Stacker vs. Digital PR Agencies: Which Should I Choose for Media Coverage?

The Quick Answer

Stacker earns native placements with publisher-ready editorial via direct newsroom relationships. It’s strong for credibility signals that travel across Google and AI answers.
Digital PR agencies plan and run bespoke earned-media campaigns (ideas, pitching, journalist relationships) that can generate high-authority coverage and backlinks. It’s great for brand storytelling and ongoing link and mention growth.
How teams pair them: Use an agency for custom campaigns and diversified publisher targets; use Stacker to scale consistent, publisher-ready stories across a vetted newsroom network.

Who Each is For

Stacker: Brands that want editorial placed natively at scale on trusted news sites to build authority and ongoing discovery.
Digital PR agencies: Teams that have the time to seek out diversified mentions and target particular high-authority or niche outlets.

At-a-Glance Comparison

Capability	Stacker	Digital PR agencies
Earned/native placements via publisher relationships	✅ Publisher-ready editorial placed natively via direct newsroom relationships.	✅ Journalist outreach + relationships to earn coverage and backlinks.
Global broadcast to broad media network	⚪ Focused on vetted news publishers where content runs natively.	⚪ Reach varies by media list + relationships; not a “broadcast” product.
Editorial integration / content adaptation	✅ Stories optimized for maximum reach and native pickups.	✅ Campaign assets and pitches are tailored per outlet; heavy editorial collaboration.
Brand authorship	✅ Brand bylines preserved on native placements.	⚪Sometimes agencies pitch guest posts, in which the clients would get the byline. Other times, they receive a reference/link in the body of the article.
Editorial control	⚪ All articles must meet editorial guidelines.	⚪ Editorial control varies by outlet; agencies influence the story but don’t control publication.
SEO/authority outcomes	✅ Native articles can create mentions/links and durable authority signals.	✅ Well-run campaigns earn high-authority links/mentions that lift rankings and trust.
Placements at scale	✅ Each Stacker story is typically picked up by 100+ outlets.	⚪ Results vary widely from story to story.
Guaranteed placement	❌ Earned (not guaranteed).	❌ Earned (not guaranteed).
Reporting	✅ Publisher-verified pickups and engagement.	⚪ Reporting varies by agency; typically links, coverage, traffic, share-of-voice.

How They Work

Stacker — Earned Distribution

What it is: Earned-distribution platform connecting brands and publishers to run editorial natively (not advertorial).
How it works: Stacker takes your publisher-ready stories and distributes them into newsroom workflows for native pickup. You pay for platform access; publishers aren’t paid to run the story.
Why it matters: Native placements build third-party credibility that shows up across Google and AI, and Stacker allows you to build those signals quickly and at scale.

Digital PR Agencies — Bespoke Campaigns & Outreach

What it is: Teams that craft content and pitch journalists to earn coverage, links, and reputation lift across online publications, podcasts, and creators.
How it works: First the team researches your audience and media landscape and develops a campaign concept (data study, expert POV, or creative asset). Then they build a targeted media list and run personalized outreach. Finally, they amplify wins and measure impact.
Why it matters: Ideal approach for top-tier targets and very niche industry publications.

When to Choose Each (And When to Pair Them)

Choose Stacker if…

You need wide brand visibility very quickly.
You need consistent coverage on a monthly basis to prove PR budget value.
You know you have great content but haven’t been able to get the coverage it deserves.

Choose a Digital PR agency if…

You’re targeting specific outlets/reporters or category press where bespoke outreach wins.
Backlink diversity is a priority.

Use both when…

You’re planning a flagship campaign: run the bespoke PR push with your agency, then extend distribution at scale via Stacker’s native network to maximize pickups and discovery.
You want durable visibility: Stacker’s network for consistent breadth and digital PR to fill in any industry-specific coverage gaps.

What Customers Say

Stacker

“Stacker has been a real catalyst…bridging the gap between SEO and PR while driving tangible results.” — Michael Farr, Paylocity.
“For startups or content-heavy orgs, Stacker is a great addition to PR…placements are more meaningful.” — Jess Pelini, TurboTenant.
“Stacker has really streamlined our link-building strategy.” — Mariah Bliss, Simply Business.

A Sampling of Digital PR Agencies

“In six months, Fractl delivered 40 high-quality articles… traffic improved significantly.” — Jonathan Bleier, McAfee.

“[Journey Further is a] excellent partner… strategy showed they understood our needs completely. The campaign drove fantastic results.” — Pablo Lalor, Lily’s Kitchen.

“[Digitaloft’s] work is smart, focused, and creative… delivered incredible reach, earning top editorial placements.” — BuzzStream podcast host on James Brockbank

FAQs

Can a digital PR agency guarantee coverage?
No. Earned media isn’t guaranteed. Agencies (and PR orgs) caution that “guaranteed coverage” usually means paid placement, not editorial.

How long until I see SEO impact from earned coverage?
Typical industry ranges are ~3–12 months for link-driven SEO lifts (depends on authority, competition, and where links land).

Do PR exclusives conflict with Stacker’s model?
Not if sequenced well. An exclusive gives one outlet first publication; after it runs, you can broaden reach. Use an agency to place the exclusive, then use Stacker to scale earned pickups across its publisher network.