m that you are available to help them when they need it. Once you establish this type of positive rapport, it might even open the door to your suggesting other story ideas to these same reporters – ideas that, of course, highlight your company and result in even more in-depth coverage.

How do you offer yourself as an expert source? All you have to do is read your local papers (or trade publications covering your industry, or even national publications) and find out who is writing about your industry.

Next, write up a short bio on yourself, emphasizing your experience in your industry, your areas of expertise, and issues you are available to comment on.

Then, e-mail or mail this information to the reporters with a short let

In dealing with clients and the public regarding their perception of public relations, we are continually amazed that people time and again equivocate publicity with press releases. In other words, write a press release, send it out and - poof! - you'll magically get publicity.

Well, we're here to tell you that, despite what you've heard, that could not be further from the truth.

Sending out press releases is not the first step in obtaining meaningful media coverage of your product, service or business.

It’s not that there’s never a place for them. There is. Every once in a while. If you have a huge announcement to make. Or an event you want to get a listing for.

So, why aren't press releases the publicity panacea you might have thought they were?

First, reporters and editors are flooded with press releases. Some of them receive hundreds of press releases every day, most of which are self-serving and completely un-newsworthy.

For media, press releases have become the equivalent of junk mail. They just don’t have the time to sift through all of the press releases they receive every day. So, what do they do? They ignore them or hit the delete button without even bothering to read the content.

Second, most newsrooms have cut their budgets way back. As a result they are extremely short staffed, and what staff they do have is severely underpaid and overworked.

That’s good news for PR people and others who know how to help these individuals, because it means they are looking for ways to make their lives easier, and that they are open to solid story leads. But it also means that, once again, they do not have time to sift through a bunch of press releases that flood their in-boxes on a daily basis. They are doing the jobs of two -- and sometimes three -- people, and they are extremely stressed out. They want ideas that will make their lives easier, not junk mail that takes up a lot of their time and offers them little or no substance.

Now that we understand a bit more about just why press releases are not the way to entice the media to cover your product, service, or business, let’s talk about some strategies that will interest them. If you follow these ideas you will be sure to win friends in the media and garner positive coverage for yourself in the process. Here they are:

1. Offer yourself as an expert source to reporters covering your industry.
Reporters are always looking for experts they can contact for quotes in articles. Offering yourself as an expert source on your industry is a great way to form a relationship with reporters, show them that you are responsive and knowledgeable, and get yourself media coverage. Being quoted as an expert source will go a long way toward establishing you as an expert in your industry, a leader in your field, and ahead of your competition in knowledge and expertise. It’s also a great way to get to know reporters and to show them that you are available to help them when they need it. Once you establish this type of positive rapport, it might even open the door to your suggesting other story ideas to these same reporters – ideas that, of course, highlight your company and result in even more in-depth coverage.

How do you offer yourself as an expert source? All you have to do is read your local papers (or trade publications covering your industry, or even national publications) and find out who is writing about your industry.

Next, write up a short bio on yourself, emphasizing your experience in your industry, your areas of expertise, and issues you are available to comment on.

Then, e-mail or mail this information to the reporters with a short lett

the publicity panacea you might have thought they were?

First, reporters and editors are flooded with press releases. Some of them receive hundreds of press releases every day, most of which are self-serving and completely un-newsworthy.

For media, press releases have become the equivalent of junk mail. They just don’t have the time to sift through all of the press releases they receive every day. So, what do they do? They ignore them or hit the delete button without even bothering to read the content.

Second, most newsrooms have cut their budgets way back. As a result they are extremely short staffed, and what staff they do have is severely underpaid and overworked.

That’s good news for PR people and others who know how to help these individuals, because it means they are looking for ways to make their lives easier, and that they are open to solid story leads. But it also means that, once again, they do not have time to sift through a bunch of press releases that flood their in-boxes on a daily basis. They are doing the jobs of two -- and sometimes three -- people, and they are extremely stressed out. They want ideas that will make their lives easier, not junk mail that takes up a lot of their time and offers them little or no substance.

Now that we understand a bit more about just why press releases are not the way to entice the media to cover your product, service, or business, let’s talk about some strategies that will interest them. If you follow these ideas you will be sure to win friends in the media and garner positive coverage for yourself in the process. Here they are:

1. Offer yourself as an expert source to reporters covering your industry.
Reporters are always looking for experts they can contact for quotes in articles. Offering yourself as an expert source on your industry is a great way to form a relationship with reporters, show them that you are responsive and knowledgeable, and get yourself media coverage. Being quoted as an expert source will go a long way toward establishing you as an expert in your industry, a leader in your field, and ahead of your competition in knowledge and expertise. It’s also a great way to get to know reporters and to show them that you are available to help them when they need it. Once you establish this type of positive rapport, it might even open the door to your suggesting other story ideas to these same reporters – ideas that, of course, highlight your company and result in even more in-depth coverage.

How do you offer yourself as an expert source? All you have to do is read your local papers (or trade publications covering your industry, or even national publications) and find out who is writing about your industry.

Next, write up a short bio on yourself, emphasizing your experience in your industry, your areas of expertise, and issues you are available to comment on.

