You’ve engaged a PR agency to help tell your story, build visibility, and support your business goals. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to optimize an existing partnership, understanding how to make PR truly effective is key. Success in PR doesn’t just depend on the agency, it also hinges on how you (the client) show up, collaborate, and contribute to the process.
This guide is designed to help you get the most out of your PR investment by showing up as a strong, strategic partner. Because when both sides are aligned, PR becomes one of the most powerful tools in your growth toolkit.
Understand What PR Is (and Isn’t)
PR can:
- Build reputation and brand trust
- Position you as an industry leader
- Drive investor interest and strategic partnerships
- Create momentum ahead of major company milestones
PR can’t:
- Guarantee media coverage (editors don’t take orders)
- Deliver ROI in a vacuum (PR must work with your broader strategy)
Show Up as a Strategic Partner, Not Just a Payer
A PR agency is more than just a vendor, they’re a strategic partner, a trusted voice for your brand, and a key representative in the media. To get the best results, it’s important to bring your agency in as an extension of your leadership team. When PR teams are fully integrated and empowered with the right context, they can do their best work through crafting narratives, spotting opportunities, and helping you show up in the media with clarity and impact.
Communicate Like It’s a Two-Way Street (Because It Is)
As noted in "Your PR Agency Isn’t Working," communication breakdowns are an early sign things are off-track. But that goes both ways. The best client-agency relationships are defined by open, frequent, and frictionless communication.
That’s why timely feedback is so important. Responding promptly to media requests, staying mindful of deadlines, and voicing questions or concerns all help keep communication flowing smoothly and sets the entire team up for success.
Own Your Narrative And Be Open to Evolving It
You may have a compelling story in mind, but translating that story into something that resonates with the media and broader audiences often requires refinement. Great PR involves shaping your narrative in a way that connects with internal stakeholders and the outside world in a meaningful and timely way.
Bringing a clear point of view, inviting feedback, knowing your unique value, and understanding that PR is about what’s newsworthy (not just what’s important to your brand) will help your story land more effectively with the media and resonate with the audiences that matter most.
Define and Revisit What Success Looks Like
Misaligned expectations are one of the most common reasons PR efforts fall short. You might be aiming for top-tier headlines, while your agency is focused on building credibility in niche markets. Both approaches can be valid but without alignment, neither will deliver. Successful clients define clear goals from the start, set realistic timelines, track both qualitative and quantitative results, and stay actively involved in measuring progress.
Ready to be the kind of client that gets results? Whether you’re hiring your first agency or looking for a strategic reset, we can help.
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