April 12 2010
by C.S.

What should you know before you hire a PR Firm for your Jewellery Company

Before you hire a PR firm, you should consider a few things:

1. Do I have $18,000 to spare? (If you do not, stop reading now. If you have it, but not much more, forget it. PR should be no more than 5% of your sales, and no more than 10% of your operating expense.)

2. Have I exhausted personal efforts? (You should read the book Guerrilla Marketing for some freebie and do-it-yourself ideas first.)

3. Can the quality of jewellery pieces withstand intense scrutiny? (If not, don't even consider it, press will push you to a quicker death. Ditto with design marketability. If you've tried selling and it has not been met with much success, really think about why before you dump a lot more money into it. Do not take this comment as personal criticism. Rejection is harsh, but better now than to feel even worse later.)

4. Do I have the production capacity and administrative manpower to take advantage of the extra press and turn it into a viable business? (It is very difficult to handle press and work if it is a one woman show. With more press, there will be more demands that are not product and sales related.)

5. Do I have a good business plan to continue the business after the initial press blitz or can I continue to spare the $18,000+ annually ? (Note that this amount grows as larger businesses require more press for further growth.)

In selecting a PR firm, you should consider:

1. How much press coverage this potential PR firm has been able to generate for its clients in the past 3 months? (They should have some every month. If they don't or they have not been successful recently, really ask why, or just run away. PR firms are like law firms, you pay a lot, and you can get really bad ones that make you lose money.)

2. Do they have an "in" with the magazines that I want to be in?

3. Who are some of their current and past clients? (You want one that has experience not only promoting to the right media, but also about your business and how best to feature your strengths. The angle with which to pitch you.)

4. Do you like the consultant? (If the vibe is not absolutely the best, the effort they make will not be their absolute best. The results will show.)

5. Cost. (This is the first thing to consider, and the last. First because you have to see if you can possibly pay for it, but it is the last because it matters least, once you know you can pay for it.)

To read the first part of this article Public Relations Firms for Jewellery click here.