When most people think about marketing, they think advertising. While advertising is a part of marketing, marketing is much bigger than advertising. There are lots of different marketing methods floating around out there, and the challenge as a business owner is figuring out when it’s appropriate to use each one and the best way to use it.

Public relations, or PR, is the art of getting someone else to write or talk about you or your business. Preferably in a favorable manner. Traditionally, "someone else" was the media. In this day and age however, someone else can also be a blogger, a freelance writer, an e-zine publisher or even an owner of a big Web site. For purposes of this article, I’m using the word "media" to refer to all of those folks.

PR is also being able to get yourself on a big talk show to talk about yourself or your business, or writing your own article that’s published in a desired outlet. (Not your own newsletter or Web site.)

PR is one of my favorite marketing methods, but it can also be one of the more frustrating ones. Even when you do everything right, you still might not get the publicity you want. Or for that matter, ANY publicity at all. When a PR campaign doesn’t work, you can find yourself wanting to pull out all your hair in frustration.

Even with that in mind, I do believe most if not all businesses can benefit from some type of PR campaign. But before you launch into something that could end with you becoming hairless (and investing in a sizeable hat collection) ask yourself the following questions.

1. Do I need to see results right away? If you do, better pull out your wallet and pay for some advertising. PR takes time. And it’s not guaranteed. You might not see your article for weeks, months or ever, and there isn’t a darn thing you can do about it. If it’s immediate gratification you want, don’t look for it in a public relations campaign.

2. Do I have the time to consistently devote to a public relations campaign? We’re back to the time issue. PR not only takes time to see results, but you also have to take time to make it happen. Either you have to do it or you have to pay someone else to do it. If you do it yourself, you’ll have the potential of garnering the equivalent of thousands of dollars of advertising for little or no money. But it will cost you some time. If you pay someone else, you’ll save time (which is a good thing, I’m a big believer in outsourcing) but it can get expensive. Worse yet, you STILL might not get any coverage for your money.

3. Do I have enough perseverance to run a PR campaign? PR is about follow-up. It’s about sending story idea after story idea to the same reporter before one finally connects (and maybe it’s the tenth one). It’s about sending a little note or letter to the same editor for as long as several years before you get a bite. It’s about reminding your contacts you’re out there until one day they realize they need you.

If you’re willing to court the media, develop relationships and do whatever you can to make their lives easier, the rewards can be huge.

4. Do I have newsworthy events happening at my business? (Newsworthy is something media personnel feel would interest their readers.) Or, if I don’t, can I create them?

I’m not talking about making things up here. But there are things you can be doing to make your business more newsworthy. For example, you can do a survey and publish the results. You can tie a feature of your product or service to something that’s currently happening in the news. You can hold an event. You can research a newly published study that relates to your product or service. There are countless ways you can transform aspects of your business into newsworthy story items — the creativity exercise below can help you come up with your ideas.

5. Do I want to build my credibility? Develop my status as an expert? Then get that PR campaign off the ground. Nothing builds your credibility or expert status faster than having other people say you know what you’re talking about.

6. Do I want to augment my other marketing efforts? Public relations definitely plays nicely with the other marketing methods. You can be building your long-term expert campaign with PR and building short-term customers with advertising. Or you can turn your community relations strategies into PR campaigns. It’s a great way to get the most bang out of your marketing time and dollar.

Creativity Exercise — How can you use PR in your business?

Grab some sheets of paper and pen (I like the fun gel pens myself) and get ready for some brainstorming.

Start by listing everything you do or sell. Then write out all the features or descriptions of your products or services. For instance, if you have a book, what is your book about? What does it offer people?

Now see if you can turn those features into something newsworthy. Is there a time of year when people are interested in your services? (Accounting and tax season). Are there any studies you can dig up? Is there something in the news that ties into your product? Can you turn an aspect of your business into a human interest story? (Something like fitness tips for busy people or parenting tips for single parents, etc.) Write everything down that comes into your head, even if it’s silly. See if you can come up with 50 story ideas.

Now look at what you wrote. Can you find a few in there that you think would interest the media? Congratulations — you just came up with a PR campaign.

