You have to be a guerrilla to stand out from the crowd. Here are some methods that can make people take notice that are sure to lead to good public relations.

Pick the ones best suited for you:

1. Contact your local cable company to get your own FREE Cable TV show! They provide you with the set, the crew and the airtime ‘“ALL FREE’“ you just have to produce your own show. Thanks to Melanie Heywood of Listasaurus.com.

2. The media loves drama! Write letters to the editor that are bold, emotional, engaging and even shows a controversial viewpoint. Thanks to Michele Harris of Smarti Solutions.

3. Know the reporters at your local newspapers who report on your industry and build a relationship. Obvious but effective. Thank you to Andrea Johnson of Ideas to Words for this back to basics tip.

4. Don’t randomly pursue exposure for exposure’s sake, but ensure your PR is consistent with your company message. Thanks to Luke Cushman of Cushman Amberg Communications.

5.   Here’s a good one from Traci Bisson of Bisson Barcelona. Create a media room on your website or blog that contains valuable information that the media can use for stories and features. Include tips, advice, resources and a list of topics you have expertise about.

6. . Find a good hook in current events ‘“ for example, an insurance broker could talk about fire risk mitigation (a/k/a insurance) or a contractor about fire suppression systems after a big fire. Thanks to Casey Quinlan of Mighty Mouth.

7. Aruni Gunasegaram from Babble Soft suggests engaging with well known bloggers and build a relationship by commenting on their blogs. When the time comes to mention a promotion you are working on, they might be more inclined to mention it.

8. Read the section or watch the television show you plan to pitch (at least three past articles/shows) so that you can present your story idea with knowledge of the media outlet’s format. Thanks to Gail Sideman of PUBLISIDE.

9.   Contact your favorite bloggers that have posts relevant to your line of business and ask them to back link to your site or profile your company, product or service. Never underestimate the power of the blogisphere. Thanks for this tip to Chelly Jones of Kendall Jai Creative.

10. Volunteer to be a guest speaker at your local Rotary Club dinner. Tell the press you will be there! Thanks to Joyce Schwarz of JCOM.

11. Christine Pietryla of Pietryla Enterprises has this tip. Add your news releases to your OWN website. Often forgotten, this is the most effective way to your get information to people who are seeking it out.

12. Call reporters in the morning. Most deadlines are in the afternoon causing reporters to be very stressed and short-tempered when it comes to an unplanned phone call, says Kirsty Dunphey of Kirstydunphey.com.

13.   Adopt a local nonprofit or charitable organization in the community that is overlooked by the bigger businesses, and join forces to create a Public Service Announcement or viral video. Thanks to Christine Scioli of Zan Media.

14. Be prepared for more than just the pitch. Be prepared to see the conversation through and to provide supplemental materials and to be interviewed on a moments notice. Thanks to Erica Dublin of Mortar Agency.

15. Sponsor a fundraising event for a non-profit organization. Thanks to Bonnie Friedman of Grapevine Productions.

16. Susan Gayle from New Behavior Institute suggests that you have a weekly press release sharing new knowledge. It and your name will get around.

17. Offer to be a speaker at your local service organization meetings, at your library and at community events. The better speaker you are (with relevant information, not a sales pitch) will get you more speaking opportunities, thus promoting your business. Thanks for this idea to Jean Palmer-Heck of Real-Impact.

18. Sign up for Google Alerts. Select keywords specific to your area of interest or expertise. Each day Google will send you links to websites and blogs where people are writing about those topics. This enables you to respond to blogs, creating powerful links back to your website. Your natural search engine rankings will go up and up. Thanks for this tip to Melissa Wadsworth.

19. Ray Young of Halldin Public Relations suggests the following. Understand What is News and What is Not ‘¦ If you would tell your spouse or friends an interesting story, perhaps that’s news to your local press. If you wouldn’t, it probably isn’t news worthy.

20. Make your pitch “media-centric” not “ego-centric”. Use facts, not fireworks for better media acceptance and subsequent exposure. Thanks to Todd Brabender of Spread The News PR.

21. The best way to get coverage is to pitch a story about the people served by your company. Use a single person or family and tell their story. Include what their problems were and how they were solved. It doesn’t and shouldn’t be all about your company. Thanks to Angela Moore of Starfish P.R.

21. Ford Kanzler of PR Savvy has this idea. Doing something others are not doing will aid in gaining media attention. Business as usual gets you no where.

22. Spend some time getting to know your local reporters – take them out to lunch, drinks, whatever. They will appreciate a little special attention – especially on a reporter’s salary. And the next time you call to pitch a story, they’re more likely to remember you and return the favor. Thanks for this idea to Kim Wilder-Lee of The PR Maven.

23. Play the fame game, and get notable names to endorse you. Thanks to Joy Donnell of 720PR.

24. Jenn Hoffman of Get Some Media has this tip for you. Start small. A press release in your local hometown newspaper can get picked up by national outlets.

25. Listen to your local talk radio and when you hear the “lines are open”, quickly fax your press release or pitch. The likelihood of them checking it out because they are looking for inbound activity. Thanks to Robert Smith of Champion Media Worldwide.

26. Email a reporter in advance with quotes from your business to give a local and personal angle to a national story the minute you hear about the story, that way your quotes are ready to insert as filler, or possibly to turn a national story with a local angle into a local story with a national angle. Thanks to Dave Greenbaum of DoctorDave Computer Repair.

27. Package your businesses story angles (yes, more than one!) in a unique and distinctive (un-ignorable) container, then deliver to your local journalists. For example, if you own a salon, put your press release in an empty shampoo bottle with a note tied around the bottle that says something like: “At Janie’s Salon, we’re more than a haircut and a wash’¦ look inside to see what we mean.” Thanks to Dave Racine of Mindspike Design.

28. Twitter your way to the top! What you can say in 120 characters can make a huge impact? The media is listening. Thanks to Jocelyn Brandeis of JBLH Communications.

29. Offer to write a monthly column for your local newspaper. Thanks to Kelly Quintanilla of CUSO Development Company.

30. Sit on the board of a non-profit and become the spokes person. Not only are you doing good things, but you will be referenced in anything related to the non-profit. Thanks to Shonika Proctor of Teen Entrepreneur Success Secrets.

Condensed from “TPE – The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur “