If you’re looking for a PR agency to help improve your brand awareness and drive more business, there is no shortage of PR agencies in London to choose from, and across the rest of the UK.

The issue isn’t finding a PR agency, the issue is choosing the right PR agency for your business.

Keep in mind that working with the right PR agency is going to be the difference between seeing your brand and reputation improve as you pass your competitors – or the opposite; a PR company that isn’t aligned with your business will do more harm than good.

To help set you on the right path, here are some of the most important things to consider when looking for a new PR agency in London:

Ask around for recommendations

The PR space is very competitive, there are a lot of agencies and it can be hard to know how reliable they are and what level of expertise they have without working with them.

The problem, however, is that even a short working relationship with an agency that isn’t right for your brand can damage your reputation and brand loyalty.

Therefore, one of the best ways you can get some reassurance that an agency is going to do what they say is to ask within your circles for a recommendation. If someone you know has worked with an agency, you will get an inside scoop on them.

Look for industry-specific agencies

Industry knowledge and expertise are everything when it comes to high-level PR. The better an agency knows your industry, the better they are going to be able to represent you.

Start by looking for PR agencies in London that specialise in your industry. If you can’t find one, then start looking for agencies with some experience in your industry or niche.

Having industry contacts gives a PR agency a huge head start and is one of the things that can give you a competitive edge in the market – so it’s worth looking into.

Work out your budget

It’s an industry standard to pay a monthly retainer for PR services, and most agencies build their services around a client’s budget.

Therefore, it makes sense to know your budget ahead of time so you can discuss this with prospective agencies to figure out where you stand.

It’s also important that you stick to your budget. Make it clear how much you can pay per month, then negotiate what services you want to be completed each month and stick to it.

Look through their portfolios

Most PR agencies will display their best work on their websites and be more than happy to run you through some of their best work.

In fact, if an agency doesn’t have a portfolio for you to look through, that’s a red flag.

Make sure you take a good look at what they’ve achieved and how some of the other brands they’ve worked with are performing. The closer their previous work aligns with what you want for your brand, the better.

Meet and interview the agency

Choosing a PR agency isn’t something you should do without meeting the people who will be working on your account in person.

Remember, this agency and the people working there are going to be representing your brand and communicating with your customers and other businesses in your industry.

It’s essential that you’re comfortable that they are able to represent your brand in the right way. It’s also important you have a clear line of communication with the agency to be kept up to date with their progress.

What factors should you consider before selecting a virtual service? Here are some pointers on how to find the best virtual office in London.

Small enterprises and start-ups are increasingly flocking to London. In recent years, the region has seen an infusion of stylish coffee shops, artistic venues, and young professionals, making it a desirable place to live and work. Getting a virtual address in London is a terrific way for new businesses to impress their customers.

Choose A Location That Is Desirable

It’s easy to imagine that with a virtual office, location isn’t as crucial, but choosing the correct street or postcode can have a significant impact on how prospective clients see you. If your clients spend a lot of time in East London socialising or holding business meetings, they’ll be familiar with the area.

Choose places with a variety of restaurants and bars because they are also suitable for meetings. You might also want to think about streets with comparable businesses. It’s good for your professional image to be near companies in comparable industries, and it’s also good for networking and talent sourcing.

Mail Forwarding Services

In the virtual world, services like business addresses and mail forwarding are critical. A business address gives your company credibility in the eyes of clients and allows you to pick your own location. Choose the best mail forwarding service in London to give your company a physical address instead of a P.O. box number. They simply need an online connection to work with consumers all over the world, but mail forwarding is vital for virtual offices. Hence choose a virtual office that provides reliable mail forwarding services.

Locate A Virtual Office With Conference Rooms

Even if you use a virtual office service to work from home, it’s still vital to be visible once in a while. Meetings with key clients, or even meetings with your creative team, can be far more fruitful when held in person. Remote working is now possible from anywhere in the world thanks to collaboration platforms, apps like Skype, and conference calling capabilities. However, brainstorming and sharing ideas with key colleagues in the same physical area might help to strengthen ties.

Because London is booming for businesses, look for a virtual office with a meeting room. Many of these conference rooms are accessible on a pay-as-you-go basis, with hourly, half-day, and full-day pricing. Remember to inquire about what is included in the hotel rental fee. Check for a receptionist who can direct guests to the meeting place, as well as complimentary tea and filter coffee, WiFi, a whiteboard, notepads and pens, and simple disability access.

Select A Payment Plan That Is Flexible

East London is an excellent location for your virtual office. But because it’s a constantly changing community, new, hot neighbourhoods pop up all the time. The latest trendy destinations are always sought after by the artsy, gastronomic, and craft beer communities, and you never know where the next big area will be. When it comes to scaling, organisations should focus on remaining agile, flexible, and on the pulse. If cash flow is limited, you may wish to change residences or relocate to a different part of London, or you may want to cut back on services.

Make Your Money Last Longer

If you’re a small business, cutting costs is going to be a priority. One of the most significant advantages of locating a virtual office in East London is the ability to save money. You may take advantage of today’s gig economy and freelancing talent pools without having to pay for physical space, desk hire, computers, or equipment.

However, if your company is rapidly expanding, paying for the minimum essentials may be a false economy. Mail forwarding, scanning, and emailing services, as well as a virtual phone and receptionist service, could help you and your team work more efficiently. Because high productivity is a key component of success, opting for a premium plan may be more cost effective.

Because no two businesses are alike, look for a service that offers a variety of subscription options. If you’re a global company, you’ll probably require a lot more functionality than a local company.

