By Alan Graner
DISCLOSURE: Daly-Swartz Public Relations uses the retainer system for our clients.
Pay-for-performance agencies are basically media placement services.
For example, if you participate in a trade show or conference, who:
- Develops pre- and post-show publicity?
- Arranges for editors and bloggers to meet company executives?
- Develops and writes an article or interview that appears in the show’s daily publication?
- Creates the hand-outs?
- Coordinates everything with the website, company blog and social media?
Hint: It’s not a PFP agency.
If you want any services above and beyond media placement, you pay extra (assuming the PFP agency even offers the services).
Such services are part of a PR firm’s retainer.
All placements are NOT created equal
According to one PFP company’s website, they charge $1,800 to place a feature in a small newspaper or magazine, and $5,000 for a large magazine.
In the “large magazine” category they charge $3,400 if your company is even mentioned! If the publication also includes your company’s URL, that’s an additional $700.
On the other hand, placement is a small part of a public relation firm’s retainer—regardless of the publication’s size and circulation.
Quantity vs. quality
No one can guarantee placement. It doesn’t matter if you’re a PFP agency or a PR firm.
But consider this.
A pay-for-performance agency is paid for placing content regardless of quality. The more press releases, articles, opinion pieces and case studies they place, the more money they make.
This can have unfortunate consequences. If they distribute an endless stream of non-news press releases or article that don’t meet a publication’s standards, over time their submissions will be viewed as spam and relegated, unread, to the trash can.
PR firms, on the other hand, emphasize quality. They consistently send professionally written materials directed at the editor’s audience that require few if any rewrites. As a result, their submissions are much more likely to be accepted.
Once again, you get what you pay for.
Agree or disagree?
Image: Image: CC0 Creative Commons license via Pixabay
Alan Graner is Chief Creative Officer at Daly-Swartz Public Relations, an Orange County, CA business public relations and marketing content firm. For content that makes you stand out from the crowd, email Jeffrey Swartz at jeffreyswartz@dsprel.com. Or visit www.dsprel.com.
