What Does A UK Public Relations Agency Really Cost?

• What is PR
• Does my company need a PR agency
• Do I need to work with a larger agency to get results
• What should I expect from a PR agency
• How much will a PR agency cost per month
• Aura PR pricing
• About Aura PR

If you’ve ever thought of hiring a UK Public Relations agency to get your business noticed you might, understandably, be nervous. After all, we’ve all heard of agencies that charge £40,000 or more per year as a minimum. That’s a hefty amount that is far out of reach for many businesses.

Here’s the good news, it doesn’t have to be this way. How much you need to spend on your PR and communications budget all depends on your business objectives and the agency you work with.

In this guide, we explain what to look for when working with a PR agency and, most importantly, give you an idea of how much it will cost you to work with Aura PR.

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What is PR?

Before we dive into the numbers, let’s take a quick step back and understand what PR really is.

PR is an area that’s often overlooked, mainly because it tends to get bundled in with marketing and comms. Although they should work together in harmony, PR has its own important role when it comes to getting your business noticed.

PR is not only about firing off a few press releases and hoping for the best. At its core, PR is about managing public perception, understanding your target audiences, and controlling how the media see your brand.

Let’s face it, as soon as your business steps out into the world, eyes are on you, and it’s PR’s role to make sure you look your best.

PR is about crafting stories that resonate, building buzz around your products or services, and positioning your brand as a trusted voice in your industry. Whether that’s securing top-tier media coverage, managing your online presence, or navigating potential issues that could harm your brand. A good PR agency does the heavy lifting and helps keep your reputation intact and your brand front and centre.

To give you a good example, imagine you’re throwing a party. PR’s the one who welcomes guests at the door, chats to everyone, and keeps the vibe warm and positive, even if the playlist’s a little mid!

Does my company need a UK Public Relations agency?

To answer this, you need to think hard about where you want to go with your business. If you feel like word of mouth, a bit of organic growth, and social media content is enough to keep things ticking over, then probably not.

But if you’re ready to push things to a whole new level, raise your profile, prepare for product launches, stand out from the crowd, and land media coverage, then yes, a UK Public Relations agency can be a game-changer.

Remember how we said that PR often gets bundled up with marketing and comms? It might help if you understand what role each one plays to then work out which one is best for you:

Do I need to work with a larger agency to get results?

Within the UK, you can find PR agencies of all sizes and experience and their costs are usually based on the size of the agency and the type of campaigns they handle.

There are PR agencies that are extremely experienced in handling large accounts and delivering campaigns that deliver a big bang. Think of FTSE100 companies and brands that are commonplace in every household. They will have a big team of experts working in-house, and as a result, they are usually the agencies that cost the big bucks.

On the other hand, smaller agencies still have all the industry expertise of the larger companies, but usually with lower overheads. Typically, their average cost is lower – good news for your business. However, don’t think they can’t offer a high level of service like the big players. One big advantage of a boutique PR agency is the links they have within the industry. For example, here are Aura PR we are PR and communications pros, but we also work with incredibly skilled SEO, video, graphic design, digital and fractional marketing experts to ensure we offer you the full package.

What should I expect from a PR agency?

Deciding to work with a PR agency is an investment for your business, so it makes sense to understand what to expect. Let’s be honest, this company is protecting your reputations, so you want to get it right.

Of course, every PR agency is different but here are some things you should expect:

🏢What’s their area of expertise

Firstly, it’s important to note that every PR agency is different, and finding one that is right for you will depend on a number of key factors:

1. Who are your customers? If you’re working in B2B then you’ll need one type of agency while B2C requires a whole different approach.
   
   
2. What’s your industry? It sounds obvious but different industries have different requirements. Have a look at agencies who have worked in similar fields to your business, after all a B2B working within manufacturing might not want to work in a high-end fashion B2C industry.
   
   
3. What is their approach? Although we said that agencies can specialise in particular industries, don’t be afraid to approach an agency who hasn’t worked in your industry. One important factor about PR is that you shouldn’t be afraid to push boundaries and an agency new to your industry might bring something different. Take a look at past clients and see how they approached their work – is that something you’d like for your business?

📜A proven track record

Secondly, ask to see examples of their previous work and case studies from businesses similar to yours. You’ll want to see how they’ve helped others hit their PR and marketing goals and some real stats to prove it actually worked. A friendly PR agency won’t shy away from this. In fact, they’ll be more than happy to share their success stories. After all, they’ll want to show off what they’ve achieved.

Last of all, don’t be afraid to ask for client testimonials or even references. It’ll give you a better idea of how they work and the results they deliver.

🔁Flexibility is Key

Every great PR agency knows that one size doesn’t fit all. They’ll offer flexibility in their range of services, allowing you to choose what works best for your business, whether it’s just social media support or a full-scale PR campaign. You should be able to mix and match the services that suit your needs and PR and marketing budget.

💛Knowing your business?

How can your PR agency truly promote your brand if they don’t understand you? Make sure your PR agency is working hard to find out everything about your business. They should ask lots of questions to find out what makes your business tick, why customers buy from you and what potential customers are looking for? That way, they can tailor their strategy to your needs and effectively tell your story on your behalf.

