by Peter Knight - Wednesday, 5th September 2007 -

Yet so many businesses mishandle the media on a regular basis that I feel compelled to speak out.

I urge you to adopt a systematic approach by following the three golden rules of PR:

Select your media.
Draw up a list of the media you would like your company, product or service to be featured in.

I recommend having “A”, “B” and “C” lists: “A” is the media your target audience regards highly; “B” the media that would be desirable to appear in, but not essential; and “C” the media you wouldn’t mind carrying your message but are not prepared to spend considerable time or money on.

The success of your PR campaign should then be measured by the exposure gained in your chosen media.

Choose your key message.
I’m sure there are many things you could say about your business, but what’s the one key message you wish to communicate?

Work out what it is and then focus on creating stories of genuine interest that will get your message across imaginatively. It is important to be creative here as rarely will the literal message be taken up.

Manage your budget.
Work out what value the media coverage has for you. What would it mean to you if you appeared in your “A” media?

It might be helpful to compare the PR exposure with the cost of other communications, such as advertising. You should bear in mind, however, that a PR story is worth considerably more than an advert due to its credibility in the mind of the consumer.

So, now you know the basics. But what’s the best way of applying them?

You have two choices: managing PR in-house or working with an agency.

The financial upsides of the DIY approach may appear attractive. However, have you truly got the time and resources and can you be creative enough?

Very few companies successfully manage their own PR, so it’s advisable to use an agency. But selecting the right agency for you can be a minefield.

Here are some questions for you to consider:

Big or small? Generally, the bigger the agency, the larger the fee. A large agency might be part of a group that offers a range of marketing services – are you likely to need these?

Smaller agencies typically claim to offer more senior people for your account, but check that they are not too thinly stretched. There are many “one-man bands” in PR and they can offer great value.

However, their largest client will always take precedence and, of course, they can only be in one place at a time.

Service or sector specialist? You’ll find that some agencies specialise in certain media – online PR is the big growth area, for example.

Other agencies specialise by industry sector. They should already have a good understanding of your business, competitors and issues so you won’t be financing their learning curve.

Make sure you test their creativity, however. There could be a danger they lack imagination as a consequence of the “we’ve tried that before” syndrome.

Character and/or competence? You should select an agency that demonstrates the required knowledge, understanding and skill set.

But even more importantly you must like the individuals assigned to work with you. They should be people you can trust to accurately represent your company and will hopefully share your passion and enthusiasm.

Good news and bad? You will, of course, want to generate positive coverage, but at times you may need to tackle bad news as well.

Check that your agency has experience in crisis management, just in case you run into trouble.

When working with an agency, be prepared to regard them as a partner and expect to be heavily involved yourself. PR cannot be contracted out in the same way as your office cleaning or other services; it requires your continuous input to be highly effective.

Ultimately, whichever route you choose, stick to the golden rules and you won’t go far wrong.