by Molly George
At some point, every growing B2B tech company faces a pivotal decision: Should we hire a PR agency, or just handle it in-house?
On paper, handling PR internally may seem efficient. Your team understands the product, the market, and the company’s voice. Perhaps someone on the marketing team has media experience, or even a few journalist contacts. It’s tempting to think, “How hard can this really be?”
But what often goes unspoken is the cost of going it alone – the opportunity cost, time investment, and strategic blind spots that come with handling PR in-house without the support of a trusted partner.
Here are five things many companies don’t realize until they’re deep in the weeds.
1. Time adds up fast.
PR is more than just issuing press releases. It involves strategy, messaging development, relationship building, pitch customization, follow-ups, and more. Even a single announcement can demand dozens of hours, from research to writing to outreach. That time adds up quickly, especially when layered on top of an already-full workload.
In most cases, we’ve seen PR become a side project – divided among team members who have other priorities. As a result, quality suffers, timelines slip, and opportunities are missed.
2. Relationships are (still) everything.
The reality is, reporters are overwhelmed. If you’re not on their radar (or don’t have experience pitching stories in a way that resonates) it’s difficult to break through. Experienced agency pros know how to catch reporters’ attention and build new relationships quickly.
PR agencies also maintain long-standing relationships with journalists, editors, and industry analysts. We’ve built credibility over years of consistent, thoughtful engagement. That trust can’t be replicated overnight. And yes, reporters are more likely to respond to someone they already know.
3. Strategy often falls by the wayside.
Internal teams tend to take a reactive approach to PR: turning it on for a new product launch, funding announcement, or executive hire. Send a release, (hopefully) secure coverage, and move on.
But without a larger strategy in place, these moments don’t build meaningful momentum. A strong PR partner helps connect your media efforts to overarching business goals like demand generation, investor visibility, recruiting, and exit planning.
In short, agencies help you shift from sporadic efforts to sustained influence.
4. Thought leadership gets underutilized.
Many B2B companies are sitting on a goldmine of insights, from visionary founders to technical experts with deep domain knowledge. But rarely do those perspectives make it into the market in a strategic way.
A strong PR partner excels at uncovering those stories and shaping them into compelling thought leadership content. From contributed articles to interviews to social media commentary on industry trends, we turn internal expertise into external credibility.
5. One person can’t do it all.
Hiring someone in-house can be a good move if you’re prepared to staff an entire team. Because one person, no matter how talented, can’t cover the full spectrum of:
- Media strategy
- Crisis communications
- Media relations
- Content creation
- & so much more
When you hire an agency, you gain access to a team of specialists who bring diverse experience, proven processes, and scalable support. You also gain continuity and consistency, even if someone on your internal team leaves.
Why the agency model works
For high-growth B2B tech companies, PR isn’t just about visibility; it’s about credibility, trust, and long-term value. Handling that in-house may work in the short term, but over time the cost (in lost time, missed opportunities, and fragmented strategy) adds up.
A strong PR agency brings both execution and perspective to the table. We help you see around corners and stay ahead of the narrative. Most importantly, we align every story to the objectives that matter most to your business.
Ready to see what bold, data-driven PR could do for your brand? Contact Kickstand today.
