As an industrial SME, Should I Use a Local Freelance Specialist Industrial PR Service?
In the ever changing industrial business world, public relations (PR) can play a significant role in shaping perceptions of potential and existing customers, by building brand awareness, and getting the good news about your business to your specific audience.
For a small to medium-sized enterprise, engaging a local freelance technical and industrial PR specialist can offer unique advantages. However, like any business decision, there are also potential drawbacks to consider.
Advantages of Using a Freelance Technical and Industrial PR Service
1. Specialisation
The primary benefits of hiring a freelance technical and industrial PR professional is their expertise in the sector. If the freelancer has come from an engineering background they will already talk your language and will be able to write authoritatively and persuasively in promoting your business. They wont be working with an industrial component manufacturer one moment and a leisure centre the next.
2. Cost-Effective
A PR freelancer needs a phone, a laptop, a camera, steel toecap boots and a high vis jacket and very little more. If local to your business they could even ditch the car are rely on public transport or a bike! Their lower overheads, compared to a large PR agency, means that they can offer competitive rates for a high quality personal service.
4. Independence
A Freelance PR professional will generally work with fewer clients than would a large agency because that have to do all of your work themselves, no relying on office juniors or admin. The one-on-one interaction leads to a deeper understanding of their client’s needs. This leads to a delivering a more tailored and effective PR strategy. A local freelancer will also be more invested in your community
3. Personal Service
Freelancers are not bound by the bureaucracy of a large agency which means that they can offer a level of flexibility for their clients to cater for changing priorities or even crisis communication.
5. Strong Local Connections
A local freelance PR expert brings an added advantage, knowledge of and contacts in your local media.
Disadvantages of Using a Freelance Technical and Industrial PR Service
1. Fewer Resources
Freelancers may have fewer resources at their disposal than larger agencies, but they often work collaboratively with other freelancers and small businesses for specialist services such as graphic design or video production. They can manage most PR tasks but tend to shy away from larger clients and handling very large, complex campaigns.
2. Could You Outgrow Your Freelancer
If your freelance technical and industrial PR specialist does a brilliant job for you, and your business grows, you are likely to scale up your PR efforts beyond a freelancer’s capacity. This could lead to a parting of the ways or to a new method of working where they become a freelance PR manager overseeing the work of a bigger agency.
Conclusion
The benefits of using a specialist technical and industrial PR freelancer can significantly outweigh the potential advantages, particularly for SMEs.
With a freelancer you know who you are dealing with and you won’t be stuck in an contract with an agency that has ever changing members of staff.
The limitations of the freelancer can be outweighed by them working partnering with hand picked individuals for your specific needs such as vlog production.
A freelancer with a background in engineering will be quickly able to understand your business and market sector to create and promote your business, its products and services positively.
Of course at the end of the day it all depends upon who the freelancer is, their skills and experience and their avasilability, Take a look Here to reed about my engineering background and my journey through PR and into digital marketing.