How Do You Find the Right PR Agency for You?
If you are a CMO, VP, or founder and stumbled across this blog post, chances are you’re looking to hire a PR agency.
Whether it’s your first time or second, we know the importance of making the right decision. Afterall, this is the start of what hopefully becomes a long, fulfilling relationship!
Thankfully, our team at TaleSplash did all the grunt work so you don’t have to.
As a family-first PR agency, we’ve partnered with innovative companies that are making life easier, healthier and safer in our homes and communities, so we know what key decision-makers at health and wellness companies are looking for when evaluating PR agencies to work with.
We researched the most commonly asked questions VPS, CMOs, and decision-makers are asking and put together a comprehensive guide to help guide your decision.
What Does a PR Agency Actually Do?
First, let’s break down what a modern-day PR agency would actually do for health and wellness brands. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
1. Product Reviews and Gift Guide Pitching
A strategic PR agency gets your products into editors’ hands so you can land in “best of” roundups and gift guides through:
Seasonal outreach
Product requests
Support around launches
What You Gain: “Featured in” recognition, word-of-mouth referrals, and the opportunity to be vetted by industry experts.
2. Thought Leadership
A PR partner can connect you to relevant news cycles and industry conversations so you stay top of mind through:
Proactive pitching
Expert commentary
Podcast interviews
Speaking opportunities
What You Gain: Credibility as an expert, industry recognition, and media relationships.
3. Company Milestones
A PR partner can manage and amplify your key company milestones by tailoring the right approach and orchestrating announcements from start to finish:
Launches
Funding
Partnerships
Leadership changes
What You Gain: Demonstrated momentum, a digital footprint, and stakeholder confidence.
4. Issues & Impact
Whether at the national or local level, a PR partner helps you navigate complex issues like federal policies or community impact programs.
Before engaging with the media, they can help refine your messaging and prepare your spokespeople to show up confidently.
The right strategic PR partner will provide thoughtful guidance as a trusted sounding board to help you navigate complex topics and strengthen audience trust.
What You Gain: Strategic counsel, a sounding board, and stakeholder confidence.
5. Education & Expertise
A PR partner positions you as a go-to expert by leveraging direct access to journalists seeking sources and aligning you with opportunities in real time through:
Daily monitoring
Flagging matches
Facilitating responses
What You Gain: Credibility as an expert, industry recognition, and media relationships.
6. Trends & Style
A PR partner ensures your perspective is part of relevant trend cycles by aligning you with journalists actively seeking lifestyle insights and facilitating real-time opportunities through:
Daily monitoring
Flagging matches
Facilitating responses
What You Gain: Third-party validation, inclusion in trend stories, and media relationships.
Should you hire a PR Agency, In-House, or a Freelancer?
Whether you’re thinking about working with an agency, hiring someone in-house, or bringing on a freelancer, each option comes with different strengths depending on your goals, timeline, and budget.
Here’s a simple breakdown to help you see what might be the best fit for where you are right now.
| Decision Factor | PR Agency | In-House PR | Freelancer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Fit For | Companies seeking a strategic partner and scalable support | Companies wanting full control and deep brand integration | Teams needing flexible, short-term or supplemental support |
| Level of Support | Full team (strategy, media, execution) | One hire or small team | Individual contributor |
| Scalability | Easily scales with business growth | Requires hiring to scale | Limited capacity |
| Time Required From You | Moderate—collaborative partnership (approvals, insights) | High—requires management and team support | Moderate—collaborative partnership (approvals, insights) |
| Cost Structure | Monthly retainer | Salary + benefits + overhead | Typically hourly or project-based |
| Access to Tools | Full suite of PR tools and modern tech stack | Depends on internal investment | Varies |
| Potential Limitations | Dependent on budget | Bandwidth constraints | Dependent on budget |
6 Questions To Ask Before Hiring a PR Agency (Save This)
With so many agencies out there promising results, it’s hard to know what actually matters.
What should you be looking for beyond the pitch deck? How do you tell the difference between a vendor and a true strategic partner?
To make that process a little easier, we put together six questions worth asking before you hire a PR agency.
1. Do they have proven experience with relevant brands?
It’s important that the PR agency you choose works across relevant categories so they understand how the media in your space operates.
