Millions of people read the newspaper every day

Millions of people read the newspaper every day. Many others read magazine articles. Most of those two groups

combined believe and trust the better part of what they read.

What is published on those pages becomes regarded as truth, or at least it holds an inkling of truth. The

stories on those pages are often the topics of morning radio shows, of people chatting at work, and among

friends. In short, the stories that make it to print have an impact on consumers.

So therein exists a very effective form of collaboration marketing. With the media, you are building the trust

of consumers, who will in turn be more likely to buy your product or service. The trick is to get the

newsmakers to write about you and your business, and that starts with news releases. In accomplishing that, you

will form a strategic alliance with you and the media.

Many businesses today have incorporated communication plans into their marketing strategies. A large part of

these plans involve attaining the media, as an alliance begins with writing news releases to local and/or

national publications. The key to success here is to have well written releases. And if all else fails, have a

well written release. Yes, it's that important. The media receives countless press releases each day and if it

is not in the correct form, or if you have a made a huge mistake, your release is gone to the trash.

Hiring a communications firm to write them for you is a great idea. They will also have a large media list with

specific contact information for publications in your area and around the country. Getting your release to the

right person is important. These contacts can be found on your own in most cases, although it make take a lot

of work and you may have to make your way through many gatekeepers to find them. There are online services

where if you subscribe, you will have access to their media lists. However, some of these sites can be hundreds

of dollars to obtain.