Choosing a digital PR agency is a significant commitment — financially, operationally, and strategically. The right agency can meaningfully accelerate your brand’s growth. The wrong one can consume your budget while producing coverage that doesn’t move the needle. Here’s how to evaluate your options carefully before you sign a contract.
Start with Their Track Record in Your Industry
PR is not a one-size-fits-all discipline. An agency that generates excellent results for consumer brands may struggle with the nuanced media relationships required for B2B technology, healthcare, or financial services. Before any other consideration, look at whether the agency has meaningful experience in your sector.
Ask to see specific examples of campaigns they’ve run for businesses similar to yours. Better yet, ask to speak with those clients directly. A reputable digital PR agency will have references ready and will be happy to make those introductions.
Evaluate Their Media Relationships
A PR agency’s value is partly defined by the quality of its existing relationships with editors, journalists, and content creators in your space. During your evaluation process, ask about which specific publications and journalists they work with regularly. Generic answers (“we have connections across all major media”) are a red flag. Specific, detailed answers demonstrate real expertise.
Understand What “Results” Means to Them
Metrics in PR have evolved significantly. Traditional agencies may still measure success by counting media mentions or calculating advertising value equivalency (AVE) — metrics that are widely considered outdated. Modern PR and digital marketing agencies measure outcomes like referral traffic from media placements, share of voice versus competitors, keyword ranking improvements from earned links, and conversion rates from media-driven traffic.
During your evaluation, ask specifically: “How will we know if this campaign is working?” A data-driven agency will answer this question in detail.
Assess Their Onboarding Process
The best agencies have a rigorous onboarding process that includes deep discovery sessions, competitive analysis, and a strategic planning phase before any media outreach begins. If an agency wants to pitch journalists in your first week, that’s usually a sign they’re not doing enough groundwork.
The Bottom Line
Take your time with this decision. The right agency partner feels like an extension of your internal team — aligned on your goals, proactive with ideas, and accountable for results.
Vilma Hahn is an Alaskan native who has been blogging about life in the most Northern state for over 10 years. As a freelance writer, Vilma has traveled extensively through Alaska, collecting stories and experiences to share on her blog. She shares stories about hiking and camping, visiting small towns, and outdoor adventures. Vilma loves to share her enthusiasm for life in Alaska and hopes to encourage people from all over the world to visit the 49th state.