In addition, to some reporters, reply "I fit bill. Here's how to reach me..." shows a self-centered lack of common sense and courtesy. You set up a hurdle for them to cross rather than making it easy for them to perform their job.

In recommending that you reply to a reporter's appeal with your complete story, I don't mean that you have to spend an hour typing detail after detail. Rather, provide basic facts that demonstrate that you are what they're looking for, along with fundamental who, what, when, where and why or how of your situation. For instance:

My name is Kathy Kaminar, and I own a cotton candy company in Missoula, Montana, with $1.5 million in annual sales. I launched company in 1993, when I was 17 years old, at Missoula State Fair, with an investment of $200 for supplies. I now have 27 employees, mostly part-time. Although all my sales are offline, I do have a Web site: http://www.kathys.biz. Here's how to reach me...

The Web link provided there is excellent, because it enables reporter to obtain further information about your organization and a general impression before interviewing you. Don't send any attached files, much less a gargantuan history of your firm, previous press clips, photos and so on unless and until reporter requests them.

You might still strike out following these suggestions, but you would have upped odds of success as high as possible.

Products/services that don’t really lend themselves to media interest or publicity are things like:

·website developers ·cell phone/printer cartridge sales ·vitamin supplements ·insurance ·financial planning ·MLM/downline schemes

I’m not implying that these types of businesses aren’t media worthy. I’m simply saying that from a media interest, editorial standpoint, there are thousands of competing product and businesses like these on market and unless they are offering something truly unique, they lack that “news peg” that will attract media’s attention. If you are launching, let’s say, a new garden tool that is very similar to many other garden tools on market, don’t expect much interest from media in putting together a feature. You can create that news peg by answering a few questions:

·How does your product differ from competing products already on market? ·Why should media and subsequent consumers be interested in your product? ·Does it provide a solution to an existing problem for consumers?

Bottom line -- an expertly maintained publicity campaign can help forge wonderfully reciprocal, mutually beneficial relationships with media. Reciprocal, in that media constantly need interesting information to put together their product profiles and business features -- and YOU need constant media exposure to get word out. If your product or business can meet media standards mentioned above, you could benefit greatly from some solid nationwide media exposure. Getting your product mentioned in print articles and on TV/radio shows nationwide will help spread word to customers -- and at a fraction of cost of a nationwide advertising campaign.