So Ian Wright reckons Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard should move on at the end of the season and link up with former team-mate Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid.

I suspect Gerrard will move on when the season finishes, and it will disappoint me to see Stevie G – our very own Captain Marvel– go; however, I’ve seen it coming. Watching his form dip this year I’ve sensed he hasn’t had the same spark as in previous seasons. Gerrard’s look of utter dejection when Fernando Torres was substituted with over 20 minutes to play on Sunday against Birmingham City really suggested he’s lost his faith in manager Rafa Benitez and possibly the Liverpool cause. So the June transfer window could be a case of “Thanks for the memories and Good luck elsewhere!”

Is Your PR Agency Delivering?

Even the best partnerships go stale eventually– even if you have a lot of respect for each other.
And whilst your ties with your PR agency might not as be as emotional as Liverpool fans’ affection for Gerrard, every relationship should be scrutinised from time to time. Especially when business is concerned.

Traditionally, PR agencies have earned their money getting media outlets to cover your business, handling promotion, media relations, crisis management, and a whole host of communications activities.

Whilst many PR agencies have years of extremely meaningful and valuable off-line experience that’s still of value, it’s not so evident how adept many are at coping with online communications, PR and social media.

Pick Your PR Agency with Care

Before you start looking for an outside company, make sure you clearly define your PR objectives. If you’re looking for an agency with online skills, and are unsure how to evaluate, there are a number of factors to look at.

For starters, ask lots of questions about online skills, targets reached, social media campaign, etc. Certainly don’t be swayed by just one person. Agencies are well aware that the net is incredibly important and most have someone who can give you the hard sell. But don’t be bamboozled by a brilliant sales person or project manager. You should ask to evaluate the team that’s likely to work with you.

For example, ask for links to Twitter accounts, examples of Facebook Pages, blogs, etc. It doesn’t have to be agency work; a personal presence on these channels is okay.

Remember, having 30,000 followers isn’t a sign itself that an agency or PR person gets social media. But you should be able to get an idea of the kind of work they’re doing with, say, Twitter by looking at their stream.

Evaluate with Grading Tools

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