Self Help

Sooner or later the idea of attracting some favorable publicity for your business will begin to seem like a good idea. In a few rare cases you might be asked to appear on national TV or radio, and you would have to decide whether you could handle the resulting anxiety and attention. Although this once-in-a-lifetime publicity shot might be something to tell your grandchildren about, unless you are a writer or entertainer it might not do much to promote your business.

Publicity seems the mysterious province of a lucky few, something out of reach for a car mechanic, hairdresser, accountant, or doll restorer. Besides, you have also heard of people who have gotten hurt by bad publicity, “bad” meaning that they were quoted inaccurately, their business was presented in a misleading way, or worse. Yet people in the media are like people everywhere. Most are kind and want to do a good job of presenting your story to their public.

The media are hungry for interesting stories. All you have to do is get their attention. Once you have it, respect those who want to spread the good news about your business: Be truthful, don’t blow your own horn too much, and don’t exploit coverage for personal gain.