If you are one of the hoards of businesses looking to gain national exposure for your company, products or services then you are probably facing the difficult decision of finding the right PR firm. What can make this decision difficult is that there are so many different kinds of public relations firms out there. Some are local, some national. Some retainer based, some project based. So how do you know which PR firm will be the best fit for your company's marketing objectives ? Here Marsha Friedman, founder of EMSI, a national and local publicity firm , will share her 10 tips on how to choose the RIGHT PR firm to get your message the media coverage that you desire.

1. Find a firm that specializes in your industry. "For example," says Marsha ," if you have a technical Business to Business then you should find a national PR firm that specializes in Business to Business . If the PR firm regularly works with companies that are in your industry, they will be familiar with how to write and pitch your message to the media." In addition to this, they can get writing and pitching pretty fast. "If you choose a national or local PR firm who is clueless to your field , be prepared for them to spend some time researching your industry in order to get a full handle on your topic" adds Marsha . And guess who will be paying for the PR firm's research time: you! "Most firms charge a costly monthly retainer, so the longer it takes for them to get started the more money that will be coming out of your bank account . Just to give you an idea the minimum is around $3,000 per month, the industry average is approximately $5,000 per month and the large PR firms can charge anywhere from $20,000-30,000 per month."

2. Choose a firm that specializes in your medium of choice. If you are ready to hire a PR firm, then chances are that you have given a bit of thought as to what medium you want to use. "By the time you get to the point where you are looking for a PR firm, you should know if you want to use tv, radio or print to gain attention for your company. It is useful to know that not all PR firms work with all types of media," says Marsha . "A whopping 95% of firms specialize exclusively in newspaper and magazine exposure ." If you want to use the electronic media to spread your message to the masses it is in your best interest to search for a public relations firm that deals exclusively with these. "The best way to find out," says Marsha Friedman, "is to ask thePR firm if their specialty is radio, TV or print !simple as that!"

3. Make sure you request sample campaigns. "Before choosing a public relations firm, request to see some sample promotional campaigns that the firm executed for their clients," says Friedman. "This is the best way to find out the quantity and quality of their work." When you are given a campaign it is important to know what the duration of the campaign was. "For example, if they show you a PR campaign that has one huge newspaper placement (such as USA Today or The New York Times) and the duration of the campaign was 2 years - beware . "If it took 2 years to get one major media placement, based on the minimum retainer level, you would have paid a massive $72,000 for that one newspaper hit." Sample PR campaigns are a great indicator of the effectiveness, especially the cost effectiveness, of a PR firm's work.

4. Find a pay-for-performance PR firm! The costly monthly retainer can put a crunch on your finances, so it is good to know that there are other options out there. Marsha says, "There are a handful of PR firms out there that get paid based on their the media attention the they actually obtain for their clients . EMSI is a pay-for-performance firm and our clients love it . The reason is that they only pay for the media exposure that my PR firm actually secures for them. So instead of paying a monthly fee, they pay for the results that my PR firm obtains for them." By choosing a per project or pay-for-performance firm you are truly making your PR firm put their money where their mouth is!

5. Speak to the PR firm's clients. When you are choosing a national PR firm it is very important to ask to speak to some of their clients, past or present. When you get them on the phone, ask the PR firm's clients what sort of radio, TV and print exposure they received and how long it took for the PR firm to obtain it for them. Marsha adds, "Great questions to ask are; How well did the PR firm's staff interact with them? Seem to care about your campaign? How creative were the pitches and press releases? These answers will give you valuable insight as to how the PR firm will handle your campaign."

6. Be confident in their skill in public relations . Before you agree to work with a PR firm, make sure that you are convinced that the PR firm will create, and execute, a successful campaign . Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions, request copies of sample campaigns and then do a comprehensive review of all of the materials. "I would suggest that before you make your final decision you talk to owners and definitely request a proposal", says Marsha Friedman , "ask the important questions. Will they be using television, radio or print to get media exposure for you? How long the campaign will last? Do they have quantitative goals for the campaign? How long will it take to meet these goals? How the PR firm answers these questions will ultimately determine the level of confidence you have in their ability to service your campaign .

7. Don't limit yourself to PR firms in your area. If you're looking for regional or national exposure don't limit your search to PR firms that are located within your vicinity. "Many people believe that you need to have a firm located just down the street so that you can have regular face-to-face meetings with them, "says Marsha Friedman . "But this is not how it works. In my 20 years of gaining national and local media attention for my clients, I have only had a face-to-face meetings with a small number . The reason for this is that I don't need to. All of a PR firm's work can be done via phone which is a far more efficient, and time saving, way to work." If your goal is to attain national media attention, find a PR firm that specializes pitching to the national media. A national media PR firm's experience level is what is important, not where they are located. Looking for local media attention? The look locally! Marsha Friedman says "As they are in the middle of the market you are after, their contacts and knowledge will be far more effective than that of a national PR firm."

8. Become familiar with your Campaign Manager. There is one person in particular who plays a vital role in driving the success of at the PR firm: your Campaign Manager. Knowing all about your Campaign Manager could make or break your decision to use a PR firm. . Find out what their experience level is and how long they have been with the PR firm. "A great nugget of information is that many Campaign Managers are rookies fresh from college," says Marsha Friedman . "Even more frightening is that many national and local PR firms hire interns to handle the client accounts that they do not deem a 'top priority'." If you don't investigate the qualifications of your Campaign Manager, then how can you be confident that your campaign will be handled by a professional?

9. Find a PR firm that believes in what you have to say . The best type of PR firm is one that not only understands your message but also has bags of excitement for your topic. Marsha Friedman says, "If you find a PR firm like this, their enthusiasm for your message will show in how they handle your campaign . The pitches and press releases will be more creative and their communications to the media will be attention grabbing and clear." In order for a PR firm to successfully work for you, they need to understand your passion and be able to translate it into something that will be of interest to the masses. It can be quite costly if they misunderstand your point."

10. Trust your gut. Marsha Friedman says, "My final tip to choosing the right PR firm has everything to do with your instincts '. When you are in the process of deciding if a PR firm is a right fit for your needs it is inevitable that you will have strong views about their work and approach. I would advise that even if everything looks fantastic on paper, or in a snazzy presentation, if you have absolutely any reservations think twice about choosing the firm." instincts tend to be accurate, so if the chemistry is off in any way, be weary of working with them . There is nothing worse then finding out your instincts were right when it is too late!

There you have it ! The 10 tips on how to choose the right PR firm for you! If you would like to learn more about gaining national media exposure for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Marsha would love to help. Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a PR expert Marsha Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without budget busting monthly retainers.