How Our PR Services Work
Real PR should not feel mysterious.
At No Strings Public Relations, we believe founders, experts, small businesses and growing brands should understand what is happening, who is working on their PR, what we need from them, what results can look like, and what can affect momentum.
We offer two affordable, journalist-led boutique PR services: Essential PR and Standard PR.
Essential PR is our focused service for building authority around one clear area of expertise. It is designed for expert-led visibility through one expert profile, suitable reactive journalist opportunities and expertise-led press releases.
Standard PR is our broader service for brands that want support around their expertise, business and story. It can include expert commentary, thought leadership, founder visibility, product PR, service PR, story-led PR, business news and wider media opportunities.
Both services are designed to make commercially sensible, journalist-led PR more accessible, transparent and consistent, without the expensive retainers and long contracts usually associated with traditional agencies.
We’re a modern, journalist-led boutique PR agency, but we do not believe boutique PR should mean vague retainers, inflated fees or activity for activity’s sake. Our focus is earned media that builds credibility, visibility, authority, thought leadership and trusted influence over time.
This page explains how our process works, from enquiry and onboarding through to strategy, story development, pitching, reporting, coverage, communication and expectations.
First, Which PR Service Are You Actually Buying?
No Strings Public Relations offers two journalist-led PR services: Essential PR and Standard PR.
Essential PR Service: £297 / US$397 per month
Essential PR is our focused, expertise-led PR service.
It is best suited to founders, experts, consultants, coaches, small businesses and growing brands that want to start building authority around one clear area of expertise.
Essential PR may include:
one focused expert profile
suitable reactive journalist opportunities
copywriting support for suitable journalist requests
expertise-led press releases
light PR strategy and ideation
journalist-led angle development
media monitoring and reporting
Essential PR is not designed to cover every possible PR route. It is focused on promoting what you know.
Standard PR Service: £597 / US$797 per month
Standard PR is our broader, account-managed PR service.
It is best suited to founders, experts, consultants, coaches, small businesses and growing brands that want wider PR support around their expertise, business and story.
Standard PR may include:
expert commentary
thought leadership
founder visibility
product PR
service PR
real-life stories
customer stories
business news
media positioning
broader campaign direction
Founder & Authority Positioning support where relevant
senior journalist-led story support where relevant
The right service depends on your goals, media potential, budget, assets and what journalists are most likely to respond to.
Step 1: Book a PR chat
The process starts with a short fit check before you choose a time for a call.
You’ll answer three quick questions so we can understand:
• whether your brand is in a space we can support
• when you are looking to start
• whether your budget matches our PR services
If it looks like we may be able to help, you’ll go straight through to book a short PR chat with Riley, Founder of No Strings Public Relations.
On the call, we’ll talk through your brand, goals, current visibility and whether Essential PR, Standard PR or another route is likely to be the right fit.
We may recommend Essential PR if you have one clear area of expertise to build around. We may recommend Standard PR if there is a broader campaign opportunity around your expertise, business, story, products, services or news.
We do not take on every enquiry.
That is not because PR is only for huge brands. It is because PR works best when there is something genuine to work with: expertise, insight, a strong product, a useful service, a good story, a credible spokesperson or meaningful business activity.
If we do not think we can help, we would rather say that early.
Step 2: The Initial Call
If your answers suggest we may be a good fit, you’ll be able to book a short Google Meet with Riley, Founder of No Strings Public Relations.
This is a relaxed, no-pressure call to talk through your brand, goals, current visibility and possible media opportunities.
We may discuss:
what you want PR to support
who your ideal audience is
what you are comfortable talking about
which products or services matter most
who could act as a credible spokesperson
your strongest expert topics
what you want to become known for
whether you have founder or customer stories
what kind of media may be realistic
what PR has or has not done for you before
whether Standard PR, senior strategic positioning or journalist-led story support could strengthen the campaign
This is also where we can be honest about fit.
If we think Essential PR is the better starting point, we’ll say that. If we think Standard PR is a stronger fit, we’ll explain why. If PR is not the right move yet, we’ll be honest about that too.
Sometimes we may tell you that PR is possible, but that another marketing activity, clearer positioning or stronger assets should come first.
