We all know that a great way to make more sales, grow your business and gain name recognition is through having your company or service featured in an article that appears in a well-read publication. The first step towards having your article appear in one of these publications is to become known by the journalist.

Are you wondering how to go about doing that?

The easiest way, is to target journalists the same way you would target customers.

It may sound odd, but you want to sell the journalist on your service or product, just as much as your target market. If the journalist doesn’t know your product or service, how are they going to write about it?

Here is what to do:

1. Gather a list of journalists and determine which would be most meaningful for your business.

2. Read what those targeted journalists write. Get to know what they like and how they like to see it. They may even have a blog you can frequent and comment on, as well as reference within your blog.

3. Start a plan and schedule to send them information about you and your business. Don’t push for articles, just try to build a real relationship with them.

4. NETWORK. (I know it appears twice…because it is VERY important). Invite them for a sandwich or a cup of coffee.