Where is Your Media Plan?

When you start a business or nonprofit organization, typically your business plan is in place -- the mission statement, the goals you want to accomplish and how you plan to do it.

Is there a media plan included?

If there answer is no, then you should get to work on one. Here's why: If you randomly pitch random things to random media outlets, believe me, you will get equally random results.

Last week, we talked about why you should consider publicity for your business or organization and how it can help you. Once you decide publicity is something you want to pursue, you should have a map to get there, much like your business plan, marketing strategy or any other plan.

What is it you want to accomplish through the media -- social and traditional? How will you get it accomplished? What are the costs? What are the benefits?

If you have no idea what the answers to these questions are, you should get the help of someone who does. I'm not talking about someone who took a random journalism or marketing class in college, either, but someone who really understands the field and how to work in it.

Remember the old adage: failure to plan is a plan to fail. This also applies when it comes to media.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc.  Her background is in print journalism and she has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how they can get media attention for their programs and efforts. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.