Find a Firm That Fits

In a post at the Stage Two Consulting blog, Jeremy Toeman bemoans the trend for demonizing the public relations industry as a whole. "[A] 'bad' PR firm is one who doesn't meet your expectations—end of story," he says. "Some PR firms will be perfect for you, some won't. The best advice I can give is to try to find a good fit."

Below, Toeman provides several reasons you should make the effort:

You probably don't know all the press in your industry. A good PR firm not only targets the right media with the right angle, it often has established relationships that smooth the pitching process.

Even word-of-mouth can use a boost. According to Toeman, "I'm sure we can all list [a] dozen or two companies who've been very successful with nothing but word-of-mouth. If you are guaranteed to be one of them, then you do not need PR." Everyone else—and that's most of us, he argues—will need additional help attracting attention.

It's worth the investment. PR isn't cheap, but it can play a critical role in growing your business.

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