Michele Pariza Wacek is the author of "Got Ideas? Unleash Your Creativity and Make More Money." She offers two free e-zines that help subscribers combine their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business.

She can be reached at http://www.TheArtistSoul.com

Copyright 2005 Michele Pariza Wacek

When developing a publicity campaign for their business many owners overlook the importance of trade magazines and journals as vehicles for reaching new customers. While mass media publications have widespread readership, the targeted nature of trade publications make the information that appears within them even more powerful.

Unlike general interest publications, readers of trade magazines and journals already have an established interesting a specific subject. for example, it is safe to assume that readers of American Printer are generally people who work in or have an interest in that subject. Writing a how-to-article that appears in a trade publication establishes your business as an "expert" in that specific area. Think about it - reading an article written by your company in trade magazines provides a different level of exposure and a new image of your business to potential customers.

Here are a six guidelines for writing material for trade magazines:

1. Familiarize yourself with trade magazines in your industry - Trade magazines usually publish industry news, case studies and educational articles. New is primarily written by the editors. Case studies and educational articles are available for contributing authors. case studies describe how a service solved a particular problem. Educational articles teach the reader how to do a particular job or activity. These two types can be great in establishing additional credibility among potential customers, portraying the author as an "expert" in that area.

2. Know your targeted publication - Read a few issues or the publication that your are targeting. Review the contents to make sure that magazine publishes the type of article you have in mind. Review the publication’s headings to get a sense of what specific subjects are covered in each issue. Obtain a copy of the publication’s editorial calendar, if possible, to see if your idea fits into a specific theme or issue. Tis background knowledge will better your chances of publication.

3. Contact the editor - Discuss with he editor the article idea you that you that are interested in writing. This will avoid any misconceptions and duplication of effort. For example, you would not want to begin writing an article on spill control products if an article on that same subject appeared in the last issue. In addition, this give the editor a chance to provide his/her input into the development of the article. Editor feedback can be very valuable, both from a content and final publication point of view.

4. Write concisely - The key to writing for publications is making the material as easy to read possible. do not use jargon; be clear in your writing. Short sentences are the rule. No matter how important the topic, if the article is long and difficult to understand, it will not be published.

5. Provide illustrations - Investigate the publication your are writing for to see if they use photos, illustration or graphics with the articles. Innovative, clear graphics can help sell an article and better your chance of being published.

6. Ask an expert to review the article - Often having another person read your work can provide a fresh perspective of what your article is actually saying. Have a colleague review the final manuscript for accuracy. If possible, have a proof-reader review the article for any inconsistencies prior

to submission to an editor.

Trade magazine publicity and media relations can be an important part of an overall public relations and marketing program. The development of a consistent public relations program can result in the creation of a positive reaction to a company’s product or service from its target audience. This, in turn, helps a company achieve another goal - increased bottom line dollars.

For thirty years, Martin Cohn has been providing public relations services to a wide variety of clients. You can read more articles at http://www.cohnpr.com

Business to Business relationships come to expect a certain level of professionalism, from the first telephone call to the final delivery.

Your business can be on the Really Big 500 list, employ only a handful of people, or be a business of one but what is said by that business to other business customers will reflect the personality of that business. It can be a PR boost or a PR blowout.

Have you called the telephone company or your long distance provider lately? Chances are you will get a machine telling you to "listen closely because the menus have changed" (as if they know you called last year).

When you do listen closely, chances are there is not a choice on the menu that sounds like the reason you called. Worse, you could choose a selection and be directed to an area that does not answer with no way to get back to real people. What does that say about the company? Terrible impression.

Only the company’s bean counters will argue that all that "select and press" boogie-woogie is good for the company. Word of mouth is faster and cheaper than any other form of advertising, and very widespread. Have you talked with anyone that thinks voice mail menus are nifty?

Same if you have to call an insurance company, or credit card company. Now, it seems, more and more calls are greeted with the "all our agents are busy, please hold" message. Can you imagine how that one got started? "Look, Herb, if we put the main line on voice mail, we can trim our customer support staff in half, just have the machine say ‘everyone is busy helping other customers’, we can save really big bucks!" Not much for PR is it? Even worse if they ditch the 800 number and make you pay for the call.

