Hire an agency when your PR needs require several people working across different responsibilities and your budget can support that team. Hire a solo publicist when your priorities fit one person’s capacity and you want a direct working relationship with the person leading your PR.
That sounds straightforward. The harder part is being honest about how much support you need and what you can afford over time.
In my experience running Candice Nicole Public Relations, I have worked with clients through both a team structure and a more direct, solo approach. There are benefits to each. The right choice depends on your business, your expectations, and the work you are hiring someone to do.
Before comparing proposals, get clear on those three things.
What Is the Difference Between an Agency and a Solo Publicist?
A PR agency typically assigns multiple people to support your account. Depending on the agency and your agreement, that might include a strategist, PR director, account manager, and specialists.
A solo publicist operates independently and usually serves as your primary contact while also managing the work. Some bring in contractors for specific needs, so ask how their business operates.
Neither structure tells you everything about the quality of the service. You still need to understand who will handle your account, what they will deliver, and whether they have the capacity to meet your needs.
What an Agency Team Can Make Possible
At one point, CNPR’s team included a COO, a PR director, and an account executive alongside me.
For clients whose budgets supported that structure, we could divide responsibilities and provide more hands-on support. We could send someone to accompany a client to an interview, appearance, or speaking engagement while other team members continued managing the account.
The budget made that level of support possible.
If your business needs ongoing media outreach, coordination across several projects, and someone available for appearances or travel, ask who will handle each responsibility. Those needs should be reflected in the proposed team and scope.
What a Solo Publicist Can Offer
One question I often hear from prospective clients is, “Will I be working with you?”
For some people, that direct access matters a great deal. They want to speak with the person developing their strategy and carrying out the work.
Working with a solo publicist can offer that continuity. You have one primary relationship with someone who knows your priorities and understands the decisions behind your PR approach.
In an agency structure, I may have an account lead or PR manager run a call or manage day-to-day activity. That does not mean the client is unimportant. It means the account has a team with assigned responsibilities.
The question is which working relationship you prefer and whether it supports the work you need.
When Does Hiring a PR Agency Make Sense?
An agency deserves serious consideration when several parts of your PR program need attention at the same time.
For example, you might need:
- Media outreach for multiple products or business divisions.
- Support for interviews, appearances, and speaking engagements.
- Coordination among several executives or spokespeople.
- Consistent execution while someone travels with your team.
- Multiple people handling overlapping deadlines.
Having several needs does not automatically require a large agency. A boutique agency may have the right team and capacity for your business.
Look closely at the proposed staffing. An agency name alone does not tell you how many people will actively work on your account or how much access you will have to them.
Look Beyond the Agency’s Client List
I have heard founders describe feeling like “just a number” at an agency.
That experience matters, but I would not assume every agency operates that way. When CNPR operates with a team, every client still matters to us.
I also see businesses drawn to agencies because they have worked with recognizable names. Relevant experience is useful. It should be part of your evaluation, alongside how the agency plans to serve your business.
Ask who will lead your account, how often you will communicate, and what experience the assigned team brings. You are hiring the people who will do your work.
When Does Hiring a Solo Publicist Make Sense?
A solo publicist can be a good fit when you have clear priorities, a manageable scope, and a preference for direct collaboration.
For example, you may need someone to develop your media positioning and manage a focused outreach campaign. You may be building visibility around one founder, one area of expertise, or one launch.
The key is agreeing on what that person can realistically manage.
A solo publicist may bring substantial experience and strong judgment. Working independently does not make someone less qualified. It does mean you need to discuss capacity, availability, and support before signing an agreement.
A Smaller Budget Requires Decisions About Scope
One mistake I have seen is hiring one person to save money while expecting that person to carry responsibilities that require a team.
I experienced a situation where a business had numerous moving parts and expected me to handle a broad collection of tasks at $25 an hour. Looking back, the mismatch was clear. The business wanted more work than the arrangement could reasonably support.
That kind of setup can burn out the relationship quickly.
If your needs exceed one person’s capacity, you have decisions to make. You can increase the budget, narrow the scope, or phase the work.
Hiring a solo publicist does not remove the need to prioritize.
Can You Sustain the Budget Beyond the First Month?
Budget comes up repeatedly in these conversations because you are making an ongoing commitment.
It is easy to hear a monthly fee and say, “That sounds good.” What happens after you pay the first month?
Before hiring anyone, ask whether you can comfortably support the investment for the full agreed period.
For example, suppose you are considering an agency at $8,000 a month, but you know you can sustain $3,500 a month for six months with a solo publicist. Those are illustrative figures, not standard rates.
The six-month commitment at $3,500 would total $21,000. Can your business support that amount while meeting its other obligations?
If so, a focused solo engagement may be a more practical choice than an agency arrangement you will struggle to maintain.
But your expectations must match that decision. You may need to reduce the scope or address your priorities in stages.
Set the Budget and Priorities Together
Before requesting proposals, write down:
- What you want PR to help your business accomplish.
- Which activities matter most right now.
- What you can consistently invest.
- How long you can sustain that investment.
- What you are willing to postpone.
Then have an honest conversation with potential partners about what is feasible.
A useful proposal should help you understand what your investment covers and where the limits are.
What Should You Ask Before Hiring Either One?
These questions can help you compare an agency and a solo publicist more clearly:
- Who will develop the strategy, and who will carry out the work?
- Who will be my primary contact?
- Will the person I meet during the sales process work on my account?
- What is included in the fee, and what costs extra?
- Does the scope include travel or support at interviews and appearances?
- How many other accounts will the person or team managing mine handle?
- How will we communicate and review progress?
- What happens if my needs grow or priorities change?
- What support, information, and availability will you need from me?
- What can you realistically accomplish within my budget and timeline?
Pay attention to how clearly someone answers. You should leave the conversation understanding the proposed working relationship.
Choose the Support Your Business Can Use and Sustain
You may need an agency with several people managing different responsibilities. You may be ready for a solo publicist with a focused scope. You may need more time to build your budget before hiring either one.
CNPR may be the right fit, or another publicist or agency may better match your needs. What matters is that you understand who will do the work, what your investment covers, and what your business can sustain.
Before you book your next consultation, write down your top three PR priorities and the monthly budget you can maintain for the full engagement. Bring both to the conversation. Ask the person or team to explain what they can realistically deliver within those limits.
Choose the support that matches the work you need and the commitment you can maintain. That gives you a clearer starting point and a working relationship built on expectations you both understand.