This one goes out to the business owners of the world. Yes, you! You might be thinking that it’s time to take your marketing and PR out of the house. To (gasp!) hire an agency. DUN DUN DUN.

Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be scary. After all, WE’RE not scary, right? Just nod and smile.

But forking over money to pay for something that will help you get more money is scary. It’s an investment, and investments are often unpredictable. James Dimon knows what we’re talking about. In many ways, the risks you face as a personal investor are the same as those you face as a business owner, but in many ways they’re not.

Without being financial advisors, we can’t lay out all of the nitty gritty options, but we can talk about the basics. As an individual, you can typically spend, save or invest your money. Since businesses have to spend, we’ll take that out of the equation. In this scenario, saving means that you’ll put money aside without interest (and without risk of loss) and investing means that you have the potential to gain interest (but also to lose).

When thinking about hiring a PR firm, the options are not so diametric. You can “invest” by hiring a firm, choosing the firm that you believe will result in the greatest dividends, or you can “save” by keeping things in-house. But whereas saving money in your mattress (as an individual) has no real negative result (unless your house burns down), “saving” on PR can mean extra work for you and your staff. Your “savings” is strictly monetary.

But that’s not all. While there is risk in hiring an outsider to handle your marketing, there’s an even greater risk in doing it yourself. You may think that you have some good ideas (you probably do!), that you know how to write and send emails and that you’ve seen a few episodes of “Mad Men.” Unfortunately, this does not qualify you as a professional. While many of the principles of marketing are innate (not to mention fun), you’re an expert in your own business, and there’s no way you can expect to keep up with all of the changes in this industry while maintaining focus on your own.

So now you’re thinking this: “Maybe I can just hire someone to help a little. I’ll find the cheapest option and go with that.” This could be your biggest mistake yet. To effectively and professionally market a company it takes a number of resources (databases, monitoring software, several employees, etc.), and if those expenses are not apparent in your invoice’s bottom line, your business could not only be missing out – it could suffer. We’re not saying that the most expensive firm is automatically the best. As with anything, a fancy name rarely translates to value. But a certain amount of time and complexity should go into your company’s marketing, and cutting corners could be disastrous.

So as you ponder letting some outside agency come into your business’ life, ask yourself what that agency has to offer. Here’s a checklist of items to consider. Keep in mind, there aren’t really right or wrong answers, just opportunities for thought.

– Does the agency quantify their results?
– How will activities and results be reported?
– Do they know about or have experience in your industry?
– Do they have resources that you don’t have?
– Are they well connected in your community?
– Do they have relationships with vendors?
– Do they have relationships with media?
– Will you be working with the same person who sold the account?
– Have you seen past work?
– Does the dollars/hour ratio in their proposal make sense?

There are a lot of good agencies out there, but there are also a lot of people trying to capitalize on a service industry. Beware predatory marketing firms and good luck with your investment!

Signing On: Getting the Best Agency for Your Buck

Things to consider when hiring an agency for the first time

Hiring an agency

Regular

At Black Sheep, we don’t like to play by rules. We’re marketing and publicity rebels, so lately we’ve been looking to some of our favorite hellions for a little bit of inspiration.

No one understands marketing and publicity better than rebels. Rebels know how to create an image and build branding. They know how to get the public’s attention, and even sometimes even inspire change.

There’s a lot we can learn from these game changers. Here’s a few lessons we wanted to share.

“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.” – Ernest Hemingway 
Mojitos and mountaineering are just two of Hemingway’s loves that made him a real rebel, among other things. Call him what you will, but the man knew how to write. His short, choppy style would have made him a Twitter-fiend, worthy of a spot in our flock. This former journalist knew that simple sentences and clear language always get the job done. Whether it’s a press release or a web copy, sometimes there’s no need to dress things up.

“I mean what I say, and I say what I mean.”― Dr. Seuss 
If only every company would take a note from our favorite doctor. To have a successful marketing campaign, companies need to take a stand and stand by it. Without getting too boring, stick to the same visuals, whether its colors or logos, across platforms. Don’t just come up with a slogan. Live it and show your customers that you’re doing just that. It will help strengthen relationships and keep ‘em coming back. Besides, when did Dr. Seuss ever steer you wrong?

“He who hesitates is last.” ― Mae West 
Nobody knew how to build (or break) a reputation better than this vaudeville star. While she spoke some of her greatest lines more than a hundred years ago, Mae West would have been kicking butt and taking names in the media-saturated Internet age. Learn from her words of wisdom. Send your press releases out early. Call those reporters and clients ASAP. There’s no time to waste.

“I get by with a little help from my friends.”― John Lennon
No matter how successful John Lennon was on his own, he’ll always be remembered as a member of the Fab Four. Whether you’re breaking into the Billboard charts or pitching Sunday’s front page story, a little help never hurts. Enlisting others in a brainstorming session can help you come up with some new ideas or gage how the public will respond.

“If you obey all of the rules, you miss all of the fun.” ― Katharine Hepburn
Not every rebel needs a leather jacket. Katharine Hepburn donned a pair of pants to show her edgy side. We dig it. She had a point about the pants, and she definitely had a point about fun. So follow her lead and take chances. Bring some attention with a flash mob or an experimental marketing campaign. Your customers will see how much fun you’re having and want to join in. As we sheep like to say, the more rebels the better.

See? We told you. Those kids your mamma always told you to stay away from were onto something, especially when it comes to marketing and public relations.

Good Advice from our favorite Baaaaad Asses