How to Save on PR Agency Hourly Rates
Paying for a PR agency is a bit of a chicken and egg conundrum. A business may need media attention to grow, but because PR agencies are so expensive, a small business can’t hire a PR agency until they have grown large enough to afford it.
So, which comes first?
Fortunately, entrepreneurs like you are savvy enough to suspect there must be a way to earn media attention without paying full-price PR agency hourly rates. That’s why you’re here, right?
If that’s true (spoiler: it is!), then you can kick off a PR campaign before your business makes it big time on a budget you can afford.
Let’s explore.
How Much Are PR Agency Hourly Rates?
PR agencies can charge anywhere from $125 to $500 or more per hour. What gets done in that amount of time is another question, and just like the price it will vary agency to agency.
The thing is, a PR campaign can take time before it gets traction. This means that most agencies will want to work with you for a few months, minimum.
For this reason, a lot of agencies will require a multi-month retainer ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 per month for smaller agencies, and can be tens or hundreds of thousands per month at larger agencies.
How Can I Save on PR Agency Hourly Rates?
If you can afford to hire a PR agency, there are many benefits to having a team of professionals getting the word out there for you.
But if these rates aren’t in the budget, you still have options to get great results with boutique PR agencies and freelancers.
Boutique PR Agencies
Boutique PR agencies are small and often very specialized. Because their overhead is less, you can usually get them for a better hourly rate than standard agencies and firms.
PR Freelancers
Many publicists work independently as freelancers. This is a good option if you have a targeted PR campaign that can be run by just one person.
How Can I Avoid PR Agency Hourly Rates?
The secret truth is that you don’t need a PR agency to get PR. Plenty of reporters are open to speaking with you directly, and some even prefer it.
To make it easy, there are a few tools out there to help you connect with the media.
HARO
HARO stands for “Help a Reporter Out.” This is a service where reporters post requests based on what they are currently working on and experts can contact them with answers. If the reporter uses your information or quote, they will also include your name and affiliation.
This type of PR is great for building your authority and thought leadership.
You can sign up for HARO for free to get their newsletter which regularly blasts out requests for experts.
#Journorequest
Journorequest is a similar service, but the hashtag has a life of its own on Twitter. I see this all the time. Journalists will post about what they need, how to contact them, and #journorequest to make it easy to find.
Foundations
Foundations is a course we sell here at fifteen media that teaches the ins and outs of media relations. This is good for businesses that want to reduce their hourly PR agency rate to next to nothing and reap the rewards of a long-term coherent PR strategy.
In this hour-long course, you can learn how the media works and the simple-four-step strategy called The OPEN Method, to put your new knowledge to work.
Like I said before, you don’t need a PR agency to reach out to the media. You really only need to know what the media is looking for and how to communicate with them. Even if it seems difficult at first, after taking the Foundations course you’ll see that it really boils down to writing good emails, to the right people, at the right publication, at the right time.
Check out the Foundations course here to learn the finesse that will save you thousands on PR agency hourly rates.
This way you can get meaningful PR to help you grow, rendering the chicken and egg question moot!