Gaining exposure using public relations for your business is a fantastic idea in order to drive sales. Although advertising constantly may not be the most cost effective way to achieve your goals.

When it comes to pr though, most people who are new at the game believe that you simply pen an effective release, send it out to the print media and wait for success. Then, when the phone doesn't ring, they might make a follow-up phone call or two to the newsroom!only to learn that no one's even glanced at their release!

Marsha Friedman, Managing Director of EMSI, a national public relations firm says, "Taking a passive approach with the media will not get you many positive results."

So what's your first 'media marketing' step? Simple. You need to find the media 'niche' that best suits your message.

When it comes to effective PR, Marsha Friedman says, "Take a look at your message and see if it can be tied to the news. Is it timely?" Is it consumer related? Is there a financial income I'm targeting? The answer to these questions will help you determine the correct medium.

First Up? Television.

All newscasts talk to their viewers through visuals. It's all about the pictures! A producer is looking for something 'camera-worthy' that's also newsworthy, entertaining, informative, or a 'how-to.' "If you don't think your message can be visual, think again", says Marsha Friedman.

"My firm had a life insurance agency as a client and they really wanted television exposure for their Chief Executive Officer. What we did was to create a pitch about a segment featuring how women can protect themselves from the pitfalls of not understanding how life insurance works."

Friedman continues, "That probably sounds to you like a visual sleeping pill, right? What we did to make the segment really terrific is that we told our client to create large, colorful graphs in order to really create a compelling and visual story. It wound up being a very successful interview for the media as well as our client."

Each newscast, believe it or not, is written specifically for a targeted audience that's based on age, profession, and income. To give you an idea, early morning news shows are usually watched by working adults and families getting ready for school. 12:00pm shows are aimed for housewives and retirees. 11pm news shows are directed towards a young professional audience.

Now, how about talk radio.

Talk radio shows, unlike TV, solely use spoken words to communicate to their listeners. Marsha Friedman says, "It's conversational, so you need to have a message that lends itself to a conversation. What's more, many radio shows love local angles. Is there a 'community angle in your message?

Like TV, radio talk shows vary from morning to night. Morning shows, as you might suspect, generally have shorter interviews during 'drive time.' With news, weather sports and traffic, talk show hosts don't have time for 30-minute interviews. Noon shows, really cover an array of topics across the board as now many people tune in at their office. So now more then ever you can expect to catch a business program during the typical workday. After work is the second 'drive time' of the day. "You will find longer interviews here as the audience of listeners are more relaxed and susceptible to longer interviews", adds Friedman.

And don't discount those overnight shows. Don't think that no one is listening. Overnight shows are heard by a hoard of people that have a different schedule from the norm.

Getting Yourself in Print.

The print media are similar to talk radio and television because they are suckers for hot, entertaining, news stories. They are also similar to television at times as they like to have visuals every once in awhile.

Marsha Friedman says, "If you have a story about a gourmet food product, make sure to include a delectable dish photo." If you believe your story can really be supported with a photograph, graph or other related visual, then have one at the ready when pitching your story to newspapers and magazines. If you would like to learn more about gaining national media exposure for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Friedman would love to help. Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a public relations expert Marsha has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without budget busting monthly retainers.

Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations for nearly two decades as CEO of Event Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to receive her free Ebook "How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest" visit http://www.emsincorporated.com.