10 Traits of The Best Digital PR Agencies

The digital world is a saturated market full of self-appointed experts. Whether it’s a seemingly well-established agency or a digital PR consultant, all lay claim to being the best in the game—and it’s no different when it comes to digital PR.

We probably don’t need to explain what a digital PR agency is, what they do, or why you need one. But looking for the perfect digital PR agency to hire can be a struggle. There are endless companies vying for your attention, with all sorts of claims about how they are the perfect agency for you.

Then there’s also the debate of which is superior; digital PR agencies or in-house digital PR teams?

To cut through the noise, the experts at Reboot have pulled together the 10 most valuable traits of the best digital PR agencies to help you review a digital PR agency, and hopefully choose one to hire.

Read more: Digital PR Agency Pricing

The Top 10 Traits of the Best Digital PR Agencies

1. Outstanding Communication Skills

One of the most important traits of the best digital PR agencies is having outstanding communication skills. Digital PRs act as the central point between clients and journalists (and, in turn, the general public). If an agency fails to convey the right message to journalists or shares inaccuracies, then it also fails its clients.

An agency with proven strong communication skills—including good journalist relationships and client retention marketing—is one of the most important qualities to look out for.

2. Reachability

In conjunction with having good communication, you want to be able to actually speak to your digital PR agency. This should be a given when hiring professionals, but there are horror stories of businesses that are unable to get hold of their employed digital PR agency!

Reachability is one of the underrated signs of a good digital PR agency—radio silence really isn’t okay. If a digital PR agency is slow to respond (ie. if you haven’t heard back from them within an agreed period of time without a given reason) or fails to respond at all, it’s time to look elsewhere.

It is always worth ensuring calls and contact hours are included in your digital PR contract, that way you have every right to kick up a fuss if you go days, or even weeks, without an update.

3. Teamwork Literally Makes the Dream Work

If you’re looking to work with a digital PR agency, you want to see proof that its employees are able to work well as a team.

A strong digital PR agency will delegate tasks to the appropriate team, no matter how big or small the company is. This might involve assigning client work to pods of employees within the digital PR team, delegating specific tasks to specialised content, data, or graphics teams, or even outsourcing specific tasks to other agencies.

Teamwork is one of the most crucial traits of the best digital PR, or link building agencies and is the only way to achieve successful campaigns.

4. Collaboration Is Key

Hiring a digital PR agency should bring collaborative opportunities—your business should be working with an agency, not just waiting on the sidelines for results. Aim to find an agency that will listen to your needs, goals, and ideas in order to have a good working relationship.

If a digital PR agency fails to listen to your ideas or doesn’t ask for your input (or even approval), give them a swerve.

5. Innovative With Creative Ideas

Even though newsjacking and reactive digital PR are important strategies, you want to employ an agency that thinks for itself. The realm of digital PR, SEO, and content marketing is ever-evolving, so you want to be working with a team that is moving at an equal pace.

It might seem obvious that innovation and creativity are important signs of a good digital PR agency. Seek out a digital PR agency that strives to future-proof its work and that is run by forward-thinkers.

6. Understand Your Brand

A decent digital PR agency will take the time to learn about your brand, your products and/or services, and what goals you wish to achieve. Without this intel, how are they supposed to properly promote, outreach, and build your brand awareness?

If an agency won’t take the time to get to know the ins and outs of your brand, it’s time to walk away.

7. Proven Track Record of Successes

Any digital PR agency worth its salt will have a proud portfolio of successful results to show you. A great digital PR agency will present its achievements, case studies, and SEO experiments on its website for all to see.

Can’t find any evidence of well-executed research, campaigns, or success stories on an agency’s website? Give them a miss and search instead for digital PRs who know how to celebrate their successes.

8. Problem-Solving Skills

Nothing in life is without its problems, and the same goes for digital PR. A strong digital PR agency will plan ahead for all eventualities and will be confident in tackling issues quickly. Make sure you find a digital PR with a solutions-orientated approach to its work and you’ll always be in safe hands.

9. Investing in the Right Tools

From keyword and market research to analytics tools—any reputable digital PR agency will invest in the right industry tools to help deliver the best service for clients. This is certainly a question you should ask a digital PR agency before hiring.

To find out if your desired or current digital PR agency uses analytics tools, ask them how they perform keyword research, competitive analysis, and track success. If they fail to cite any technical tools, keep looking for the right digital PR agency.

10. Have a Strong Online Presence

Finally, a strong online presence is one of the most encouraging traits of the best digital PR agencies. Digital PR agencies should be masters of the online world, and this should be reflected in their own websites and social media.

To find out if a digital PR agency is worth hiring, check out their social media and blog. Are they posting regular, fresh content that hasn’t been copied or reposted? Are they celebrating client achievements and sharing their own research? You can tell a lot about an agency’s quality from what they do (or don’t) post.

How to Find the Best Digital PR Agency

When you’re looking to hire a digital PR agency, you want to make sure you’ll be working with a team who can provide solutions and gain the success that meets your goals. Understanding the traits of the best digital PR agencies will help you identify which companies are worth getting in touch with.

Want to find out more about Reboot’s digital PR and SEO services? Use our web form or drop us an email at [email protected].