Right now, every business owner I talk to is trying to get his or her name in the news.

The first advice I give them is, "Be patient."

I've been helping businesses create buzz in the media for years but it isn't easy to do.

Back when I worked for Microsoft and we had million dollar budgets and multiple people working on a project, I still had to be patient when I was contacting the media. The Microsoft "perfume" often helped speed things up, but it was still a waiting game.

If you decide to focus on media relations or PR (public relations) for your business, remember: this isn't advertising. You don't pay to guarantee your name in print. The reporter, editor or producer always holds the key. That's the way PR works.

Here's an example of a story I worked on and how the process played out.

I had been reading a series of entertaining and interesting articles written by Athima Chansanchai, a reporter for the Seattle PI. They were all about Seattle women who were movers and shakers in non-traditional ways.

I really liked Chansanchai's unique writing style and how she was able to convey the personalities of the people she interviewed. Her articles had a great blend of wit, information, pop culture trends, and inspirational stories.

So…the more I read…the more I thought that maybe she would be interested in knowing more about the Web TV show I was co-producing and hosting. Maybe that was a story she'd enjoy writing and her readers would enjoy hearing about.

So I wrote her an email.

"Are you planning to continue to write about women taking risks to follow their dreams and if so, would you be interested in hearing a few story ideas about two women who quit their corporate jobs to follow their bliss and pioneered a new Web TV show?" I asked.

Then I waited.

Over a month later after several emails and phone calls, Chansanchai agreed to meet at my office to learn more about the show.

Several months later, we scheduled an opportunity for her to shadow us as we produced one of our shows.

The final result? A front page story in today's paper called, "Women's lifestyle talk show seeks its audience online".

Tip: Be sure you have a good story to tell.

Be sure you make it relevant to the media.

Be sure you're patient during the process.

Be sure you're thankful. This article wouldn't be possible without the reporter's passion for the story, perspective on the news, carefully written words, and of course the photojournalist's creative eye.

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