Be topical

If the government says “we need more exports” and you can help with exports, tell people. Tell the media. Tell the government. They might just herald you as a hero!

If you have a product that helps when there’s an oil spill, be sure to be interviewed by the press when there’s an oil tanker that has just run aground. The press will obviously want to hear from you right there and then, so be proactive about getting your product or service out there.

If the government says they will cut back on childcare subsidies and you have a special childcare savings account product, then that’s when you should fire off that press release and get some traction.

Does that mean you should change your business to what’s the flavour of the day? No, it means you should be ‘listening in’ to the conversation and when the time is right, jump in.

Don’t forget that building up relations with the media takes time, so start building your credibility in the area in which you’re topical.