In the last article I told you the first reason many people don\’t try to get publicity. That reason is just a myth. A very costly myth if you believe it. On to the second reason people don\’t try to get publicity.

Most people (maybe you too?) don\’t try to get publicity because they\’ve been led to believe they need some special contacts in order to get interviews. They feel they have to know editors or producers or reporters. 100% nonsense. You don\’t have to know a blessed soul to get interviews. Plus, you don\’t have to pay anyone to book the interviews for you.

In over 20 years I\’ve never once paid anyone to book an interview for me. I or my assistants have booked every one of the thousands of interviews I\’ve done. So who has led you to believe you need special connections in the media in order to get interviews? The people who you would have to pay to book those very interviews.

I\’ve said this over and over and I\’ll repeat it now. The media people are constantly looking for good stories. That\’s their lifeline. Without good stories, they\’re out of business. If you have a good story and you know how to present it to them, they\’re going to offer you an interview.

Why should you pay someone $50 – $300 to get an interview on a local radio talk show? If you fax them a compelling press release with an interesting story, they\’ll call you wanting more information. If the additional information you give them is what they want, they\’ll offer you an interview. You can book yourself to be interviewed by everything from your local newspaper to the biggest TV show. Let me give you one major caution, though.

Resist the temptation to try for Ellen and the major TV shows until you get some experience. You get experience by doing interviews with the tiny radio stations in your area. And the tiny newspapers, often called \”shoppers\” in your area.

The people who work for these tiny radio stations and newspapers are often unpaid or they are paid very little and do it part-time. They may be good interviewers, but typically they\’re just fair. They may be housewives part of the day and reporters the other part.

Don\’t misunderstand what I just said. I didn\’t say that these interviews have no value. They can have tremendous value.

If you own a local business or professional practice, these little radio stations and newspapers can provide you with a steady stream of business. Most people in a community read their community newspaper from cover to cover. They usually skim over the larger daily newspaper. But that community newspaper has community news – news that’s most connected to them. They want to know everything that\’s going on in their town that could affect them.

The same holds true for the local radio stations. They\’re full of local news. That\’s why local people love them. They\’re very personal. Very connected. They talk about people and places they\’re familiar with. Sure, local people listen to the \”big city\” radio stations too. But they truly connect with the local newspapers and radio stations. If you have a story about your business or practice picked up by the local newspaper – or if you\’re interviewed on the local radio station, the community listens. You\’re one of them.

If you aren\’t a local business, you can benefit too. Even if you\’re located in Ames, Iowa, doing an interview in Boone, North Carolina can have great benefits. Take just a few minutes to find out a few things about Boone like the names of some local attractions or prominent people in the community, like the mayor. Don\’t pretend to be one of them, but show an interest in their community. If you try to pretend to be one of them, you\’ll be spotted in a minute as a phony.

But if you say: \”When I was booked to do this interview, I wanted to find out more about Boone and I\’m glad I did. I found out that you have an outstanding symphony orchestra.\” And so forth. You quickly become an honorary member of the community. Again, how do you get this interview? Do you have to pay someone to book you? Do you have to know the talk show host or the producer? No way. You simply have to send them a press release offering them an interesting story. One that relates to the people in their community.

You also have to know what to say and when to say it when reporters call to book your interview. Say the wrong thing and you\’re out. But that\’s what my publicity kit is for. I give you exact wording to use to book your interviews without having to pay anyone.

Don\’t have my kit yet? What the heck are you waiting for? Right now, go to: http://www.MillionDollarPublicity.com and become part of my publicity family. Don\’t misunderstand another thing. I don\’t think the people who charge to book interviews are completely worthless. There are certain occasions where they have value. But for most of you who have what would be termed a \”small business\”, you can and should do your own booking. It\’s easy, there\’s absolutely no \”selling\” involved and it puts you closer in touch with the whole publicity system. Next time, we talk about the third myth people are led to believe that stops them from trying to get publicity and causes them to miss out on the banquet. See you next time.

Paul Hartunian is respected around the world as a leading expert on how business owners can get publicity both online and offline. His website – http://www.Hartunian.com – is a resource center for reliable publicity advice.

Paul Hartunian is respected around the world as a leading expert on how business owners can get publicity both online and offline. His website – http://www.Hartunian.com – is a resource center for reliable publicity advice.

Author Bio: Paul Hartunian is respected around the world as a leading expert on how business owners can get publicity both online and offline. His website – http://www.Hartunian.com – is a resource center for reliable publicity advice.

Category: Business
Keywords: what is a press release, how to write a press release, how to release a press release, online pr,