Then, e-mail or mail this information to the reporters with a short let

ho know how to help these individuals, because it means they are looking for ways to make their lives easier, and that they are open to solid story leads. But it also means that, once again, they do not have time to sift through a bunch of press releases that flood their in-boxes on a daily basis. They are doing the jobs of two -- and sometimes three -- people, and they are extremely stressed out. They want ideas that will make their lives easier, not junk mail that takes up a lot of their time and offers them little or no substance.

Now that we understand a bit more about just why press releases are not the way to entice the media to cover your product, service, or business, let’s talk about some strategies that will interest them. If you follow these ideas you will be sure to win friends in the media and garner positive coverage for yourself in the process. Here they are:

1. Offer yourself as an expert source to reporters covering your industry.
Reporters are always looking for experts they can contact for quotes in articles. Offering yourself as an expert source on your industry is a great way to form a relationship with reporters, show them that you are responsive and knowledgeable, and get yourself media coverage. Being quoted as an expert source will go a long way toward establishing you as an expert in your industry, a leader in your field, and ahead of your competition in knowledge and expertise. It’s also a great way to get to know reporters and to show them that you are available to help them when they need it. Once you establish this type of positive rapport, it might even open the door to your suggesting other story ideas to these same reporters – ideas that, of course, highlight your company and result in even more in-depth coverage.

How do you offer yourself as an expert source? All you have to do is read your local papers (or trade publications covering your industry, or even national publications) and find out who is writing about your industry.

Next, write up a short bio on yourself, emphasizing your experience in your industry, your areas of expertise, and issues you are available to comment on.

Then, e-mail or mail this information to the reporters with a short let

follow these ideas you will be sure to win friends in the media and garner positive coverage for yourself in the process. Here they are:

1. Offer yourself as an expert source to reporters covering your industry.
Reporters are always looking for experts they can contact for quotes in articles. Offering yourself as an expert source on your industry is a great way to form a relationship with reporters, show them that you are responsive and knowledgeable, and get yourself media coverage. Being quoted as an expert source will go a long way toward establishing you as an expert in your industry, a leader in your field, and ahead of your competition in knowledge and expertise. It’s also a great way to get to know reporters and to show them that you are available to help them when they need it. Once you establish this type of positive rapport, it might even open the door to your suggesting other story ideas to these same reporters – ideas that, of course, highlight your company and result in even more in-depth coverage.

How do you offer yourself as an expert source? All you have to do is read your local papers (or trade publications covering your industry, or even national publications) and find out who is writing about your industry.

Next, write up a short bio on yourself, emphasizing your experience in your industry, your areas of expertise, and issues you are available to comment on.

Then, e-mail or mail this information to the reporters with a short let

m that you are available to help them when they need it. Once you establish this type of positive rapport, it might even open the door to your suggesting other story ideas to these same reporters – ideas that, of course, highlight your company and result in even more in-depth coverage.

How do you offer yourself as an expert source? All you have to do is read your local papers (or trade publications covering your industry, or even national publications) and find out who is writing about your industry.

Next, write up a short bio on yourself, emphasizing your experience in your industry, your areas of expertise, and issues you are available to comment on.

Then, e-mail or mail this information to the reporters with a short letter introducing yourself, stating that you have noticed that they often cover your industry, and offering yourself as an expert source.

You might even follow up with a telephone call a few days after you send this e-mail. But be sure that you never begin a conversation with, “I just wanted to make sure you received my e-mail….” There is no surer way to make a reporter groan.

Instead, tell them that you have noticed that they often write about your industry, and that you would like to help them by being a readily available expert source that they can contact for commentary. Let them know that you have sent them a bio on yourself and offer to re-send it in case they never received it (this will get them off the hook in case they can’t find it or accidentally deleted it).

Once you offer yourself as an expert source, be sure that you are readily available to answer questions and provide commentary on a moment’s notice. Reporters work on tight deadlines, and offering to be of service to the media will only backfire if you do not follow through on your promise to provide timely commentary to fit their needs and suit their deadlines. You want to gain the reputation as being a valuable resource to the media, and you will only gain this reputation by being available and responsive. The last thing you want to do is to offer your expertise and then be hard to reach, take a long time returning phone calls, etc.

2. Offer expert advice in the form of by-lined articles.
As I mentioned above, many media outlets are so short-staffed, and their reporters and editors are stretched so thin, that they don’t have time to write all of their own content. So, what do they do to fill the pages of their newspapers and magazines? They turn to “expert sources” (there’s that term again) to provide content in the form of by-lined articles.

So, just how can you increase your chances of getting your by-lined article published?

First, identify a common problem or issue related to your field of expertise. A good place to begin is with common questions that you are asked by your clients.

Once you have established the “problem,” figure out what information you can give to help solve it.

Once you have identified a topic and you have your readers’ “problem” and your “solution,” you are all set to write your article.

But before you do, it is important that you remember a few things:

•Do not use “jargon.”
Every industry has it’s own “language” that’s commonly understood by insiders but often completely alien to outsiders. If you use jargon in your articles you will only serve to frustrate your readers rather than helping them. Rather than coming across as an expert, you run the risk of appearing out of touch with your readers. And chances are you won’t be invited to contribute repeat articles to the same publication.

•Use sub-headings and bullet points where appropriate.
Sub-headings, which serve to identify