Podcast Summary: The Future of PR — Earned Media, AI in Journalism & Visibility Strategies with Brett Farmiloe
Podcast: Right About Now – Legendary Business Advice
Host: Ryan Alford (The Radcast Network)
Guest: Brett Farmiloe, CEO of Featured.com
Date: September 19, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode of "Right About Now" dives deep into the evolving landscape of public relations (PR) and earned media in 2025. Host Ryan Alford welcomes Brett Farmiloe, CEO of Featured.com and the newly relaunched HARO (Help A Reporter Out), to discuss modern visibility strategies, the interplay of AI and journalism, and actionable steps for business owners seeking organic exposure. The conversation is candid and practical—dispelling myths, exploring the latest industry shifts, and providing a roadmap for PR in the age of AI.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Defining Earned Media vs. Paid Media
Timestamps: 02:00–02:39
- Earned Media: Free exposure gained by sharing expertise with journalists—"you earned the right to get the coverage."
- Paid Media: Traditional advertising, often costly and less organic.
Quote:
"Paid media, expensive. And paid earned media means you did the work, you earned the right to get the coverage. Is that a simple enough summary, you think, Brett?"
– Ryan Alford (02:21)
2. Brett’s Journey & Building Featured.com
Timestamps: 02:41–03:09
- Brett ran a marketing agency for 10 years, serving 500+ small businesses.
- The toughest challenge: getting clients featured organically in mainstream media.
- Founded Featured to address this, connecting experts with journalists.
- Sold his agency in 2021 to focus full-time on Featured.com.
Quote:
"The thing that they had an abundance of was knowledge to share about their business, but nowhere to share it... that platform, which is now Featured, took off faster than the agency."
– Brett Farmiloe (02:45)
3. Is Earned Media Dead? The Pay-to-Play Misconception
Timestamps: 03:09–03:26
- Ryan challenges the assumption that "it’s all pay-to-play" now.
- Brett rebuts: There’s still huge demand on both sides—businesses want visibility; journalists need credible sources.
Quote:
"Sourcing experts for stories is an infinite problem. There’s always some story that’s being created where an expert is needed..."
– Brett Farmiloe (03:29)
4. The Rise of AI & Its Impact on PR and Journalism
Timestamps: 03:26–05:44
- AI is reshaping how journalists source experts and how brands get discovered.
- AI-powered Large Language Models (LLMs) increasingly cite and recommend products/services in response to user queries.
Quote:
"Now the more that you’re featured in the media, the more that AIs and LLMs are starting to cite different references and recommend products and services..."
– Brett Farmiloe (03:57)
- Brands must be present in earned media because AI uses those citations for recommendations.
5. Performance Marketing vs. Brand Building
Timestamps: 04:20–05:01
- Performance marketing is transactional and short-term.
- Long-term brand strength and PR visibility are now more crucial as customer journeys become more complex—especially with AI-driven searches.
Quote:
"The race to the bottom with performance marketing, with everything’s a deal and an offer, eventually doesn’t work because not everyone’s buying today..."
– Ryan Alford (04:28)
6. Metrics and The Challenges of PR Measurement
Timestamps: 05:44–07:55
- Success in PR is tough to quantify—example: Hugh Jackman’s coffee company appearances on TV had unpredictable ROI.
- PR and brand awareness are about persistence and consistency, not instant results.
Quote:
"PR is just so hit and miss. Sometimes it’s about the timing of the placement, sometimes it’s about the outlet itself..."
– Brett Farmiloe (05:51)
7. How LLMs Are Changing the Purchase Funnel
Timestamps: 07:55–08:54
- LLMs can move prospects from awareness to decision without traditional external research.
- Trust in AI recommendations is growing.
Quote:
"Now people might start top of funnel in an LLM and gradually work themselves all the way to the bottom..."
– Brett Farmiloe (08:03)
8. HARO: The Old-School Platform’s Modern Comeback
Timestamps: 09:30–11:41
- HARO’s simple email format (summarized journalist queries sent 3x/day) is still highly effective.
