Your business is growing, but how can you tell the public and stakeholders that? Making time for social media management and brand awareness is challenging. It is especially true when you need to manage everything from writing blogs and organizing email workflows to creating ad text. This is when you need a public relations (PR) firm, such as Los Angeles Public Relations, to help you.
But are you confused about how much does it cost to hire a PR person? What tips can you use for hiring a reliable PR agency?
Keep scrolling down to find everything you need to know.
PR and marketing often overlap and are intertwined in the modern world, necessitating collaboration. When you hire a PR agency, you can rest assured that your marketing needs are also taken care of.
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines public relations as a strategic communication process that creates relationships between organizations and their audiences that are mutually beneficial.
If you’re at the stage in your business where you need to hire a seasoned PR agency to lead your company to a successful path, the average costs are the first thing that will come to your mind.
Table of Contents
What does a PR agency do for you?
A PR agency handles owned, paid, and earned communications to manage your company’s reputation. Public relations agencies typically manage news releases. A PR agency’s primary objectives are reputation management and brand recognition.
As mentioned above, marketing and public relations tasks sometimes overlap but have different functions and purposes. PR’s fundamental objective is to improve the perception and image of the brand. On the other hand, marketing’s primary objective is to increase the sales.
By coordinating their objectives, marketing and PR can collaborate and align their goals. People could learn about your brand through PR strategies like an organic social media presence, and they might buy from you through marketing strategies like Facebook Ads.
Interestingly, building your reputation and increasing sales are possible when PR and marketing work together on strategic messaging.
Learn in detail what a good PR agency does.
How much does it cost to hire a PR person?
The Holmes Report indicates increased PR agency spending and budgets over the years. PR accounted for 31 percent of the budgets of CMOs and CCOs who were spending more than $100 million, according to their reports.
Nonetheless, budgets decreased to 6 percent for businesses with a budget of between $75m and $100m. And the companies that have budgets between $50m and $75m have seen PR make up 17 percent of their total spending.
Generally, the cost of PR varies according to your required levels of service and location. Usually, PR firms provide a variety of pricing tiers which you need to consider before hiring them. Agencies may bill clients hourly, on a retainer, or by the job.
The price of hiring a PR agency might vary based on the size of the company and the kinds of services you’re looking for, according to Ellie Flanagan, a senior corporate communications manager at HubSpot. The majority of PR firms charge clients hourly. It ensures a set volume of tasks each month.
Many PR agencies offer pricing based on various plans to provide different service levels. Their programs cost anywhere between $2,500 and $7,000. A typical PR program is available for $3,000 to $3,500. Several PR programs are available, with monthly costs ranging from $2,500 to $8,000.
You can choose various pricing structures once you find the PR person or agency that works for you. Remember that a PR firm can be a wonderful addition to your marketing initiatives, increase website traffic, help with reputation management, and raise brand awareness.
What factors may influence the pricing of a Public Relations agency?
The cost to work with a PR agency to promote your brand depends on many factors that include:
Payment Terms
Most companies decide to pay a PR expert on a monthly retainer. This implies that regardless of whether you utilize the services, you pay a certain amount each month; you can buy more hours when needed. When a PR expert is on a retainer, you can count on them to be there for crisis management as needed.
You can also pay a PR agency an hourly or daily rate for some initiatives. This entails preparing for a campaign and event or launching a new product.
Location
Prices may vary based on the company’s location, even though many public affairs specialists work remotely with companies across the USA. Public relations firms with offices in major cities like Los Angeles often charge the national average, whereas professionals in remote areas frequently charge more.
Service Required
The degree of service you require will also impact the cost of employing a public relations agency. Most companies choose a full PR package that includes media relations, crisis management, brand management, and creating and distributing press releases.
You can reduce expenditures by using a PR agency exclusively for particular tasks. For instance, you might drag your press releases internally and rely solely on a PR firm to disseminate them to regional and national media outlets to spread the word.
Tips to hire a PR agency
- Set PR Objectives
- Make A Budget
- Onboard PR Firm
Set PR Objectives
After deciding to employ a PR firm, your next thought may be, “How do I even start?”
Start by identifying your objectives. Provide answers to questions like “How can a PR agency help my company?” and “What do I hope to achieve by working with a PR agency?”
One way to deal with it is to create SMART goals when working with a PR agency. Also, consider what kind of PR agency can assist you in achieving your goals after clearly understanding them.
Make A Budget
Make a budget before looking for PR agencies or people you wish to work with. Think about how much you can afford to invest in your PR efforts. A question like “what percentage of marketing budget can you devote to PR?” should be easy for you to respond to.
- Moreover, to make a budget, you need to:
- Align your business goals with the company’s budget
- Count in hidden marketing and PR costs
- Consider your priorities or SMART goals
- Research PR Agencies
Once you determine how much it costs to hire a PR person, start researching the kind of PR agency you want to work for. Find out about their reputation, testimonials, pricing, social media presence, and other details.
Select the agencies to contact after properly researching all the aspects. Make a list of questions you want to ask before you contact the agency. Make sure you find out about:
- Price
- Experience
- PR Expertise
- Prior successes
- Previous clients
- Testimonials/review
- Meeting with PR Experts
Your next step is to visit various PR agencies armed with your questions. Go through your list of inquiries and gather the data you require to decide. Focus on the people who have worked with similar brands like yours.
Also, determine how flexible and adaptable is the firm or person you wish to hire. Discuss its strategies and tactics for PR, reputation, and crisis management.
Working with adaptable individuals who can thoughtfully discuss your tactics is always simpler. After your meetings, don’t forget to compare your proposals, from price to strategy.
Onboard PR Firm
Going through the onboarding process with a PR agency is the last stage in the hiring process. Determine your primary point of contact and go over your communication objectives with them.
Inquire about “How often can you check in?” and “How will you monitor the outcomes of your work together?”
Knowing what kind of people work in the PR firm can also be great to know the potential of their team.
Is it worth hiring a Public Relations agency?
Employing a public relations agency may be the best course of action for your company if you want to improve your brand image.
The ideal public relations firm, such as Los Angeles Public Relations, serves as a conduit between the media and your brand. The experts are in a great position to connect you with your audience because they are familiar with the requirements of both the media and your company.
The PR expert endeavors to improve brand recognition while enhancing your company’s reputation. They’ll also clean up the mess if a crisis strikes your company, preventing reputational harm.
Summing Up
It is crucial to consider working with a public relations firm as an investment for your company. You’ll get more brand recognition, sales, and inquiries in return for your investment. Choosing the best PR expert is a significant selection for your brand.
Thus, make sure you know how much does it cost to hire a PR to make an informed decision. You can look through the company profiles of those that fit your criteria and read reviews from actual clients.
