Choosing an Agency in the Era of Digital

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So much has changed in the realm of PR and communications over the past few years and this change has left many in-house marketing and communications teams wondering which agencies are best placed to manage their business in this new era of digital communications.

​​I can’t help agreeing with Mumbrella that the heartland of social media is PR. Social media is all about the building of relationships and the foundation of public relations is just that. PR agencies have been doing far more than traditional media relations for a long time: in fact, in the digital age, PR is doing a fair bit of community relations as we identify and engage with different online groups via social media platforms and online forums.

Of course, all PR agencies aren’t created equal. Some still operate on old world models of counting clips and clicks. And if that’s all you’re looking for, then they’ll do that job of media relations admirably. But if you’re looking to build deeper relationships with a wide range of stakeholders (online and offline), you can do better. Here are a few things to consider:

Strategic Thinking – As part of your search, the most important thing to focus on is whether your agency’s team possesses critical thinking skills – not just at the MD level, but across the board: Do they understand your business goals? Do they really know your target audiences and where they can be found today? Can they come up with the right creative strategies that will really move the needle? Strategic agencies should examine your organization’s ability to realistically execute on their ideas, and weigh up the balance between ‘broadcasting’ vs. targeted interactions.

Defining and Measuring Success – There’s no ‘one fit’ approach to measurement anymore. You need to make sure your agency can assess the success of your campaign against the criteria you need for your business. New world agencies should also be able to provide market research and competitive analysis at the high end and web-based tools to provide snapshot assessments at the lower end.

New World Training – In the era of digital communications, your agency should be training all of its people – not just hiring ‘social media gurus.’ Today’s PR agency should have everyone becoming social media practitioners and experts, not just one person or division.

Digital Partnerships – Today’s agencies need the right partnerships to provide an integrated campaign that leverages multiple platforms. At a minimum, agency partners should help create video content, Web and​ application development, SEO and analytics.

With digital communications predicted to be the dominant form of influence by 2013, there’s a lot of snake oil out there as people look to capitalize on this opportunity. But there’s also a lot of legitimate talent with successful case studies under their belts. By knowing what you’re looking for and with the right questions to ask, you can differentiate between the digital ​communication ‘makers’ and the social media ‘fakers.’

Article originally posted on MediaConnect Thought Leaders.

Image via DailyPic Flickr stream.