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! - youll magically get publicity.

Well, were here to tell you that, despite what youve 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.

Its not that theres 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 arent 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 dont 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.

Thats 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, lets 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. Its 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 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 cant 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 moments 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 dont 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 (theres 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 its own language thats 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 wont be invited to contribute repeat articles to the same publication.

Use sub-headings and bullet points where appropriate.
Sub-headings, which serve to identify the information following them, are a nice way to break up copy and make reading easier. Bullet points highlight information within the sub-headings and again make reading easier by breaking up copy. Youll notice that Im using both sub-heads and bullet points in this Special Report.

Be yourself.
Often when people write they try too hard to sound academic in an effort to come across as knowledgeable. Theres no need to do this and, just the contrary, such an approach will make your copy dry and uninteresting (how many academic journals have you cuddled up to in bed at night?). Instead, try illustrating your message with short anecdotes and be sure to let your true voice shine through. You dont want to be someone in your writing that youre not in person.

Keep your articles tight.
Unless youre told otherwise, the length of a typical by-lined article is about 850 words. Trade journals are sometimes longer, so be sure to ask beforehand. You dont want to turn it in only to find that you have to cut away half of your work!

Do NOT be sales-y.
This is the most important point of all. Writing an article thats just a platform to talk about how great your company, product or service is will result in a direct route to the editors delete button. Your goal is to educate your readers on an important issue related to your industry, not to do a sales pitch. In fact, in most instances (unless its a case study youre doing), the only reference to your company should be at the end in your by-line.

3. Identify a trend in your industry and offer your company as an example.
Reporters and editors are always interested in trends, and this is a great way to become part of a broader article. Never let your ego get in the way and refrain from pitching trend articles to reporters because youre afraid that you wont be the only company spotlighted. After all, it wouldnt be a trend if it were only happening to you!

I hope that this article has helped you realize that press releases are not the primary ingredient to garnering meaningful publicity coverage for your product, service or business. By employing the ideas mentioned above you will show the media that you are a true expert in your field, and that you want to use that expertise to help them deliver timely, quality news articles to their readers. Now that is a sure way to get publicity.

Copyright 2006, Diana Laverdure
All rights reserved. You are free to use this material in your print or e-mail newsletter, as long as you do not alter its content in any way and you include a complete attribution, including a live Web site link.