Here’s the gist of how to hire a PR agency:

• You can hire a PR agency anytime, but certain milestones or challenges can signal it’s the right time.
• Before reaching out, have a clear understanding of your project, desired outcomes, and budget range.
• You can launch the process by requesting a quick estimate, Scope of Work, or Request for Proposal (RFP).
• You should expect collaboration, integration, clear communication, and—most importantly—results.
• Plus, download a free list of questions to ask before you start the process of hiring a PR agency.

Hiring a public relations agency can be a game-changer for building your reputation, gaining exposure, or responding to crisis. If you’ve wondered how to hire a PR agency, these insights will help bring some clarity to the process.

Before we get into it, a note on how industry terminology has evolved: These days, the lines between marketing communication, public relations (PR), and integrated communication are more blurred than ever, so you may hear these terms used somewhat interchangeably. PR was once solely about managing a brand’s image and building media relationships. Marketing communication, on the other hand, focuses on driving engagement and sales through ads and promotions. The term integrated communication now brings everything under one cohesive strategy, keeping messaging consistent across all channels.

What Does a PR/Communications Agency Do?

PR agencies specialize in shaping how the public views a brand. We help clients identify their important target audiences and the best ways to communicate with them. Agencies also handle media outreach, strategy, messaging, crisis management, and event planning. We also create content, build thought leadership, develop social media strategies, and more.

By aligning your communication strategy with organizational goals and target audiences, hiring a PR agency can help you enhance your brand reputation and convey your message consistently, effectively, and efficiently.

When Should You Consider Hiring a PR Agency?

You can hire a communications firm anytime. There are, however, certain milestones or challenges that signal it’s the right time to pull in outside support:

When you’re growing or launching a new program or service:

Rapid growth or launching new programs or services requires building brand awareness and excitement, which communications agencies excel at. We can develop targeted campaigns across multiple platforms to help you reach potential customers effectively.

When in-house communications support is limited (or non-existent):

Small teams or those with limited time and expertise can struggle with the demands of a proactive communications strategy—especially when they’re already wearing multiple organizational hats. Partnering with an agency allows you to tap into experienced PR and integrated communications professionals. They can take the lead on messaging, media outreach, overall strategy, and success tracking with great efficiency.

When you need to establish or enhance organizational credibility:

Earned media coverage, the publicity your business gets from organic sources, is a highly valuable third-party endorsement of your work. Communications agencies have cultivated relationships with journalists, influencers, and media outlets that can be invaluable in amplifying your message. These connections can open doors to media coverage that could be time-intensive to secure otherwise.

When you need consistent messaging:

An agency can develop and fine-tune your messaging to ensure consistency across all channels, from press releases and social media to marketing materials. We create a cohesive voice that reinforces your brand identity and strengthens your connection with your audience.

When you need a thought partner:

Beyond just executing tactics, a skilled communications partner works with you to understand your goals, challenges, and unique brand voice, offering guidance grounded in experience and market knowledge. They can be there to answer questions, be a sounding board, and help you take ideas to the next level.

When you’re rebranding:

A PR firm can develop strategy to garner positive coverage of the rebrand, coordinating news releases, interviews with key executives, and more. We can also help develop content around the rebrand, highlighting the benefits of the change cohesively across platforms.

When you’re managing a PR crisis:

A communications firm can help control the narrative during a crisis, ensuring your message is clear and positive and reaches the right audiences quickly. Skilled PR teams can help you avoid potential missteps and guide the process with expert crisis management strategies.

Finding the Right PR Agency

As with any successful partnership, choosing the right PR agency requires research. Ask friends and colleagues for referrals. Consider key factors like the agency’s industry experience, range of services, and whether its company culture is aligned with yours. Reviewing the firm’s website, social media channels, and case studies is helpful to see how the team has handled similar projects. Look at additional services the agency provides to gauge whether they could become a one-stop shop for future needs.

