Article at a glance

• Relax and treat the host like a friend
• Dress in solid, darker colors
• Be an expert guest, not a salesperson

Making your first television appearance as a guest on a news or talk show can be one of the most thrilling, and nerve-wracking, events in your publicity campaign.

Let’s face it – we think TV, we think celebrity. It’s exciting. Ever spot the anchor from your local TV newscast dining in the same restaurant as you? Did you grab your companion’s arm, point, and say, sotto voce, “Look!”?  (Yes, I’m guilty, too.)

As much as TV can be a shot at junior stardom, it’s an equal opportunity to fall flat on your face – at least, that’s the fear many people have. That’s why I’d like to introduce you to Russ Handler, our TV Campaign Manager at EMSI.  Russ has some tips to offer from his years of experience as an on-air traffic anchor and producer for a major-market news station:

• Take some time well before the show to prepare what you’ll be talking about.  You’ve only got about 3 to 5 minutes, so you want to make the most out of that on-air time.

• The way you look is critical, because your appearance affects how the audience perceives you.

• Avoid wearing white clothes, which tend to wash out on camera, and tight-patterned fabrics, which can make the picture flutter.  Solid and darker colors are usually best, but simple patterns like stripes or polka-dots are okay if the pattern’s not too tight.

• Avoid shorter skirts, shorts or turtlenecks and loose jewelry around the neck or wrist.  The microphones are sensitive and may pick up clacking beads and bracelets. Remember that your footwear may be visible, so make sure your shoes are in good condition and reflect your professionalism.

• Ignore the cameras. Instead, have a friendly conversation with the hosts as if you’re sitting with them in your home.  The more relaxed you are, the more competent you will appear and the more the audience will warm to you.

• During the interview, if the host motions for you to look at a monitor, it’s because the video or graphics being displayed is what the audience is seeing on their screen.  You should comment on what the viewers are seeing and, if appropriate, use this opportunity to convey your message.

• Make sure to bring a copy of your book or a sample of your product to the station.  Before the segment, talk to the producer and ask whether you can display it during the interview.  It’s always a good idea to bring extra product samples or books as gifts for the host and producers.  If you’re an author, an autographed copy of your book is also a nice touch.
• Keep in mind that it is NOT the hosts’ responsibility to mention the title of your book or product or where viewers can buy it, so make sure to mention that at least once – but DON’T turn the segment into an infomercial. If you have a book that’s sold on Amazon.com as well as a personal website, mention Amazon; viewers are familiar with it and will be more likely to remember it.

Before you walk into the studio, remind yourself to be informative, animated and expressive. This is your moment to shine, so go for it.

I hope Russ’s tips help make you a star on your first – or next – TV appearance. Don’t be surprised if the next time you go out to eat, you see diners pointing at you and saying, “Look!”

• Don’t lock yourself into one marketing message
• Broad messages make for bigger audiences
• Have a variety of angles for year-round marketing

Imagine if the publicists for The Descendants, the George Clooney movie up for five Academy Awards, had decided to market it as a film about Hawaii.

Sure, I might have gone to see it. It is set in Hawaii and I’m a sucker for those sun-soaked surfs and volcano vistas. And, I’ll admit, George Clooney.

But I made The Descendants a date night with my husband because it was marketed as a movie about family relationships in a time of crisis. The glimmers of tension, conflict and humor in the trailers reeled me right in. (By the way, it’s a great contender for Best Picture!) Hawaii was part of the story, but by no means the whole story, and not even the most compelling aspect.

I bring up this point because many authors and entrepreneurs come to us with their minds set on a narrow marketing angle – like Hawaii for The Descendants. They’re sure that should be the focus of their campaign because it’s the biggest audience for their book.  All too often, they sell themselves, and their book or product, short.

Marketing is about gaining exposure to as many people as possible, and to do that, you’ve got to have a variety of angles in your message that will have broad appeal.

We had a client who’d written a provocative novel about young brothers confronting coming-of-age challenges in a small Oklahoma community. Geography featured prominently, partly because there were lots of killer tornadoes. The author wanted us to concentrate his campaign on Oklahoma and other states in Tornado Alley.

When I looked at his book, I found themes and topics that would resonate almost anywhere in the world: man versus nature, the insecurities of adolescence, sibling rivalry and heroism. The author had researched some of these topics in order to write about them more believably. He was well equipped to discuss his opinions about all the issues raised in his story.

