How to generate national exposure

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Dear Professor Bruce:Q: I have a small public relations firm and I am trying to get increased exposure for my clients. I have been successful in getting them local press, but need to push for national exposure. Any suggestions?A: Ratcheting up your public relations efforts from the local to the national level can be challenging. Generally, this involves winning major media coverage on broadcast/cable TV, radio, print, and increasingly, the Internet.I've recently co-authored a book, "Birthing the Elephant" (Ten Speed Press) with Karin Abarbanel. Given the tough economy, women's entrepreneurship has proven to be a hot topic and we've been able to generate some exciting national media coverage. Based on what we've learned, here are some suggestions:Pursue every angle: To generate national media attention, you need to think in terms of newsworthy stories, not product or services. Media pros are interested in stories that people will find interesting and entertaining. One of the best ways to create a pitch with national appeal is to gear it to high-impact trends or hot topics in the news. Pursue every channel: In building national exposure for clients, you'll need to take advantage of every possible media outlet, from radio and cable TV to the Internet. Leave no stone unturned! Use your networking skills to build your list of media contacts and then stay in touch with them tactfully, but persistently. Try to position your clients as an expert resource that the media can rely on.Create an unusual and entertaining event: One of the best ways to attract national attention is to come up with an exciting, unique event. To promote our book, we are launching a "Birthing the Elephant" national tour. The tour brings together our book, zoos across the country with baby elephants, and women entrepreneurs. This unique program gives women business owners an exciting venue to discuss important issues while their children take part in supervised fun and educational activities. The zoos benefit from increased attendance and awareness. To help organize the event, we teamed up with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and charitable groups as well. The "Birthing the Elephant" tour kicks off in Louisville, Kentucky on October 2. By leveraging media contacts from our publisher, NAWBO, and participating zoos, we expect to generate major national exposure. Building alliances like these creates a win-win situation for everyone.For further information, please visit www.birthingtheelephant.com.Bruce Freeman is president of ProLine Communications, a marketing and public relations firm in Livingston, NJ and co-author of Birthing the Elephant (Ten Speed Press). E-mail questions to Bruce(at)SmallBusinessProf.com.