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If you are one of the hundreds of businesses looking to gain local media attention for your book 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 marketing plan ? 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 exposure that you desire

1. Find a public relations firm that specializes in your industry. "For example," says 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." Another great thing is that they will be able to get started immediately . "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 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 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 public relations firm that specializes in your media 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 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 public relations firms work with all types of media," says Friedman . "A whopping 95% of firms specialize exclusively in pitching to the print media ." 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 is the best way to find out the quantity and quality of their work." Don't forget to ask what the duration of the public relations 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 newspaper or 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. Friedman says, "There are a handful of public relations firms out there that get paid based on their performance or per project. 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 public relations firm actually obtains 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 non-retainer based 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 speak to the clients , ask the public relations firm's clients what sort of national or local exposure they received and how long it took for the public relations firm to obtain it for them. Friedman adds, "Great questions to ask are; How well did the public relations firm's staff interact with them? Was the firm interested in making their campaign a success? How creative 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! Make sure to look out for Part 2 when Marsha Friedman will share her final five tips . If you would like to learn more about gaining media attention for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, 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 has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without breaking your budget with costly monthly retainers .