For years I have told my clients to look to the big boys to see how they do things. Now I hedge my advice, by pointing them at the big boys that are doing it right, because so many have made more than one wrong turn on the road to a professional, caring image.

The telephone is only one part of the puzzle, but one of the most important parts. I tell my clients with small to mid size businesses to call the office from time to time to see how the phone is answered.

I cannot count the number of times I have had to ask to person answering the phone to repeat the mesh of words that just flew by. Hundreds of times I have been ka-thudded on hold with not so much as a "Hang on Bub!"

It is true, you can hear a smile on the other end of the phone. You can also hear indifference and the Easy one to spot is outright disgust. One bored telephone person can do more to undo what took years to do more than any other company asset (or liability).

What if your company is you? Staff of one with a home office. What happens when a call comes in and you are not there to put on your best voice? Does a machine get it? In how many rings? What does the machine say? Does your machine make sense if you call from a pay phone?

It only takes a few minutes to draft a script for the answer machine. So much better than an ad lib. Even the pros write it down. Forget about that "I’m not here" stuff, any moron can figure that one out. No need to lecture them with "..say your phone number twice" or "talk slowly, I am not a stenographer". Record it over and over until it sounds bright, happy, and clear enough for Grandma to understand.

How do you feel when you make a business call and a machine answers to tell you "if you want to send a fax, press start now!"? Makes you question the quality of the business, doesn’t it? Can’t they even afford a separate fax number?

You see it on printed material, too, "..for fax, call first so we can turn on the machine". It is hard to imagine such a setup being used for more than one or two faxes a year. The impression that a lack of a separate fax number gives is negative in every respect.

The ultimate professional faux pas is to use your home phone number as your business number. This might work if you are the only one ever to answer the phone and your machine always answers if you are away (even if the house of full of kids and an in-law or two). What usually happens is a child, or grandchild, will answer "huh-whoah?"

"Is this Acme Consulting?"

"I’ll get my Mommee (clunk) Mommeeee"

Neat first impression. Consider the ramifications if a teenager in your house has figured out how to dial out.

Here are two simple ideas to help give your business a professional front, telephone-wise.

If you already use a separate line for the fax machine, but still use your home phone as your business line, start using the fax number as your main business number. Make sure no one else answers it. Put your answer machine on it and leave the home phone alone. Put your new number on everything and send email to those that may have the old one. The transition won’t take long.

You won’t lose any faxes because you can get a free fax number from several sources that send the faxes to your computer. No banner ads to read, just free fax service. I have had one for years. I have a dedicated fax number and don’t pay a penny.

My fax number converts any fax to an eMail attachment and it arrives in my eMail box. I can read my faxes from any computer, worldwide. In my office I can read and pitch, or print and read. I don’t buy fax paper anymore. Some folks call them electronic faxes. The point is, you can get a fax number all your own, without extension, that anyone can use, 24 hours a day, for free. No hidden costs or startup fees.

The two most popular are http://www.jfax.com and http://www.efax.com but any Internet search for "free fax numbers" will bring up a bigger list.

If you don’t have a fax number at home, call the telephone company and order a second residential line. Just tell them you want a second line, no need to explain. Once it is installed, make it your main business line and get a free fax number.

Now your business card can show a main line, a fax line and a cell phone and your mother-in-law can’t run off new business.

If it walks like a pro and acts like a pro…

Body End—–

Sig: ©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

Subscribe to "BIG Mike’s BIG Ideas" Newsletter subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net

Once considered the stepchild of the publishing industry, custom publishing now claims a legitimate slice of the B-to-B MarCom pie.

Custom magazines, newsletters and sponsored supplements are becoming an increasingly integral part of the overall marketing program. Recent studies by the Custom Publishing Council and Publications Management show leading U.S. companies spending about 25% of their marketing budgets on custom publishing endeavors, compared with 13% just three years ago.

