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Do Startups Need PR Agencies?

November 24, 2011 BY Mark Evans

One of the first questions a start-up asks when they’re seeking the spotlight is whether they need to hire a PR agency.

The answer is: “It depends.”

It depends on:

- Whether a startup is ready for a PR agency. Is your product or service ready for prime-time and the scrutiny of bloggers and reporters that a PR campaign will attract?

- Does a startup have the budget to hire a PR agency? Hiring a PR agency on a project or contract basis can cost thousands of dollars a month. A startup needs to ask if it makes sense to spend money on a PR agency, or whether it’s better allocated for other activities.

- Does a startup have a story it needs to tell? Hiring a PR agency without having something tangible for them to do make no sense.

- Are there internal resources that can handle PR until a startup needs to make a bigger and aggressive push? It could be a startup needs a modest or targeted amount of outreach that can done without hiring PR agency. It could see the hiring of someone on contract or a freelancer.

PR agencies can do a variety of things for startups but their most valuable asset is their relationships, which can be leveraged to deliver well-crafted pitches to reporters and bloggers.

Based on the goals, objectives and budgets, it could make sense to hire a PR agency. But before that happens, a startup needs to ask themselves a series of questions to determine if it’s a decision that makes sense strategically, tactically and financially.

As important, a startup needs to realize that hiring a PR agency doesn’t ensure coverage. PR is part-art, part-science. Getting coverage is sometimes a matter of being in the right place at the right time, having a compelling story, strong relationships, or simply being lucky.

This is why “It depends” is a fact of life when it comes to how, if or when startups should dance with a PR agency.

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  • http://www.ketchum.com/canada Geoff Rowan

    The “it depends” undersells the value of your comments, Mark. You’ve provided a great list of smart questions that start-ups need to ask themselves about PR.
    - Do I have an interesting story to tell that will stand up to serious scrutiny?
    - Do I have the ability to tell that story?
    - Is visibility a priority at this time in our development?
    - Do I have higher priorities?
    - Can I manage demand from the increased attention?
    This kind of strategic thinking should also be used by start-ups to prioritize other spending. The goal of investments in PR or anything should always be a business goal. Attracting/retaining customers, employees, investors, a buyer for the company. Good reminder to stay focused on what matters, when it matters. Thanks, Mark.