A common complaint you will hear is that the media obsesses over negative stories.

But let’s face it, that’s what people see. Jerry Springer and Maury Povich wouldn’t make millions of dollars a year if people hated to see spouses fight and abandoned lovers mourn.

And have you ever heard of a publication or show that thrived on telling happy stories about good news?

The fact is that the media loves trouble. The more problems you help customers or clients solve, the better.

People, bless their sick little hearts, and by extension the media, love to hear about problems. Especially when you can intelligently discuss them. Especially when you can help them solve theirs through the media.

This leads to another one of those 80/20 rules that seem to be bound up in the marketing field. You know, like, “80% of your business will come from 20% of your customers.” There’s a reason this rule has been around for so long: because it’s generally true.

Here is an 80/20 rule for advertising that I have found to be very effective.

Build 80% of your advertising messages around the needs and problems you help people solve. Spend no more than 20% projecting yourself as the expert who knows best how to tackle those specific problems.

When you break down a wide range of experience into narrower, more specific topics and stories, you’re almost ready for people in the media to start listening to us! Take a look at some of my other articles to find out the best way to contact them.