FAQs

Everything you need to know about selecting the right PR agency for your organisation.

How much does a PR agency cost?

Costs for an agency can vary depending on the work being undertaken.
Agency fees are typically made up of the time it takes to deliver a project and the level of expertise required.
Most clients agree a set retained fee with an agency, against which they deliver their activities / campaigns.
An agency can charge as little as £500 a month for support, right up into the 10s of thousands of pounds depending on what is required and who is undertaking the work.

Can a PR agency also manage my social media?

Yes, a PR agency would typically have team members who would focus on ‘organic’ social media i.e. content that is not part of an advertising campaign or a paid for strategy.
Using a PR agency to support you with social media can help align messaging and campaign objectives.

What are the benefits of a PR agency?

PR agencies are useful for several reasons including:
- Adding resource and expertise to internal teams.
- Creativity and new ideas.
- Contacts within the media or wider stakeholder groups.
- Experience in delivering campaigns or targeted projects.

How do I measure the value of a PR agency?

There are several ways to measure the success of a PR agency – these can vary from the media coverage secured, the engagement on social media posts through to the levels of awareness of a business, service or product.
It is often worth setting specific SMART targets that the agency can work towards, however the best campaigns are delivered when agencies and in-house teams work together well.
A crude measurement would also be the cost of the agency against the value it is able to deliver for a client.

What are the best PR agencies in the North West?

The North West of England has several very successful and well regarded PR agencies, however we naturally feel that Source PR is the best due to its results and client retention levels.
When selecting an agency, look at the team that’s delivering your work rather than the overall reputation of the agency.

What is the best PR agency in Chester?

Chester has several successful and well regarded PR agencies.
Source PR is widely regarded as amongst the best due to its award winning campaigns, great people and the fact it’s well established and regarded across the North West.

Should I use a PR agency to help promote my products or services?

Yes, using a PR agency to deliver campaigns or manage your social media outputs is proven to help raise awareness of a business or its services/products.
PR forms part of the marketing mix along with other marketing disciplines – it is however the most effective for building and maintaining reputations as well as awareness of a business, service or product.

What is digital PR?

Digital PR involves activities that aim to secure a company’s stories, messages or activities on a digital platform (websites, news outlets, social media etc).
As the world becomes more digital, PR agencies are meeting the need to take a client’s message onto these platforms so they can get found.
The benefit of digital PR is that the blog, news story or feature can easily link to a client’s website which is beneficial to a reader who may want to find out more or equally through back links that improve a company’s SEO rankings.
The term digital PR evolved as opposed to more traditional PR which relates more to more traditional media outlets such as newspapers, magazines or events.

Can a PR agency help attract more customers to my business?

Using a PR agency can certainly help a company to attract more customers to its business.
Raising awareness and credibility of a product or service will almost certainly lead to more customers.
PR agencies can build your profile and also target new markets.

How can a PR agency build the reputation of my business?

A PR agency can help you build the reputation of a business whether through authoritative articles or sharing of new product developments or features.
Advertising or other paid for activities can also help raise awareness of a business but PR is the best at building a reputation as they are best gained by third party endorsement – working with a PR agency will help achieve this more than any other marketing medium.
A PR agency can also help protect a business when there is an issue or crisis where a company’s reputation can be negatively affected.

Do any PR agencies in the North West offer crisis communications?

Yes, there are several PR companies that offer crisis communications in the North West.
When using a PR company for crisis communications you should work with agencies with a strong track record.
Source PR has significant experience of helping clients with crisis communications, across numerous industries.

Can I use AI to replace my PR agency?

No – AI has some great tools to save time and help with tasks, but AI cannot replace the work of a PR agency.
Lots of people are using AI to assist with tasks like design and copywriting, but human understanding of your business, in person conversations and real life experience mean having a PR agency still has lots of benefits.

What’s the cheapest PR agency in Chester?

All PR agencies charge different fees, depending on their location, area of expertise, size of team and scope of work.
Some PR agencies offer bespoke packages tailored to your specific needs and will work with your budget to build a suitable programme of activity to suit your business and budget.

What’s the most cost effective PR agency to use in the North West?

Most agencies in the North West will vary in fees they offer. While usually bigger firms in city centre agencies offer higher fees, and smaller firms are often more competitively priced, it does depend on other factors, and what support they can offer.

How is technology changing how we use PR agencies?

Technology is changing the way audiences digest news and content, and the way in which companies can generate and publish.
Good PR agencies can navigate the balance between embracing and understanding the latest technology, and keeping a human tone and touch to your PR activity.

What is the difference between SEO, GEO and AIO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) refer to different ways to achieve visibility across search platforms.
SEO focuses on ranking websites for traditional search engine results, while AEO aims to secure content in featured snippets and voice search answers, and GEO optimises content to be trusted and used by AI-powered generative search models.
PR agencies can help explain the best ways for you to use these systems, and will build PR strategies to maximise your exposure.

Should I use a PR agency for content creation?

PR agencies can help with content creation – either through in-house content creators or by working with outsourced experts.
Clients who want good content creation often task a PR agency with managing the process, writing briefs for filming, strategies for distribution and KPIs for measuring deliverables.
Content creation is an increasingly important way of building a strong online presence and modern brand.