Step 3: Sign-Up and Onboarding
Once you join the right PR service, we begin onboarding.
Onboarding is where we collect the information, assets and context needed to run your campaign properly.
This may include:
your website
founder or spokesperson bios
professional headshots
previous press coverage
brand guidelines
social links
customer stories
key topics you can comment on
topics to avoid
spokesperson details
expert topics
media-ready credentials
target audiences
important keywords or themes
approved language
media preferences
anything sensitive we need to know
real-life story details, where relevant for Standard PR
customer or case study examples
authority angles, where relevant to the service
thought leadership themes, where relevant to the service
media-ready messaging, where relevant to the service
commercial goals PR should support
This stage matters.
The better the information we have at the start, the easier it is to build strong angles, write accurate comments and respond quickly when journalists need input.
What Is Onboarding Actually Like?
Onboarding is practical and structured.
You will usually be asked to complete onboarding information, share assets and attend an onboarding call with your account manager.
During this stage, we are trying to understand:
what makes you credible
what you or your business should become known for
what journalists could realistically use you for
what proof points support your story
what angles are worth testing first
how involved you want or need to be
how quickly you can respond to time-sensitive requests
whether Founder & Authority Positioning would strengthen a Standard PR campaign
whether any real-life, founder or customer stories need journalist-led interview support within Standard PR
You do not need to have PR experience.
You do need to be willing to share useful information and respond when we need your input.
How Do I Share Assets, Thoughts and Edits?
We try to make this simple.
You can share assets and information through your client portal, during calls, or by email when needed.
Useful assets may include:
headshots
product photography
lifestyle images
founder bios
expert credentials
company background
case studies
customer examples
statistics
previous articles
product samples, where relevant
links to relevant pages or documents
If we draft something that needs your approval, you can share edits, comments or corrections.
We do not expect you to write the PR materials yourself. That is our job.
For Essential PR, we mainly need your expertise, comments, corrections and approval around your focused expert profile and expertise-led ideas. For Standard PR, we may need broader input around your business, founder story, products, services, case studies, customer stories, announcements and positioning.
But we do need your expertise, accuracy and approval where required.
Who Will I Work With?
Every PR client has a main point of contact.
This is usually your account manager, who keeps the campaign moving, coordinates activity and makes sure communication stays clear.
Behind the scenes, your campaign may also involve:
PR strategists
writers
media outreach specialists
former journalists
press monitoring support
senior team members
founder-level input where needed
senior PR strategy support
senior current or former journalists for real-life story interviews where relevant within Standard PR, including Emma Elms where her editorial experience is the right fit
Lucy Dartford may support selected Standard PR clients through Founder & Authority Positioning. Emma Elms, a freelance journalist who has written for titles including The Telegraph and Daily Mail, may support story-led PR where a founder, customer or real-life story has genuine media potential.
The account manager is there to keep the day-to-day work organised.
The wider team supports with angles, writing, pitching, journalist requests, coverage tracking and campaign direction.
How Involved Are the Senior Team?
The senior team is involved in the overall PR model, strategy, standards, process and campaign direction.
Every campaign benefits from journalist-led strategic thinking, angle development and media positioning.
Senior or founder-level involvement may happen during:
enquiry review
initial strategy calls
campaign planning
tricky positioning
senior Founder & Authority Positioning Sessions with Lucy Dartford where relevant
story development or interviews with Emma Elms where relevant
escalation points
client reviews
major process decisions
high-priority angles
complex campaigns
That does not mean a founder or senior consultant personally writes every comment or sends every pitch.
Our PR services are designed to be commercially sensible because we use a structured team model, not an expensive traditional agency setup where every task is billed through a senior consultant.
You still benefit from senior experience, strategic thinking and journalist-led standards, while day-to-day campaign delivery is supported by the wider PR team.
Who Is the Team?
No Strings Public Relations is run by PR professionals and former journalists who understand how newsrooms work and what editors actually need.
The company launched in late 2015, but the team’s experience goes back much further, with years of work across PR, journalism, media relations, expert commentary, founder visibility and brand storytelling.
Our team works across the UK, North America and Europe, supporting campaigns across the UK, US and Canada.
The important thing is this: you are not working with an automated press release distribution tool.
