How to Be the Best PR Client (one that I would work for free for)

Maximise your investment, amplify your message, and build a winning partnership.

Sounds great, right?

Many great clients come to us excited about all the possibilities that hiring a communications agency offers. We agree. Working with a PR team is an exciting step, but to get real and meaningful results, you need more than just a great story, a famous name, or some excellent media connections. The best outcomes come when the client is an active, responsive, and trusting partner.

We want to succeed, and we want you to know what that looks like. Here’s my thoughts on how to be the best PR client we want to work with (and often will go over and beyond for):

Know what success looks like for you.

Is it:

• More media coverage?
  
• Becoming a thought leader?
  
• Managing reputation during change?

🎯 Why it matters: Clear goals help your PR team focus, prioritise the right opportunities, and measure progress.

🤝 1. Think of PR as a Partnership

Your PR team isn’t just here to “get you in the media”—they’re your strategic advisors. Include them early in decisions that affect your brand, customers, or reputation. Sometimes we do a lot behind the scenes before you get a “result” – that is, we follow a trust process.

💡 Best client practices include:

• Invite your PR agency to the most critical leadership meetings
• Ask for comms input before changes go public
• Don’t hesitate when you get a media opportunity
• Receive feedback gracefully

Anything else we have missed?

• Share key internal updates proactively

📢 2. Be Available and Responsive

PR works on momentum. Journalists move fast, and missing a deadline could mean missing the story.

⏰ What helps:

• Nominate a spokesperson and backup
  
• Approve quotes and content promptly
  
• Show up prepared for interviews

🔍 3. Share the Good, the Bad, and the Real ( we NEED honesty, please)

Your PR team can’t work with what they don’t know. Whether it’s a business risk, staff turnover, or a client success story, transparency helps us shape the narrative.

🙌 Trust is everything. The more open you are, the stronger and more strategic the messaging can be.

🧠 4. Trust the Expertise

Your PR team knows what’s newsworthy—and what isn’t. Sometimes they’ll push back, reframe your message, or suggest an alternative channel (such as LinkedIn over a press release).

🎤 Great clients:

• Respect the “no” when something isn’t media-ready
  
• Let go of perfectionism in pursuit of clarity
  
• Stay open to new opportunities and ideas

💬 5. Give Feedback and Celebrate Wins

Tell us your trusted PR team what’s working and what’s not—but also acknowledge when their work moves the needle. We do love to be told when we land the right comms for you! (We are basic like that – ha). Recognition of PR success builds morale and deepens the partnership.

🙌 A win doesn’t always mean headlines—it could be a journalist relationship formed, a key message that landed, a delayed announcement or a tricky issue managed quietly.

All the best PR clients understand this: You’re not just hiring us for some profile-raising ideas and publicity.

We, too, are building a reputation every time we represent you.