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How YOU Can Use Public Relations to Make Your Business News-Worthy
In this episode of the Eternal Leadership Podcast, Gary Schneeberger brings with him 30+ years of journalism and public relations wisdom to help entrepreneurs and executives turn their messages into headlines.
According to Gary, the same skills that you use when you’re trying to get someone to like you are the same skills that you use when you’re trying to court a reporter to do a story on you.
But why should entrepreneurs and executives bother with PR in the first place?
Advertising will help build awareness, but “earned media” will build affinity. People will begin to understand what makes you different from your competitors and they start to feel a bond with you. When a third party comes in and affirms you with a news story, it is 80% more effective than paid advertising.
In his curiosity-inducing book, Bite the Dog, he laid out the formula for relevance, which is the ultimate goal of PR.
Identity + Strategy + Opportunity X Achievement [raised to the power of] Resilience = Relevance
The two main things to know about public relations are: what makes you stand out from the crowd and how the press works. Journalists look for unique stories, and it is your job to make your story news-worthy.
When the topic of biased media was raised, Gary shared his insider knowledge and revealed that most journalists are still legit. They work very hard to ensure fairness when they write news stories.
Gary reiterated that one of the fundamental propositions of public relations is to know what you stand for and frame it in the best language possible. But having something to say is not enough. You still need to do it in a way that arrests attention and makes people go, “Wow, I haven’t heard that before!”
And finally: what can Superman, Moses, and Steven Seagal reveal about the art of public relations? You’ll need to listen to this episode to find out!
What You’ll Learn
- The ultimate goal of public relations
- Gary’s transition from journalism to PR practitioner
- How he came up with his book’s title “Bite the Dog”
- Why having “something to say” is not half the battle
- How to get on a reporter’s radar
- The advantages of “earned media” over paid advertising
- Why press releases don’t work
- Gary’s PR Formula
Resouces
- Bite The Dog: Build a PR Strategy To Make News That Matters by Gary Schneeberger
- ROAR – Gary’s Public Relations Firm
Join The Conversation
What about you, do you use PR in your business? What’s the best practices you can share to us?
Bio
Gary Schneeberger’s three decades in journalism and public relations fuel his passion for, and success in, strategic marketing and communications.
As founder and president of ROAR, Schneeberger draws on his executive and executional experience in entertainment, ministry and media to help individuals and organizations engage audiences with the boldness and creative clarity that ensures they are heard. He has captured his insights and experience on the wise practice of public relations in Bite the Dog: Build a PR Strategy to Make News That Matters, available at most online booksellers.
He has advised Hollywood studios (Universal, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox), television networks (USA, History, The CW), global ministries (Focus on the Family) and publishing houses (Simon & Schuster, Hachette Books), as well as counseled and created communications platforms for some of the biggest names in movies and TV (including Mark Burnett and Roma Downey) and the most influential leaders in the faith community (including Jim Daly and Russell Moore).
His writing, under his own name and on behalf of clients, has appeared in Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Washington Post, CNN.com and The Huffington Post. He has an extensive background as a spokesperson, appearing on the CBS Evening News, CNN This Morning, NPR and HLN, among dozens of others.
Schneeberger also spent more than 15 years as an award-winning reporter and editor for daily newspapers across the country, including the Los Angeles Times.