🔍They’ll do their research

A PR agency should never just skim the surface. Instead, to earn their money, they should be diving deep into your industry, staying on top of what’s happening and know exactly who’s saying what. They’ll also be sniffing around your competitors – just so you can stay ahead of the pack. This is a task they should constantly be working on.

We’ll be honest, us PR agencies are a nosey bunch. Expect us to pop up EVERYWHERE and ANYWHERE to get our hands on the top industry insights and latest trends!

🗨️It’s good to talk

When hiring an agency, you need reassurances that your money is well-spent. You should have a nominated account manager who is working with you to drive PR activity and explore new opportunities. When working on any campaigns you should regularly be informed on progress and, of course, before sending anything out into the world they should check in with you. If your PR agency is being noticeably absent, it might be time to change. 

🎥Strong media relationships

PR is all about who you know, and a good agency has the right contacts. From top-tier media outlets to national journalists, they’ve built lots of different relationships that can open doors you might not even know exist.

Having those connections means your story is way more likely to land in the right places. That’s because they’ll know exactly how to pitch your story to grab their attention and write a press release that actually gets read (and not just deleted).

💡They’re creative (not vanilla)

Can they bring creativity and new ideas to the table? Are they able to think outside the box? This is the secret sauce that’ll make your story stand out. They won’t just follow the herd. Instead, they’ll do what they can to find new angles and create scroll-stopping content that yells “LOOK AT ME!”.

📊Reporting is everything

Finally, if a PR agency cannot demonstrate its true value, keep looking. A PR agency should be transparent and keep you updated on your campaigns. Do you get monthly reporting so that you are confident about progress? It’s also important that they’re available and responsive when you need them. Being able to ask questions and have regular catchups will help ensure that you’re both on the same page.

How much will a PR agency cost per month?

Most businesses have no idea how much to budget for their PR, but there is a basic figure you can follow. The golden rule of thumb is that you should spend between 8% and 10% of your annual turnover on marketing and PR activity.

So how does that break down into a monthly figure? Again, there are no hard and fast figures and it does depend largely on your business strategy and how quickly you’re looking to build awareness of your brand. Within the UK, you’ll typically find that most average monthly retainer packages for a UK public relations agency cost from £1,500 and £2,000 per month, although this can go up significantly for larger or London-based agencies.

It’s always worth contacting a few PR agencies to find out what they will charge, what they will deliver and how they will demonstrate results.

Bear in mind that working with a UK Public Relations agency should not be seen as a quick fix solution. Although your agency will be working hard in the background it can take weeks or even months to get the results you’re hoping for. If you’re looking for a long-term PR result, you should give your agency at least six months to demonstrate how they’ve made a difference.

Aura PR pricing

So, what do you get for your money? Well, we can’t speak for everyone else, but here at Aura PR, as a micro-agency, we always aim to deliver real value for money.

Service	Social Media Package	Digital Media Package	The Full Package
Dedicated Account Manager	✔	✔	✔
Account Analysis	✔	✔	✔
Social Strategy & Management	✔	✔	✔
Social Content Creation	✔	✔	✔
Basic Graphic Creation	✔	✔	✔
Daily Monitoring	✔	✔	✔
Monthly Reporting	✔	✔	✔
Review Digital Channels		✔	✔
Digital Strategy & Management		✔	✔
Digital Content Creation		✔	✔
Blog Post Creation		✔	✔
SEO		✔	✔
Public relations strategy			✔
Media Research			✔
Media Outreach			✔
PR crisis management			✔
Press Release Writing and Placement			✔
Package Price	From £800 + VAT per month	From £1,600 + VAT per month	From £2,500 + VAT per month

Of course, these packages aren’t fixed. Every company is different, and so are your requirements. You might have a marketing team in place who are only looking for support on PR and award writing, and we are happy to work with you on an ad-hoc basis.

Alternatively, you might not have an in-house team but want to develop a website, blogs, and a social media profile. For this type of work we’d recommend a monthly retainer for at least six months.

Whatever your requirements, we like to think of our services as a ‘pick n mix’ solution, that means you can pick the elements you need or can afford. We would always invite you to discuss your plans with us in person and we can come up with the best costs for your business.

About Aura PR

At Aura PR, we’re a small but mighty team that gets things done without the fluff.

In other words, no beating around the bush, because, honestly, who has time for that? Once we understand who you are and what drives your business, we dive straight into research, strategic planning, and focusing on what really matters.

We’re all about making things easy for you. Whether you prefer to have full control over every detail or if you just want to approve communications before they go out, we’re flexible. We’ll adapt to your style and make sure the process works for you.

And let’s not forget, we’re an approachable PR agency that’s always happy to chat over a cuppa. Whether you need advice, tips, or a fresh perspective on something, we’re here to help. We don’t hold back on our recommendations either, because when your business succeeds, we succeed!!

There we have it…

Hopefully, we’ve given you a better idea of what a UK Public Relations agency costs and what to look for when choosing one. Fingers crossed you’ll find a team that fits just right and brings out the best in your business.

And remember – if you’re ever feeling stuck or not sure where to turn, we’re only a call away!

You can also check out our LinkedIn for more information and advice on PR.