How to Find a PR Agency

You might think that with almost 6,000 UK PR agencies out there, it’s easy to find one that’s right for you. But we know this just isn’t the case. With so many PR agencies to choose from, all seeming to offer slightly different things, the choice can be overwhelming. It’s hard to compare like with like. As a result, the chance of finding the perfect agency feels slim.

And annoyingly for companies and brands – if you choose the wrong PR agency, it’s not just precious budget that’s wasted. Opportunities can be lost, time wasted and the Board’s confidence in PR can become undermined.

So how do you avoid this, how do you find a good PR agency?

Every business is different. So, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. But lucky for you, there are some good go-tos to guide your search.

• Ask your contacts – Talk to colleagues and contacts you trust. Having a recommendation from someone you know and rate, immediately establishes some trust. You’ll still need to do the due diligence, but word of mouth and personal referrals are a great place to start.
• Google – It might be a simple suggestion, but Google is your friend here. You can be open-ended in your search (PR Agency), or you can be hyper-specific (PR agency specialising in renewable tech), either way Google will give you results to explore further. It is always worth selecting a few agencies to speak to, and not just the ones with big ad budgets that can pay to come top in your search. Look for the ones that are there on merit.
• Go local – In a similar vein, you can search for ‘best PR agency in location’ and you will be presented with agencies in your area. But remember you are cutting out a huge proportion of excellent PR companies just because they are outside your catchment area with this approach.
• Search on social – Using social media you can ask for recommendations from followers or other contacts. Of course you can scout out potential agencies too. When looking at a PR agency’s social media activity ask yourself: How active are they? How do they use their platforms? What content are they creating? Does it resonate with you and your business? Do you get a sense of their expertise and personality? Do you like what you see?
• Crowdsource expertise – If you belong to a Chamber of Commerce or networking groups, check out the fellow members. Are there any that specialise in public relations? They would be worth including in the mix.
• Aspire for greatness – Do you have any companies or brands that you admire? Do you like their creativity, sense of purpose, enjoy their news/socials or are you simply seeing them at every turn? Find out who does their PR and get in touch. If they can do a great job for someone you like, they may be able to do the same for you.

So, you have cast the net far and wide, and are starting to whittle down the number of agencies you think might fit with your brand. But how do you differentiate them? Now you need to understand how to spot those that are worth investigating further, and the one you should work with.

Choosing the right PR agency is so important. It can be the difference between success and failure. You need the chemistry to be right, they need to align with your team and your business objectives, they need to offer the right mix of services, balanced and objective views, and most importantly be experts at what they do.

You don’t want too many agencies on your final list to invite to pitch. Not only will you not be able to give each enough attention, but the good ones might feel it isn’t worth their time.

They should be happy to discuss rates and budgets openly, and they should be asking lots of questions about your business, its audiences, and its goals. If they aren’t, how can they gauge how they can help you?

You also need to be prepared to brief the agencies and be very clear on what you expect and by when. You have to give everyone a fair chance of succeeding. Only then will you be able to tell who matches your needs, ambition, values, and culture.

Remember, a good working relationship is when an agency feels like an extension of your team. If you have this, they’re the right agency for you.