Are you? Then make sure you know them really well before you go ahead. If you are an internet start up then it becomes even more critical to check how equipped they are in terms of approaching the bloggers (forget the right set of blogger contacts, do they even know anyone?) in the industry and also the journalists who are active online (have their own site etc) Why go so far, first check is to confirm if they have any understanding about your industry or not!
If the answers to all these questions is yes then the next check is to make sure they know your organization, your work, your product(s) inside out. If need be take a test (like a unit test in school) before taking any decision! Yes am serious. Let them screw up there instead of taking you to a place where an unrepairable damage is done!
What do you intend to do when you sign up a PR agency?
- make some noise
- Let media houses know you
- Let reporters remember you, recollect your brand, your founders
- Reach out to anyone who has audience – could be a guy who has 1000 followers on twitter/facebook/linkedIn, anyone.
- Reach out to TV media after conquering newspapers and magazines to the maximum extent.
- Make news for anything you do, and your PR agency HELPs you do that
- Carry out enough press releases [more and more you are there, more are the chances that you will be talked about, the crying baby gets the milk]
Also, not forgetting the fact that PR is NOT advertising, you cannot expect it to give results as soon as the PR agency talks to a media house. If you want that to happen then you better pay up and advertise.