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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 PR firm will be the best fit for your company's publicity objectives ? Here Marsha Friedman, Managing Director of EMSI, a national public relations firm , will share her 10 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 Friedman," if you have a technical Business to Business then you should find a national public relations firm that specializes in Business to Business . If the public relations firm regularly works with companies that are in your industry, they will be familiar with how to express your message to the media." In addition to this, they can get writing and pitching pretty fast. "If you choose a national public relations firm who is unfamiliar with your industry , be prepared for them to spend some time researching your industry in order to get a full handle on your topic" adds Marsha Friedman. 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 public relations 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. "By the time you are ready to find a public relations firm you should know what medium you want to use to spread your message. It is useful to know that not all public relations firms work with all types of media," says Marsha Friedman. "A whopping 95% of firms specialize exclusively in newspaper and magazine exposure ." So if you are interested in doing radio or television you need to find a firm that specializes in these mediums. "The best way to find out," says 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 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 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 cautious . "If it took 2 years to get one major magazine , based on the minimum retainer level, you would have paid a massive $72,000 for that one media 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 really hit your budget where it hurts , so it is good to know that there are other options out there. Marsha Friedman says, "There are a handful of public relations firms out there that get paid based on their performance . 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 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 media exposure they received and how long it took for the public relations firm to obtain it for them. Marsha Friedman adds, "Great questions to ask are; How well did the public relations firm's staff interact with them? Was the firm interested in your campaign? Were the pitches quality? These answers will give you valuable insight as to how the public relations firm will handle your campaign."

6. Be confident in their ability to deliver . Before you complete a contract , make sure that you are convinced that the public relations firm will be able to help you reach your public relations goals. Don't forget 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 public relations 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 public relations firms in your area. If you're looking for regional or national exposure don't limit your search to public relations firms that are located within your state . "Lots of clients think that the firm needs to be right around the corner so it is easily accessible for weekly meetings , "says Marsha Friedman . "But this is not how it works. In my 20 years of gaining national media attention for my clients, I have only had a face-to-face meetings with a handful of them. The reason for this is that it is not essential . All of a public relations firm's work can be done via electronic mediums which is a far more efficient, and time saving, way to work." If your goal is to attain national media attention, find a public relations firm that specializes pitching to the national media. A national media public relations 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 public relations 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 public relations firm: your Campaign Manager. Knowing all about your Campaign Manager could make or break your decision to use a public relations firm. . Find out what their experience level is and how long they have been with the public relations 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 public relations firms hire interns to handle the client accounts that are not at the 'top of their list.' " 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 public relations firm that believes in you . The best type of public relations 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 public relations firm like this, their enthusiasm for your message will show in the work that they do. Their efforts will be more creative and their communications to the media will be attention grabbing and clear." In order for a public relations 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. If they miss your point completely, it can really be costly. "

10. Trust your instincts . Marsha Friedman says, "My final tip to choosing the right public relations firm has everything to do with your instincts '. When you are in the process of deciding if a public relations firm is a right fit for your needs it is inevitable that you will have strong views about their work and approach. Even if everything seems perfect, if your instincts tell you otherwise - listen to them! " instincts tend to be accurate, so if something seems a little off in any way, be weary of working with them . There is nothing worse then finding out your gut feelings were right when it is too late!

There you have it ! The 10 tips on how to choose the right public relations firm for you! If you would like to learn more about gaining media attention for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Marsha Friedman is here to help . 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 Marsha Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without 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.