Even with the best will in the world, occasionally a relationship between a PR agency and its client doesn’t work out. Sometimes the stars just don’t align.
I’ve had a couple of clients in my career in which the chemistry was good, the client had a good story, they were engaged with PR, but for some reason it didn’t quite happen.
Usually, the PR agency will get the blame for this. And sometimes it is their fault. Maybe they put forward too junior a team, they overpromised or maybe the fit wasn’t right.
But at other times, there isn’t much more the PR agency or consultant can do.
That’s not to say it was the client’s fault as such, more than they didn’t understand what was required from their side. It generally comes down to a handful of habits, most of which are in the client’s hands as much as the agency’s.
Here are five that make the difference in getting the best results from your PR agency.
1. Share everything
Of course a startup should share the wins, hires, pivots, customers, proprietary data and other good stuff that forms the backbone of a PR programme. But it’s also important for PRs to see the weird stuff, the unusual nuggets of information that are often where the PR gold can be found.
Generally, funders filter far too much, dismissing things as too small or too boring to be worth mentioning. Deciding what’s newsworthy is the agency’s job, and sometimes the founder is tool close to the company to be objective about what the wider world might find interesting.
2. Involve your agency early
Timing is everything in PR. A funding round or product launch that reaches your agency the week it’s announced will always have its work cut out to get good results. Tell them what’s coming as soon as you can, even if the details aren’t final. As with most things, preparation is key in PR and the more time an agency has, the better the outcomes are likely to be
3. Talk regularly
As busy as startup teams are, and as tempting it can be to reduce the meeting and call load, there is always time for a quick PR catch-up. Even ten minutes a week makes a difference. As long as you cover what’s coming up, what’s changed and what’s stuck (the important bits). The tool matters far less than the habit, so use whichever channel you are most likely to, whether that’s Slack, Teams or WhatsApp.
4. Collaborate
PR doesn’t happen in a silo, and an agency left alone can easily take a wrong direction and will struggle. Something that I have seen time and time again, is a client thinking that appointing a PR agency is pretty much the end of their involvement. True PR success is nearly always based on collaboration, bouncing ideas between client and agency to arrive at something compelling for the media. For the client, this includes being available for quotes, comment and quick approvals, because a delayed sign-off often costs you the story. That means treating the agency as part of the team.
5. Agree what success looks like
If a founder wants leads and the agency is reporting coverage, the relationship is in trouble before it starts. Agree the objectives at the outset, decide how you’ll measure those, and be realistic about timeframes, because credibility takes months, not weeks. If something isn’t working, say so early.
This isn’t a one-way street. A good PR agency should be creative and a font of ideas, give you honest feedback, including when a story isn’t strong enough, realistic expectations about what’s achievable, and clear reporting against the objectives you’ve agreed. If you’re not getting that, raise it.
None of this guarantees success, and sometimes a relationship simply isn’t the right fit. But the founders who get the most from their agencies tend to be open, involved and clear about what they want.
About the author
With 20 years + PR experience, Paul Allen is MD of Rise PR, the freelance collective that specialises in helping startups and scaleups tell their story.
Even with the best will in the world, occasionally a relationship between a PR agency and its client doesn’t work out. Sometimes the stars just don’t align.
I’ve had a couple of clients in my career in which the chemistry was good, the client had a good story, they were engaged with PR, but for some reason it didn’t quite happen.
Usually, the PR agency will get the blame for this. And sometimes it is their fault. Maybe they put forward too junior a team, they overpromised or maybe the fit wasn’t right.
But at other times, there isn’t much more the PR agency or consultant can do.
That’s not to say it was the client’s fault as such, more than they didn’t understand what was required from their side. It generally comes down to a handful of habits, most of which are in the client’s hands as much as the agency’s.
Here are five that make the difference in getting the best results from your PR agency.