If your product touches multiple areas (e.g., healthcare, beauty, or tech-enabled wellness), they should also know how to navigate those adjacent spaces and connect with the right journalists and publications.
A PR agency with decades of experience working with journalists is key. It also helps if they’ve worked with a variety of clients and industries, both relevant to your company and within the categories you have stories to tell.
At TaleSplash, as a team of (mainly) moms, we’re particularly passionate about supporting health, safety, family-focused brands and fellow female founders.
We’ve supported companies across health, AI, tech, and many other industries with expert voices in different trades.
2. How do they engage with the media?
The PR agency you are considering should share specifics about how they work with journalists. If they spam the wrong journalist with irrelevant information, it will hurt your brand too.
As a bonus, ask how they write press materials and pitches in the way that journalists like to consume information.
Here a couple of ways we engage with journalists at TaleSplash:
Real-Time Matchmaking. We leverage AI to match our clients up with journalists who are on tight deadlines and actively seeking expert commentary or products to review.
Smarter Pitching. We keep tabs on who’s covering the news cycles that are relevant for our clients, which is critical given how often journalists move beats and publications.
Ask your PR agency of choice if they factor in the role of SEO and AEO in reporting results, since PR efforts can improve search rankings and more.
3. Who will you actually work with?
With an agency, there’s a full team ready to support you when challenges arise or when your business starts to scale.
Choosing a PR agency instead of a freelancer enables you to tap into a network of diverse skill sets, industry contacts, and experiences which can enrich your PR efforts.
Because you’re going to be true partners, it’s important to get to know the team you’ll be working with. Beyond bios, you can read employee stories which spotlight the people behind the work.
This gives you a real sense of who you’ll be working with day to day and helps build trust early on.
4. Can they work with you to customize measurement?
A strong PR partner should always be thinking about how their work ties back to real business impact. While measuring PR isn’t always a perfect science, there are clear signals that show whether it’s working.
Look for an agency that actively tracks and speaks to metrics like these:
Journalist engagement: Are pitches getting opened? Are journalists responding? Strong open rates and engagement signal that messaging, targeting, and timing are working. If not, a good partner knows how to pivot quickly by adjusting angles, subject lines, and positioning.
Business impact from press coverage: PR should contribute to real outcomes, whether that’s increased brand awareness, inbound leads, partnerships, or even sales. A thoughtful agency will help connect the dots.
SEO + AEO Value: A strong PR partner is not just thinking about traditional SEO, but also how earned media helps position your brand as a trusted source in the age of AEO.
Competitive landscape (share of voice): How do you stack up against others in your category? The right agency will look beyond your brand and analyze the broader media landscape, identifying trends, gaps, and opportunities to increase your share of voice.
Social amplification: Coverage doesn’t stop once it’s published. The right partner will work with you to take that one media hit to turn it into multiple touchpoints across social media by sharing it, repurposing it, and keeping the conversation going.
At the end of the day, you’re looking for a partner who can interpret what’s working, what’s not, and how to continuously refine the strategy.
5. Are they flexible and adaptable?
Assess whether the agency’s work culture reflects the modern workforce.
PR agencies that embrace evolving ways of working are often better equipped to adapt quickly, stay responsive, and deliver more innovative ideas.
At TaleSplash, our flexible, remote workplace isn’t just a perk—it’s a strategic advantage that aligns with the modern workforce and keeps us adaptable as PR needs and industry landscapes shift.
With team members located across the country balancing their personal and professional lives, we are able to communicate with clients in real time while consistently bringing fresh ideas and innovative solutions to the table.
Just as important, we prioritize how we show up as partners:
Persistence:PR takes time. We’re committed to testing, learning, and pivoting as needed to get you the results you’re looking for.
Approachability: We know PR can feel a bit mysterious, so we keep things simple, guide you through the process, and make sure you always feel informed and supported.
Our team allows for real-time communication, seamless collaboration, and access to a broader range of perspectives and expertise.
6. Do they act like a partner or a vendor?
The right PR partner should feel like an extension of your team.
A true partner works with you to customize an approach that’s rooted in your business goals, informed by experience, passion, and connections.
They proactively identify opportunities to position your brand while also responding quickly to inbound media requests.
This dual approach of reactive and proactive pitching ensures your brand not only stays visible, but relevant, too.
