In this great country of ours, there are basically three ways to get yourself tons of media coverage.

You can be a celebrity. Try becoming a TV, movie or sports star. Thats a good start.

You can become notorious. Getting arrested, or enmeshed in a juicy scandal, will do nicely.

But I recommend that you follow the third route. You can become an expert.

Experts, you see, are quoted in the media all the time. All the time. The media need experts to interview and quote, just like puppies need blankets to chew on. Couldnt live without em.

To a TV, radio, or newspaper reporter, experts are essential because they explain things to the watching and reading audience. News reporters, on air or in print, may choose the news and tell it. But experts explain it all.

Sports fans might look at it this way: reporters and on-air personalities are like the play-by-play announcers. But experts are the color commentators who fill in the meaning.

Try this: I defy you to watch any news program or channel for more than 10 minutes, without seeing an expert quoted. Wont happen. Just like youll never see Monday Night Football without a gaggle of commentators.

But, unless youre ready to cough up big bucks to buy mailing lists, it limits you. You can only reach the people you already know the ones in your database. All those people will get to know you better, and thats good but you wont be meeting any new prospects. To do that, its either spend on lists or advertising, or learn how to get yourself some free publicity.