By: John Bowes, Senior Account Manager
“Hang on, I thought you said ‘non-paid-for’ coverage – what’s this bill for?”
OK, maybe that’s a bit of an unfair caricature of a client unfamiliar with how PR works. However, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing it’s a low-cost way to get your business noticed compared with paying for advertising space.
The reality is that securing editorial coverage takes a serious investment of both time and money. You might not be buying a big display ad or a TV commercial campaign, but you’ll need to create engaging content — whether it’s news releases, longer-form pieces of thought-leadership content, videos, or design work — which all takes effort and resources. And you need someone skilled enough to pitch that content to editors and journalists and to follow up to ensure it gets placed where it will be noticed.
So how much should I spend on PR?
That really depends on how you go about it, and what kind of results you’re looking for.
At the lowest-budget end of the scale, you might be tempted to do it yourself, especially if you’re running a smaller business.
This can seem like an easy way to save money, but there are a couple of important factors to consider. First, do you have the time to do it right? PR is a job in itself, and balancing it with running your business can be a challenge. Second, do you have the right skills to get the media interested in your stories? PR isn’t just about knowing your product; it’s about understanding the media landscape and how to communicate in a way that gets attention.
Hiring an in-house PR person is another option, but it’s not cheap. You’ll need to budget for a full salary plus benefits like national insurance, pensions, and additional costs like media database subscriptions. When all is said and done, you could easily be looking at £100,000 or more each year even to keep a relatively modest PR programme going.
Plus, while an in-house PR person will – in time – get to know your business inside and out, there are downsides too. You’ll need to manage them to make sure they’re consistently delivering results and if they leave, you’re stuck going through the hiring and training process all over again.
This is where PR agencies and freelancers come in. Agencies are, broadly speaking, more expensive than freelancers because they offer a wider range of expertise. You’re not just getting one person’s knowledge — you’re getting access to a team of professionals, each with their own specialties.
This can be particularly valuable if you need support for complex or large-scale campaigns. However, freelancers can be a great option if you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution, though more experienced practitioners will tend to come with higher price tags.
If you’re planning a short-term or high-intensity PR campaign, working with an agency or freelancer often makes the most sense. They provide the flexibility and continuity you need, and you don’t have to worry as much about what happens if someone on your team goes on holiday or falls ill.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need to budget for additional expenses like professional photography, video production, and graphic design. These elements can make or break a campaign.
All told, an entry-level PR budget starts around £30,000 annually. Investing at this basic level should buy you a presence in the media with a basic press-office function supported by a couple of pieces of content per month.
Building a more robust pipeline of content, stepping up levels of activity in proactive media relations, conducting proprietary research to drive news value and adding in functions like a social-media presence, trade event support, award entries and broader stakeholder relations could easily see this budget increase five-fold.
Start with the ‘why’
If you're new to PR or considering giving it a go as part of your marketing efforts, the crucial first step is to be clear about exactly what you want to achieve, and know from the outset that a significant investment of time and skilled resources will likely be needed to make it happen.
When done right, PR can deliver more bang-per-buck than any other way of marketing a business, but it’s important to be realistic. PR can’t magically make your brand a household name overnight. It's about establishing relationships, telling your story, and getting your brand in front of the right audiences. Expect gradual gains in visibility and reputation, rather than dramatic, immediate results.
In short, even a modest PR budget can deliver results if managed wisely. But success hinges on having a clear strategy and reasonable expectations. The right PR partner will guide you through this process, helping you maximise your budget and build a strong, lasting brand presence that will be worth much more than what you spend.
If you'd like to discuss how we can help you maximise the return on your PR investment, reach out to our friendly team on hello@thejargongroup.com.