Advice and Resources
"I know my business, I know my product, all I needed were contacts. Handle Your Own PR came along at just the right time for me as I didn't have to waste my (lack of!) time approaching print media myself - and then there was the concern of my phone call or email being pushed into the 'junk mail' or the 'not interested' basket or worst still, being labeled a nuisance! As an establishing business and brand I really can't afford any negativity. I was so impressed with the amount of contacts on the lists - excited in fact! Knowing that the majority of the contacts you provided are WAITING for my call is just fantastic! Takes all the hard work out of it..... well, except making the actual phone call... but it was the contacts I needed - I can do all the rest! It was definitely money well spent!"
Lou Peters – Lil' Rockers
Frequently Asked Questions
what is PR?
PR or publicity is about gaining editorial coverage in the media for free. You might pay an agency to do this on behalf of your business, but you do not pay the media outlet. This is how it differs from advertising.
why PR?
Basically PR is more cost effective than advertising. You should get a bigger bang for your buck! The more PR you do, the more 'frequency' you get.
what is the difference in costs between agency fees and DIY fees?
How does DIY compare to agency fees? Most agencies charge $3-5000 (+GST) per month for a minimum of three months for a PR campaign. These fees cover the media list preparation, media release writing, client meetings, media distribution, media follow up and final report preparation. DIY fees are substantially cheaper. For approximately $1000-1500 you can get a professionally written release and a couple of media lists for your target market. You then do the 'hard work' yourself!
why would I ever pay an agency?
You may find that managing your own PR campaign is great for a while, but as your business grows (and you are reeling in the bucks) you have less and less time to dedicate to it. Many people think this is a good time to handball it all over to an agency; you can now afford one and it frees you up to run and grow your business.
what are the benefits of PR?
Because people buy magazines and newspapers for the editorial, not the advertising, it is often more believable than advertising messages. It is also far more cost effective than advertising as you don't have to pay a fee every time a story appears.
what are the down sides of PR?
You lose some control of the messages because the journalist or editor will write about your product or service in their own words, but the pay off is genuine, credible endorsement for no fee. You also can't control when the story or article will appear in the publication or what size the article will be.
should I do it myself or hire an agency?
Conducting your own PR campaign is not for everyone. It's not rocket science, but you do need to dedicate a fair amount of time to it and be quite computer literate.