Smart companies employ custom publishing tactics in their B-to-B marketing programs to enable them to reach highly targeted buying audiences. A major software developer, for example, developed a sponsored supplement (or “advertorial”) featuring articles about data management challenges faced by hospitals as a means of raising its profile with an important marketplace. The 32- page advertorial, which also contained house ads for the company’s new data processing software, was inserted into a magazine read by major hospital data managers nationwide. In this case, it was more cost-effective than buying a series of ads in the publication because the developer’s exact message was delivered exactly where the company wanted it delivered.

But strategic custom publishing efforts are not limited to magazines. One leading foodservice equipment and supplies distributor has a staff of 12 dedicated to producing internal newsletters for suppliers and employees. These publications let suppliers know what’s going on with the company’s business and make employees aware of changes in human resources policies. They also serve as an internal promotional tool.

Other successful B-to-B custom publishing initiatives include: Priority, a bi-monthly magazine from Pitney Bowes that targets 750,000 small business owners; Cano Energy Pipeline magazine, which targets investors in domestic oil and gas limited partnerships; and Tellabs Emerge, Tellabs Inc.’s quarterly magazine reaching 15,000 telecom engineers in North America who make purchasing decisions for their companies.

Another trend noted by the CPC is that a majority of companies still handle production chores for their custom publishing efforts in-house, spending the bulk of the $29 billion that goes toward such efforts on internal staff. But that may be changing, given bottom-line pressures. According to Publications Management, a trade newsletter, 40% of U.S. companies that pursue custom publishing strategies currently avoid the hassle and expense of adding staff by outsourcing production of their publications. It may also change as varying types of electronic B-to-B marketing efforts, such as websites, e-postcards and e-newsletters, are further integrated into marketing strategies.

Whatever the goal, launching a custom publication as part of a B-to-B marketing campaign needs to be handled within the context of a medium and long-term strategy in support of overall business objectives. And placing a company’s message and brand before the target audience should always be the goal of any custom publication as questions about the concept’s legitimacy continue to wane.

Chris Scott heads Hodge Media Group, the custom publishing arm of Hodge Communications, Inc. Hodge specializes in strategic public relations and marketing communications for businesses, entrepreneurs and professional associations. Formerly an award-winning journalist, he brings over 20 years of experience to client engagements. Subscribe today to Communic@te! our free bimonthly e- newsletter and get a free special report: “Using Buzz To Create a Groundswell For Your Business.”

Visit http://www.hodgecommunications.com

Getting a press release published in a newspaper or magazines can be one of the best ways to publicize your business. First, though, you need a good story – and that can be the hard part.

Here’s a basic rule of public relations for you, though: if you don’t have a good news story to tell, you create one. Here’s how to do it:

1. Throw a Launch Party

It doesn’t matter if your business is a few months old, or just newly opened: if you haven’t thrown a launch party, it’s time to do it. Invite everyone you can think of to your party: invite the local councilors and MPs, members of your local business community, your friends, family and prospective customers - and, of course, the media.

2. Run a Competition

Just as everyone loves a story, you’ll find that there are very few people who can resist a freebie. By running a competition, you’ll be able to tap into that opportunistic streak all of us have – and promote your business at the same time.

3. Give something away for free

I know, I know – when your business is new, you want to hold onto every last penny. The very idea of giving something away for free is anathema to you! But trust me – freebies not only help you get into the local media, they also help bring in more business.

By offering freebies, you do two things:

* Generate goodwill towards your business
* Gain media exposure

The media couldn’t care less if you’re selling something (even at a substantial discount) – that’s why they have an advertising section. Once you start giving it away though – that’s when they’ll sit up and take notice.

Again, giving away freebies will cost you money: but the interest generated by the offer will last long after it ends, and there’s a good chance that the people who missed out on the freebie will decide to try out the product anyway.

4. Get sponsored in an unusual way

As any PR-person will tell you, sponsorship doesn’t just benefit the charity you’re raising money for: if you’re a small business owner, it can be of great benefit to you as well. Cynical? Well, probably. There’s no getting away from the fact, though, that being sponsored to do something, whether it’s a charity hike, sponsored silence or a walk halfway round the world will give you a better chance of seeing your business name in the paper.

