by Mason Duchatschek

Who says you have no control over what gets said about you and your organization when you rely on free publicity instead of paid advertising? That's right'it?s the person trying to sell you paid advertising.

And PR firms don't hesitate to tell you there is no substitute for getting free publicity and media exposure. They also like to point out how messages contained in public relations and human interest stories attract attention rather than repel listeners, like ?in your face? paid advertising has been known to do.

Unfortunately, there is some truth to warnings issued by advertising salespeople regarding limits on your control over your message and how it gets delivered when it is left in a reporter's hands instead of yours. The good news is that there are some easy things you can do to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks associated with free publicity.

When you send out a news release to entice a reporter into taking action on your proposed story angle, you have several advantages if you choose to use them. First, since you picked the topic and the angle, you should have the advantage of being a subject matter expert, especially if the subject matter is you or something your organization is doing that is newsworthy. Additionally, since you presumably know better than to send out your news release before you have identified questions you are likely to be asked in an interview, you shouldn't be caught off guard.

Preparing answers to likely interview questions in advance is the easiest way to convert free publicity into free advertising. It accomplishes several things. First, it makes you sound comfortable and competent, which will come across favorably during radio and television interviews. Second, it minimizes the likelihood of damage caused by saying things ?off the cuff? that you later wish you had never said. Finally, it actually does give you control over what message gets delivered through the media to your audience.

If your only answers to likely interview questions are those prepared in advance in alignment with your desired message, then haven't you just found a way to ensure a very high degree of control? The bad news is that a reporter might only use a small portion of your answers to write the story. However, the good news is that there is also a chance that almost all of your answers could become part of the story, and you could end up getting MORE exposure and coverage than you would have gotten from a paid advertisement.