THREE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AFTER ONBOARDING
You’ve finally finished onboarding a new client – now, it’s time to get things rolling. What can you expect from the first few months?
In short: Chaos. Pure chaos.
Really, though, you’ll be laying a lot of groundwork. This is the time to establish good communication between your agency and the client, gain a thorough understanding of their brand and goals, and develop a solid PR strategy based on both short and long lead opportunities. Here are three things to keep in mind during the first few months after onboarding.
1. SET EXPECTATIONS
Clarity is key. Clearly define your client’s current standing, where they’re going, what their goals are, and how your agency will help them achieve those goals. (And make sure those goals – and the timeline you develop to reach them – are realistic.) Establishing expectations early on will prevent disconnect down the road.
As things progress, check in regularly with your client to keep things on track and make sure their expectations are being met.
2. MACRO AND MICRO
Determine which micro and macro PR efforts you’re going to activate, and the tactics and resources you’ll need to make it happen. On a micro level, there will be smaller, foundational things to take care of: Think product submissions, building media relationships, and launching press releases. On the other hand, the macro level will focus on the bigger picture, with high-level strategy, competitor research, and fully-fleshed campaigns. Essentially, you’re figuring out where and how you’re going to allocate time, and what will potentially have the biggest impact.
3. ORGANIZE YOUR TIME
These first few months will help you identify how much time your agency will need to dedicate to your client’s PR management. After all, you’ll only have so many billable hours per month, and there are only so many hours in a day.
To set yourself up for success, block out time to regularly touch base. (I personally find weekly recurring meetings in the beginning of the relationship to be very helpful and then taper down meetings to bi-monthly when our team is in the ‘heavy-lifting’ phase). This is your time to review work, share ideas, align on strategy, and catch up on life’s nuances.
Ultimately, you’re in for a lot of trial and error, and there will be a major learning curve for everyone involved – but knowing what to focus on during this period will help ease the transition.
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