Today, businesses can’t just have good products and reliable services—they also need a good team to promote them. To achieve good communication with customers, businesses need a Public Relations (PR) agency that will put their brand closer to consumers.
A PR agency is using its resources to put brands on TV, social media, radio or other press in a way that consumers will listen to and cherish. The main goal of a PR agent is to help a business get its story out there by using print, digital media and electronics. If you think you have what it takes to run a PR agency, here’s how you can start your business:
Gain Experience
Mastering a skill requires a lot of work on it, and the best way to learn is through experience. People with any sort of experience in marketing, journalism and communications will have many advantages when entering PR. There are PR classes you can sign up for, or you can apply for an internship in a PR agency. This way, you’ll get plenty of experience working with different clients before you start running your own agency.
Choose A Niche
In industries like PR, you need a niche that will determine your focus. When choosing a niche, take your interests and experience into consideration. For instance, you can specialize in tech projects, consumer projects or B2B. Maybe you prefer public affairs. Or do you like luxury the best? At this point of starting your own business, you might want to decide whether you want to stay national or go international with the press. If you choose international, which territories do you want to service? It’s also important to focus on certain media, like print, digital and broadcast (of course, you can also do all three). Working across different sectors and countries can be very demanding, but it also offers more rewards, so weigh your options.
Form A Legal Entity
Before you start taking clients, make sure to form a business and choose one of the several business structures—sole proprietor, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, etc. When you have a legal business entity, it protects you from being sued for personal liability. It’s also necessary to register for state and federal taxes. Different business structures are taxed differently (for instance, some LLCs can be taxed as S corporations), so consult with an expert.
Make A Website
In public relations, it’s necessary to have a website that will bring your brand, your name and your logo closer to your users. And don’t think you can’t do this step without paying for a website designer just because you don’t have any experience. If you register a great domain, you’ll end up with a catchy and memorable website name that will allow you to stand out from the competition. Next, use a website building guide you can find online and create a website that matches your domain name and your brand vibes. If you’re collaborating with the right people, the entire process can be done in a matter of hours.
Obtain Permits
In case you start seeing clients without permits and licenses, you’re risking various fines that can seriously damage your business. Check out your local licensing websites and industry bodies for information.
Invest In Several Tools
Many people manage to keep their businesses afloat without any helpful tools. For instance, you can get away with doing invoices by using Excel spreadsheets to track hours and create invoice templates in Word. However, you’ll be miserable doing your job this way.
Instead, invest in a bookkeeping tool that will automate your invoices, and allow credit card payments. And don’t forget about tools that are not there to help you with finances. For instance, there are helpful tools for managing your projects, storing your files, allowing easy video conferencing, running a fast website, social media management and public relations management.
Hire Help
When starting your own business, you need to pick a path: be focused on growing your business and be focused on communication. If you choose the first path, expect to spend a lot of time doing non-communication stuff like handling HR issues, bookkeeping and negotiating office lease terms. If you want to push forward and satisfy your clients, it’s much better to choose a path that focuses more on communication and allow experts to deal with non-com stuff.
Hire help to deal with all the stuff you don’t like to do so you can focus on what’s important for your growth and satisfaction. Also, when choosing your PR team, aim for people who are creative, successful in problem-solving and able to negotiate with clients. As they grow, most PR agencies also need a graphic designer and a developer for briefs.
The First Year Running Your PR Agency
Do not expect to have an easy time in the first year of your business. The PR industry can be very cut-throat, but if you deliver what you promise, you’ll stay afloat in the hard times and continue on a strong path of development.
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