If you do business with the federal government or in the Washington, DC, area, you may be thinking about hiring one of the many public relations agencies in Washington, DC, to promote your interests. In fact, these days, many believe hiring a PR agency based in Washington, DC, is a must for any company that wishes to stand out in the crowd.

That said, when you are working with PR Agencies in Washington, DC, you want to select a firm that can meet all your goals and expectations. So it is critical that you:

1. Get expert advice in selecting a Washington, DC public relations firm;

2. Interview members of several public relations companies based in Washington, DC;

3. And find a public relations company in Washington, DC, that has experience helping businesses like yours.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn how to choose DC public relations firms

Choosing from the many DC public relations firms is a bit like interviewing candidates for a top-level job in your company. You don't want to make a mistake. At the very least, a bad choice will cost you money. In a worse case scenario, a bad choice will bruise your company's reputation. So when you choose a public relations firm, choose wisely. Consider setting sharing a PR budget, seeking recommendations from colleagues, and fully explaining your needs and goals to prospective firms.

I recommend: Examiner.com provides expert advice on how to chose a public relations firm, as given by the founder of one of the top agencies in the Washington, DC, area. Public Relations Society of America also gives good suggestions on how to select a PR firm.

Get a directory of PR agencies in DC

Once you've figured out the questions to ask, you need to know who to ask them to. This is where it becomes important to obtain a directory of PR agencies in DC. These directories will give you all the contact information you will need to begin the interview process.

I recommend: For an excellent directory of public relations companies in Washington, DC, check out Biz Bash Media. A similar guide of Washington, DC, PR firms is available from SalesVantage.com.

Find PR agencies in Washington, DC, that specializes in meeting your needs

PR agencies in Washington, DC, serve corporations, nonprofit groups, professional and trade associations, and academic institutions. They also focus on everything from increasing your customer base to lobbying members of Congress. Decide what the primary goals of your public relations campaign will be, then find a PR agency in DC that specializes in those same goals.

I recommend: To learn more about the services of PR firms that specialize in government, check out the website for Capitol Associates. To find out more about agencies that focus on marketing, visit Concept Branding Group.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When interviewing DC public relations firms, don't be afraid to ask for a client list. Then call the clients, explain you are looking for a public relations agency based in Washington, DC, and find out how their experience has gone.

Anyone doing business in Washington, DC should be aware of the many PR agencies in the area. Public relations agencies in Washington, DC do not just handle political PR issues. They are equipped to deal with public relations in a variety fields.

Having a good PR agency based in Washington, DC is important because you need a company to take care of your dealings with the media.

PR agencies in Washington, DC should be able to:

1. Create a "buzz" around your company and product.
2. Contact newspapers, magazines, and television studios that have relationships with PR agencies in DC in order to schedule interviews.
3. De-emphasize any negative publicity that your company receives.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Set goals that you want a DC public relations firm to reach

There is no reason to hire a PR agency in DC if you do not have a clear idea of what you want them to do. Before you contact DC public relations firms, create set of public relations goals along with your business plan.

I recommend: A professional business plan can help you map out your PR goals. Business Plan Pro is a software program that helps you to write your own business plan. For additional help, you may want to hire a professional business plan writer through Guru.com.

Set a PR budget

Knowing how much you are planning to spend helps you to target the PR agency that is right for you. The PR budget should be a part of your overall business budget.

I recommend: 2020Software offers a variety of software programs for small businesses, including ones that will help with budgeting. Simpleplanning.com offers easy to use Excel-based budgeting tools at a very low price.

Contact DC public relations firms and ask for a written proposal

When you contact DC public relations firms, explain your business and what your PR objectives are. They should be willing to provide you with a written proposal. This should give you an idea of their approach and whether or not they are a good fit.

I recommend: Popular PR agencies in Washington, DC include APCO Worldwide, Edelman, and Qorvis. O'Dwyer's offers rankings of the various public relations agencies in Washington, DC if you are looking for PR agencies in DC that are a bit smaller.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The public relations agency based in Washington, DC that you choose should understand your company's specific needs and have a personality that is a good fit with the company.
• •  Public relations efforts can take a bit of time. Please have patience while you are waiting for the buzz to take effect.
• •  Smart companies tell their DC public relations firms everything - even if it is bad or embarrassing. They need to know these things so that they can put a positive spin on an otherwise negative event.
• •  Ask your PR agency to one PR agent to your account. This makes communications run more smoothly.

To get a job or advance your career with PR agencies in Washington, DC, it is important to pursue advanced education and training opportunities. Public relations agencies in Washington, DC are highly competitive. The most successful job candidates not only have the right academic degrees, but also demonstrate advanced public relations skills, achievements and competency.

