Articles from GBE Friends

Gaining exposure using public relations for your business is a fantastic idea in order to drive sales. Although advertising constantly may not be the most cost effective way to achieve your goals.

When it comes to pr though, most people who are new at the game believe that you simply pen an effective release, send it out to the print media and wait for success. Then, when the phone doesn't ring, they might make a follow-up phone call or two to the newsroom!only to learn that no one's even glanced at their release!

Marsha Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of EMSI, a national PR firm says, " That's a lot of hard work down the drain."

What would be Marsha's first public relations tip? "Find a media niche for your message!"

When it comes to effective PR, Marsha Friedman says, "Take a look at your message and see if it can be tied to the news. Is it timely?" What age group am I targeting? Is there a financial income I'm targeting? "These answers will point you to the correct medium", adds Friedman.

First Up? Television.

All newscasts talk to their viewers through visuals. It's all about the pictures! Producers are searching for topics that can be communicated to the audience in a visual and entertaining way, while being informative at the same time. "So if your topic doesn't lend itself to visuals, then I would think again about using television to communicate your message", says Marsha Friedman.

"My firm had a life insurance agency as a client and they really wanted television exposure for their Chief Executive Officer. The segment pitch we prepared was an interview about the importance of life insurance and why it's vital for women to protect themselves for the future."

Friedman continues, "That probably sounds to you like a visual sleeping pill, right? But we had our client prepare big, attractive graphs showing the mortality rate of women versus men, and that told a powerful visual story. It wound up being a very successful interview for the media as well as our client."

Every newscast is targeted to a precise market. To give you an idea, early morning news shows are usually watched by working adults and families getting ready for school. Noon shows are aimed for stay at home moms and retired individuals. Late night news is usually targeted for younger business people.

Matching Up with the World of Talk Radio.

Talk radio shows, unlike TV, solely use spoken words to communicate to their listeners. Friedman adds, "Talk radio is conversational, so be ready to talk." What's more, many radio shows love local angles. Is there a 'community angle in your message?

A similarity held by TV and talk radio is that each show is targeted to a specific demographic. With news, weather sports and traffic, talk show hosts don't have time for 30-minute interviews. Noon shows, now run the gamut of topics since so many people listen to the radio at work. Today, you'll find lots of business shows airing during the work hours. When work is finished for the day, when you turn on the radio you will be hearing the 2nd drive time of the broadcasting day. "Listeners are more relaxed then, and it's more conducive to a longer interview", adds Friedman.

And don't discount those overnight shows. Think no one's listening? You'd be mistaken. Evening and overnight interviews reach a broad audience of listeners, including 2nd and 3rd shift workers, public service employees, truckers and many people who work overnight.

Getting Yourself in Print.

The print media are similar to talk radio and television because they are suckers for hot, entertaining, news stories. They are also similar to television at times as they like to have visuals every once in awhile.

Marsha Friedman says, "If you have a story about a gourmet food product, make sure to include a delectable dish photo." If you believe your story can really be supported with a photograph, graph or other related visual, then have one at the ready when pitching your story to newspapers and magazines. If you would like to learn more about gaining national or local media attention for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Marsha is available to be of service . Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a public relations expert Marsha has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without costly monthly retainers .

Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations for nearly two decades as CEO of Event Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to receive her free Ebook "How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest" visit http://www.emsincorporated.com.