- Featured.com acquired HARO, keeping simplicity but enhancing credibility and filtering via AI and verification.
Quote:
"HARO is a blast from the past... almost nothing has changed... it’s about the value proposition of helping each other out and solving each other’s problems."
– Brett Farmiloe (09:32)
9. AI Content Policies: Journalism's Fractured Response
Timestamps: 11:41–14:13
- Some journalists are open to AI-generated content if it’s credible and useful.
- Others strictly avoid AI-authored material, wary of search engine or reader backlash.
Quote:
"Most journalists will take a 100% AI generated response and they’ll just get in touch with that person directly..."
– Brett Farmiloe (12:58)
- The divide echoes early business anxieties during the social media boom.
10. The Enduring Value of Human Expertise
Timestamps: 14:44–15:41
- AI will always need human experts for validation, post-training, and grounding content.
- True expertise can’t be fully automated—humans remain crucial.
Quote:
"The only way that’s possible is through insights from true experts... For that, humans are always going to be in need of evaluating those outputs and improving them."
– Brett Farmiloe (15:10)
11. How to Use Featured.com & HARO Effectively
Timestamps: 15:41–18:33
- Featured.com: Freemium—free to answer up to 3 questions/month; then $11/month.
- Sign up, answer expert questions, get featured, and use alerts for efficiency.
- Also offers expert-written content for websites.
- HARO: Completely free for both sources and journalists; monetized via newsletter ads.
- Just submit your email, get daily journalist queries, and reply directly.
- Featured.com users get early access to HARO queries for time-sensitive opportunities.
Quotes:
"Anyone can answer up to three questions a month at no cost...The best thing to do is to sign up for Featured, answer a couple questions, create your profile, and see what happens..."
– Brett Farmiloe (15:53)
"HARO is totally free on both sides."
– Brett Farmiloe (17:00)
"HARO is the largest expert source place on the internet... You could literally get connected with anyone in the world."
– Brett Farmiloe (17:27)
12. Final Takeaways & Mindset for Innovators
Timestamps: 19:00–19:23
- Innovation comes from staying open to new ideas, listening to users, and continual iteration.
Quote:
"Great ideas come from anywhere and it’s the founder’s job to listen to every idea, especially from the people who are using the product... be a great filter, prioritize, and that’s how you keep iterating and innovating."
– Brett Farmiloe (19:10)
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- "You go to the gym and you’re not going to see results just like in one workout. It’s a consistent effort that ultimately moves things forward."
– Brett Farmiloe (06:18) - "We make things too complex. Bring back the simple concept—email and prompt of like, hey, here's an expert at xyz."
– Ryan Alford (10:12) - "People buy from people and they need to know your expertise and this is the way to share it without sounding sales-y at all times."
– Ryan Alford (18:33)
Essential Timestamps
- 02:00 – Defining paid vs. earned media
- 03:26 – The persistent value of earned media
- 03:57 – How AI and LLMs factor into PR strategies
- 05:51 – PR misconceptions and difficulties measuring impact
- 09:32 – HARO: Old-school simplicity in a high-tech world
- 12:58 – Journalism's split over AI content
- 15:53 – How to use Featured.com and HARO for exposure
- 17:27 – HARO as the world’s largest expert sourcing network
- 19:10 – Founder’s role in innovation and product evolution
Actionable Takeaways
- Make earned media a persistent habit—treat it like exercise for your business.
- Experiment actively with new AI-driven visibility strategies—track impact and iterate.
- Balance AI tools with human expertise—use tech for efficiency but don’t ignore authenticity.
- Leverage platforms like Featured.com and HARO—start with free offerings, focus on relevance, build profiles, and be proactive.
- Embrace simplicity in communications—don’t overcomplicate your PR outreach.
Connect & Explore
- Featured.com: Sign-up and learn more
- Help A Reporter Out (HARO): Sign-up for daily journalist queries
- Brett Farmiloe: Connect via LinkedIn
This episode is essential listening for business owners, marketers, and PR professionals seeking a no-nonsense roadmap for earning genuine media attention and maximizing AI-powered opportunities—without fluff or complex jargon.