Many organizations also benefit from an introductory meeting to gauge how the agency approaches strategy and collaboration. Remember, in initial conversations, the agency is interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. Before reaching out, have a clear understanding of your project and what success looks like—and know your budget range. Some agencies have minimum budget requirements to ensure they can dedicate the necessary resources and deliver optimal results.

So, do you think you’re ready to engage an agency? What kinds of questions will you ask to figure out the best fit? Click here for a free downloadable list of questions to consider before you initiate the process.

What Does the Process of Hiring a PR Agency Entail?

Agencies can be hired in a few ways depending on your needs: by the hour, retainer, or project. Once you have clearly defined your project, desired outcomes and deliverables, and budget range, it’s time to reach out to the agencies on your shortlist and start a conversation.

After you hold an informal introductory meeting with prospective agency partners, there are a few ways you can officially kick off the engagement:

• If your budget is limited or you need a fast turnaround, ask the agencies to provide a quick estimate. After your initial meeting, assemble a list of your needs and share it with the agency. They may respond with questions before they can finalize the estimate.
• Ask the agencies to create a Scope of Work. This is typically a formal, detailed description of their approach, tasks, deliverables, and a recommended budget for your project or year-long engagement.
• Create and issue a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) to the agencies you feel strongly about. Though its practicality is debated, the RFP process is designed to create an apples-to-apples comparison of participating agencies. It is often used in the public sector and non-profit industries or for large, complex projects. Agencies are typically required to put together a detailed proposal based on the organization’s specific criteria. If the agency advances, they meet to present their proposal to the client.

The best agencies will provide a personalized approach with the information you need to make a decision.

What to Expect After the Introductory Meetings

Once you receive the proposal or scopes of work from the agencies, the next step is to carefully review them and prepare for follow-up meetings. These meetings are essential for clarifying any questions, discussing the proposed approach, and refining the scope and deliverables to better align with your organization’s goals. At this juncture, you’ll have the opportunity to address any concerns, suggest adjustments, and ensure that all aspects of the work make practical and strategic sense. With a refined scope in place, you’ll then be positioned to make final decisions on moving forward with confidence.

It is important to offer feedback to the agencies you don’t choose. A good agency will always be interested in constructive feedback, and it never hurts to stay in touch. The participating agency absorbs the cost to creating the proposals, and your insights are valuable to improving what we offer to future clients.

What Should You Expect From Working with a PR Agency?

Collaboration

When you start working with a PR agency, there’s usually an onboarding phase. During this time, the agency will set priorities, develop a plan, establish key messaging, and determine approval processes. Your partnership and collaboration throughout the project are crucial. No one knows your organization quite like you; we will always need (and want!) your collaboration and timely approval.

Integration

Let’s return to that note in our intro about evolving industry terminology. With digital platforms shaping how people get their information today, PR and marketing work best when connected (or integrated). When you hire a PR firm, you can expect their work to integrate well with existing marketing efforts by amplifying brand messaging across earned, owned, and shared channels.

If we picture the sales funnel of the consumer journey, PR is considered a top-of-funnel activity. It lays the groundwork for marketing to be more effective by generating awareness and cultivating trust through media coverage and compelling storytelling. This is the end game of effective integrated PR and marketing communication: to create a unified, impactful brand presence to reach audiences from multiple angles and turn more prospects into customers or supporters.

Open Communication

Most agencies provide regular reports and updates on campaign performance, so you’ll always have clear insight into their progress. A firm should also help you maintain open communication with your board or executive leadership by articulating PR wins clearly and managing expectations when necessary.

Results

To measure PR success, quantitative metrics like media impressions, social media engagement, and website traffic are valuable—but don’t overlook qualitative indicators. Improved brand reputation, stronger relationships with media, and better alignment with your audience’s needs all point to a successful partnership with your agency.

Hiring a PR and integrated communications agency can transform your brand, helping you navigate challenges and seize opportunities. To learn more, reach out to our team today!