Best PR for Marketplaces UK (2026): One Story for Both Sides of Your Platform
PR for online marketplaces and platforms that connect buyers and sellers, from second-hand fashion and services to B2B trading. We help you win trust on both sides at once, using the data only a marketplace has.
Two audiences, one reputation
A marketplace only works if both sides trust it. Selling your own products online? See our e-commerce PR page.
Sellers and suppliers want
- Proof that buyers are there
- Fair fees and clear rules
- Success stories from people like them
- Trade and small business press
Buyers want
- Safety and easy refunds
- Real reviews they can trust
- Good prices and choice
- Consumer, money and lifestyle press
Data stories only you can tell
Anonymised, aggregated platform data is one of the strongest PR assets a marketplace has.
Rules journalists will ask about
| Topic | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Fake reviews | UK consumer law bans fake reviews, and the CMA can now enforce consumer law directly. |
| Online safety | Platforms that host user content have duties under the Online Safety Act. |
| EU users | Platforms serving EU users may fall under the Digital Services Act. |
| Data | Any data story must be anonymised and follow data protection law. |
General guidance, not legal advice.
Handling hard stories
Marketplaces attract stories about scams, counterfeit goods, unsafe products and unhappy sellers. These are usually about one bad actor on your platform, but the headline names you.
Prepare in advance: know who speaks, have clear facts on how you remove bad listings and refund buyers, and respond quickly. Strong trust and safety stories in calm times make hard days easier.
PR for marketplaces at every growth stage
A marketplace’s media needs change as it grows. The right PR for marketplaces at launch looks nothing like the right PR after a funding round or an international expansion.
| Stage | Main goal | Stories that work |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-launch and launch | Win the first sellers and buyers | Founder story, the problem you solve, early supplier profiles |
| Early growth | Build trust on both sides | Seller success stories, safety and verification, customer reviews in context |
| New city or category | Local awareness fast | Local supplier features, regional press, “now available in” stories |
| Funding round | Credibility with investors and partners | Growth milestones, market insight, founder interviews in business press |
| International expansion | Name recognition in a new market | Market entry stories, local partnerships, founder commentary |
Seller success stories that sell the platform
Journalists rarely want to write about a marketplace. They love writing about the people on it: the maker who turned a hobby into a business, the tradesperson who filled their diary, the small brand that found customers abroad. Good PR for marketplaces puts those people first.
- Find the stories: ask your community team for sellers with a clear before-and-after, then confirm the details. Real people are the raw material of PR for marketplaces.
- Get consent properly: every seller approves their story, photos and quotes before anything is pitched.
- Match the outlet: local papers for local sellers, trade titles for business suppliers, lifestyle titles for consumer brands.
- Give sellers a toolkit: a simple guide so they can share their coverage, which spreads your name further.
Every seller story attracts more sellers and reassures buyers at the same time, which is why it sits at the heart of PR for marketplaces.
Launching a new city or category
Local launches live or die on awareness in the first few weeks, so timing is critical in PR for marketplaces. This is the playbook we follow when PR for marketplaces needs to make a new location or category feel established quickly:
- Recruit local supply first so there is something real to write about on day one. Supply comes first in PR for marketplaces.
- Profile three to five local sellers with strong stories and photos.
- Pitch regional press and local broadcasters with a clear local angle, the engine of local PR for marketplaces.
- Add useful local data, such as demand for a service or gaps in the market.
- Follow up with results after the first months, once you have proof to share.
Trust and safety as a reputation asset
Most marketplaces only talk about safety when something goes wrong, and that is a missed chance for PR for marketplaces. The stronger approach is to make it part of your story from the start: explain how you verify sellers, protect buyers and resolve disputes, and share improvements as they happen.
Proactive trust stories make difficult moments easier to handle, because journalists already know you take safety seriously. They also reassure new users who are deciding whether to sign up, which makes trust stories a core part of PR for marketplaces. If fake reviews are damaging your platform or your sellers, our Google review removal service can help, and our B2B PR guide covers wholesale and business-facing platforms.
