Gaining exposure using public relations for your business is a fantastic idea in order to drive sales. In order to do this you have to be really smart when it comes to the advertising and public relations tactics that you employ.

When it comes to public relations though, most people who are new at the game believe they can write a press release, send it to a radio or TV station or local newspaper, then just sit back and wait for the calls. But when the requests DON'T come in, maybe you would make a couple of call to the newsroom with little to no success.

Marsha Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Event Management Services Inc, a full service national PR firm says, "Taking a passive approach with the media will not get you many positive results."

What would be Marsha's first public relations tip? "Find a media niche for your message!"

You first need to look at your message and ask yourself a few questions. Is it newsworthy? Is it a topic I can have a long conversation about? 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 about the pictures! A producer is looking for something 'camera-worthy' that's also newsworthy, entertaining, informative, or a 'how-to.' "So if your topic doesn't lend itself to visuals, then I would think again about using television to communicate your message", says Marsha Friedman.

"We once had a life insurance agency that wanted us to arrange local and national TV appearances for their CEO. The segment pitch we prepared was an interview about the importance of life insurance and why it's vital for women to protect themselves for the future."

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. In the end it was a very successful interview for 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 stay at home moms and retired individuals. 11pm news shows are directed towards a young professional audience.

Matching Up with the World of Talk Radio.

Talk radio talk to their audience through words and not through pictures. 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. Can you tie your topic to a news story that is hot in your area?

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. 12:00pm shows, now run the gamut of topics since so many people listen to the radio at work. 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. 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, "For example, if you're pitching a story about a new clothing or jewelry line - send photo's with your pitch." 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 and local media exposure for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Friedman is available to be of service . 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 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.