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Have you ever noticed the anticipation that can be created by the use of two simple words: “coming soon?” Usually, these words are used to announce a new feature film, a store opening, a new TV show or a mega-concert featuring a line-up of the hottest entertainers in the music industry.

The words “coming soon” cause people to pre-order books, wait in long lines and in general, get excited!

The same concept can be used with the media. While you don’t want to ever use tactics that make you seem like a used car salesman, you can build anticipation and excitement around your story by sending advance notice to the press about a major business development, political initiative or celebrity sighting.

An awesome example of this strategy comes from the 2006-2007 pre-presidential campaign season. Everyone was speculating that U.S. Senator Barack Obama was poised to run for president but he was tight-lipped about his intentions even though he had been “acting presidential.” He built excitement around the potential of him running for president up until the very day he actually made his announcement in February of 2007.

Even though the media wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say that day, they knew he was going to say something that the public wanted to hear. So media crews from all over the country (and the world) descended on Springfield, Illinois to witness this historic moment-and sure enough, Obama finally revealed his plans to run for President of the United States. It was a brilliant strategy!

Needless to say, most of us probably won’t be launching any announcements of that magnitude any time soon–and honestly, you need a team of experienced media strategists to pull something like that off. The point is, the media is drawn to a story that has a certain level of intrigue around it. This gives them something to talk about.

There are several strategies you can use to build excitement around your story to make it irresistible to the media:

1. If you’re announcing the launch of an exciting new piece of technology, such as a mobile phone, satellite radio system or some other gadget, send samples to select media people BEFORE the gadget becomes available to the general public. Here in Chicago, this was done with a motorized individual transport vehicle called Segway. The manufacturer let the media try it out first and they helped build the hype. The vehicle became so popular that the Chicago Police Department bought a fleet and to this day, officers use Segways to patrol certain parts of the city.

2. If you’re opening a new restaurant or are the creator of a delicious new entrée, contact your local TV or radio stations and ask if you can bring samples of your food for them to try on air. Tie this strategy into opening day at your restaurant and create a buzz that will have crowds of hungry customers lined up outside your door.

3. If you’re the author of a “tell-all” book that reveals juicy secrets about a certain industry or hot topic, send samples to select media and ask them to review or feature it. You could also launch an online book tour by doing interviews with bloggers and other internet marketers who have the same target market as you. Imagine the excitement that is built before the book actually comes out! That excitement alone will help the book become a best seller.

These are just three of the strategies you can use to make your story irresistible to the media and yield tons of free publicity that advertising could never buy.

Monique Caradine is a Chicago-based broadcast media professional and President of Momentum Media Group, Inc. A former radio host and currently the host of “Perspective,” a community affairs TV program, her specialties include program development, media training and publicity consulting. She has authored two electronic books, including one titled “How to make your story irresistible to the media,” which outlines a total of 15 strategies business owners can apply to get the media to cover their story. It is available at her website at http://www.YourMediaMentor.com Monique is also a noted speaker, workshop presenter and commentator.

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