Even after you land a job with a PR agency in DC, it is important to stay informed of public relations industry trends with continuing education workshops and conferences. Before you begin a career in the public relations field, or to advance your career with a PR agency in DC, consider the following PR agencies in Washington, DC education and training recommendations:

1. Take college courses to get a bachelor's or master's degree in public relations, communications or journalism.

2. Demonstrate your public relations competency to DC public relations firms by earning the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) designation.

3. Stay on the cutting edge of Washington, DC public relations firm trends with seminars, classes and conferences.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get a job with Washington, DC PR firms by earning a degree in public relations or a related field

To get a job with public relations companies in Washington, DC, it is imperative to have a college degree. DC public relations firms look for job candidates with the minimum of a bachelor's degree. Look for accredited colleges and universities that offer public relations, communications or journalism degree programs.

I recommend: Get information about colleges and universities that offer public relations degree programs at World Wide Learn. Consider local Washington, DC colleges that offer communications programs, like Georgetown University or American University.

Increase your value to PR agencies in DC by earning the APR designation

The APR designation is the highest public relations designation recognized by the Public Relations Society of America. By earning your APR, you demonstrate to potential and current public relations companies based in Washington, DC that you possess specialized PR abilities and are committed to the public relations profession. The APR designation is for public relations professionals with at least five years experience.

I recommend: Learn more about the APR application process and check out a presentation highlighting the value of an APR designation at Universal Accreditation Board. PRSA National Capital Chapter offers information about how to advance your career at a PR agency based in Washington, DC by earning an APR designation and provides an online schedule of local courses.

Impress PR agencies in DC by staying current with industry trends

Keep your public relations company in Washington, DC ahead of the competition or impress prospective DC public relations firms by staying on the cutting edge of industry trends. For fresh ideas, strategies and campaign approaches, attend professional development seminars, classes and conferences on a regular basis.

I recommend: Check out public relations seminars in the Washington, DC area at SpeakerBox Communications or attend PR webinars from the comfort of your own desk at PR News Online.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you are just starting out in the public relations field, consider seeking an internship with a public relations company based in Washington, DC. Internships are a great way to get hands-on public relations training and education.
• •  In addition to meeting education requirements for a job with a DC public relations firm, it is important to create an impressive public relations portfolio. A portfolio of press releases, articles, television coverage, radio shows or PR campaigns can be a tremendous asset in landing a top job.

There's no point in having a product to sell if no one knows about it, so tell the world, or at least the U.S., with some help from a public relations company in Washington, DC. The DC market, which includes the city and surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia, is ethnically diverse and relatively affluent. National politics and tourism keep it constantly in the public eye.

So, basically, if you focus on this market, whether your business is local to DC or not, you're bound to reach a lot of people nationwide and even worldwide at the same time. Before you start developing PR campaigns, you need to know PR agencies in Washington, DC, basics, such as these three pointers:

1. Find at least two DC PR firms that target your chosen demographic so you can try to negotiate price.

2. Interview each PR firm to make sure it offers what you're looking for.

3. Research how to put together a successful DC-based PR campaign so you can have better discussions with your agency.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find at least two PR agencies in DC that target your desired demographic

The first rule of looking for a DC public relations firm is to not automatically go with the first one you find. If you only speak to one agency you won't be able to compare prices, look at different company objectives or get a feel for the different attitudes that come with different agencies.

I recommend: You can find dozens of DC agencies, listed from A to Z, by looking at SalesVantage's compilation. Each listing has both the agency name and the phone number. If you want more details, J.R. O'Dwyer can provide them for you. It ranks 20 DC area firms from high to low by net fees and number of employees. Just click on any company name to get a full page of information.

Interview each PR agency based in Washington, DC, to make sure it offers what you're looking for

Once you've talked briefly to a few Washington, DC, PR firms and weeded out the ones that are truly bad fits, it's time for some more in-depth questions. You'll want to know what each agency has done for similar clients and more specifics on how it can help you get the most publicity bang for your buck.

I recommend: Read the Public Relations Society of America's free information on selecting the right PR firm. It also offers tips on hiring a freelancer if you find that an agency is cost prohibitive. Cool Fire Technology also has some great information on hiring an agency, including a list of questions you can ask yourself to determine the details you need to discuss in that in-depth interview.

Work with your PR agency in DC to put together a successful publicity campaign

Public relations agencies in Washington, DC, can be a huge help to you, but you still have to come up with at least a vague idea of what you want to do on your own; be it an event, a print campaign, an online campaign or anything else. This will take some research and some heavy brainstorming on your part before you ask for your agency's input.

I recommend: Consider buying Nielsen Business Media's MediaWeek market profile for Washington, DC. It gives you demographic data as well as a comprehensive analysis of all the local media markets. It's available for download right after you purchase it. Also consider taking PR Leads Service's online introductory seminar. It includes lots of information for beginners, including tips on working with your agency on a day-to-day basis and advice on becoming a favored client.