Publicity

With the ready availability of mass communications, it has become very easy to reach the media on a large scale through email blasts, media alerts, and wire services. But just reaching them isn't enough - you also have to reach them effectively and catch their attention to get coverage. We often focus so much on the "P" - Public(ity) - that we forget that the "R" in PR stands for Relations(hips).

Media coverage is some of the best free advertising you can get, but there are risks and challenges involved. Learn how to leverage local media for publicity for your business.

Looking for an easy way to rack up PR points for yourself? With a letter to the editor, in only a few words, you can establish yourself an expert in the subject covered in the related story.

If cash is tight, you don’t have to choose between hiring a PR firm or doing nothing at all. Do some of the work yourself following these useful tips, and you can go a long way toward gaining the valuable visibility you’ll need to be successful.

BusinessWeek interviews Debbie Patt of Clarendon Cheesecakes, who has experienced some tremendous success combining her personal creativity with some tried-and-true guerrilla marketing tactics.