10 years.

In Canada and United States, the media loves to remember. Consider the amount of time that “the talking heads” have to discuss and show about a certain theme. Consider how many minutes of coverage you’ve seen about 9-11 in the last few days and today.

Have you ever wondered how a church or a Pastor gets interviewed or included in the coverage? It seems that the media still likes to cover a religious angle. This is a HUGE opportunity for you.

Here’s 3 steps to getting good media coverage.

Know your media opportunities. In the good times, try to get to know all your local media choices. Then set out to meet or connect with a reporter or media chief. Let them know that you care about them and what they do. Hone your skills of communication.

Know what the media needs. The media needs to be interesting. They also need fast stories. The more you can supply story angles, well-developed material, and entertaining information (that’s not blatantly self-promotion); the more you’ll be used.

Know when to step up. Consider the times in the year that religion and the church angle makes sense. Those are the easy ones. Once you’ve mastered them, you can then react quickly enough when the unplanned happens. Things like disasters and spontaneous “good” things.

You want to get your message out. And God’s message is critical for today. Therefore, it’s very important for the church (you!) to do their role in Public Relations. So… what’s the next date this year, that I’ll see you on TV or in the newspaper? Good PR is worth three times what an ad costs.