That's not to say that there aren't great benefits that come with public relations, too. How many times have you looked at an ad in a magazine or on a billboard and been beyond skeptical in terms of product's reliability? When you read an article or blurb about it in a printed media source, though, you are usually more inclined to think that product is trustworthy.

Sending off a great press release has a lot of advantages that you might not have taken into consideration before. Let's say that your small business is sponsoring a local charity event. It would probably sound awfully snobbish of you to run an ad promoting your own selflessness, but if some other media source decided to talk you up, that would be okay, right?

One important thing to remember is that no one is going to cover your story if it's not interesting to editor that goes over it. First you have to grab their attention, and hope that editor or journalist will want to give your business some recognition. You also have to wonder if audience that sees coverage will be captivated enough to remember your name when looking for products in your specific market. When you pay for an advertisement, only audience you have to target is your prospects.

There are great benefits in both worlds of advertising and public relations. Depending on your budget and your needs, you can figure out a combination that will suit you best

Send your press kit when an editor, publisher, or producer wants to know more about you.

3. Newsletters Offline. Don’t forget that a whole world exists offline. Locate newsletters or smaller print publications offline and submit articles. This can be a very dynamic way to increase your exposure as well as add to your press kit. You can locate newsletters in your subject area by visiting local university library reference section. Ask for a directory of trade newsletters and do your research. Once you have been published, it’s easier to step up to larger publications. Fame starts small and then snowballs onto itself.

4. Speak Up! Yep, that’s right. Start giving speeches on your area of expertise. Start locally at civic clubs and local educational programs. Then find local talk radio shows and make your case to producer. It’s surprising how many talk radio shows are actively looking for new speakers. Once you have achieved Talk Radio, opportunities will start coming to you.

5. Publicity Pitches: Put together several dynamic article ideas. Just ideas, not actual article. This is called a Publicity Pitch. Take those ideas and then pitch them to editors of targeted publications. This can work very well as it saves Editors time and puts outline right into their hands. As a past Editor I know how well this works. Editor’s love ideas, especially ideas that are completely outlined and correct for their readership. This means don’t send pet article ideas to cooking magazines. Send pet articles ideas to pet publications. Seems like a no brainer, huh? But you’d be amazed at what editors see that don’t apply to their own publication.

Fame comes from planning and persistence. It has it’s rejections, but if you can learn not to take it personally, it will eventually work. Remember, once you start, keep going. Once you stop, you have to start all over.

Anne Marie Baugh is a noted publicist. She also owns and operates Write-Promotion an online business that works hands-on with businesses looking for promotional avenues and avenues to cyber-success!