Some business experts write books aimed at a particular demographic: recent college graduates in search of jobs, professionals laid off in middle age, people getting ready to retire. Their advice is insightful, helpful – and usually of value to a far wider audience.

I remember a particularly exciting campaign for an expert with just such a book. She had great ideas for a hard-hit demographic of middle-aged business professionals laid off during the current recession and couldn’t visualize any but that group as her audience. We saw that young people just starting their careers could also benefit from her wisdom.  We broadened her message to include people of all age groups and the media snapped it up.  She was quoted on monster.com, in The Boston Herald and appeared on CNN, among other media outlets.

Finally, when there’s nothing else to use as a news peg, there’s the old seasonal spin. TV, newspapers, radio and even social media love a holiday hook. This week it’s Valentine’s Day; next week it’s President’s Day; next month it’s St. Patrick’s Day and the first day of spring, which even we here in Florida are looking forward to after a weekend of Arctic blasts.

But pegging your book or product only to a single holiday, even if it’s a perfect fit, is short-sighted. Sure, send out a pitch just before Mother’s Day touting your book about your mom’s amazing life, or products that would make a great gift for Mom.  You’re nuts if you don’t! But what are you sending out today? What are you talking about on your social media sites? What are some of the themes in your book that can be used to power campaigns all year long?

Cultivating a variety of messages with broad appeal is the key to reaching your maximum potential audience. Of course, that doesn’t mean neglecting the obvious.

I appreciated the lush Hawaiian scenery in The Descendants and it occurred to me the movie would have theaters there sold out for weeks. That translates to some decent box office – but not the $65 million the film’s raked in.

Last week we lost a legend, boxing coach and trainer Angelo Dundee. As most of you know, he was the cornerman for world heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali.

Although I still don’t understand this about myself, I’m a huge fan of world championship boxing — and boxing doesn’t get huger than Ali!

He was one of the great athletes who relied on “Angie” to advise him in the ring. Neither Ali nor Sugar Ray Leonard, both powerful and gifted, were crazy enough to think they could win all by themselves.

And yet, look at how many of us make that very mistake!

I published Celebritize Yourself in the spring of 2009. At the time, I’d been in PR for nearly 19 years. My book was a how-to, based on my experience, for building yourself as an expert in your field – an expert celebrity, if you will.  Part of the method in my book is how to get lots of media exposure and how to be a great guest.  Hello!? Of course I didn’t need anyone’s help with media for Celebritize Yourself! And even if I thought I did, how foolish would that look – the PR expert getting help with her PR?

But the reality is, we all need a coach. Ali and Leonard needed Coach Dundee. Giants quarterback Eli Manning needed Coach Tom Coughlin on Sunday. Tiger Woods has a swing coach and he had a life coach, his dad Earl Woods. Judging from the way things turned out after the elder Woods passed away, Tiger still needed a life coach.

When I set out to develop my media message for Celebritize Yourself, I found it a much bigger challenge than I’d expected. What comes completely naturally for me in helping clients was not at all natural when it came to my own book. Spending months immersed in writing will do that to a person. I became so involved in writing, I had a hard time stepping back and objectively assessing the options.

So I called my good friend Lee Habeeb, who is a media coach to many of the stars of talk radio: Michael Medved, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt and Bill Bennett.

Lee readily came to my rescue – and assured me that getting some coaching for my own book promotion was not only quite all right, it was essential. We spent many hours discussing critical messages he saw in Celebritize Yourself that I never would have spotted on my own – being too blinded by the trees to have any view of the forest.  We worked on sound-bite answers and alternate ways to get my message out.  He shared experiences from his days as Executive Producer of The Laura Ingraham Show, when guests would be cut short because of how boring they were or their infomercial approach. All good lessons from a pro.

So often I’ve heard writers and entrepreneurs, some of whom have spent years on their projects, say they plan to “handle the marketing” alone after they’ve finally finished. That’s like entering a crowded playing field wearing blinders. When you’re so close to what you’ve created, when you’ve been living with it in your head for so long, it’s difficult to see the full spectrum of marketing angles and possibilities.

Your novel about brothers fighting against each other in the Civil War could also make you the perfect person to talk about patriotism, family, fraternal bonds and the importance of standing up for personal convictions.

Your supplement for joint pain could be a springboard for a Valentine’s Day talk radio discussion of enjoying romance despite chronic pain; it could become an article with tips for exercises to supplement the supplement; it could even turn into a story about active grandparents.

