After an extensive interview and pitch process, you’ve landed on the PR agency that’s sure to get your company name in the headlines, boost sales, drive web traffic and more. Both your team and theirs are excited about the potential and anxious to get things kicked off. However, before starting any work with your new PR agency, there are a few important factors to consider for a successful relationship.
Your new agency is now part of your team. While they might not have a group of desks down the hall from you, they should have access to your talent and tools just the same. This means knowing and communicating with the appropriate C-level employee for interviews or how to best schedule an internal meeting through an assistant. Share relevant names, roles and contact info up front.
Next, think about what information a new hire would need to be successful and ensure your agency receives those tools right away. Part of our client kick-off meetings include a section that covers exactly what items we need as the agency to be successful. From Google Analytics passwords to a plethora of hi-res images to founder bios. There’s no document too trivial if it helps your PR team get up to speed on the brand you’ve been building.
As in all relationships, setting expectations is key to success. How often do you talk on the phone? What is considered a “win?” Who needs to be involved in the day to day? It’s essential to let your team know upfront exactly how you expect to work together, and ask them to do the same with you!
Good communication should be made a priority throughout your work together. Find a cadence that works for you both.
Now that you’ve given your agency access to the company tools and agreed upon mutual expectations, both teams are responsible for collaborating successfully. It’s likely that you’re not just working with this agency on a short project, so don’t treat the relationship as such. Don’t think of them as a service provider, but as a champion and a brand partner.
Cheerlead your successes together, or analyze the pain points that might not even be part of the agency’s scope of work. As partners, every step of your company’s growth is valuable, and likely helpful insight for your team. SaveSave