Have you tried and tried (and tried) to get media coverage….without much luck?

Maybe you can’t seem to find the time to pitch the media. Or you’ve hired a publicist and didn’t get the results you’d hoped for in the timeframe you expected. Or you’ve made a publicity campaign a priority, but don’t hear anything back after many emails and voicemails to the media.

You’re not alone.

It’s not easy to get media coverage. If it was, then everyone would be able to score an appearance on the Today Show or get featured in O Magazine. And if it were easy, it would certainly take away the sparkle and shine of landing one of these coveted opportunities. Part of the charm here is getting “in” to this exclusive club as a national morning show guest or featured in a top national magazine.

So what can you do to push your PR efforts forward and align your expectations properly? Here are a few “scary truths” about media coverage that might surprise you, and how you can navigate swiftly around these challenges.

Revenue Doesn’t Mean Recognition

Even if you’re the top earning company in your industry, it doesn’t mean the media will show you any love. There is a specific way you need to position your company to the media so they will want to cover you. For example, some business owners pitch the media with tons of industry jargon rather than abiding by the tone of the outlet they are pitching.

Let’s say you’re a Registered Dietician who wants to be in SELF magazine. Instead of talking about specific body chemicals that sounds ripped from the pages of a medical journal, you want to speak SELF’s language. Easy, breezy, fun and down to earth – free of jargon and full of fun, simple and practical tips.

Anything worth having is worth waiting for

Every publicist will say that patience + persistence are key to a publicity campaign. As a business owner, it’s important to understand that you need a lot of patience if you want media coverage. You will be waiting to hear back from editors, producers and bloggers. Sometimes you’ll be waiting a really long time. It’s important to have this expectation in the beginning and be persistent in your efforts while also executing other strategies to make you more attractive to the media such as blogging, authoring tip sheets, and piling on your reputation and credibility factors (like customer accolades, authoring a book, etc).

The coverage is just the beginning

You get word that your business will be featured in the next issue of your most-wanted magazine. Cheers ensue! Celebrations are had!

But you’re not done. In fact, you haven’t even started.

Getting the coverage is important. But what you do with it is what really matters. You need to show off your media coverage on your website, marketing materials, point of purchase displays – anywhere that a media endorsement would be beneficial. You can sometimes leverage national coverage into local coverage or even leverage a TV appearance into a magazine feature (example: frequent contributor to the Today Show shares 5 tips….)

Your media coverage will live and last forever if you position it correctly. It can talk a customer off the ledge to buy from you. It can boost your credibility and reputation. It can help you land book deals and paid speaking engagements. It can do wonders if you leverage it properly.

Looking for more in-depth information on landing magazine features and TV appearances? Need to know exactly what television producers look for when booking guests? Want to know how to build a brand that the media can’t resist?

Anonymous to A-List starts November 7th – don’t miss out! Sign up today at http://anonymoustoalist.com and get ready to become a celebrity in your industry.