What is publicity?

In order to answer this question, think about a magazine you have read lately. You may have devoured an article about Vanuatu, a gorgeous holiday location in the Pacific Ocean. The article would have been organized by the PR Company who is paid by Vanuatu Tourism to gain media exposure for their country. In the beauty pages of your favourite glossy, the beauty editor may have listed Dermalogica as their favourite moisturizer. Once again, Dermalogica's PR people would have been behind it. Watching A Current Affair you may watch with interest a story about the latest back pain cure, how it works and where to get it. PR has been at it again.

That sounds great but how can my business secure media attention?

The answer to achieving media success for your own company is to be creative, do your research and start working the phones. The fact is there are literally hundreds of magazines, newspapers, internet sites, radio and television programs all looking for story ideas to fill their empty pages or air time. If you can provide the journalist with a story idea that will interest their readers or viewers you have a good chance of gaining invaluable free media exposure.

How do I know what kind of stories the journalist is looking for?

The best way of finding this out is to think about who your target market / customer is and what kind of media they would read, watch and listen to. Once you are armed with this information go out and buy the magazines and newspapers your customers are most likely to read. Tune into the TV and radio programs they listen to. The idea is to get a feel for what kind of stories these targeted media are interested in. Once you are armed with this information conduct a brainstorming session involving your staff, partner, friends and even family.

Is my story really interesting enough?

The answer is a resounding yes. All businesses are full of great stories, it is extracting the gem that is most challenging. Some ideas to start with include:

• The story behind the founder of the business. You may have been in the corporate world for 15 years and now you own a yoga business. This makes interesting reading.
• Do you have an interesting client (they may even be famous) who can talk to the media about using your product / service.
• Do you have a product that is a perfect gift idea for Valentine's Day, Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day?
• Do you contribute or offer a valuable service to a community or organisation?

Is the effort really worth it?

Once again, the answer is yes. When an article is published about your business in the media it gives the business a great deal of credibility, helps to educate the market about what you do and becomes a very positive step in achieving your goals.

Monica Rosenfeld is the Managing Director of WordStorm Strategic PR & Writing, a public relations and writing consultancy working with a wide range of industries. Read more about WordStorm's approach to capturing media attention at www.wordstorm.com.au or call Monica on 02 8306 7600.