5. Sponsor someone else

If you don’t fancy being sponsored yourself, then try sponsoring someone else. Local clubs, sports teams and organizations are always on the lookout for extra cash, and while you may not be able to spring for a sponsorship deal with your local premiership club, sponsoring your local kids’ football team will earn you goodwill – and your business name on eleven shirts for a year!

6. Piggy-back on someone else’s press release

We’ve already discussed politicians and how media savvy they are. The same goes for many other organizations and businesses, who are just as desperate for publicity as you are. It makes sense to get to know the PR people working for these organizations. Say your business is in a health-related industry, and you find out that your local hospital is about to put out a press release about an issue affecting them. Why not contact the hospital press officer and ask if you can help? You may be surprised at how willing they are to have your voice of support quoted on their press release – and that means getting your business in the media.

This article is an excerpt from "PR Power: How to Write a Killer Press Release – and make sure it gets published!", Amber McNaught’s popular new ebook. Buy it at http://www.hotigloo.co.uk/prpower.htm

Amber also offers an affordable press release writing and distribution service.

NOTE: Brad Phillips was a Producer for CNN’s The Capital Gang from 2000-2001.

Robert Novak’s meltdown on CNN’s Inside Politics was predictable, perhaps. After all, he’s spent the past two years fending off growing public criticism for his role in the Valerie Plame leak investigation and has watched helplessly from the sidelines as his media brethren have turned an increasingly scornful eye at his silence. If there’s one thing “old school” reporters like Mr. Novak can’t stand, it’s being part of a story they’re supposed to be covering.

But when he swore after James Carville’s mild provocations and stormed off the set, it was a complete surprise. I ought to know. I used to be Robert Novak’s producer.

Within hours of his outburst, more than 300 news stories – from as far away as Russia, India and South Africa – had already appeared about the incident. With each story, you could faintly hear the echo of liberal commentators uncorking bottles of champagne. Media darling Jon Stewart went so far as to rub his nipples with delight on The Daily Show.

It’s an unsurprising case of schadenfreude, perhaps, since Novak has spent years mocking politicians who self destruct on camera. In early 2004, for example, he wrote about Howard Dean that, “Being overworked is a poor excuse for Dean’s gaffes.”

Robert Novak just had his Dean scream moment.

He’s not alone.

Today, as a full-time media trainer, I see spokespeople from across the nation embarrassing themselves unnecessarily. One recent client, a high-ranking city official, also ripped off his lapel microphone and stormed out of an interview only to see the clip used for seven straight days on the local news.

But the job of a journalist – particularly a television journalist – is to elicit drama. By pairing conservative vs. liberal, the entire construct of the show is intended to create a fiery debate, excluding most of the nuanced views that could lead to a thoughtful conversation. Although CNN’s “Crossfire” may officially be canceled, the left-right debate format is here to stay. I often advise clients to avoid appearing on those programs altogether and to seek a more substantive venue instead.

In many other cases, like that of the city official, viewers will never see the questions posed by a reporter. These “bites” interviews allow a reporter to ask leading, obnoxious, and downright insulting questions, but if the spokesperson loses control and gets angry, that’s all viewers will ever see.

So how can a high-profile spokesperson stay in control during an interview? First, remember the “Seven Second Stray.” Being on message most of the time isn’t good enough. Those seven seconds during an hour-long interview when you respond angrily or say something flip or sarcastic is guaranteed to be included in the segment, and will likely be played over and over again. Novak’s entire incident lasted just 11 seconds.

Second, think out what your response will be to an unexpected antagonistic comment in advance. Practice with someone who knows you well – your spouse, perhaps – and ask them to criticize you in a way they just know will get under your skin. Stay calm during your response, and choose your words carefully. It may make for an awkward dinner with one another, but the practice will help prevent self immolation when you’re on live television.

Third, monitor your non-verbals. Studies show that more than half of the way people perceive you is based not on what you say (or don’t say), but on how you look. If you successfully restrain yourself from making a sarcastic remark but your eyes, face, or body betray your true feelings, viewers will notice.

