Navigating the Digital PR Landscape with Ronald Magas

In this insightful interview, Ronald Magas, the founder of Magas Media Consultants, shares his entrepreneurial journey from being a tax attorney to creating a PR company. He discusses the genesis of his business, the unique challenges of funding a digital venture, and the innovative ways he differentiates his services in the competitive market of public relations. Magas offers a rare glimpse into his daily life, his approach to staying relevant in a rapidly evolving media landscape, and provides valuable advice for newcomers in the PR industry, making this a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts alike.

Embarking on a Business Journey

Can you share the story of how your business journey began? What inspired you to start it?

I was a tax attorney who generated work by speaking to accounting groups and getting clients referred to me. One day a CPA walked up to me after a talk and told me they would “pay me if I would teach him to do this” – meaning IRS representation. That one conversation sprouted a training course which is now a multi-million training platform with on-demand training, live webinars, an App and almost 500 paid monthly members.

Bootstrapping Success

Starting a business often requires capital. How did you fund your business initially, and did you explore any unique financing options?

My business is completely digital so other than spending on a website I was able to bootstrap the business, no third party financing necessary. It was just a lot of sweat equity developing the programming.

Community Over Commerce

How do you differentiate your products/services in your market? Our model is that we are a community, so the membership is all inclusive and we don’t upsell our members.

We created an internal social network so the members can interact with each other and make friends and meet colleagues. It makes the member experience that much richer, and from a business perspective makes the membership more ‘sticky’, and as a result we have very low churn (under 5%).

A Day in the Life of a PR Entrepreneur

As an entrepreneur, what does a typical day look like for you?

I get up early and create content while I am fresh, so 4:30 – 7:00 am is my best time to get content creation done. From 8-12 I actually do law firm stuff (I still run a 25 person/$5 million law firm with my partner), and after lunch I record the podcast, return calls, hold webinars, etc. I generally wrap up my day around 6pm and head home.

Adapting to the Media Evolution

How do you stay updated with the evolving media landscape to ensure your services remain relevant and effective?

We follow news/industry trades, attend seminars, media conferences and general back n forth daily with the media/social media.

Crisis Management

Can you describe a situation where your crisis management services significantly benefited a client? What were the key steps taken?

We had a client whos local franchise office was involved with am under age sex scandal. (uproven) Based on our advice to get out in front of the story before it can breathe, we minimize the damage. My client had a small press conference and answered all questions for an hour, one time and moved on. The story died within a week and happy to say his business is thriving now.

Customized Client Strategies

With the array of services offered, how do you prioritize or tailor these to meet the unique needs of different clients?

Before we start with a client, we speak to them about their goals and needs then we decide the best route to take. Once we start and the account flourishes we tweak our approach if needed based on the clients needs.

Measuring PR Success

How do you measure the success or impact of the PR campaigns and other services you provide?

The best measurement for any pr/branding campaign is how many media opportunities is your client getting, how many hits are they getting based on their budget. The hope is that you build the credibility of your clients brand and brand awarness. Most think its about how much business your client retains. That does happen but the main goal for a PR campaign is to expose your clients brand to the masses and to then help it grow and be seen as the go to thought leader in their industry.

Time-Sensitive PR

How do you navigate the challenges that come with managing sensitive or time-critical PR issues?

We work with clients long term as overall that is a better route but if its time sensitive, we concentrate a certain amount of time in a shorter time frame based on their needs. We will assign one pr pro for a specific account that is shorter term.

Challenges for Newcomers in PR Consulting

What are some common challenges new entrants face in the PR consulting industry, and how can they overcome them?

Obtaining and retaining clients. Learning to NOT annoy the media.

Reflecting on the Past

In retrospect, what would you have done differently when starting Magas Media Consultants?

Not take on so much so fast. Hire staff quicker and learn to take time off.

Team Development

How do you ensure the continuous professional development of your team to uphold quality service delivery?

Send my staff to pr/biz seminars and conferences to learn about new up and coming trends in the industry. Also, make sure they are always up on the news of the day and be educated.

Building Networks

For someone looking to start a PR consultancy, what key relationships or networks would you advise they build to foster their business growth?

Join chambers of commerce, networking groups etc. Have your own meetings with biz leaders and political leaders etc. Set up lunches/breakfasts with a few potentials a month. Always look ahead, the client will stop eventually, no matter how long or well you have done.