Public Relations
Too often, a great Lions club is its own best-kept secret. Learn how public relations — earned, not paid — gets your story out, and how to build the media relationships that carry it.
Advertising is what you pay for; publicity is what you pray for.
What you'll be able to do
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Explain how public relations differs from advertising.
- Build a signature project into a public-relations story.
- Craft one clear, message-driven story for each audience.
- Run a six-step public-relations campaign.
- Cultivate lasting relationships with media contacts.
Our own best-kept secret
Lions do extraordinary things — and too often no one hears about them. Public relations is how a club tells its story so the community knows, trusts and joins in. It isn't bragging; it's letting your service inspire others to serve.
The big picture — mind map
Tap any branch to reveal its key ideas.
Public relations vs advertising
- Paid media — you pay to run it
- Short-term, usually about a month
- Focused on one product or message
- You fully control what it says
- Earned media — the outlet chooses to run it
- Long-term, built over years
- Tells your club's wider story
- More credible, because a third party chose it
Six steps to a PR campaign
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Build around a signature project
One project you'll run for years gives the media a story to return to — and keeps you from overwhelming your contacts.
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Know your audience, tell a story
Facts alone aren't the message. Add emotion and a clear 'why,' and tailor the same core story to each audience.
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Identify and train spokespeople
The step clubs skip most. Prepare target-specific packets and coach storytelling so your club speaks with one confident voice.
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Map every channel
Print, radio, TV and social each need a sharp, honed message — and enough lead time (send to magazines about six weeks ahead).
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Use social media to engage
It's free and can go viral. Share photos, videos and thank-you notes that carry real emotion — and never post negatives.
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Measure the results
Set goals and track them. Unlike advertising, great PR is built year after year — patient, consistent, and worth it.
Cultivating media contacts
A journalist rarely comes to you — so make it worth their while. Tap each idea to learn more.
The one habit that stands out above all: after meeting a media contact, always send a handwritten thank-you note. Nothing makes an impression like it — it will noticeably raise how they see you, and your club.
Check yourself
Five quick questions. Pick an answer to see instant feedback.
Bring it home
- What is our club's signature project — and does the community actually know about it?
- Who in our club is our best storyteller, and have we ever trained them as a spokesperson?
- Which one local media outlet could we begin to build a real relationship with?