Working with a professional Toronto PR agency can benefit your business and social outreach, but before you can obtain these benefits there is one challenge: finding the right agency that fits your needs.

There are many communications agencies in Toronto, and navigating through them can be daunting. To make it easier for you, here are 5 tips that will help you to pick the right Toronto PR agency:

  1. Do your homework. You needn't know everything about the PR world, but choosing the right company involves knowing what you need and what the options are. Make sure you are on top of main concepts in the industry, such as paid vs. media, advertising vs. PR, know your service or product’s media landscape and so on. When shopping, take a good look at a PR agency’s work history, see what fields they are involved in to make sure they have had experience working with clients in your industry.
  2. Get the company's references. Most communication agencies in Toronto carry credentials which are easy to substantiate. Get a list of clients they’ve worked with in the past and talk to them. Take the time to make a few phone calls.
  3. Define your goals clearly. Knowing exactly what you want for your business will allow you to choose exactly a PR company that will be able to achieve that for you. Some PR agencies in Toronto will be better at TV features, others work with magazines, and others still mostly do online profiling. Make sure the agency you pick is capable of providing the services you need.
  4. Think of them as part of your team. Your new PR agency will work closely with you every step of your PR campaign, essentially becoming a part of your own team. Make sure to shake hands with everybody who will have any influence on your public relations campaign. Knowing the people handling your brand and its public representation, being sure of their capabilities, is essential to the success of the campaign.
  5. Draw the bottom line. Money will have to become a part of the conversation at some point so don't shy away from it. Leaving this question for later might result in unnecessary complications. Be upfront about your PR budget and your expectations. This will allow the agency to assess the cost of service with more precision, making the process easier for both sides.

Good luck and good PR agency searching!

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