PR agencies that specialize in an industry win greater respect, more first-rate clients and higher fees. Specializing in an industry may be the only route to prosperity.
Fighting for business in a crowded field, PR generalists face stiff competition. Clients ask for discounts, and the PR professionals provide extra services at no extra charge to keep clients, points out Gini Dietrich, CEO of Spin Sucks. They end up competing on price, a poor strategy for any business.
Specializing in an industry – be it high-tech, health, fashion, financial services or other industry – allows PR agencies or independent consultants to charge a premium. They’re paid based on their value, not for their time.
Generalists Get No Respect
Fewer organizations want to work with a jack-of-all-trades generalist in these days of complex industries. PR agencies that claim to handle a wide range of disparate duties garner skepticism, much like a general surgeon who offers to do a heart transplant. Those that specialize are better situated to build trust and respect, says Zach Weiner, CEO of Emerging Insider Communications, a boutique PR and marketing firm focusing on emerging media and technologies.
PR specialists understand the industry jargon, major players, trends and other intricacies in their niche. They have established relationships with editors and reporters at industry trade journals. Specialists are critical for startups, since their success depends on good PR in the early business stages. Many well-known new ventures, including Airbnb and Tesla Motors, owe much of their success to effective PR.
If you don’t truly know the industry, selling yourself as a specialist to potential clients will only lead to rejected proposals and disappointed clients. Instead of faking it, follow these steps to build business in a niche.
How to Win PR Businesses by Focusing on a Niche
Study the marketplace to find void. Go a step further and find a niche within a niche, advises Tiffany Rafii, CEO at UpSpring PR, in PR News. For instance, the design industry had a need for PR services, so her firm opted to serve architects, interior designers and product manufacturers in the B2B commercial and hospitality arena.
Hire personnel with advanced skills and deep experience in the niche. Possibilities include writers and editors who have worked for trade publications in the niche, writers with advanced degrees in the specialty, and freelancers with backgrounds in the industry.
Identify the particular skills and passions of current employees and encourage them to develop those specific skills. Capitalize on those skills by developing marketing and PR materials targeted to those industries.
Create thought leadership articles that provide perspective and insights on the industry
Attend and speak at trade shows and other industry networking events. Remember that it’s likely that practically everyone knows everyone else.
Turn down general business not within your niche. Yes, that’s difficult when bills must be paid, but better for long-term growth.
Create case studies of successful PR campaigns in the niche. PR agencies that bill themselves as specialists should have at least three strong case studies of companies they’ve promoted in the industry niche.
Monitor and analyze your keywords. Set up media monitoring and measurement with an established service to track clients’ brand names, products, key industry terms, and clients’ competitors. Also monitor your PR agency’s competitors to understand their services and to explain to potential clients why your services can produce better results. Seek a media monitoring and measurement vendor that can customize its services and dashboard to your particular needs.
Develop repeatable processes. PR specialists are well-situated to create processes that can be repeated, with minor changes. If they find that certain tasks or processes work well, they can repeat them with new clients.
Bottom Line: Specializing in an industry offers PR agencies a path to prosperity. By concentrating on a niche, PR agencies avoid competing on price and can charge a premium. However, specializing means more than hanging out a shingle. It requires personnel with specific skills and experience – and the ability to promote them.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