After you’ve poured heart and soul into a book, product or business, at the very least, get some coaching from friends who know your project, or fellow writers and entrepreneurs who have had their own successes.  Best of all would be finding people with experience in the media. Brainstorm the possibilities for publicizing your effort and you’ll soon see the potential for angles and messages that are far greater than you might have imagined alone.

If you’ve set high goals and you’re serious about the results, consider hiring a professional. It worked for Muhammad Ali!

• Implicit media endorsements make you stand out from the competition.
• It’s not advertising; it’s building credibility.
• Maximize your exposure by posting it on your Web site and sharing it via social media.

A colleague of mine, who’s a former newspaper reporter, tells a story about a savvy attorney she knew. He’d tip her off whenever he had a particularly juicy case if she promised to include his name alongside that of his client in her story. Whether he won the case or lost it, people remembered his name and associated him with high-profile cases.  He’d figured out that having his name in the paper bought him something no amount of advertising could: credibility.

For anyone trying to build a business, sell a product or get their book into the hands of more consumers, the implicit endorsement that comes from being interviewed by the media is what I call “marketing gold.”

Let me explain.  Thanks to the Internet, you and every competitor you have, big or small, have the same chance to reach your potential consumers.  So, what makes one business, one product or book more appealing than another?  It’s endorsements from the media that make you stand out.  Let’s face it – if USA Today has chosen to review your book, or refer to it in an article, it gives reason to believe there’s something special about it.  If a doctor is quoted in the news about solutions to a particular health issue you’re dealing with – your instinct will be to check out him and his product first, because the media must consider him an authority to have quoted him.

When the media recognizes that you have something important to say, you gain credibility. This is the marketing gold I’m referring to: the endorsements from TV and radio show hosts, the editorial coverage in newspapers and magazines – and now, bloggers, news Web sites and followers on social media too. All these forms of recognition give others confidence you’re as good as you say you are. But, it’s upon you to use this “gold” as a critical part of your marketing to let people know these endorsements exist.

The return on investment usually isn’t immediate, which can be frustrating to people who expect a surge in business or a spike in sales with every media interview. That used to happen more often in the old days – I’m talking way back in the ‘90s – when a radio talk show host might chat with you for 30 or 60 minutes  and newspapers had twice as many pages to fill.  It became apparent that when a client’s message clearly addressed an urgent public problem, along with their expertise and solution-oriented content, they could hit the jackpot.

From January to April, an IRS expert who spoke of resolutions to IRS problems or gave on-air tips on how to prevent IRS abuses would always see a huge jump in book sales. Or, the health expert, who got on the air during flu season and explained why his health program would make them feel better faster would sell a ton of product.

But the old days are gone and here we are in 2012. Today’s talk radio interviews are brief – 7 to 10 minutes in the larger markets – and newspapers have no space for full feature stories on interesting entrepreneurs and writers. There are far fewer opportunities to grab an audience for a significant length of time.

So how do you grow your investment in PR?  Marketing your media exposure is a strategy that pays big dividends over time – but requires an effort from you.

• Your Web site should prominently display your endorsements: “As seen on CBS,” “featured in the Louisville Gazette,” “heard on WFLA radio.”

• Don’t forget to mention the media coverage to your Twitter followers and Facebook fans, too. The third-party endorsement will help you build more contacts, because people like knowing who the experts are and following them.

• Use the media you’ve obtained to help you gain more TV, radio and print exposure.  It serves as credibility for journalists as well and they will be more likely to want to interview you if you’ve already been vetted by other media professionals.

• Let your personality shine online and respond to journalists and followers alike with interesting commentary and insights – not pleas to buy your book or product.

Yes, it takes work, a strong theme and a message that resonates. But if you invest wisely, you’ll grow rich in marketing gold.

Getting media exposure means putting yourself out there. It might be chatting live on the air with a radio talk show host, taping an appearance for TV, coming up with posts for social media, or being interviewed by a print journalist.

The first couple times can make you apprehensive, but trust me, that disappears quickly. You realize the interviewers tend to ask the same questions, so there are few surprises. You figure out your best sound bites and the responses that get a nice chuckle, and you polish those up.

But, there are still those first couple of interviews to get through.  To address this problem with my clients, I have them coached by my staff beforehand.  As many of us have had careers in the media we know what to expect and, more important, what the interviewer expects.

