Regardless of company size or industry, public relations is critical to your long-term success.

While no two people define public relations in the exact same way, here’s how the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines it:

Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.

Of course, building and maintaining these relationships is easier said than done.

If you’re new to the world of public relations, there are a nearly unlimited number of questions to ask and answer. Here are 10 that deserve your immediate attention:

• Will you manage your public relations strategy internally or hire an experienced firm to assist you?
• What are your public relations goals, both short and long-term?
• Do you or anyone in your company have experience with the many aspect of public relations?
• Are you familiar with public relations best practices?
• Are you familiar with the positive impact public relations can have on your business?
• What types of public relations services are you most interested in? What do you need to help your business succeed?
• What are other companies in your space doing in regards to public relations?
• Is public relations the same as advertising?
• Is social media a good replacement for traditional media?
• What’s the best way to measure public relations results?

While these are among the most important questions to answer about your public and media relations strategy, don’t stop here. As you address these questions, you’re likely to add more to your list.

Should all of this sound too confusing or time consuming, it’s time to consider the benefits of hiring a public relations firm to manage everything on your behalf.

When you do this, you know you’ll have a professional providing you with guidance every step of the way — and that is sure to put your mind at ease.