How to use this guide
By Joel Andren · Published by PressFriendly, a PR agency · Reviewed October 13, 2026 · Editorial standards · 1 of 1 in this section
Start with the decision you're making now. If you're considering PR for the first time, decide whether you need help before comparing agencies. If you're already paying for it, focus on the work, results, or relationship you want to improve.
Pick the route that matches your situation
| Your question | Start here |
|---|---|
| Would PR help us now? | Do you need PR yet? and what PR can and can't do |
| What kind of help should we hire? | Agency, freelancer, fractional, or in-house and what agencies sell |
| How do we choose an agency? | Finding agencies, pitch questions, and comparing finalists |
| What should we agree before signing? | Scope of work and what PR costs |
| How do we make the engagement work? | The kickoff brief and communication and reporting |
| Are we getting enough from it? | PR metrics and diagnosing underperformance |
You don't need to read every page or complete every template before hiring. A founder choosing a freelancer for one announcement has a smaller decision than a company hiring a retained team across several countries. Use the detail that changes your decision.
Be prepared to participate
A good provider should help sharpen the story, recommend an approach, and run the work you hire it to do. You bring knowledge of the business, accurate facts, access to the right people, and timely decisions. Being a capable buyer means knowing when to ask a question and when to let the team use its expertise.
Public guidance includes practical examples, useful questions, and company responsibilities such as speaking on the record. Full production workflows for researching reporters, pitching, and building announcement materials are in the gated Startup PR Playbook.
Match the level of care to the stakes
An ordinary product announcement may need one founder approving facts and a marketer coordinating the work. A security incident, regulated claim, financing, or major employment decision needs the appropriate specialists. PR advice cannot replace legal, financial, security, safety, or employment advice.
PressFriendly publishes this handbook and sells PR services
PressFriendly has a commercial interest in helping startups buy PR. Company prices, operating data, and experience are first-party evidence, rather than rules for the whole market. The guidance should also help you choose another provider, do a small amount of work yourself, or decide that paid PR can wait.