When it comes to coaching clients for print interviews, that job goes to our Creative Director and Writer, Penny Carnathan, who has worked as an editor and reporter at major daily newspapers for more than 30 years.

Having logged thousands of interviews, Penny knows what makes a great one great.  And, by the same token, what makes an interview a flop.  I asked her to share her five best tips for not bombing your first time out – and for making sure at least some of what you say gets published.

Here’s what she gave me.

• Do NOT try to pitch, sell or promote your book, product or business: Yes, it may be the reason you’re granting interviews, but if you want to sell something, you should buy an ad. The journalists are looking for you, as someone with a particular expertise, to provide content for their readers. That may be adding another voice to a story with multiple viewpoints.  Or it may even be sharing your  story – how you reinvented yourself after being laid off, or how you managed to write a novel while raising 13 kids. Either way, the goal of the journalist is to write an article that’s useful, informative and/or entertaining. Your goal is to get media exposure: your name and the source of your expertise in front of thousands, perhaps millions, of eyes.

• Try to speak clearly and at a moderate pace: Whether the reporter is taking notes with a pen or a computer, it will be difficult for him or her to keep up if you get excited and start talking very quickly. Not only might he miss some of the brilliant things you have to say, he may (gulp!) make an error that becomes a misquote in the story. Speak at a conversational speed, and if you really want to be a big help, offer to spell any less-than-obvious names you toss out. A good reporter will double-check the spelling, but you’ll save her time by giving her a starting point.

• You don’t have to answer immediately, and you don’t have to answer every question: Most of us would be hard put to respond off the top of our heads to, “What was the most pivotal moment of your life?” If you can’t, don’t. Ask the reporter to give you some time to think about it. By the same token, if you don’t feel qualified to answer a question, it’s far better to be honest about that than to take a stab at a response that makes you sound, um, unqualified. Remember, you’re in control. No one will think less of you if you politely decline a question for which you have no answer!

• Take your own notes before the interview: You likely have a good idea of what the reporter is writing about – and if you don’t it’s perfectly acceptable to ask what the gist of the story is. That gives you time to prepare relevant comments. If they’re looking for tips, list a few on paper in case you draw a blank. That will also help you plan ahead so you can speak concisely and get to the point quickly. Personal anecdotes always add color and interest to a story. Think about whether you’ve got a good short one (short is appreciated!) that will illustrate your point.

• Be prepared to email a high-resolution photo of yourself: Print publications cannot use the low-resolution photos that look so sharp online; the files are too small to reproduce at any decent size on paper. Most require an image that’s 300 dpi (dots per inch). Keep one of yourself at the ready to send via email, if the reporter asks, as soon as the interview is over. Not having it – or not knowing what a high-resolution photo is – could mean a missed opportunity to get your name, book title and face in front of a big audience.

Sound easy? You’re right, it is. So relax and enjoy your interview. Before you know it, a Google search of your name will produce dozens of publications quoting you and mentioning your book, product or business.  That may lead to even more requests, all of which builds your profile and your audience.

• As with diet and exercise, consistency makes all the difference in marketing and public relations.
• Four realistic tips for daily implementation of marketing plans.
• Discipline and willpower are keys to weight loss and winning marketing plans.

If you sat down at your desk the first workday of the New Year, and vowed to do something bigger and better to market yourself or your business in 2012, you certainly were in good company. There’s nothing like the fresh start of a New Year for motivating us to tackle what seemed to be an overwhelming task last year. But, unfortunately, the odds may be stacked against your well-intentioned plan.

The failure rate for strategic business plans is right on par with that for New Year’s resolutions, which is a discouraging 88 percent.That doesn’t mean your marketing plan, or my diet for that matter, is doomed. It simply means we both need to be more committed and disciplined.

As withdiet and exercise, consistency makes all the difference in marketing and public relations.  These strategic actions build credibility, image and brand, which are critical to your success. If you put your marketing plan in a drawer and don’t take time every day to use it by reaching out to your readers, customersor followers, it won’t reach its potential.

It takes small steps every day. Sound familiar?

Large organizations with dedicated marketing teams have an advantage: They have peoplewhose only job is to make sure their name is out there in a favorable light. They are just like those movie stars with personal trainers and private chefs – they don’t have to drag themselves to the gym each day because the gym comes to them.  They don’t have to come up with delicious low-cal recipes; their chef does it for them. The rest of us have to do it all ourselves.