Mr. Novak’s fate is still uncertain. But just like Janet’s Super Bowl flash, President Clinton’s finger wag and the Dean Scream, Mr. Novak’s walk-off is destined to become a remembered pop culture moment.

Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations. He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and headed the media relations department for the second largest environmental group in the world.

For more information and to sign up for free monthly media relations and media training e-tips, visit http://www.PhillipsMediaRelations.com

Journalists are trained and often experienced at getting information out of their subjects. Conflict and other negative situations often make the news and journalists often have a knack for taking a positive situation and twisting it into something else in order to make it more “sell”-able as news.

It’s a common scenario. The media calls after your organisation has put out a news release on the latest groundbreaking achievements.

You’ve done the hard work in preparing your media message, spending time honing the features, benefits, evidence and proof that will build your case to overcome even the most cynical journalist. After hours of brainstorming, you’ve come up with a great quotable quote that even the most seasoned PR pro would be proud of.

You’ve practised and warmed up your voice. You’ve spent time to quietly relax, using your favourite visualisation technique to anchor your feeling of confidence as the moment of truth comes quicker than you realise. You’ve never been more prepared for this media interview in your life. The opening questions go well and you grow in confidence. Your body language and eye contact show you’re in control and on message.

And, then it comes. Like an unannounced steam train, a question out of the blue. A tough ‘red herring’ completely throws you off balance as their ambush technique works with devastating effect. Crushed, your media interview stumbles from bad to worse. You miss several opportunities to stay on message and make the most of the media opportunity. Afterwards you feel deflated, humiliated and let down.

How can you avoid this situation and prepare for the tough questions that often come from seasoned, cynical and ’so what - who cares’ journalists?

Here are Five Ways To Handle Tough Questions In A Media Interview.

1. COMPLIMENT THE JOURNALIST

Many journalists are attracted to the media because they want to see their face on TV, hear their voice on radio and read their name in the paper. I call them ‘ego-driven’ journalists. Work to their egos and stroke them. Compliment them on a great question. For example, use "that’s a great question and I’m glad you asked it, ….."

2. GET BACK ON MESSAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Once you’ve paid the compliment, get back on message as quickly as possible to show you are in control and not the reporter. For example, after the compliment use "…but what I want to say is this …"

3. FOCUS.

Good reporters will always look for an angle to make the story more newsworthy and will try a range of techniques to get conflict into the story. Keep your focus, be disciplined and avoid going down a line of questioning that is not relevant to the story or your message. Be firm, but polite. For example, "I really think we’re getting off track here, the main point I want to make is …."

4. KEEP YOUR COOL.

Under no circumstances should you lose your temper, shout or get angry. This only inflames the situation and comments said in the heat of the moment when emotions are running high can often get you in trouble. Remember they make great copy and sensational ‘news grabs’. Remain calm. Remember you are the one in control with the information that the media wants. You have every right to call a halt to an interview if the journalist become overly aggressive or offensive.

5. PREPARE and PRACTICE.

I’ve lost count of the number of times a novice interviewee has taken the whole bait and been taken down the garden path and completely off message by an irrelevant question during a media training exercise. Most people are quick learners and when they see it happening to others quickly learn not to do this once they’ve seen how easy it is to stay on track. Prepare for tough questions prior to the interview in a formal media training course or with a colleague. Road test your messages prior to talking to the media and you are more likely to stay out of trouble.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com

We’re all familiar with the litany of TV and radio talk shows. Perhaps you’ve watched or listen…maybe you thought – I would make a great guest! Well, if you think you would make a great TV and radio talk show guest…read on and learn how to get on TV and radio talk shows!

A radio or TV talk show, can be a great publicity move. It takes some effort, but with a little research, and a lot of perseverance, you could be on your way to promoting your product, service or even yourself on a radio or TV talk show.

Step 1 - Groundwork

You need to think about your pitch to the radio or TV talk show. What do you have to say that’s new, interesting, unique and different? What’s your angle or story idea? Do you have a unique product? Are you an expert in a field?

