So, you’ve worked for months or even years on developing the most amazing product or business imaginable. Your concept is groundbreaking and you’re absolutely positive it will spread like wildfire. If only you could land some big press to let the world know about what you’ve created.

You’ve exhausted your email and social media contacts and have shared your new venture with everyone you can think of. You have no money left to hire a PR firm and are getting nervous. You’ve narrowed your options down to pulling a guerrilla marketing stunt in Times Square or seeking an investor to help with PR efforts. Times are desperate.

Thankfully, there is a silver bullet. Despite what you’ve been told, you can build press mentions on your own, without spending a dollar. You see, PR agencies are experts at building relationships. Their secret is establishing trusted connections with the press and media, and harnessing those connections to help their clients. With a calculated strategy and some persistence, u can do the same for yourself. It may take a bit more time and effort, but the results will be more satisfying and you won’t be running around New York City in your underwear.

Today, we’ll break down a tested strategy for building a list of contacts, establishing relationships and pitching yourself to the press.

Create a List of Writers & Journalists

If you’re starting from ground zero, the first step in engaging the press is to find out who is writing about topics related to your business or industry. You’ll want to take note of which individuals are most active with responding to comments on their articles and engaging their audience on Twitter. These are two-way communications channels that will give you opportunities to establish direct contact.

Steps to building your list:

1. Make a list of online publications related to your industry. Do some research on Google and perform search queries for magazines, blogs, product review sites, etc.

2. Make a list of journalists and writers that contribute to the publications you’ve listed. Ideally, they will be people who cover subject matter within your niche.

3. Make an excel sheet that includes the following:

– Name
– Email address (you can typically find at the beginning or end of an article)
– Twitter handle
– Name of publication
– URL of publication
– URL of most recent article related to your industry
– Whether or not you’ve made contact
– Whether or not you’ve received a response
– Any press the individual has gotten for you

Show Interest & Engage

Now that you’ve done your homework, you can begin interacting with content written by the people you’ve added to your list. This step is critical, as it will establish you as a “fan” or “follower”, which builds trust. Don’t be overly aggressive and don’t step over the stalker line, but don’t be shy or intimidated either.

Here’s what to do next:

1. Leave intelligent, well thought out comments on articles written by people on your list. Ask a question about something mentioned in an article to entice the author to respond. If they see you’ve read their article thoroughly, they will appreciate the attention and be happy to start a dialogue.

2. Follow each person on your list on Twitter and make note of who follows you back.

3. Tweet, re-tweet or favorite articles on Twitter.

Do the above for a few weeks, to establish consistency and the perception that you are a legit follower.

 3. Make Contact & Pitch

At this stage, your hope is that some of the individuals you’ve been following have taken notice of your diligent engagement with their content. You are no longer a complete stranger and you’ve been selflessly sharing without asking for any favors.

At this stage you are ready to break down the walls of separation, and establish personal interactions with people on your list. Email each individual one paragraph that a) acknowledges their work and b) either pitches a story or offers to help them.

Keep in mind that these are very busy people with high pressure jobs. They are typically working on a deadline and most likely get a lot of email. Think hard about the subject line of your email, as this is your chance to grab their attention. Be clear and concise without sounded too salesy.

Example of pitching a story:

“Dear [Insert Name],

I’m an avid reader of [Publication Name] and thoroughly enjoy your contributions. Your last article on [cite a recent article by this author] was very informative and I shared it with many colleagues and friends. Keep up the great work!

I happen to be an expert in [your industry or business] and have written an insightful article titled [article headline]. Please let me know if you’d like to read it. I think it would be a perfect fit for your column and I’m willing to offer it to you as an exclusive. 

Thank you for your time.

Best regards,

[Your Name]”

Just offering to help:

“Dear [Insert Name],

I’m an avid reader of [Publication Name] and thoroughly enjoy your contributions. Your last article on [cite a recent article by this author] was very informative and I shared it with many colleagues and friends. Keep up the great work!

I happen to be an expert in [your industry or business] and would like to offer my assistance, should you ever need it. Feel free to contact me if you’re looking for a storyline or simply a quote for an upcoming article.

Thank you for your time.

Best regards,

[Your Name]”

There you have it. Three steps to getting reputable press mentions for your product or business. As long as you remain diligent while staying authentic and trustworthy, your chances for success are high. Now get out there and create a buzz!