If you’re running a business, big or small, the daily fires that need to be put out – increasing revenues, getting vendors paid or managing logistics– all take precedence over marketing and public relations. That telephone call to the reporter can wait till tomorrow, right? You meant to get on Facebook and reach out to your fans there, but you can do that in the morning. You opened a Twitter account and sent a tweet last week; people surely will start following you soon.

Sorry, that’s just not enough if you truly want to be successful in building a name and a brand for yourself. If you believe that marketing is the foundation of every successful business, as I do, then it can’t be set aside for another day. Little Orphan Annie was wrong: There isn’t always tomorrow.

If you’ve taken the time to set your goals and budget, and even draft a marketing plan, then daily implementation is a must. Here are a few ways to accomplish that:

• Assign responsibility: Who is going to manage your daily conversation with the public? If it’s you, accept that it’s your job and set aside time each day (even if it’s only a half-hour in the morning or time late at night) to reach out to your key constituency through one of the many platforms available to tell your story.
• Set measurable goals: There are great analytic tools to track traffic to your website and interaction through social media. Use them and check them constantly. Like that bathroom scale, they’ll keep you honest on how well you are sticking to your plan.
• Admit that you can’t do it alone: If you look at your plan and honestly say to yourself, “There’s no way I can do this!” then find someone who can. A good marketing and public relations professional will work with your budget and the return on investment will be a good one.
• Keep your plan in front of you: If you put it in a desk drawer or filed it away on your computer, it will be forgotten.

Some businesses launch with great fanfare and hope that the resulting media attention will carry them through. But it won’t. They have to work to keep the media spotlight on them, in order to stay in the public eye.  If they step off the playing field for even a short period, some other business or expert will be sure to replace them.

Marketing is building and maintaining an emotional relationship with your customers and your community. That takes place over time and with consistency, so they get to know who you are, the special qualities you possess and why you are important to their lives.

Staying out in front of your audience takes discipline and some willpower. But just like that daily trip to the gym and a healthy eating plan, if you keep at it, by the end of the year you’ll have a lot to show for your effort. And remember, whether it’s an exercise regime or a marketing plan, you may realize you just can’t do it all on your own. Then it’s time to call in a professional. They’re not just for movie stars.

• Why radio interviews have gone from one hour to today’s norm of 7 to 10 minutes.
• How radio stations are rated and what this means to you.

Last week I introduced you to our new Creative Director, Penny Carnathan, an award-winning former newspaper editor who shared tips for getting press coverage in this era of changing media. I got such great feedback, I thought I’d introduce you to some of the other members of our team who can share similar insights about the media.

I’ll start with Alex (“Dro”) Hinojosa, who spent 15 years as a talk radio host, as he’s got some excellent insights into this industry, for those looking to use radio to get their message out. As with newspapers, it’s a new age in the world of talk radio.

Alex and I actually go way back. He first came to EMSI in 2007 after working for CBS, Clear Channel and Genesis Communications. He’d worked as a host and also as an executive producer and program director in major markets including Washington, D.C., Detroit, and right here in Tampa Bay. He was with us for only a year before the radio bug bit again in the form of a great job offer from Atlanta.

You know I think of everyone at EMSI as family, so when he first told me of this opportunity, it nearly broke my heart that he wanted to leave us.  But, understanding the mindset of media personalities, I knew he wouldn’t be happy until he got it out of his system. So I encouraged him to go (and quietly sobbed into my coffee).

But I also knew we’d stay in touch and remain friends no matter where he went. I was right.  Alex returned to EMSI last September as our Senior Campaign Manager, now overseeing all of our clients’ campaigns.

I talked to Alex about how the changes affect talk shows and how it can affect you as a potential guest. Our interview ran a bit long so I’ll give you half of it today and come back with the rest tomorrow.

Marsha:  I know radio is going through trials comparable to what the newspaper industry has experienced, with mass layoffs. What do you feel is the impact on AM radio and the talk show format in general?

Alex:  There aren’t as many shows, Marsha, and the hosts that are left wear a lot of hats. Very rarely is a host just a host. He – or she – might also be a producer, which involves booking guests, updating the station Web site, interacting on social media and they might also be in charge of any number of other jobs, like promotions or production. Because they’re really, really busy, if you want to be a guest on their show, you’ve got to grab their attention quickly or you won’t even make a blip on their screen.  The way to do that is offer them an angle and a segment they immediately recognize as a perfect fit for their audience.