Marketplaces in Google and AI search
People increasingly ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI where to buy, sell or hire, with questions like “best app to sell second-hand clothes in the UK” or “where to find a reliable local plumber”. These tools lean heavily on trusted publications when they decide which platforms to recommend, so PR for marketplaces now shapes AI visibility as well.
Editorial coverage gives them credible sources that name your marketplace and explain why people use it. No one can guarantee an AI mention, but consistent PR for marketplaces gives you a much better chance of appearing in those answers, while high-authority links help your category pages rank in Google. For wider reach, pair features with press release distribution.
Business and tech titles in our network
Most marketplace coverage is earned. Next to that, you can book features in titles from our publication network, such as Entrepreneur UK, London Loves Business and TechRound. Booked features go live within 14 days of approval or you get a 100% refund.
Listed in our network, October 2026. Terms, including link treatment, are confirmed in writing before you book. Google asks that paid links are marked as sponsored or nofollow.
Three example marketplace campaigns
A second-hand fashion app
“The most resold brands of the year, and what they sell for”
- Route: data pitched to fashion, money and consumer press.
- Timing: January.
- Outcome sought: new buyers and sellers.
A platform for local tradespeople
“Where in the UK it is hardest to find a plumber”
- Route: regional press across many towns.
- Timing: before winter.
- Outcome sought: sign-ups on both sides.
A wholesale marketplace
“Independent shops are buying more from small makers”
- Route: retail trade press and an Entrepreneur UK feature.
- Timing: trade show season.
- Outcome sought: retailer sign-ups.
Illustrative plans with example headlines. They are not client results.
What clients say about United Press
★★★★★“The team understood our industry and, more importantly, understood the story we needed to tell. Seeing our company featured across relevant publications gave us a much stronger presence when potential customers researched us.”
Olivia BennettMarketing Director
★★★★★“United Press built our brand from launch to nationwide recognition. Real media coverage gave new customers the trust they needed — our ROI has been over 100:1, which blows my mind.”
Annabelle SparksGlobal Head of Marketing
★★★★★“United Press helped us turn our company story into something journalists could genuinely engage with. The coverage gave our brand a level of credibility that was difficult to achieve through our own marketing channels.”
James WhitmoreFounder & CEO
United Press is a London PR agency at Brook’s Mews, working since 2001 with clients worldwide, and a winner or shortlisted at PRWeek, CIPR Excellence, UK Agency, PRCA DARE, The Drum and UK Social Media Communications Awards.
Marketplace PR questions
What is different about PR for a marketplace?
You need trust from two audiences at once, buyers and sellers, and you have platform data that can create news no one else can.
Can we use our platform data in PR?
Yes, when it is anonymised, aggregated and handled in line with data protection law.
How do you handle stories about scams on our platform?
We help you prepare facts and a response plan in advance, and respond quickly and honestly when a story breaks.
Do you work with marketplaces outside the UK?
Yes, including international platforms launching in the UK.
How quickly can a booked feature go live?
Within 14 days of your approval, or you get a 100% refund.
How much does marketplace PR cost?
There is no fixed price. Every campaign is planned around your goal and the titles you need. Share your goal and budget in the form below for a personalised plan.
How do marketplaces get press coverage?
Lead with the people on your platform, back stories with data only you have, and time announcements around real milestones such as a new city, category or funding round. In PR for marketplaces, we shape those stories, pitch the right editors and confirm each live link.
How do you launch a marketplace in a new city with PR?
Recruit local supply first, profile a handful of local sellers with strong stories, pitch regional press and broadcasters with a clear local angle, and follow up with results once you have proof.
Can PR help a marketplace appear in AI search?
It can improve your chances. AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini rely on trusted publications when they recommend where to buy, sell or hire. No one can guarantee an AI mention, but press coverage is one of the strongest signals a marketplace can build.
Ready to grow both sides?
Tell us about your platform, your buyers and sellers, and the data you hold. We will send a free plan with the angle, titles and timing that fit.