Once you given some thought to about your pitch, prepare a one page backgrounder on yourself. This fact sheet is very important if you are just venturing into the talk show arena. Include a professional head shot picture and highlight all of your previous speaking engagements, published articles, books etc. You need to build credibility since you are an unknown entity to the radio or TV talk show producer.

Now that your backgrounder or fact sheet is complete, research the various talk shows where you would like to appear. No sense wasting your time or the producer’s time if your topic idea is not appropriate for the genre of the talk show. When doing your research, find out what types of topics the show is looking for. Often, the talk show’s website or the radio station website are good starting places.

Check out how the radio or TV talk show likes to receive topic ideas. Do they prefer phone calls, emails or is there an application form available? Try to determine whom you contact and what the best method for contact is.

Step 2- Practice

Often overlooked, it is always a good idea to practice your pitch and show your fact sheet to some respected colleagues before you try it out on the TV or radio producers. Ask your practice partner to throw out some tough and challenging questions so that you get practice rebutting any negative responses. The practice pitch will give you a chance to make any changes, streamline your narrative and to think about how you will answer the producer’s questions.

Step 3 - Make Contact

Now that you’ve figured out what you want to say and where you want to say it, it’s time to make contact.

There are a few methods of making contact. The first is to fax or email your backgrounder and then follow up with the radio or TV talk show producer a couple of days later. The second idea is to call the radio or TV talk show producer and sell them on your idea right away. A lively phone conversation will demonstrate that you are able to be engaging and interesting. If you get voice mail, persevere! Mention your idea on the voice mail, send your backgrounder and then follow up with a phone call again. A third, albeit more passive way to get on radio and TV talk shows is to register with one of the many online databanks or publications, which are directories of people available for radio and TV interviews. These sites and publications are designed for media professionals who need to quickly and easily find guests for various topics.

When you are pitching your ideas, strongly capitalize on your experience. If you have limited to no talk show experience, the producer may be scared off by that. Play up any and all experience you have. For instance, focusing on the broad range of presentations you’ve made to various audiences will show that you’re adept at speaking. Even better is to have some references lined up who will provide testimonial to the producer that you were an informative, intelligent and engaging speaker.

Another idea is to link your idea with an event or issue in the news, if possible. If you can inject a ‘little’ controversy into a topic (say you represent the opposing side of an issue) you have a better chance of being signed on.

Here’s a quick and easy tip, remember to boost the producers ego by mentioning something from a previous show topic or guest, producers love to know that people are watching.

Be excited! You have to believe in your idea, topic or whatever it is you have to say. The more enthused you are - the more likely you will get the radio and TV talk show producers to buy into inviting you to make an appearance on their show.

Step 4 - You’re Booked!

O.k. you’ve gotten the call you were waiting for. You are booked on your favorite TV or radio talk show! It helps the producers and talk show host if you supply a list of relevant questions. Pick 10 or so questions that you would like to be asked. There is no guarantee that they will use them, but producers and hosts are notoriously busy people and anything you can do to make their job a little easier will be appreciated.

Once you’ve finished your radio or TV talk show appearance, be sure to update you backgrounder. Surprisingly, the more talk shows you do, the more you build your credibility as an ‘expert’. As soon as you have a few appearances under your belt, you will likely find it easier to make that initial contact with the TV or radio talk show producer.

It cannot be stressed enough when you’re looking for ways to get on TV or radio talk shows, perseverance and determination are the keys. You cannot give up. It will be difficult to make contact and eventually get booked, but the reward in free publicity is MORE than worth it! Good luck!

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak’s Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com

Your media pitches can go straight over the plate. With a little forethought, and a few tips, you can throw fewer balls and more media relations strikes.

Brevity is the soul of wit. Shakespeare could have been giving media relations tips when he penned this gem several hundred years ago. If you can’t get to the point in your subject line in 10 words or less, you need to work on your message. Keep the subject line short and to the point, and include the time frame if it is important to the pitch. For instance: "Entrepreneurs Storming NC General Assembly Tuesday"

Surprise! If you have a startling or interesting fact, use it as a hook. I am developing a story idea about local home prices. My initial thought for a subject line is: "Average Lake Norman Home Listing Price Spikes To $413,000." Recently I used these subject lines to get coverage: "Interest Rates Hit Six Month Low" and "No Credit Score, No Problem".