Marsha: I would imagine it’s overwhelming to some of the hosts who have to do all that and still focus on getting good ratings.

Alex:  Seems daunting, huh? Because prep time is cut short with those off-air responsibilities, hosts are really looking for topics and guests that will play to their target audience, be engaging and provide good content. They’re not there to sell someone’s book or product – their goal is to keep their audience listening so their ratings stay up.

If a guest helps them out by giving a great interview, well, they’ll likely return the favor by plugging the person’s book and even linking to it from their blog.

Marsha:  On the subject of ratings, we’ve seen big changes in how they’re determined. What do you think of the new PPM ratings system?

Alex: As you know, ratings used to be done through diaries, actually writing down what station or show you listened to over a period of time. Now though, most big markets use PPM – Personal People Meter – which tracks listening in real time with a device those being surveyed actually wear. Ironically, most everyone in radio, except the No. 1-rated station, will tell you those PPMs are inaccurate and that there is no real way to gauge exactly who and how many are listening. But hosts have to pay attention to them because it’s how they’re judged by management.

Marsha: So in the end, no one knows that audience better than the host. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed.

Alex:  Exactly! And no talk show host who is on the hook for ratings will book a guest who’s wrong for his show. Hosts know what their audiences want and they’re not going to invite someone whose topic has no interest for their listeners. If you’re booked, it’s only because that audience is a fit for you and your message.

Marsha:  When I first started this business 21+ years ago, the interviews we scheduled for our clients were an hour and sometimes longer.  Then we saw the interviews go to twenty to thirty minutes, and now they’re shorter than that.  What do you feel the reason is for this change in interview formats?

Alex: The new PPM system is tracking audiences minute to minute, counting the listeners tuning in and listeners tuning out. For radio stations, that means every minute counts. Now the average interview is seven to ten minutes in most cities and if you get more than that, it’s a blessing. But, we’re also seeing as little as three- to five-minute interview segments during morning drive time in the top major markets.  Think about it like this: the methodology for gathering radio ratings is a lot closer to how ratings for TV are tallied now.  How consistently do you see a 30-45 minute interview on TV?  Not often.  Expect the same with radio.  That doesn’t mean you can’t get your message out.  You just have to be more focused and to the point as a guest because hosts are being trained by their bosses to be concise too.  So, preparation and media training are a must!

Tomorrow: The difference between small audiences and big ones; radio and social networking; and a new life for “old” interviews.

• Massive layoffs have changed the way newspapers do business; they’re now even more short-handed and time-crunched than ever.
• Newspapers need quick-turnaround content to help fill pages.
• How to position and pitch yourself to editors, so you can be featured in the news.

Back in October, I was a beneficiary of the sadness sweeping newspapers across the country — more than 20,000 layoffs since 2008 (and that’s a conservative estimate).

Here in Tampa-St. Petersburg, one of our two major dailies, The Tampa Tribune, laid off about 30 veteran reporters and editors in June, in a desperate effort to balance its books. It didn’t work. The paper laid off 165 more employees just last week.

Their loss was my gain. Penny Carnathan, an award-winning reporter and features editor, is now our Creative Director/Writer. She brings to News and Experts not only her talents, but her insights on how newsrooms have changed in recent years. Just four months ago, she was the person on the other side fielding our press releases and story pitches. As the editor in charge of the Tribune’s Sunday features section, which included a books page and its food section, she decided which releases to pursue and which to ignore.

Penny says the many layoffs changed the way she and other editors do business — the Trib’s 2011 cuts were two of so many, she lost count. I say that means we have to change too.

I asked Penny to share in her own words what the changes mean and how we can leverage them. Here’s what she said:

With fewer reporters and lots of empty pages to fill, editors are doing more planning ahead to ensure they have content, for both their features and their “breaking news” pages. They no longer have the flexibility or manpower to jump on “dailies” that don’t involve a police officer being shot or a house burning down. Tempting as it might be, they likely can’t follow up on an “urgent” notice about today’s Make-a-Wish holiday shopping spree.

• Plan Ahead. If you want your event covered, let the newspaper know about it two to three weeks ahead of time.

