Your small business can be the most well organized and talented company out there. But if you aren’t hitting the proper channels and getting the proper media exposure, no one will ever hear of you (outside of your local area of course).

Here are 5 tips to help make sure you get the right exposure and attract a larger audience.

Give Them Something to Write About: The simple fact that your business exists is not enough to warrant a news article or press release.  If you can somehow make your business newsworthy or if you can create hype around your business concerning a recent trend, you’ll have journalist and bloggers coming to you and not the other way around.

Be Yourself: Far too often a small business will get caught up in the rush to emulate certain larger businesses that they respect and would like to mimic. This can be disastrous, as it ultimately causes brand confusion for yourself and also makes you lose focus on who you are…instead, you get caught up in who you are trying to be like.

Try to Include PR: If you have a public relations agency working for you to better establish your brand, you need to keep in mind that you hired them for a reason. Even if you think you know what’s best for your business, you should always respect the opinions of your PR agency. When you argue or butt heads over crucial idea with your PR agency, you are not only creating a toxic working relationship, but totally negating the reason for hiring them in the first place.

Stop Pitching to Everyone: When looking for media outlets to broadcast your messages or other items, don’t waste your time pitching to everyone out there. Instead, take the time to research your industry and find outlets that are geared specifically to your business.

Make Social Media Work: It’s apparent that many small businesses have yet to understand the importance of social media. But the fact is that if you carefully invest your time into building a reputable online reputation, particularly in blog content and a Twitter presence, you can use social media to enforce your place as an expert in your fiend.