8 questions startups should ask before hiring a PR firm

But like any investment, hiring a PR firm shouldn’t be done lightly. Here are eight questions to ask before hiring a public relations firm:

1. What experience do you have in our industry?

Before anything else, companies should find out if the public relations firm has experience in their industry. It’s not necessarily a problem if they don’t, but it does mean there will be a learning curve. It may be good to follow up by asking how the firm plans to learn about the industry to make up for their lack of experience.

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If they do have experience in the industry, ask about what companies they have worked with before and what kind of work they have done. Having examples to go off of can give an organization an idea of what to expect from the firm.

2. Where can we find examples of your work?

Are there social media pages they’ve created for companies or campaigns that have seen success? Seeing examples of a PR firm’s work can help an organization determine if it and the firm are a good fit for each other.

3. What kind of commitment do you need from us?