Humor Me. Humor is not for everyone. It is best to use it only if you know the reporter has a sense of humor or appreciates quirky items. Maria Stainer, assistant managing editor of the Washington Times, was quoted recently about an email pitch that got her attention and coverage. "Teach Your Dog To Meditate" was the line that hooked her on a story about a new book on animal behavior.

Don’t Get Too Attached. Don’t ever attach word documents or photos files to an email pitch. Did I mention that you should not send attachments? To get past email filters and to avoid hacking off your media contacts, wait until they ask for additional information before sending photos and documents. And, if you make them mad, your next pitch may be deleted before it is ever read.

Be Cool. You’re fired up to fire off that media pitch you have just written. Don’t. Let it cool off a bit first. Ask for input from others before you send the pitch to the media, particularly if you are trying to use humor or be quirky. You don’t want your pitch to fall flat.

Be Relevant. Friend David Mildenberg, a reporter at the Charlotte Business Journal, has the best tip of all. "I think email pitches can be effective for all the obvious reasons: If they contain news relevant to the publication and its readers, if the pitches are concise and if the pitches are understandable," he says.

Wind up and start pitching.

Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Focus Four, Levolor, New World Mortgage, North Carolina Tourism, TeamHeidi, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX, Verbatim and Wicked Choppers.

A well prepared press release would attract journalists and is also well optimized for distribution to targeted audience.

Content of your press release: The content means the news story you want to publish. The following points must be kept in mind at time of writing press release.

Make sure that the content you write is newsworthy. The intention of a press release is to make the people know to your news item, not to sell something to them.

A well crafted press release would cover all the 5 ‘Ws’ (who, what, where, when and why), providing the vital information about your company/organization, product/service or happening. Redraft your content if it seems like an advertisement.

Beginning should be firm: Your title and initial lines should cover, what you want to convey. The remaining part of your press release should depict the detailed information.

Make it for Journalists/Media agencies: The media agencies and journalists would grab your press release and carry it in their publications, with slight editing or no alteration. Try to make in such a way that even if your news is not reprinted word for word, it may cover whole amount of information.

Think in addressee’s way: Your press release should be able to find audience’s interest. Keep in mind that if you were a part of audience, would you like to read the press release, you made-out.

Does your press release appear “Realistic”: Try to point out real examples of your company/organization, as people are also intellectual enough to find out ‘what’s true and what not’? Provide information on your product and services that can benefit them.

If your story is on a corporate highlight, make sure that you attribute achievement or breakdown to one or more events. If the company has achieved noteworthy escalation, share the reasons behind the success with the audience.

Button up the story with real facts: Avoid bluff and add-ons. If you find the content using much added extras, make it natural and real. If content seems too good to be true, turn down the tone little, as it may possibly hurt your own credibility.

Your press release should be in active voice, not passive. Verbs in the active voice makes your press release live.

Use only enough and necessary words: Avoid using superfluous adjectives, extravagant language, or unnecessary expressions like “The most powerful”. Tell your story with lesser words, as verbosity distracts from your content.

Avoid usage of terminology: However, a limited use of terminology would be allowed if required, if you aim to optimize news release for internet search engines. The finest technique to communicate your press release is to speak neatly, using regular language.

Avoid exclamation points: The use of exclamation point (!) may hurt you. However, if you have to use an exclamation point, use only one.

Obtain allowance: Companies are very defensive about their name and credibility. Get written permission before putting in an information or quotes from officials or associates of other companies/organizations.

Company Information: The press release should conclude with a short description of your company, which illustrates your company, products, service and a brief history of company. But if you are making a combined press release of two or more then two then you should, provide information of all the companies.

Paras Yadav is freelance article and content writer, having experience of creating and editing over 3500 articles.

You can contact me Paras Yadav at: reach2paras@gmail.com