• Help Out the Reporter. Provide local interview sources – local is a priority for local papers – so the reporter doesn’t have to spend time tracking down “real people” for the story. For instance, to pitch a story on a Special Olympics event, you would ideally line up a local athlete and parent who are ready and willing to be accessible to a reporter. Better yet, line up an athlete with a touching story. If you’re an author, get creative. Think about the businesses who can benefit from your strategies and get one on board.

• Make It for a Good Cause. If you’re hosting a special event, including book signings, find a way to make it charitable or a service to some greater good. Newspaper editors are more inclined to cover events if they benefit others. Again, take the reporter legwork out of the process by finding a beneficiary who can talk about what the event means to him or her.

• Pictures in a Snap.  Offering good quality, high-resolution images gives you another leg up; photojournalists are being laid off too.

Understanding the time and staffing crunches newspaper staffs face make you a respected and appreciated source of content.

One last note, Penny says it’s worth the time you take to research who does what at the publication you’re targeting. Newsrooms are reorganizing and that means they can be a bit chaotic. Stay on the phone until you find the person who knows for sure who should receive your information (often more than one person). The payoff is well worth all that time repeating your story over and over again.

Article Highlights:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger’s head-on diffusion and Anthony Weiner’s denial and implosion.
• Lindsay Lohan’s cry for attention.
• Herman Caine’s affair denial that cost him his campaign and Newt Gingrich’s upfront admission that made the issue a non-starter.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot – and this year, there were a few that some media figures would certainly like to.

Now is the time the media looks back on the most significant stories of the year. Since we work with the media, we like to look back on the most significant stories in terms of PR. As comedian Jeff Foxworthy says, “You can’t fix stupid,” but what we can do is learn from others’ mistakes (and successes) to make better PR choices for ourselves.

Now, if as you read this year in review you see some decidedly “un-Marsha” phrases or ideas, it’s because the entire EMSI team contributed to these year-end awards and as media professionals, I felt their contributions were very valuable.

The “I’ll Be Back” Award

This one goes to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his deft handling of the revelation that he had fathered a son with his family’s housekeeper.

After the news came out on May 9 that Schwarzenegger and his wife, TV personality Maria Shriver, were separating, the media speculated wildly on what caused the split.    Rumors of extramarital affairs streamed onto the Internet, with one in particular, about his housekeeper, getting the most attention. On May 17, “Ah-nold” released the following statement:

“After leaving the governor’s office, I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago. I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused.”

And that was pretty much it. There were a few stories here and there about the housekeeper and a Twitter posting from the son, but the story faded in about two weeks. In the meantime, Tiger Woods, who suffered through a nine-month news cycle for his improprieties, assumingly went back and beat his attorneys and PR handlers with a 3-wood while saying, “Why didn’t we do THAT?!!”

Arnold handled his indiscretion with textbook-style directness.  He saw what was coming, issued his mea culpa in a humble and contrite fashion, and got the heck out of Dodge. Corporate Americaand celebrities should take a lesson from The Governator.  And don’t worry about Arnold. He’ll be back in “The Expendables 2” in 2012.

The “This Stuff Writes Itself” Award

This one has to go to former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner. To refresh: The influential Democrat legislator from New York got caught sending women photos of himself in his underwear. It was a scandal so sensational and so monumentally mishandled that, if it had been written as a Hollywood script, no studio would have ever made the movie because it was so unbelievable it would have been deemed too unrealistic for audiences to accept.

First, Weiner claimed the photo was a fake and someone hacked his account. Then he said the photo might have been him, and then he finally copped to the whole thing and resigned from office. It was the news story that wouldn’t end. If only Weiner had handled it like Arnold, the scandal wouldn’t have been so disastrous and he might have “terminated” the bad press sooner.

And his name was Weiner. That was worth the price of admission, alone.

The “I’m Better Now And To Prove It, I’m Going To Take Off My Clothes” Award

It seems there is no more dangerous place in the world than being situated between actress Lindsay Lohan and a camera.

Most recently, however, Lohan felt it would be in her best interests to offer the media an in-depth interview about her recent run-ins with the law and her time in drug rehab. She wants the world to know she’s okay. But she didn’t give the interview to People or Oprah or Diane Sawyer. She gave it to Playboy – along with some cheeky nude photos.

Appearing naked, or even semi-naked, rarely enhances one’s credibility. Just ask Anthony Weiner.

The “How 9-9-9 Became Nein, Nein, Nein” Award

In 2011, Herman Cain turned mishandling the media into an art form.

