Some large companies, who realize the impact of positive media relations, employ full-time public relations directors. As a small business owner, you may not have the luxury of employing a full-time PR person. Still, there are basic tips you can follow to set your company on the road to better media relations.

First, realize media representatives are people, just like you. They're doing a job, and that job is finding newsworthy information on a daily basis. Don't be intimidated by them. At the same time, respect the job they have to do.

Improve the possibility of receiving media coverage for your business, by following these do's and don'ts of media relations.

Do

• Make sure your news release or phone call is going to the correct person. Call the newspaper, radio or television station. Ask the recepionist for the name and correct spelling of the person to whom you should send a news release.
• Maintain a media list and update contact names quarterly. Often, this information can be obtained from the web site contact page of a newspaper, radio or TV station. For radio and TV, look for the news director's name or an email specifically for news releases. For newspaper, look for the name of the appropriate section editor. Does your news lend itself more to the business, local news, family or sports section? Look for the editor of that section.
• When you send a news release, always follow up with a phone call to the recipient. Don't take up a lot of the person's time. Simply verify he or she received the release. Editors receive so many news releases and pitches, that yours can be easily lost or overlooked without a follow-up call.
• When calling an editor or reporter, respect deadlines. Always ask if he or she has a few minutes to talk. Reporters are often on tight deadlines; interrupting them right at deadline time won't do a lot for your media relations. If it isn't a good time, apologize for the interruption and ask when would be a good time to call back.
• Even if it's a good time to call, be brief. Identify yourself, your business and explain the news release in one or two sentences, including why the news is important to audiences. Keep your tone friendly but professional.
• Target your news release or story pitch. If your news is about a birthday party service for children, target publications for parents or the family section of your newspaper.
• Consider lead time. Allow enough time for media contacts to receive and use your information prior to the happening. Reporters and editors are not interested in old news.
• Anticipate questions from the media. If you send a release, be available to take follow up phone calls. Think through what questions you might be asked and prepare your responses.
• If a reporter asks a question you aren't prepared to answer, tell him or her you'll find out a call back. Ask what the reporter's deadline is and make sure to call well before that time. "Winging it" or given incorrect information does nothing to build your media relations.
• READ, WATCH and LISTEN to your local media. It's difficult to pitch stories intelligently, if you aren't familiar with the media. Listen for national stories to which you could provide a local tie in.

Don't

• Send a news release or call an editor for every minor development. Don't try to make stories where they don't exist. You want to be viewed as a reliable news source, not as a pest or nut case.
• Send a poorly written news release. Read the Press Release section of this web site. Understand the correct format of a news release and how it should be written.
• Demand coverage. That's a quick way to kill all media relations. Understand editors have limited space and time. Many factors play into their choice of stories to run. If an editor says "no" to your idea, don't take it personally. Also, remember, a newspaper or radio station is a business. They do not "owe" you any type of coverage.
• Demand specific story placement, timing or size. Again, remember media coverage is not paid advertising. While you can make suggestions, you are not in a position to make demands.
• Send photos to a radio station. Don't send time sensitive information the day before an event. In other words, DO use common sense to improve your credibility as a reliable news source.
• Bulk mail your news release, with no consideration of audience. As mentioned above, if your news is about a birthday party service for children, don't send it to the sports editor or an unrelated trade publication.
• Send poorly-timed releases. This is where it is important to actually pay attention to local media. You don't want to pitch a story identical to one that ran the week before.
• Overlook local, weekly papers. While they may not have the readership of a large, daily paper, they do have a strong following for those looking for local, community news. They will often print your news release word for word.

The above tips won't guarantee positive media relations or coverage. In fact, the media market you are in will strongly affect what coverage, if any, you receive. When you follow the suggestions above though, you will improve your credibility with the media, increasing your chances of ending up in the news.

When you do successfully place a story, you'll find it is more effective than any advertising you buy. The reason? The public knows news stories aren't paid advertising. They view the news as one of the most credible sources for choosing a product or place of business. That's what makes media relations such an important part of your small business marketing.

One Final Tip