You are working with a real PR team that shapes angles, writes pitches, responds to journalists, tracks coverage and keeps the campaign moving.
For selected Standard PR campaigns, additional senior support may also be brought in where it will strengthen the work.
This may include support from Lucy Dartford, who helps selected clients with founder and authority positioning, including media positioning, thought leadership themes, founder story development and expert commentary angles.
For real-life, founder or customer stories with genuine press potential within Standard PR, senior journalist input may also be used. This may include support from Emma Elms, a freelance journalist who has written for titles including The Telegraph and Daily Mail, where her experience is a strong fit for the story.
The goal is not to add layers for the sake of it. It is to make sure the right level of PR, editorial and strategic support is there when a campaign needs it.
Is This Just Qwoted, HARO or Journalist Requests?
No.
We do not rely on Qwoted, HARO, ResponseSource, Editorielle or journalist request platforms to deliver PR.
Those services can be useful for DIY PR, but they are not the basis of our model.
At No Strings Public Relations, we pitch directly to journalists, editors, writers and media contacts. Our team shapes the angle, prepares the media material and approaches relevant contacts ourselves.
That means we are not just waiting for a journalist request to appear. We are actively creating and pitching media opportunities based on your expertise, story, product, service, announcement or wider business goals.
Essential PR is more focused. It is built around one expert profile, suitable expertise-led angles and press release ideas that help promote what you know.
Standard PR can go broader. It may include proactive media outreach, expert commentary, thought leadership, founder visibility, product or service angles, story development and business news where relevant.
In both cases, the work is handled by a real PR team. You are not left to monitor feeds, write your own pitches or work out what journalists might want by yourself.
Is This Just a Volume Game?
No — but volume does matter in PR.
Journalists receive a lot of pitches. Not every idea lands. Not every response turns into coverage. Not every article publishes quickly.
That means consistent outreach matters.
But good PR is not just sending as many emails as possible.
The work also involves:
choosing the right angles
making your expertise useful
matching stories to journalists
writing clearly
responding quickly
following up properly
testing different hooks
learning what the media responds to
adjusting the strategy over time
Our model combines structure, consistency and judgement.
That is how we keep PR moving without relying on one big idea or one dream publication.
Is This Just Media Outreach?
No.
Media outreach is a key part of PR, but strong PR starts before the first pitch is sent.
Before we approach journalists, we look at what makes you credible, what you should be known for, which angles are strongest and what journalists are most likely to care about.
That thinking shapes the campaign, whether we are developing expert commentary, founder visibility, thought leadership, product PR, service-led angles, business news or real-life stories.
The goal is not just to send pitches. The goal is to build trusted influence through meaningful earned media.
What Does a Typical Week Look Like?
Every campaign is different, but a typical week may include:
reviewing live journalist opportunities
drafting expert comments
sending proactive pitches
following up with journalists
researching relevant media contacts
developing new story ideas
developing thought leadership angles
checking for published coverage
updating the client portal
asking you for input where needed
reviewing campaign momentum
preparing updates or next steps
Some weeks are very active behind the scenes without coverage going live.
That is normal.
PR often has a delay between pitching, journalist interest, writing, editing, publishing and coverage appearing.
What Do We Need From You?
To get the best from your PR service, we need collaboration.
Essential PR usually needs focused expert input. Standard PR may need broader input around your business, services, products, stories, positioning and future plans.
You do not need to spend hours every day on PR, but you do need to be responsive.
We may need you to:
approve angles
answer quick questions
provide quotes or insight
review drafted comments
share images or assets
clarify facts
give feedback on positioning, authority angles and media-ready messaging
tell us about upcoming launches or milestones
let us know what you do and do not want to be known for
We usually say clients should be able to give around 10 minutes a day when needed.
Some days, we may not need anything from you.
Other days, a journalist may need a quick response.
Speed can matter.
What Is My Involvement With Journalists?
In most cases, we handle journalist communication for you.
That includes:
pitching
sending comments
following up
providing assets
answering basic media questions
tracking interest
flagging coverage
Sometimes, a journalist may want to speak to you directly.
That could happen for:
interviews
podcasts
profile pieces
detailed expert commentary
broadcast opportunities
fact-checking
more sensitive or technical subjects
If that happens, we will guide you.
