If you ask any public relations agency what the main challenge they face is, chances are they will say the same thing—finding new long-term clients. Many agencies might hope to bring in hoards of new clients by creating a fantastic PR campaign that goes viral worldwide. Unfortunately, this isn’t a reality for most and certainly isn’t a reliable way to bring in new business.
In order to grow their businesses, modern PR agencies must continually look for new potential clients. One mistake many agencies make when looking for prospective clients is setting their nets too wide. They don’t often realize that targeting everyone is not always the best idea.
PR agencies must take time to define their niche and narrow their focus on potential clients who will allow them to grow their business while gaining more expertise, which could lead to bigger contracts with larger companies down the road.
Part of finding the right audience also relies on data. Many PR agencies aren’t taking advantage of the data available, which is where solutions like a data ingestion platform come into play. However, that’s not the only step to improving your reach and growing your PR firm. Use the tips below to grow and improve your PR agency.
Optimize your PR firm’s website
Most new clients will find your company online. They will visit your agency’s website to see what you offer and who you are. Remember, your website is your biggest and most “in your face” marketing tool. Because of this, you must design your website in a way that makes an unforgettable first impression.
You want to use your website to talk about your agency and highlight the different departments within your company. You also want to focus on your areas of expertise. The potential clients might find it helpful if you create a portfolio that shows off some of the past clients you have worked with. Remember, the goal of your website should be to instill trust and encourage prospective clients to reach out and start a conversation.
Even though providing a positive user experience and easy-to-read content is essential, you should not overlook how important it is to optimize for search engine optimization. Optimizing your website will increase the likelihood of attracting relevant traffic and help you rank higher on search engines, which will increase your online presence. The more people who find your website, the more potential new clients you’ll have the chance to work with.
Feature and showcase your past success stories
Another effective way to build trust is by publishing case studies. A case study in a PR firm gives insight into how you handled previous situations and fixed a potential problem for a client.
When you showcase success stories with case studies, you demonstrate that you know how to properly handle different situations, which can better help a potential client trust you. Be sure that you write a captivating story that emphasizes the strategy you used, include quality visuals, and share different types of statistical data that help strengthen the case study you create. Prospective clients want to see the different ways that you have increased sales or saved someone’s reputation.
Don’t forget to end your case study with a strong call-to-action. Additionally, don’t hide your contact information in your case studies. You don’t want to turn people off because they can’t easily find your information.
Present yourself as an expert
When people are looking for a new PR firm, they are likely looking for an established agency with years of experience. When you’re creating content for your website, you want to show beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can handle their situation and that you’re an expert at it. When they feel you are an expert, they will feel more comfortable working with you and believe that you can do the work.
To position yourself as an expert in your field, you want to avoid generic pieces that are focused only on keywords. Instead, you should use your past experiences to write about unique experiences that have helped you build your company to where it is today. Don’t forget to keep your content client-focused, all while focusing on your areas of expertise.
There are several ways you can put content on your website. These include e-books, blogs on your site, guest posts, email newsletters, podcasts, webinars, LinkedIn posts, and white papers.
Increase your PR firm’s clients
As you can see, there are more than a few effective ways to grow your PR firm. Be sure to implement the tips and information above to create a strategy that will provide results for your company. Doing this will pay off and benefit your firm. Being informed and knowing the right strategies to use will help you build your firm, grow, and achieve higher levels of success.
