BizSugar.com › Public Relations › Paying for PR -- But Only When It Works

A mention in a news article or television broadcast can have a big payoff for a little-known business. But small companies often struggle to get such media coverage. Most can't afford the big fees traditional agencies charge or in-house expertise to guide them. And solo efforts may yield only rejections or, worse, bad press. So many small companies are constantly looking for some middle ground.

One approach that's getting an increasing amount of attention is pay-per-placement PR. Critics point out, however, that it isn't for everybody. For one thing, they say, many pay-per-placement firms usually won't take on tasks other than pitching stories to the media. That means no strategy development, marketing or other work that many small businesses may need for an effective PR campaign.