You are not expected to manage journalist relationships alone.
If we are developing a real-life, founder or customer story within Standard PR, a senior current or former journalist may interview you or the story subject before we pitch. This helps us shape the strongest angle, prepare the story properly and make sure it feels useful to journalists before it goes out.
Where her editorial experience is the right fit, this may include support from Emma Elms, a freelance journalist who has written for titles including The Telegraph and Daily Mail.
What Does Reporting Look Like?
We believe reporting should show activity, progress and results.
Your reporting may include:
pitches sent
angles being worked on
journalist requests responded to
publication details
backlinks where they naturally appear
campaign notes
upcoming opportunities
next steps
You will also receive regular progress updates and account calls.
The aim is to avoid vague “we’re working on it” PR.
We report on the PR activity and media outcomes we are directly responsible for. Wider commercial impact, such as enquiries, conversions, referral traffic, partnerships or revenue, is usually tracked by the client through their own website analytics, CRM and sales process.
You should be able to see what is happening, even during quieter periods when coverage has not yet gone live.
Do I Need to Use the Portal?
The portal is there to give you visibility.
It helps keep everything in one place, including activity, updates, assets, messages, coverage and next steps.
We strongly encourage clients to use it because it reduces confusion and gives you a clearer view of the campaign.
That said, you can still email us.
If something is urgent, simple or easier by email, that is fine.
The portal is not designed to make communication harder. It is designed to make the campaign easier to track.
Can I Just Email?
Yes, you can email.
We know not every client wants to live inside a portal.
However, for the clearest campaign tracking, we recommend using the portal where possible, especially for approvals, updates, assets and campaign notes.
Email is useful for quick questions.
The portal is useful for keeping the full campaign organised.
Both can work together.
How Often Will I Hear From You?
You should not feel left in the dark.
Communication may include:
portal updates
email support
journalist request questions
progress updates
monthly account calls
ad hoc messages when something needs your input
coverage alerts when articles go live
Some weeks may involve more communication than others.
That usually depends on campaign activity, journalist deadlines, approvals and what is happening in the media.
What Can Go Wrong?
PR is powerful, but it is not perfectly predictable.
Because earned media depends on journalists, editors, timing and public interest, there are things that can affect results.
A journalist may show interest and then not publish
This happens. Journalists may change direction, lose space, get reassigned, or have an editor cut the section.
A quote may be used without a backlink
Editors decide whether to include links. Backlinks can be a valuable benefit of PR, but they are not guaranteed.
Coverage may take longer than expected
A journalist may use your comment weeks or months after receiving it. Articles can sit with editors before publication.
Some angles may not land
Even strong ideas do not always get picked up. PR involves testing, learning and refining.
A campaign can slow down if we do not get input
If we need comments, approvals, images or clarification and do not receive them quickly, opportunities can be missed.
The media may care about a different angle than you expected
Sometimes the strongest PR angle is not the one a client originally imagined. We will guide you towards what we think journalists are more likely to use.
Coverage may not be in your dream publication straight away
Building media momentum often starts with relevant, credible coverage and grows from there.
Being honest about these things helps campaigns run better.
What Should I Expect From the First Month?
The first month is often about setup, strategy and momentum.
This may include:
onboarding
asset collection
expert positioning
angle development
portal setup
initial pitching
responding to journalist requests
drafting comments
identifying proactive ideas
learning which angles are strongest
thought leadership theme development
For Essential PR, the first month is usually about building the focused expert profile, identifying suitable expertise-led angles and beginning relevant reactive or press release activity.
For Standard PR, the first month may involve broader campaign direction, media positioning, story development, product or service angles and wider outreach planning.
Some clients get coverage quickly.
Others take longer to build momentum.
The first month is important because it gives us the foundation we need to pitch consistently and accurately.
What Should I Expect Over Months 3–6?
After the initial build-up, we usually have a clearer sense of:
which topics journalists respond to
which angles are strongest
which publications are realistic
how quickly you respond
what assets are useful
where the campaign has momentum
what we should do more or less of
This is where PR often becomes more effective.
Some campaigns see coverage in the first few weeks, but PR usually becomes more consistent and valuable over months 3–6. Coverage may start to cluster. Journalists may come back for more. Stronger angles may emerge. Your media footprint may begin to feel more established.
