Bill Stoller

From time to time, people ask me how public relations has changed during the two decades in which I’ve been seeking publicity.

To many marketers, the press release is something of a “one size fits all” proposition. You want to get media coverage, you knock out a press release, send it to some journalists and sit back and wait.

You know that getting publicity is vital to the health of your business. You probably also know that e-mail is the way most publicity seekers get in touch with reporters to score that precious coverage. Here’s what you don’t know: The vast majority of e-mails sent to journalists never get read.

If you’re like most publicity seekers, you probably think one project at a time. You’ve got a new product coming out in April, so you send out a release in March. You’ve hired a new executive, you’ll put out a release when she’s on board, etc.

If your product or service can be given as a gift, a publicity windfall awaits at the end of the year – but you need to start working in June. Each December, media outlets cover the newest, the hottest and the most unusual Holiday gifts. The reporters assigned to develop these pieces typically depend on two sources of information:

What is the one thing that all of the best public relations agencies do every year?

A musician spends years honing his craft. He writes world-class songs and performs them in a manner that moves his listeners to tears. He records a demo tape and sends it to record labels. He gets a contract and becomes rich, famous and adored.

The lesson: demo tapes are the secret of becoming a famous musician.

You worked hard to get a story on your business in a popular website or your local paper. Don’t let your efforts ends there — here are seven tips to help you maximize your online and offline publicity:

1) Reprint, Reprint, Reprint!
A favorable article on your company or products is marketing gold – it implies that the publication or website has given its endorsement. The best part is that you can enjoy the benefits of this “third party endorsement” long after the article has appeared.