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Gaining exposure using public relations for your business is a fantastic idea in order to drive sales. To be able to consistently do that takes smart advertising and even smarter publicity tactics.

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 Event Management Services Inc, a full service national PR firm says, " That's a lot of hard work down the drain."

What would be Marsha's first public relations tip? "Find a media niche for 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?" What age group am I targeting? Is there a financial income I'm targeting? The answer to these questions will help you determine the correct medium.

First Up? Television.

Whether a morning, noon or evening newscast, they communicate to their audience through pictures. It's all visual. 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."

Marsha Friedman continues, "Sounds boring right? Wrong! 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."

Every newscast is targeted to a precise market. For example , early morning news shows are usually watched by working adults and families getting ready for school. Lunchtime shows are aimed for housewives and retirees. 11pm news shows are directed towards a young professional audience.

Matching Up with the World of Talk Radio.

Talk radio shows, unlike TV, solely use spoken words to communicate to their listeners. Friedman adds, "Talk radio is conversational, so be ready to talk." This medium also loves hot, newsworthy angels. Can you tie your topic to a news story that is hot in your area?

A similarity held by TV and talk radio is that each show is targeted to a specific demographic. As you would expect with the news, weather and traffic segments, there is not really time for an interview. Midday shows, really cover an array of topics across the board as now many people tune in at their office. Today, you'll find lots of business shows airing during the work hours. When work is finished for the day, when you turn on the radio you will be hearing the 2nd drive time of the broadcasting day. "Listeners are more relaxed then, and it's more conducive to a longer interview", adds Friedman.

Let's not forget about the overnight shows! Think no one's listening? You'd be mistaken. Evening and overnight interviews reach a broad audience of listeners, including 2nd and 3rd shift workers, public service employees, truckers and many people who work overnight.

Now, why not get your name in print!

Magazines and newspapers resemble radio and TV in that they're looking for the newsworthy, the entertaining, the informative as well. But certain segments of print also like visuals.

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 media attention 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 PR expert Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without breaking your budget with costly 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.