PR tends to build through consistency.
What Does Success Look Like?
Success is not only about counting articles.
Depending on your goals, success may include:
quoted expert positioning
interviews
podcast opportunities
authority-building press
improved Google presence
stronger LinkedIn authority
better sales credibility
media logos for your website
increased trust before enquiries
stronger founder or spokesperson positioning
greater authority in your sector
thought leadership coverage
clearer authority themes
Some of these outcomes are visible through coverage and campaign reporting. Others, such as enquiries, sales conversations, website behaviour and revenue impact, are usually tracked by the client through their own systems.
We care about meaningful media coverage that supports your business, but PR should usually be judged as part of the wider marketing and sales picture, not as a standalone last-click channel.
What Publications Are Realistic?
This depends on your business, sector, story, expertise, assets and timing.
Some clients are a natural fit for national media.
Some are better suited to trade press, lifestyle publications, podcasts, regional media, business titles or specialist outlets.
Often, the strongest PR strategy is not chasing one dream publication immediately. It is building a credible footprint through consistent, relevant media coverage.
We will always try to be honest about what is realistic.
What We Cannot Promise
We cannot promise:
coverage in a specific publication
instant national press
a fixed number of articles every month
that every article will include a backlink
that every pitch will receive a reply
that every journalist who shows interest will publish
that PR will create immediate sales overnight
that PR will produce a fixed number of enquiries or sales
that every real-life story will be accepted by the media
that every client will need or receive the same type of strategic or story support
No reputable PR agency can control editorial decisions.
What we can do is create strong angles, pitch consistently, respond quickly, communicate clearly and keep building media momentum.
Why Our Model Is More Commercially Sensible
Traditional PR agencies often charge several thousand pounds or dollars per month.
That model can work well for some organisations, but it is out of reach for many growing businesses.
Our model is different.
We use:
efficient systems
clear processes
experienced PR professionals
structured reporting
collaborative workflows
repeatable best practice
a team-based delivery model
This allows us to offer consistent, journalist-led PR at a commercially sensible price.
Essential PR is £297 / US$397 per month. Standard PR is £597 / US$797 per month. Both services start with a 3-month initial term. Standard PR then continues with one full billing-cycle notice.
The trade-off is that our process works best when clients engage with the system, respond when needed and understand that PR is earned, not guaranteed.
What Makes a Client a Good Fit?
Our PR services are usually a good fit if:
you have real expertise, a strong product, a useful service or a credible story
you want ongoing visibility, not one-off press hits
you understand that PR builds over time
you can respond when we need input
you value credibility, authority, thought leadership and media momentum
you are open to our guidance on what journalists are likely to use
you want clear reporting and structured support
you want PR that supports trusted influence, not just visibility
you are open to strategic guidance on positioning and media angles
you understand that PR often becomes more consistent over months 3–6
Essential PR is usually the better fit if you want a focused starting point around one expert profile and expertise-led visibility.
Standard PR is usually the better fit if you want broader support around your expertise, business, founder story, products, services, real-life stories or business news.
It may not be the right fit if:
you want guaranteed coverage in specific publications
you expect instant results
you do not want to provide input
you only care about backlinks
you want a fully bespoke senior-only consultancy model
you are not open to media-friendly positioning
you want paid advertorials or sponsored articles
you expect senior-only consultancy on every task
you want PR to work like instant paid advertising
you are not willing to make time for interviews or approvals when needed
We would rather be clear about fit than overpromise.
How We Keep Campaigns Moving
PR momentum comes from consistent action.
That means we are regularly:
reviewing opportunities
testing angles
pitching journalists
drafting comments
following up
tracking coverage
developing new ideas
reviewing what is working
adjusting the campaign
Not every pitch becomes coverage.
But every campaign should have movement, visibility and a clear next step.
That is what our process is built to support.
Ready to Start?
If you want PR that is structured, transparent, journalist-led and commercially sensible, the first step is to book in a PR chat.
Tell us about your expertise, thought leadership themes, founder story, real-life story, product, service, announcement or wider business goals, and we’ll help work out whether Essential PR or Standard PR is the stronger fit.