PR Proposal Guide: How to Write One That Works (Every Time)

Writing a great PR proposal is like writing the trailer for a film. If it doesn’t hook your audience, they won’t buy a ticket to the premier.

A PR campaign proposal is your pitch to show potential clients why you’re the right fit. It shows you understand their business, that you can help them reach their goals, and that you’re the right team to do it.

Too many proposals fall flat because they’re bloated, vague, or focused more on the agency than the client. This guide will help you avoid those traps and write a public relations proposal that actually wins business.

We’ll cover:

• What to include in a PR proposal
• How to make your proposal stand out
• What to do after you send it
• How to scale your proposal process without dropping the ball

This isn’t just a checklist – it’s a roadmap for creating proposals that actually convert, with practical tips you can apply right away.

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Before you start drafting, take time to understand what the client actually needs. A proposal that feels custom-built for them has a much better chance of getting a yes. So how do you do that? Well, two ways, really.

A quick call or discovery meeting helps you get key details. Ask:

• What are your main PR goals?
• What’s been working (or not working) so far?
• Who’s your target audience?
• What’s your key message?
• Have you worked with a PR agency before? What was that experience like?

By asking these questions, you can uncover valuable insights that will inform your PR strategy and ensure that your proposed campaign is aligned with the client’s vision and needs.

Clients won’t always tell you everything, and they might not even know what they need. Do some digging:

• Industry trends
• Competitor PR strategies
• Audience insights
• Media coverage gaps you can fill

The more you understand, the better you can tailor your proposal.

A good proposal gets straight to the point (much like this section). Here’s what to cover:

This is the first thing your potential client will read – make it count. Keep it brief, clear, and focused on their needs. Hook them in the first few sentences, focus on their goals, and make it clear you understand what they need.

Example:

"You want to increase media coverage in the fintech space – we’ll help you do it with a three-month campaign targeting both top-tier and niche publications."

This section should spark curiosity and build confidence right out of the gate.

Briefly summarize what the client's business does, their recent PR activity, audience, and what they’re hoping to achieve. Keep it relevant to your proposal.

Tailoring this section shows you’re already thinking like part of their team.

Outline how your agency plans to meet the client’s goals through targeted pr efforts. This isn’t just a list of services, it’s your game plan. Keep it high-level but persuasive. What makes your strategy unique? Why is this the best way to approach their challenge?

For example, instead of “we’ll pitch to media”, say, “we’ll lead with a founder profile narrative designed to resonate with startup-focused business media.”

Clients want to see your thinking, not just your doing.

Break down the work you’ll do, and be specific. Will you pitch to tech journalists? Create bylined articles? Run a crisis comms simulation?

Outline what you’ll actually do so clients know what they’re paying for. For example:

• Two thought leadership articles per month
• Weekly media outreach
• Press release distribution for major announcements

Listing deliverables like “two thought leadership pieces per month” or “weekly media outreach to key verticals” shows that you’ve translated your strategy into action, and it helps clients visualize what they’re paying for.

Set expectations upfront. Outline phases of the campaign (e.g. research, outreach, reporting), with target dates and milestones.

Example:

• Weeks 1–2: Research and media list building
• Weeks 3–6: Outreach and pitching
• Week 8: Mid-campaign review

This helps manage expectations and demonstrates your organization and reliability.

Be transparent about the pricing of your PR services. Use value-based language to frame your pricing.

A line like, “This package includes media outreach, content development, and reporting for €6,000/month” helps clients understand what they’re getting and why it costs what it does.

If needed, include tiers or optional add-ons to let clients scale up or down.

Show how you’ll track success. Will you report on media coverage, backlinks, sentiment, or share of voice? Metrics like website traffic can provide valuable insights into the campaign’s effectiveness. Mention how frequently reports will be shared – weekly, monthly, post-campaign – and how insights will be used to refine strategy.

Clients love visibility, so showing them how you’ll keep them informed (and make decisions based on data) builds trust.

Managing clients, proposals, media outlets, and reporting across multiple tools? That gets messy, fast.

With Prezly, agencies can keep everything in one place – store proposals, manage outreach, and track coverage. Better still, you can create client-specific workspaces and set permission levels, so your team stays organized and your clients only see what they need to.

And when it’s time to scale, you won’t have to reinvent your process every time. Prezly’s streamlined system grows with you, making proposals faster to create and easier to manage – without sacrificing the personalized approach your clients expect.

Prezly, collaborative PR software for brands and agencies

• Complete oversight over account activity
• Nuanced permissions for each user
• Analytics and media monitoring for reporting

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A solid structure is only half the battle. These tactics help transform your PR proposal into something clients actually want to read. Tailoring your proposal to a specific PR campaign can make it more compelling and relevant to the client.

Generic proposals go straight to the bin. Show that you understand their industry, audience, and competitors. Mirror their language and tie your strategy directly to their business goals.

Avoid long walls of text. Use headers, bullet points, visuals, and charts to make your proposal skimmable and engaging. If you’re presenting it digitally, make it interactive.

Case studies, testimonials, media results – they all build credibility. Don’t just tell clients what you can do. Show them what you’ve already done.

Speak like a human. Avoid industry buzzwords that cloud your message. Clients want clarity, not a vocabulary test.

End your proposal with a strong call to action. Whether it’s booking a meeting or signing a contract, make the next step obvious and easy to take. Kind of like this:

The pitch doesn’t stop at send. The way you follow up can make or break the deal – so treat it as a continuation of your pitch, not just an afterthought.

Don’t hover, but don’t disappear. Follow up within a few days with a short, helpful note to check in or offer to clarify anything. Timing is key – be present without being a pest.

Clients might push back on budget or timeline. Prepare clear, confident justifications in advance, and keep the conversation focused on outcomes and return on investment – not just line items.

Walking the client through your proposal gives you the chance to highlight the strongest parts, address hesitations in real-time, and inject some human warmth into what might otherwise be a PDF with a price tag.

If the client isn’t ready to commit, don’t force it. Instead, propose a smaller engagement or a trial run that gives them confidence in your process. This builds trust and lowers the barrier to entry.

See who opens your emails and follow up, with Prezly.

Use Prezly to track who’s opened your proposal and when, so you can follow up at the perfect moment. Store all your proposal docs, emails, and follow-ups in one place, so nothing gets lost and you can move fast when it matters. 

One login, zero mess.

Once your proposal game is strong, it's time to make it scalable. That means creating a system that allows your team to move quickly, stay aligned, and deliver consistently great pitches – without burning out.

Don’t reinvent the wheel every time. Keep a public relations proposal template on hand, tailored to different industries, service tiers, or client types.

A strong template gives you a jump start while still allowing room for personalisation. You’ll cut down turnaround time and ensure consistency across your proposals.

Reporting is where your results shine – but also where things can get messy. Creating consistent formats for monthly updates, campaign performance, and success metrics saves your team hours and sets clear expectations for clients. 

As your agency grows, so does your client roster – and so does the chaos if you’re not organized. If you’re managing proposals, pitching, and press lists across 10 different spreadsheets and inboxes, something will slip. 

That’s where Prezly’s client-specific workspaces and permission settings come in. Your team stays on-task, your clients only see what they’re supposed to, and your agency looks good doing it.

Your proposal isn’t just a sales document – it’s a preview of how you work. A well-structured, thoughtful proposal increases your chances of winning the client and setting the stage for a successful collaboration.

Try Prezly free for 14 days to manage client work, proposals, media outreach, and reporting – all in one place. Set permissions for each client, keep your team aligned, and spend more time pitching great stories instead of digging through email threads.

Your next client is waiting. Make sure your proposal gets the yes.