In most cases, you can use the normal media channels to get the publicity you need for your product or service. And, although you don't need to come up with schemes to get attention, they do work.

Sometimes promotion departments of manufacturers' stage marathon events or contests with their products - especially with toys and games. Apparel companies may sponsor athletic races; manufacturers of motorcycles sponsor races.

Although promotion schemes do cost money to stage, the efforts usually pay off in a long run with the number of customers sold on the product.

For local coverage, charity drives and dinners are good ways to get in the paper. Some enterprises strive for a more national coverage with special prizes connected to sports events.

If you are clever enough, and there's no big news break that day, you may get your scheme on television. Even local footage reaches thousands and thousands of people.

What gimmicks can you think of that will pay off for their investment? How is your product or service used that it can commercially be exploited by the news? Can you keep going with it-making it an annual event, drawing customers from near and far?

What if you don't want to do the publicity yourself? If your product or service is a natural for free publicity, you can hire a company or a person to do your public relations work.

There are many freelancers in the large cities who have a number of clients that they publicize. They've already broken the ice with the editors and the media, so they can get their releases printed.

If you want to hire someone for a special project, get a person who has the contacts and who specializes in your product line. If you're a celebrity, use someone who has a reputation in the entertainment industry. If you are a manufacturer with new appliances, likewise consider a person with expertise in that field.

Check out the person or firm. Talk to other clients and find out what has been done for them. Have they increased their sales or public exposure?

Investigate the reputation with people in the media you want to publicize in, and be sure there is a clean slate with the local business associations.

Then work efficiently with the person who will handle your publicity. Communicate effectively and be sure your ideas are understood. Listen well and absorb any ideas thrown your way. Between the two of you, you can come up with an excellent publicity campaign that will make your business boom.

The wonderful thing about free publicity is that you have nothing to lose. A few phone calls; a few personal letters, maybe some investment in quick printing news releases. And, you can reap many times that investment in additional sales and orders.

Whether you have an international personality to publicize or a community barbecue, you can get that information to the public at little expense.

What is unique about your service or product? Is it the best? The most used? The longest lasting? Do customers return year after year? Consider all the angles, then consider again.

Be sure to make solid contacts and be thorough with your follow-ups. Being polite and efficient will always create effective business relations. Then exploit your own publicity. Use it again and again; post it in the store or rewrite it for more national distribution. Go as far as you can with your ideas.

And, it doesn't cost you. That is the true joy - with a little effort and persistence, you can reap great profits from free publicity.

Copyright ? 2006