Image is very important, and we all know that. But, who is representing you? If you have a publicist or are thinking of hiring one, the perception about your PR is very important. Ask around and find out what people think of your publicist. Sometimes we joke that people in adult aren’t really adults, but this is all very serious business. And, just a handful of us are worth our weight in gold.
What Have They Done…Really
Make sure to check a publicist’s track record. See whom their current and past clients are. Do they have award-winning clients? Are they getting their clients’ names out there with interviews, magazine placement, press releases and social media?
Reputation
What is your publicist or potential publicist’s reputation? Do most people take them seriously and think highly of them based on their actions and track record? These are important questions to ask, because your publicist’s rep is just as important as your own. Our reputation is pretty stellar and proof of that is that most of our new business comes from referrals from current and past clients.
Being Ethical
Being ethical makes you stand out and not everyone in this business is ethical. This is true of any business. Ethical means many things. An example would be that you don’t attempt to and/or actually succeed in stealing other people’s clients. We never talk to clients if they’re currently with another agency or publicist. If you do a stellar job, no one can really poach your clients. But no matter what, your publicist should have morals in how they treat their clients and other industry professionals.
Connections
Who you know is important. A good publicist will know a plethora of people. Contacts are important for interviews, magazine placement, toy lines, getting press releases to outlets and much, much more. Make sure your publicist is well connected.
Press Releases
There is an art to writing press releases, and unfortunately we don’t all have it. When news outlets have to correct someone’s grammar, spelling and/or rewrite a press release, they may not run it if it requires too much work or just to prove a point. Our press releases are run pretty much word for word and we get compliments all the time. Writing press releases are one of the most crucial parts of successful PR.
Interviews
Getting interviews is a service that we provide for my clients. Very rarely, I will do an interview, but it’s generally only to talk about my clients and what they have going on, or to educate people on what a publicist does. But, it’s all about my clients, not me.
Social Media
People are quick to say negative or catty things on social media sites like Twitter and think it won’t come back to haunt them. Many people are guilty of this, but your publicist shouldn’t be one of those people. We use Twitter to let people know about our clients’ press releases, interviews, award nominations and wins, and any other news we need to get out there about our clients. Occasionally, you will see a Buddhist quote to start the day on a positive note and/or me being social and Tweeting an interesting article, photo or just chatting it up with someone. What you won’t see me doing is slamming other PR companies or performers and being rude to others or starting fights. It’s important to always keep it professional, especially on social media.
Industry Events
I don’t even drink at industry events, even if it’s a client’s party or an award show. I’m in control. You will see us waiting for our clients to walk the red carpet, guiding them in the right direction. You will never see my assistant or me walking the red carpet. My behavior is a reflection on my clients, so you’ll always see me on point at an event.
This is just a small sampling of things to consider when hiring PR. If you’re curious about hiring us and taking your career to the next level, contact us at info@therubpr.com.