Traffic is one of the most important aspects for website owners. There are many ways to get website traffic, but organic traffic is best for your website because it isn’t paid or bought. When you use paid advertising you aren’t guaranteed that people will purchase your product. With organic website traffic, however, they can easily be converted into potential customers with a simple advertisement or post on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Web Traffic for SEM

Website owners who rely on search engine marketing usually find themselves in trouble when their website gets too many penalty points from Google updates such as Penguin, Panda and Hummingbird. Using organic website traffic ensures that this doesn’t happen. Not using strategies to get website traffic has been said to be the reason some businesses go bankrupt after only a few months of being active in the website industry. Websites that rely on paid website traffic usually end up going under because they can never obtain enough visitors to make a sustainable website. This is why website traffic is important. You can also try a trusted website traffic generator like Babylon Traffic.

Key Importance of Organic Traffic:

Natural Source of Traffic: Organic website traffic is a great source for website owners because it doesn’t cost anything and you don’t have to be highly knowledgeable in digital marketing strategies to get website traffic from search engines. You simply need to optimize your content for certain keywords, want various pages on your website to be ranked better, and create quality content regularly. In addition to this, organic website traffic will help you build a strong following on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter if your business is focused online. There are many websites that provide information about website traffic, organic website traffic, and the best website traffic strategies every website owner should know.

Exposure to Right Audience: Website traffic is important because it gives website owners a chance to make their website known to the public. This allows potential customers to access website content easily and they can learn more about the website owner’s products or services without having to go through any kind of barrier. There are many ways website owners can boost the amount of website traffic that comes into their website daily such as using social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, optimizing their content for keywords that people use when searching on search engines, sharing links with others so they too can see your website, running advertisements on multiple platforms, etc. Increasing your website’s organic website traffic will enable you to boost revenues and increase your website’s revenue.

How much website traffic do you need to grow your business?

The short answer is that website traffic depends on your website goals. What do you need website traffic for? To increase sales? Grow website subscribers? Get website leads? Attract website investors?

If your website goals are related to increasing business revenue, you should aim to have at least 500-1,000 unique visitors per month for a small business website. If you want to grow website subscribers or attract potential website leads, you can think about starting with 50-100 website visitors per month.

In digital marketing, website traffic plays a huge role in determining success or failure since it’s one of the top three KPIs [key performance indicator]. To plan for future marketing campaigns within a confined budget [include other company factors here], marketers need to know how much they are spending on their customers and what return they can expect from that spend. This means that website traffic plays a huge role in helping buyers generate more sales/leads.

Stress, overwork, burn-out: there are a variety of reasons employees might suffer from poor mental health. In a time where workplaces are more fast-paced than ever, approximately 828,000 workers in the UK have reported work-related stress, depression, or anxiety, and an incredible 17.9 million working days have been lost because of this. On a workplace level, there must be something managers can do. Mylo Kaye suggests why managers should receive mental health training and the positive ways it can impact a workplace.

Good workplace mental health starts at the top. A manager who can understand and support their team’s mental health will catch problems quickly. This lets them run a workplace that has healthy and happy staff who are proud of their work, in turn leading to employee retention.

Prevention is better than needing a cure. Thus, the most important aspect of managerial mental health training, says Mylo Kaye, is that managers will learn to notice signs of mental ill health in the workplace early on. Knowing the warning signs is key, and recognising and resolving poor mental health when it first arises is significantly more helpful than if it is left to grow more debilitating to the employee.

It’s a known fact that people can find talking about their mental health difficult. It’s often hard enough to discuss with close friends and family, let alone work colleagues or superiors. This is where managers can step in. A large part of mental health advocacy is eliminating the stigma that unfortunately still exists when it comes to talking about these matters. When managerial staff can talk openly and intelligently about mental ill health, employees will know it’s okay to follow their lead. A company where there is no shame or fear about discussing mental wellbeing is one where staff are happier and more comfortable in their surroundings.

Along with teaching managers the best ways to be open and honest about mental ill health, managerial mental health training can point leaders in the direction of resources available for staff. The good thing, Mylo Kaye points out, is that these resources can come in all shapes and sizes: advising staff to talk to their GP, recommending a private therapist, or even in-house support systems such as peer groups. Every individual has different needs, and when you know what these are, leaders will be best suited to signpost employees in the appropriate direction.

Speaking of peer groups, the importance of a positive company culture cannot be overstated. Mylo Kaye says that — particularly in a post-pandemic society where many workplaces had staff working from home or on furlough — maintaining a sense of teamship and togetherness is vital. People report that peer support groups build their self esteem and confidence, as well as help them feel less alone. Managers should also consider implementing a mental health policy — the overall vision of the company’s approach to mental health. This can help immensely, as having a strategy and a vision tangibly mapped out not only lets employees see that their wellbeing is being taken seriously, it’s also a roadmap that can be referred to if and when it is needed.

So, what are the practicalities involved? Finding managerial mental health training isn’t hard, says Mylo Kaye. The first step is to research mental health charities that provide this service. Many, like Mind, for example, offer different options to suit each workplace. If staff are still working from home, an eLearning course might be the best choice — it can be hosted on a company’s learning management system. Charities can also offer virtual training that takes place over Zoom, or in-house training which allows you to take control over the time and location, and the trainers will turn up when required. There are plenty of other organisations that provide mental health training for managers, with different pricing options and topics discussed so you can discover the right one for your business’ needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought mental health to the forefront in almost all aspects of life, so it is prudent for workplaces to be aware of how they can work with their staff to support them as best they can. Ultimately, everyone benefits from managerial mental health training. Managers can be assured their staff are appropriately taken care of, while employees receive the assistance and support they might need when living with poor mental health.