If you are one of the hoards of businesses looking to gain national exposure for your business, corporation or product then you are probably facing the difficult decision of finding the right public relations 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 public relations firm will be the best fit for your business objectives? Here Marsha Friedman, CEO of Event Management Services Inc (EMSI), a national PR firm , will share her first 5 tips on how to choose the RIGHT public relations firm to get your message the media coverage that you desire

1. Find a PR firm that specializes in your industry. "For example," says Marsha ," if you have a technical B2B business then you should find a national public relations firm that specializes in B2B. If the public relations firm regularly works with companies that are in your industry, they will be familiar with how to convey your message to the media." Another great thing is that they will be able to get started immediately . "If you choose a national public relations firm who is unknowledgeable of your business , 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 public relations 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 marketing budget. 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 public relations firms can charge anywhere from $20,000-30,000 per month."

2. Choose a PR firm that specializes in your medium of choice. If you are ready to hire a public relations firm, then chances are that you have given a bit of thought as to what medium you want to use. "When you are 'auditioning' public relations firms you probably know what media you want to use. It is useful to know that not all public relations 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 the public relations 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 way you can see the quantity and the quality of the media obtained for their clients." It is also vital to know how long the campaign was. "For example, if they show you a public relations 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 - be careful . "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 magazine hit." Sample public relations campaigns are a great indicator of the effectiveness, especially the cost effectiveness, of a public relations firm's work.

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

5. Speak to the public relations firm's clients. When you are choosing a national public relations 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 public relations firm's clients what sort of radio, TV and print exposure they received and how long it took for the public relations firm to obtain it for them. Marsha adds, "Great questions to ask are; How well did the public relations firm's staff interact with them? Seem to care about your campaign? How successful were the pitches and press releases? These answers will give you valuable insight as to how the public relations firm will handle your campaign."

Well there you go! The first five tips on how to choose the right public relations firm for you! Look out for Part 2 where Friedman will share her final five tips . 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 is available to be of service . Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a public relations expert Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without costly monthly retainers .

Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations for nearly two decades as CEO of Event Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to receive her free Ebook "How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest" visit http://www.emsincorporated.com.