The only thing more elusive than the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow are free ads. There's a rumor that you can get free TV commercials -- but I've never found them. There's a rumor you can get ads and not pay for them if you don't make sales -- but good luck working out that deal. And the "free ads in newspapers nationwide" usually turns out to be in very small publications that hardly anybody reads.

There is ONE way to get lots of of free publicity from MAJOR media and that's with a well written and properly distributed press release. If your information is good, you'll get coverage. Newspapers will include your name in stories they're writing. Radio DJ's will talk about you. TV stations may even include you in a story on the evening news.

But it's not automatic. Newspapers, stations, and major web sites get thousands of press releases every day by mail, fax, email, and even satellite download. Most of the releases are little more than ads. That's not what editors want. They want material they can use to interest their audiences. Unless your information is timely and interesting, your release will be deleted.

A while back I had the pleasure of a lengthy visit with George McKenzie, owner of get-free-publicity. A lot of people give PR advice, but few know the real deal like George. Before going online he spent many years working in television news.

George says a press release works best when the headline makes people in the media newsroom say "Hey, what's that!"

George is exactly right. I saw that situation happen many times during the years I worked in radio and TV. A press release or news story would arrive with a particularly exciting or juicy headline and word would quickly spread around the newsroom.

Invariably, that story would get not only coverage, but enthusiastic coverage. The article runs on the front page of a section, the anchor person gives the lead-in a bit more effort, the radio morning show team talks about you two or three times in one hour. That's the kind of free publicity that gives your sales a giant shot in the arm.

Get the "Hey, what's that!" response by giving media a story THEY feel will REALLY interest the audience. Connect your information with a super hot national headline. Connect your story with a celebrity, high-profile local issue, or scandal. Stories that are especially helpful, weird, funny, scary, or sexy get special treatment.

"The more the merrier" applies to many things in marketing, but not to press releases. Be wary of services that offer to send your release to 11,000 or more media. There are only about 5,000 radio, TV, and newspapers that accept releases in the U.S. The rest are highly specialized publications covering specific industries.

By all means, send your press release to your local media and to the trade publication that covers your kind of business. They'll be the first to give you publicity. They will also produce the most results for you.