For awhile, he was the king of the gaffe, making misstatements or failing to remember crucial points, from China’s nuclear capability to President Obama’s position on Libya.

But with each misstatement, hisnumbers continued to rise. Even after a woman came forward with accusations of sexual harassment, Cain was still the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.

Then came Ginger White, who claimed she had a 13-year affair and backed it up by texting Cain in front of a reporter, generating an immediate call back from the candidate, and promptly putting him on the phone with the reporter.

His denials became increasingly less specific and less convincing until, finally, he withdrew from the campaign.

The lessons he teaches is simple: No matter how far back in the closet the skeletons reside, they will not stay hidden. Assuredly, they will come out.  And if an old girlfriend texts while you’re on the campaign trail, just wait and respond in person.

The final irony was that the next front-runner who stepped in was Newt Gingrich, who came forward at the beginning of his campaign to admit he had an affair during his second marriage with the woman who became his third wife.  But by putting it out front early, by the time Cain’s campaign imploded, the voters had somewhat forgotten and forgiven Gingrich’s affair.  The jury is still out on his long-term viability as a candidate, but if he fails, it’s safe to assume that his marital issues won’t be the nail in the coffin on his bid for the presidency.

It makes you wonder if Arnold is one of his campaign advisers.

The “Power of Social Media” Award

It’s not easy being a celebrity in the media age. The paparazzi are waiting for you everywhere. While it’s one thing when the media steals one’s privacy, it’s quite something else when celebrities offer up their privacy on social media.

That’s why The “Power of Social Media” Award goes to actors Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher for letting their fans in on their not-so-private conversations of their break-up before they even called their attorneys.

As the media started rumor-mongering about the break-up of the Hollywood power couple, the two exchanged cryptic messages on Twitter that proved the rumors to be true before any kind of announcement about the break-up was made.  And, just to put the punctuation on the power of social media, Moore’s statement about the break-up wasn’t sent to the media by her publicist.  It was posted on Twitter.

And so it was that the two confirmed their split-up and gave fans a front-row view of their family drama.

The lesson is simple: If you use social media to maintain a public, professional profile, don’t let it get too personal. Hollywood mega-stars can get away with a whole lot more than the rest of us – including presidential candidates.

And now, the season begins.

In the office, everyone is hanging around the coffee machine longer and enjoying holiday deserts.  Outside the office, people are caught up in the holiday parties, shopping, food, family gatherings, and enough reruns of holiday programs that they are replaying the Grinch song in their head. They spend a little more time online surfing eBay for gifts and writing emails to associates hoping to put any real work off until January 2.

That’s a major mistake for anyone engaged in or thinking of engaging in a media campaign. The holidays are exactly the time to pop the clutch and put your campaign into overdrive.

The reason is obvious. Although many assume that nothing of any consequence really happens over the holidays, what it really means is that fewer people are competing for those guest interviews on radio and TV and in print. This opens up an opportunity for you to jump in and compete for that media, with fewer of your competitors in that mix. Let’s face it, the media still needs people to interview to generate content.  So, if your competition is not in the game over the holidays, this is the perfect time for you to step in and get the coverage.

Because, even though many companies tend to run silent during the holidays, the media doesn’t. In fact, as we sit there on Christmas morning wondering what store is still open when you’ve run out of aspirin, the media is one industry that doesn’t ever shut down.

During the holidays, turn on the TV.  While CBS might be running reruns of Two and a Half Men, of course, the evening news isn’t running a repeat. And, what about CNN? They still report the day’s news just like any other day.

Same thing holds true for the print media – on Christmas morning and the day after Christmas, your newspaper is still delivered to your front door. And you can bet Yahoo! isn’t recycling content from November.  No, they’re aggregating news from all over the world that was written on Christmas day.

The media works every day of the year – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Halloween, Yom Kippur, Purim, Kwanza and yes, even Arbor Day. They need fresh content every single day of the week. Their crews may change and shift, their lead people take vacations while second stringers fill in for them. But every day, they broadcast, print, publish and distribute the news. Every day. And their need for content, combined with your competitors’ need to relax, can result in excellent press coverage for you.

You can deck the halls and sing the songs and eat the food that will no doubt be the inspiration for at least one or two New Year’s resolutions. In the meantime, though, consider celebrating the holidays by making them productive. Get yourself in front of the media while your competitors are guzzling eggnog. After all, isn’t success the best holiday gift you could give yourself?