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If you are one of the millions of businesses looking to gain national exposure for your business then you are probably facing the difficult decision of finding the right PR firm. What can make this decision difficult is that there are so many different kinds of public relations firms out there. Some are local, some national. Some retainer based, some project based. So how do you know which public relations firm will be the best fit for your business goals ? Here Marsha Friedman, Managing Director of EMSI, a national public relations firm , will share her 10 tips on how to choose the RIGHT PR firm to get your message the media exposure that you desire.

1. Find a public relations firm that specializes in your industry. "For example," says Marsha ," if you have a technical B2B business then you should find a national PR firm that specializes in B2B. If the PR firm regularly works with companies that are in your industry, they will be familiar with how to express your message to the media." In addition to this, they can get writing and pitching pretty fast. "If you choose a local PR firm who is unfamiliar with your industry , be prepared for them to spend some time researching your industry in order to get a full handle on your topic" adds Marsha . And guess who will be paying for the PR firm's research time: you! "Most firms charge a costly monthly retainer, so the longer it takes for them to get started the more money that will be coming out of your publicity budget . Just to give you an idea the minimum is around $3,000 per month, the industry average is approximately $5,000 per month and the large PR firms can charge anywhere from $20,000-30,000 per month."

2. Choose a public relations firm that specializes in your media of choice. If you are ready to hire a PR firm, then chances are that you have given a bit of thought as to what medium you want to use. "By the time you are ready to find a public relations firm you should know what medium you want to use to spread your message. It is useful to know that not all PR firms work with all types of media," says Marsha . "A whopping 95% of firms specialize exclusively in pitching to the print media ." If you want to use the electronic media to spread your message to the masses it is in your best interest to search for a public relations firm that deals exclusively with these. "The best way to find out," says Marsha Friedman, "is to ask thePR firm what media that they specialize in!simple as that!"

3. Make sure you request sample campaigns. "Before choosing a public relations firm, request to see some sample promotional campaigns that the firm executed for their clients," says Friedman. "Here you can find out how much media they have obtained for their clients and what quality the media is." It is also vital to know how long the campaign was. "For example, if they show you a PR campaign that has one huge newspaper placement (such as USA Today or The New York Times) and the duration of the campaign was 2 years - think twice. "If it took 2 years to get one major magazine , based on the minimum retainer level, you would have paid a massive $72,000 for that one newspaper or magazine hit." Sample PR campaigns are a great indicator of the effectiveness, especially the cost effectiveness, of a PR firm's work.

4. Find a pay-for-performance PR firm! The costly monthly retainer can put a crunch on your finances, so it is good to know that there are other options out there. Marsha says, "There are a handful of PR firms out there that get paid based on their the media attention the they actually obtain for their clients . My firm is one of these and my client's really love it. The reason is that they only pay for the media exposure that my PR firm actually obtains for them. So instead of paying a monthly fee, they pay for the results that my PR firm obtains for them." By choosing a per project or pay-for-performance firm you are truly making your PR firm put their money where their mouth is!

5. Speak to the PR firm's clients. When you are choosing a national PR firm it is very important to ask to speak to some of their clients, past or present. When you speak to the clients , ask the PR firm's clients what sort of radio, TV and print exposure they received and how long it took for the PR firm to obtain it for them. Marsha adds, "Great questions to ask are; How well did the PR firm's staff interact with them? Seem to care about your campaign? Were the press releases and pitches up to snuff? These answers will give you valuable insight as to how the PR firm will handle your campaign."

6. Be confident in their skill in public relations . Before you complete a contract , make sure that you are convinced that the PR firm will be able to help you reach your public relations goals. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions, request copies of sample campaigns and then do a comprehensive review of all of the materials. "I would suggest that before you make your final decision you talk to owners and definitely request a proposal", says Marsha Friedman , "ask the important questions. Where are they going to get you media exposure? How long the campaign will last? What are the quantitative and qualitative goals of the campaign? How long will it take to meet these goals? How the PR firm answers these questions will ultimately determine the level of confidence you have in their ability to service your account.

7. Don't limit yourself to PR firms in your area. If you're looking for regional or national exposure don't limit your search to PR firms that are located within your state . "Many people believe that you need to have a firm located just down the street so that you can have regular face-to-face meetings with them, "says Marsha Friedman . "But this is not how it works. In my 20 years of gaining national and local media attention for my clients, I have only had a face-to-face meetings with a small number . The reason for this is that I don't need to. All of a PR firm's work can be done via electronic mediums which is a far more efficient, and time saving, way to work." If your goal is to attain national media attention, find a PR firm that specializes pitching to the national media. A national media PR firm's know-how is what is important, not where they are located. Looking for local media attention? The look locally! Marsha Friedman says "As they are immersed in the market you are after, their contacts and knowledge will be far more effective than that of a national PR firm."

8. Become familiar with your Campaign Manager. There is one person in particular who plays a vital role in driving the success of at the PR firm: your Campaign Manager. Before you make the decision on which PR firm you use, meet your Campaign Manager. Find out what their experience level is and how long they have been with the PR firm. "A great nugget of information is that many Campaign Managers are rookies straight out of college," says Marsha Friedman . "Even more frightening is that many national and local PR firms hire interns to handle the client accounts that are not from one of their 'big guns.' " If you don't investigate the qualifications of your Campaign Manager, then how can you be confident that your campaign will be handled by a professional?

9. Find a PR firm that believes in you . The best type of PR firm is one that not only understands your message but also has enthusiasm for your topic. Marsha Friedman says, "If you find a PR firm like this, their enthusiasm for your message will show in how they handle your campaign . Their work on your campaign will be more creative and their communications to the media will be attention grabbing and clear." In order for a PR firm to successfully work for you, they need to understand your passion and be able to translate it into something that will be of interest to the masses. If they miss your point completely, it can really be costly. "

10. Trust your gut. Marsha Friedman says, "My final tip to choosing the right PR firm has everything to do with that almighty 'gut feeling'. When you are in the process of deciding if a PR firm is a right fit for your needs it is inevitable that you will have strong views about their work and approach. Even if everything seems perfect, if your instincts tell you otherwise - listen to them! " instincts tend to be accurate, so if something seems a little off in any way, be weary of pushing the working relationship forward. There is nothing worse then finding out your gut feelings were right when it is too late!

There you go ! The 10 tips on how to choose the right PR firm for you! If you would like to learn more about gaining media attention for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Marsha is available to be of service . Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a PR expert Marsha Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without costly monthly retainers .

Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations for nearly two decades as CEO of Event Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to receive her free Ebook "How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest" visit http://www.emsincorporated.com.