Is it better to appoint an agency or hire in-house when looking for PR support?
The shift in working patterns is very evident at the moment. Many employers haven’t insisted that people return to work in offices if they can work from home and many companies are taking a more flexible approach, which means the whole way we interact and communicate is changing.
Reaching customers through direct communications, whether that be through PR, social media or enticing them, through SEO, to land on your website is essential and content marketing is helping companies to reach their audiences better. As a result, we’ve seen a spike in enquiries, especially from business to business (b2b) companies in manufacturing and construction, who are looking for guidance from our expert team.
Often b2b businesses are weighing up the pros and cons of whether they should employ an in-house PR person or to outsource PR and content marketing to an external agency like Dragonfly PR.
Here we look at why a PR agency can be the best approach.
Broad range of expertise
Firstly, you can choose to work with a dedicated PR and content marketing agency that specialises in your industry. Their client base and portfolio of case studies should demonstrate their track record for results and help you decide if they are a good fit for you.
Most PR agencies, like Dragonfly PR, have a specialism. For us it’s b2b PR and digital marketing and mainly in the construction and manufacturing sectors. Our highly skilled team of digital, creative and public relations specialists also have experience in a wide range of other industries including hospitality, FMCG, health, public sector and not-for-profit.
This means if you choose an agency with expertise in your field, we can hit the ground running as we already have well established media contacts, ideas ready to implement and a wealth of experience in generating results in that area.
Extensive resources to tap into
When you bring on board a PR agency, you’re not buying just one person but a whole team’s expertise, plus all the resources of that business. That could mean access to an international media database, to press coverage performance tracking and evaluation tools, and sophisticated reporting systems for website and social media analytics, which demonstrates a greater value for money.
Our clients are often impressed with how we brainstorm ideas for their campaigns before bringing to them the table. This means we can offer well-thought out options that have had the benefit of a full team’s expertise, with skills in digital marketing, PPC, organic SEO, social media and traditional print media. The end result, is that our client is presented with a well-balanced campaign which has been carefully planned by a team with expertise in all areas.
More cost effective
Many industry sectors are currently suffering from a lack of skilled and experienced applicants and PR and marketing is no different. The most experienced PR Managers are commanding high salaries at the moment, reflecting the shortage of skilled people and these candidates are quickly snapped up with them often able to play one company off against another for the highest price tag. Factor in the cost of recruitment agency fees, salaries, bonuses and NI and before you know it, you could be looking at £40-£50k.
A PR agency can be a more affordable option, and with great results. With a PR agency like Dragonfly PR, we offer a high level of flexibility. Our campaigns are based on the number of outputs per month, so for example, one case study, two press releases, one feature, two blogs, which we deliver and integrate within a schedule of activity which is visible to the client. The whole campaign is completely transparent and there are no hidden costs. Also working with an agency means you won’t be reliant on one person, who could potentially go off sick and leave you to pick up the pieces….
Final thoughts…
Here at Dragonfly PR, we recognise that how we work is changing and so are business owners’ needs. That is why we make it a key part of our job to keep up to date with the latest trends and innovations in public relations and content marketing, so we can ensure we’re reaching your target market exactly where they will be. Whether that’s via social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter or even TikTok (some b2b clients have even been known to have benefited from using the platform, but that’s a blog for another day), or even through online and content marketing techniques and company literature.
As a dedicated South Yorkshire based agency with over 20 years’ experience in helping B2B companies to generate results, we can put together an outline proposal that will help you meet your business objectives and make a huge difference to how you interact with your audiences.
To find out more about how our PR, social media and digital marketing services can be of benefit to your business, or to discuss your corporate communications requirements, call 0114 349 5345 or email hello@drgaonflypr.co.uk.