able to avoid the institutional costs associated with hiring for and launching a brand-new department. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll be paying for just a fraction of your agency’s time; they’ll have other clients to attend to throughout the week and won’t always be available to meet at a moment’s notice.
Creativity and Innovation
The top priority of an outside PR firm is bringing new, creative ideas to the table. As a result, they are often on top of PR industry trends and new technologies. This is an added value they bring to their clients. Public relations firms tend to think outside the box when coming up with story concepts and pitches to attract the media because of their first-hand experience and expertise in the field.
Knowledge Of Public Relations Tools
There are multiple tools that a PR agency uses to bring maximum visibility to its clients. From media research platforms to a knowledge of every social media channel, PR agencies will always be able to help your business launch new initiatives and select the platforms that work best for your business.
One Degree of Separation
Because PR teams are not employees of an organization, they can act as the first line of defense against negative feedback. They represent the organization as a third party, so they might get more honest reviews and criticisms from customers and reporters, which will ultimately help your business grow and thrive in the future.
Our Pick
When making your decision between hiring a PR agency and an in-house team, be sure you weigh the pros and cons carefully. Your business’s size and exact needs can help you make your final selection, but remember that there are benefits and disadvantages to both. Starting with an external PR agency can be a good way to get your PR campaigns off the ground as quickly as possible!
