I still remember the first time I got press coverage for a client. I worked at a boutique marketing firm in what can only be described as "a closet with a window." Only an imaginative landlord could describe the space as an office. The creative director sat with his back to me. Talk about pressure to perform!

After days of pitching various media outlets for a new client with no luck, I abandoned my usual cold-call approach and tried something different. Here's what worked for me...

A reporter from the Centre Daily Times told me last week that less than half of his stories come from news tips and pitches. That tells me one of two things – either not enough people in the community are reaching out to him or what they’re pitching isn’t newsworthy.