PR agencies in Amsterdam: how to make the right choice?

PR agencies in Amsterdam: what do they do?

What PR agencies do in Amsterdam? Well, Amsterdam is the New York of the low countries. The number of entrepreneurs, companies, BN'ers and influencers is greater here than anywhere else in the Netherlands. And where these people are, there is news to be found. News that needs to be spread. If you are based in the busy city as a PR agency, your client can easily reach you, because they (often) live and/or work here anyway! PR agencies in Amsterdam are therefore not only located here for the prestige that the city brings them, but with the idea: where there is demand, there is supply.

but what do public relations agencies engage in?

It varies. It depends on the expertise of the agency. We'll talk about that later in this blog. But what PR agencies generally deal with does correspond: they make sure that you get media coverage in the right way. This can be done in many different ways, including:

• Writing press releases
• Maintain and create media relations for your organization
• Giving media training
• Conduct crisis management
• Schedule events
• Creating PR campaigns

Here are the 7 tips to help you find your PR agency in Amsterdam.

1. what do you want to get out of it?

It is important to have your goals clear. Not only for yourself, but also for a public relations agency. What do you want to get out of the partnership? If you want to publicize a business acquisition, you mainly want to avoid confusion. Your goal here is not to generate new customers, but to retain existing ones.

Therefore, to determine the content of your collaboration, it is useful to set SMART goals in advance. These are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic and Time-bound. Set these before you approach a public relations agency. That way, you can engage in a conversation about achieving these goals and adjust them if necessary.

In addition to knowing what you want to achieve, transparency is key. By being open with the public relations agency, they can help you better. That way, neither party will have any surprises afterwards.

2. budget

Set a budget in advance that you can work with while negotiating. What percentage of your budget can you spend on PR? Because there are many PR agencies in Amsterdam, you can ask for multiple quotes. This way you will know what realistic prices are for your project. Make sure the agency is good value for money. Weigh the price based on the hours they contribute and what their expertise adds.

Align your created SMART goals with your budget. Be realistic: can the goals be achieved with the budget you have cleared? Also, always consider unforeseen costs.

You can choose to enter into a long-term partnership with a public relations agency, or you can have one-time assignments done. There is a chance that a long-term cooperation is more advantageous, provided there are enough PR opportunities. Yet another reason to carefully map out your budget in advance.

3. start-up or big name

We often immediately think of big names and established companies when we need something. Logically, these have the most online visibility and customer recommendations. But you then pay extra for the name in most cases.

Choosing the most established public relations agency in Amsterdam comes with several advantages. They have a lot of experience, more name recognition than a start-up and probably more resources.

Choosing a start-up, on the other hand, also has several advantages. They may have less experience than the established PR agency in Amsterdam, but they have a lot of fresh energy to work for you anyway. After all, for start-ups, the stakes are often higher. They are new to the scene and are looking for opportunities. What is the right choice for your organization is ultimately up to your goals and budget.

4. expertise

Many PR agencies in Amsterdam have their own expertise. For example, they specialize in a specific industry and/or sector and offer matching services. Their expertise often also lies in a particular working method. At nxt agency, for example, we focus on the B2B sector. Our expertise is thought leadership. We help your organization give your expertise the attention it deserves. We do this through PR and content marketing.

When looking for your PR agency in Amsterdam, do some good research on the people behind the organization. What have they done so far? Who are their clients? Find reviews and ask for client references. Talk to different employees of the organization if possible. Also see what their online visibility is like. On what channels are they present and what kind of content are they sharing?

Other questions you can explore include:

• Do their services fit your SMART goals?
• How do you expect the public relations agency to support you?
• In what media can public relations agencies successfully gain attention?

5. prepare your questions

If all goes well, you now know what your organization wants. You have researched public relations agencies in Amsterdam and know which one suits your organization. Now you can start approaching them. Prepare carefully what you want to find out before you start the conversation. Consider the points we just covered: price, testimonials, existing clients and whether they can meet your SMART goals.

6. are they listening?

Often PR agencies are very good at communicating. They know how to convince you; after all, this is part of their job. And this is not a bad thing. After all, if you engage with a PR agency, you want them to know how to convince the media. But equally important is that they are good at If they often extol themselves, that can be a bad omen. The same is true if they don't follow through and only let you do the talking. It's really about finding a healthy balance; the conversation should be an engaged discussion.

7. what is the corporate culture like?

When you engage with agencies, you want there to be a click. Not only between you and the agency, but also with the employees they will be working with. Get to know the employees of the public relations agency and find out if they will get along well with your team. At the very least, get your marketing and communications staff acquainted with them.

The public relations agency should represent the values you care about. They should be professional and passionate. How do they present themselves on social media channels? This often says a lot about the company culture.

You see more and more organizations giving behind-the-scenes looks. We at nxt agency can be found on various media channels ourselves. Take a look at our Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok and find out if we are a fit for you and your B2B organization.