PR Agency Red Flags: 9 Warning Signs to Check Before You Sign
Hiring the wrong PR agency costs months and budget. Here are nine warning signs mid-sized and enterprise tech companies should check for before signing, and what a good answer looks like.
Short answer: the biggest red flags are vague deliverables, no clear measure of success, long lock-in contracts without results, juniors doing the work after seniors win the pitch, and no relevant examples in your industry. Ask every agency what exactly you'll get, by when, who does the work, and what happens if it doesn't happen.
The 9 red flags
| Red flag | Why it matters | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|---|
| "We'll pitch you to top media" with no specifics | Activity isn't an outcome | Named publications or a clear target list |
| No definition of success | You can't tell if it's working | Agreed results: placements, publications, timelines |
| Long lock-in with no results clause | You pay whether it works or not | A guarantee, a trial period or a clear exit |
| Senior people pitch, juniors deliver | Quality drops after signing | You meet the people who will do the work |
| No examples in your industry | Steep learning curve on your time | Relevant results you can check |
| Reports full of impressions and ad value equivalents | Vanity metrics don't close deals | Coverage tied to sales, fundraising or hiring goals |
| Vague about timelines | Months can pass with nothing published | Expected time to first coverage |
| Promises of a specific outlet with no explanation of how | Could mean surprises later | A clear explanation of how placements are secured |
| No plan for using coverage | Articles that sales never uses are wasted | Advice on using coverage in sales, investor and hiring materials |
Questions to ask every agency
- Which publications will we appear on, and by when?
- What happens if a placement doesn't run?
- Who will work on our account day to day?
- Can you show results for companies like ours?
- How will you measure success?
Where Jamco PR fits
Jamco PR was built around answering those questions upfront: placements on named publications such as Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance and AP News, the first placement live in as little as 24 hours, most clients' first article within 14 days, and any placement that doesn't go live within 60 days replaced at no extra cost. Jamco PR reports a 96% placement success rate across 50+ clients.
Recent client results
Real Jamco PR placements you can read today. Most clients see their first article within 14 days.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the red flags when hiring a PR agency?
Vague deliverables, no definition of success, long lock-in contracts without a results clause, senior people pitching but juniors delivering, no relevant industry examples, and reports full of vanity metrics.
What should I ask a PR agency before signing?
Which publications you'll appear on and by when, what happens if a placement doesn't run, who will do the work, what results they've delivered for similar companies, and how success will be measured.
Are PR guarantees legitimate?
They can be, if the agency explains how placements are secured, names the publications, and states what happens if one doesn't run. Ask for those details in writing.
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