Guide
How to choose a pay-per-placement PR agency.
A good agency tells you upfront which outlets, in what format, by when, and what happens if it doesn’t deliver. If any of those four is vague, keep looking.
Short answer: a good pay-per-placement PR agency names the publications it can place you in, tells you the format of each article, commits to a time window, and puts its refund terms in writing. This page explains how the main PR models compare, what to ask before you sign, and the red flags to watch for.
How do the main PR models compare?
| Model | How you pay | What you get | Your risk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | A fixed fee every month | Ongoing work: pitching, media relations, often crisis support | You pay whether or not articles appear | Companies that need daily press handling or a spokesperson |
| Pay per placement | A fixed price per published article, agreed upfront | Named outlets, a set format and a time window | Low, when undelivered placements are refunded in full | Founders who want specific articles in specific publications |
| Press release distribution | A fee per release | Your announcement on newswires and partner sites | Low cost, but readers know the company wrote it | Putting facts on record: funding, launches, results |
| Doing it yourself | Your time | Whatever editors say yes to | Weeks of pitching with no promise of a reply | Founders with strong media contacts and time to pitch |
What should you ask before you sign?
- Which outlets, exactly? A list of named publications, not "top-tier media".
- What format? A full feature about you, a mention or quote inside someone else's article, or a press release. They do different jobs.
- How will it be labelled? Editorial article, contributor piece or press release. Ask, and make sure you're comfortable with the answer.
- Who writes it, and do you approve it? You should approve the topic before any writing starts, and review the draft.
- By when? A committed window from topic approval to publication.
- What if it isn't published? A full refund, a partial refund or a replacement outlet. Get it in writing.
- When do you pay? Upfront with a refund, or after publication. Both models exist.
- Can you see examples? Agencies that keep client names private can still show real examples after a call.
- Is the article about your company or about you? For O-1 and EB-1 petitions it has to be about you.
- What can you do with it afterwards? Share it, link to it, use it in sales and on your website.
What are the red flags?
- A guaranteed outlet with no refund terms.
- A list of famous names with no format attached to each one.
- Top-tier outlets promised within days.
- A contract that doesn't name the outlets or the time window.
- Pressure to pay for a long retainer to "build relationships" before anything is published.
Is pay-per-placement PR worth it?
It is when you know which publications your buyers, investors or immigration attorney care about, and you want those articles rather than monthly activity reports. It isn't the right fit if you need someone handling the press every day; a retainer makes more sense then. Our comparison of retainer vs. pay-per-placement PR goes deeper, and how public relations pricing works explains what drives the price.
How does Edamame PR & Strategy answer these questions?
We're one of these agencies, so read this page with that in mind. Our answers:
- We name the outlet and the format before you pay.
- You approve the topic before anything is written, and you review the draft. Our writers have newsroom experience.
- Each placement goes live within 21 to 60 days of topic approval, at a fixed price agreed upfront.
- If we don't deliver, you get 100% of your money back. Since 2014, about 96% of our placements have gone live.
- We share real article links privately after a call. Anonymized results, with numbers, are on our Results page.
Questions founders ask
What is the difference between pay-per-placement and pay-after-publication PR?
With pay after publication, you pay once the article is live. With pay per placement as we run it, you pay a fixed price upfront and get a full refund if the article is not published. Ask any agency which of the two it offers, and get the answer in writing.
Can an agency guarantee an article in Forbes?
No agency controls an editor's decision. What an agency can promise is a specific outlet, a format, a time window and a refund if the placement doesn't happen. Treat any guarantee that comes without refund terms with caution.
How long does a pay-per-placement article take?
It depends on the outlet's own schedule. We commit to 21 to 60 days from topic approval for each placement, before you pay.
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