Has anyone ever achieved any mainstream (or local) press exposure for their business?

PR is a topic I'm becoming increasingly interested in, mainly because the resulting impact for SEO can be significantly positive when done correctly!

However, my question is has anyone ever managed to achieve any mainstream press exposure for their business? What was the result or return for your business?

Do you proactively try to attract the attention of the media? e.g. working for charities, running events etc.? What are your experiences?

previous business - all to do with betting information and best odds - everytime we covered a topic of interest - used to get picked up on google/google news and next thing would be some kind of interview on televsion/radio - was quite amusing really. 

Spoke about Eurovision on CNN, Oscars on Law TV (flew someone in from states especially which was hilarious), Main Racing Channel, BBC Worldservice displayed our odds comparison site for some event once, loads of regional stations, and even had the major South American papers contacting me when ran an article on the next pope. 

The return - nothing major imo - but it was all great fun 

Too busy doing other people's but I do some charity work via 4N and an international charity is a major client so double win on that one and yes it has directly helped secure a further major contract.

With my DIY wedding business I gained some good coverage from mainstream press like The Guardian, Mirror, Telegraph (as well as specialist mags). Usually around the "How to save money on your wedding" theme. These probably didn't bring much in the way of direct business (the wedding mags were good for that) but gave us good value links for SEO purposes which lasted for quite a while.

So I would say, Yes - PR is a useful SEO tactic.

Yes, have received a lot of interest and got some really good PR pieces especially in local press and on local radio. Not had huge returns from it but have got some work from each appearence and actually starting to enjoy it now, but great as a profile raising exercise.

Denise

Made your Mum proud though!

Thanks to 4N, I've had tv and radio, I've also built up a really good relationship with my local newspapers, and so they even ring me now when they need stories. It doesn't get me loads of clients, but it does create awareness, and trust from clients who say they've seen me on the tv etc. After my tv appearance I did get loads of offers of investment, because I was talking about lack of backing from the bank.

Anyway, yes I've got it, yes it's created lots of brand awareness, but not necessarily lots of clients! And it was FUN!! xx (can't wait till I'm on Dragons Den!!) x

Some Google Magic:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3030859/What-happens-when-estates-agents-drop-the-jargon.html

Now I recognise you - you're that guy off Working Lunch! 

I wrote that :-)

My wife managed to get picked up by local press, couple of TV pieces (live news and BBC Newsround, Animal Planet), pretty much every major printed newspaper, telegraph, daily mail etc and then pretty much every major news outlet worldwide, mostly online articles but with a smattering of printed too as well as numerous radio interviews the highlight being a brazilian radio station which was funny!

This year she's already managed to hit an Italian lifestyle magazine, a 'high society' magazine in Singapore and we've just had press requests from Mars (pet foods) and a media outlet which specialises in featuring unique hotels.

The business? www.longcroftcathotel.co.uk 

I called her mad, she now laughs at me regularly!!

Did it bring in business, absolutely no clue whatsoever, but it did give us massive exposure online and big google love so between that , word of mouth and good old twitter we've been pretty much fully booked (with bookings into 2013, see I said it was mad!) from day one!!

Have had large press coverage in nationals broadsheet and redtop plus lots of local press stuff. Also have around 8 national TV slots on varioius programs.

Do not expect lots of business from it particulary the press stuff, however, if used correctly it is great for SEO. I most certainly would not pay for it though.

TV stuff has changed over the years as now we have so many channles so the intial impact is lower due to smaller viewing figures however, endless repeats on different channels keeps business trickling in. Did one on countryfile in 2005 I think nd we still get business from it now when it is repeated.

Just think of it as a drip drip effect into your business that needs to be combined with what really drives your business. I would not chase it above other methods. But as I said the seo effect can be dramatic but changes over the years have made it less so.