Once upon a time, I had a client who was a very prominent physician. He was the lead investigator on numerous life-saving clinical trials and was awaiting FDA approval for one of his pet projects. Once the approval was in, he would be able to significantly build his practice, and ultimately his ego and wallet. He wanted to become a superstar.

To help him achieve his goal, I developed a step-by-step plan for branding his name and creating a buzz about his practice. The mix included marketing materials, a website, advertising, direct mail, speaking engagements and media relations. Although he liked the proposal, he was simply mesmerized by the concept of media relations. He wanted to be on CNN and Oprah. He had visions of reporters banging on his door, and being stopped on the street for an interview.

While we all may fantasize about being a media darling, for most of us, getting the media's attention takes a unique story, planning, practice, a dash of luck and some darn good timing. When I presented the six-month media relations plan to him, he moaned and groaned and didn't understand why we couldn't just call Fox News and tell them how wonderful he was. My initial counsel to him was two-fold:

1. Media relations is a process that requires a commitment of strategic and tactical persuasion of the media to tell your story to their readers. We have to use the right tools and play by their rules or we would eliminate our chances of being noticed.

2. Reporters will likely be more interested in the topic when the FDA approves the procedure, so in the meantime, we should be doing some introductory work so the media knows about you when the approval does occur.

Unfortunately, my guidance fell on deaf ears. As fate would have it, the FDA eventually approved the procedure, and his phone never rang. When the major papers wrote about it, they quoted other physicians who had educated the right reporters during the waiting period. And yes, my client called a few days later and asked what we could do. I told him that it was too late and we missed the boat on this issue (it could have been huge for him).

What is Media Relations?
Media relations is a subset of public relations. Public relations includes ongoing activities to ensure the company has a strong public image. PR activities can include community relations, investor relations, affiliations with charitable causes and more. Media relations is about communicating your story to the media, so they will in turn inform their readers.

Media relations is a great companion to your marketing efforts. If the media uses a press release, quote or story idea from you, it will be because it is meant to persuade readers or listeners to be aware of or educated about something. It will be treated as news, not self-promotion. It's almost as if it's a third party, objective opinion--and consumers respond to that.

Media Relations is Not "Free Advertising"
There is no fee to have an editor run your story in their publication. And it is true that media publicity may be 'advertising that money cannot buy.' However, be aware that if an editor or a reporter believes that your publicity pitch is an attempt to get free advertising, you can be sure that it will be thrown out. Additionally, you will have made no friends in the newsroom--and these are people you may need and want as your friends down the road.

It also may be worth hiring a media relations expert to help you sell your story--the right way. Should you choose to bring in a consultant or a firm, there are fees associated with building your media pitch. Although media relations is not "free" it is still considered one of the most cost-effective forms of promotion. Unfortunately, unlike advertising, direct mail or your website, there are no guarantees that anyone will see your story. It is a bit of a gamble. You will increase your chances of "getting ink" by understanding how media relations works.

The Tools of the Trade
Media relations is either proactive or reactive publicity. You are either pitching your product, idea, issue, or company to the media (proactive), or you are responding to their inquiry (reactive). It is often worthwhile to make an upfront investment in proactive media relations, especially if the media has never heard of you or your product/service. Proactive media relations helps educate the appropriate media that you exist, and that you are a player. The goal is to have them know that you are the expert on a certain topic, and that you are the one they should call when they want to know more about a certain issue.

It is important to understand what steps to take and tools to use to be taken seriously by reporters and editors. Here are six things you should do to help increase your odds of getting ink: