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 PR 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 PR goals ? Here Marsha Friedman, founder of EMSI, a national and local publicity firm , will share her first 5 tips on how to choose the RIGHT PR firm to get your message the media exposure that you desire

1. Find a PR firm that specializes in your industry. "For example," says Friedman ," if you have a technical Business to Business then you should find a national PR firm that specializes in Business to Business . If the PR firm regularly works with companies that are in your industry, they will be familiar with how to communicate your message to the media." In addition to this, they can get writing and pitching pretty fast. "If you choose a national or local PR firm who is unaccustomed to 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 PR 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 public relations 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 PR firms can charge anywhere from $20,000-30,000 per month."

2. Choose a PR firm that specializes in your medium of choice. If you are ready to hire a PR firm, then chances are that you have given a bit of thought as to what medium you want to use. "By the time you are ready to find a public relations firm you should know what medium you want to use to spread your message. It is useful to know that not all PR firms work with all types of media," says Friedman . "A whopping 95% of firms specialize exclusively in print." 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 thePR firm what media that they specialize in!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 a great way to find out how hard the PR firm works for their clients." Also, find out how long the campaign was. "For example, if they show you a PR 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 - beware . "If it took 2 years to get one major media placement, based on the minimum retainer level, you would have paid a massive $72,000 for that one media hit." Sample PR campaigns are a great indicator of the effectiveness, especially the cost effectiveness, of a PR firm's work.

4. Find a pay-for-performance PR firm! The costly monthly retainer can put a crunch on your finances, so it is good to know that there are other options out there. Friedman says, "There are a handful of PR firms out there that get paid based on their the media attention the they actually obtain for their clients . My PR firm is one of these and it really works for our clients . The reason is that they only pay for the media exposure that my PR firm actually obtains for them. So instead of paying a monthly fee, they pay for the results that my PR firm obtains for them." By choosing a non-retainer based firm you are truly making your PR firm put their money where their mouth is!

5. Speak to the PR firm's clients. When you are choosing a national PR 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 PR firm's clients what sort of radio, TV and print exposure they received and how long it took for the PR firm to obtain it for them. Friedman adds, "Great questions to ask are; How well did the PR firm's staff interact with them? Did they seem interested in the campaign? Did the pitches and press releases communicate your message? These answers will give you valuable insight as to how the PR firm will handle your campaign."

There you have it ! The first five tips on how to choose the right PR 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 PR expert Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without costly monthly retainers .

Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations for nearly two decades as CEO of Event Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to receive her free Ebook "How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest" visit http://www.emsincorporated.com.