Getting publicity for your business can seem like an impossible task, something that only happens for big companies that can afford to hire publicists. Every business owner should include getting publicity as a part of their overall marketing strategy. However, there is a lot more to garnering free publicity for your business than just writing and sending press releases.

You want to build a long-term relationship with the media, and become known as a resource, an expert in your industry. That does not happen overnight, and it does not happen by accident. It takes time, careful planning and a strategy. The good news is that you do not have to spend tens of thousands of dollars, or hire an outside agency to do it for you.

Make sure your news is newsworthy. A press release is not a sales advertisement. A good press release answers all of the questions of who, what, where, when and why, and sometimes HOW. Your purpose in writing it is twofold: to provide the media with useful and relevant information about your business, product, or service and to get your name out to your target market.

Begin with a strong headline. Your headline and first paragraph need to grab the readers' attention. Without being flowery or overly dramatic, you have only about 3-5 seconds to grab your readers' attention and get them to read your story, and decide if it is worth running. So do not blow it by being vague or weak. The rest of your press release can give them the nitty-gritty details.

Tailor your story to your primary audience, the media. Your secondary audience is your target market, but if the media does not decide that your story is newsworthy and runs it, your potential customers will never know about it!

Pay attention to your writing. Sometimes, especially in rural areas and online, the media will run your press release in their publications with little or no modification, so make sure you have used your spelling and grammar check before sending it, and keep to the facts. Most of the time, journalists will use your press release as a stepping off place for a larger feature story, especially if you can show larger relevance to other current events. Always develop your story as you want to have it told, put YOUR spin on it. Even if your story is not reprinted verbatim, always remember what YOUR purpose is in writing it, to provide exposure for you and to help brand you as an expert in your field.

Not everything is news. Just because you are excited that you made your first big sale, or started a new product line, or wrote your first article, does not necessarily mean that the press is going to think you have a newsworthy story. From the time you start your first draft, keep your audience in mind. Who will find your story interesting? Why are they going to find it interesting? How is it relevant to something else that is going on right now?

Identify a problem, and show how you are solving it. Use real life examples about how your business solved or is solving a problem. Give examples of how your service or product fulfills needs or satisfies desires. What benefits can be expected? Use real life examples to powerfully communicate the benefits of using your product or service.

Stick to the facts. Always tell the truth. Avoid fluff, embellishments and exaggerations. It is part of a journalists' job to be skeptical. If you want to use publicity effectively, then you are not looking for a one night stand. You want to gain the trust of the media, establish your credibility, and build an on-going relationship with your local media, so that you become a resource for them within your industry.

Use an active, not passive, voice. Use strong verbs that will bring your press release to life. If there is controversy, describe it. There is an old adage in the news business: If it cries, it flies and if it bleeds, it leads. So, while you may not be crying or bleeding, make what you are writing about stand out. Use active verbs. Write partnered, rather than, entered into a partnership or engaged, rather than, interested, etc. Writing in this manner will help guarantee that your press release will be read.

If you follow these simple rules, you will be able to put together a newsworthy story that will help you achieve your goals of getting the word out about your network marketing business.