The right PR partner will be quick to act on real-time opportunities, making sure you don’t miss moments where your brand can be part of the conversation.
At TaleSplash, we’re our clients’ biggest cheerleaders.
We don't just talk the talk—we walk the walk. We step into our clients’ shoes (literally) by using their products ourselves, gaining firsthand insight into the customer experience.
We’re not just telling stories from the outside—we’re living them, understanding what works, and then actively seeking opportunities to amplify our clients’ products in a way that feels authentic.
How Much Should You Budget for a PR Agency?
One of the most common questions CMOs, VPs, and founders ask is: “How much should I spend on PR?”
While pricing varies by scope, experience, and market, here’s a high-level guide to help you determine the right fit based on budget:
| What’s Your Budget? | Best Fit | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|
| Under $5,000/month | If you’re looking to stay under $5,000/month, your best bet is going to be a freelancer | Ideal for early-stage brands or specific projects. Expect focused support, but limited bandwidth. |
| $5,000 and up/month | If your budget is higher than $5,000/month, you could explore boutique agencies | A strong fit for growing brands that need strategic guidance + consistent execution. More hands-on partnership and industry expertise. |
| $20,000 and up/month | If you’re an established brand with the ability to spend at least $20,000 a month, you could look at larger global agencies | Best for brands looking for a larger team that can support major brand activations. Has the potential for global support from multiple office locations. |
Are You Ready to Hire a PR Agency?
As you’re evaluating PR partners, it’s just as important to evaluate your own readiness, especially if you’re a consumer brand or a health expert.
Think of this as a quick checklist to gut-check whether you’re set up to support PR opportunities as they come in:
For Consumer Product Brands
Are you ready to ship products to journalists across the country for reviews or features?
Do you have the inventory and logistics to support ongoing media requests?
Is your product available for purchase widely? (DTC, Amazon, or major retailers)
For Founders & Health Experts
Are you available to respond to media requests on short notice (sometimes same-day)?
Can you provide clear, credible commentary quickly when opportunities arise?
Are you comfortable being positioned as a go-to expert in your space?
Do you have the time to support:
Interviews
Written Q&As
Follow-ups with journalists
FAQ: Common Questions People Ask Before Hiring a PR Agency
Is PR worth the investment for health and wellness brands?
When done right, PR builds credibility that other channels can’t replicate. For health and wellness brands especially, trust is everything. Earned media acts as third-party validation, helping influence buyers, partners, and even investors.
What is the recommended response time for media inquiries?
Journalists are often working on tight deadlines and may reach out to multiple sources at once, so timely responses can make the difference between being included or passed over. Ideally, experts should respond to media inquiries within a few hours, no later than the same business day. If you’re consistently taking longer than 24 hours, you may miss out on valuable media opportunities.
How do I ensure products arrive safely and on time for media deadlines?
Be prepared and move quickly. Keep extra inventory set aside for PR, use reliable shipping with tracking, and go with expedited options if you’re up against a deadline. It also helps to double-check the journalist’s address and timing before sending anything out. Make sure your packaging is secure (and still looks good when it arrives), and stay in close contact with your PR partner so everything lines up with media timelines.
Where can I find the best PR partner?
You can find PR partners through referrals, LinkedIn, and industry communities like Slack groups or Reddit.
Start by asking peers in your network - strong partners are often recommended. On LinkedIn, look for individuals or agencies consistently sharing insights and engaging in relevant conversations.
A good signal: if the same names keep coming up across different conversations, you’re likely on the right track.
How do I know if a PR agency is a good fit for my health and wellness brand?
A good PR agency should know your category and your customer intimately. In health and wellness, that means knowing how to communicate in a way that feels credible and builds trust, especially when you’re dealing with more sensitive topics.
For example, something like perimenopause or menopause isn’t just another talking point. It requires a thoughtful approach, one that balances education and empathy.
Should I hire a niche PR agency or a global agency?
A niche PR agency can be a great fit if you’re in a highly specific or regulated area like health and wellness. They'll already understand the nuances of your space and can hit the ground running.
A global agency, on the other hand, brings a broader perspective. They can help position your brand across different angles which is especially helpful if your product sits at the intersection of categories or if you’re trying to reach new audiences.
Ready to bring on a PR partner? Book some time with us and let’s make a splash 🌊
