So last week I was invited to do 3 radio shows: 2 were small local stations, but the third was as a 'panelist' on CBC Radio 1, and say what you like about the CBC, it's still a national radio station which is ultimately broadcast around the world, so it was pretty cool.

While half the people I know were nonplussed about it all - there were a lot of derisive comments about the CBC, as though if I'd been on, say, the Fan 590 I would have had more street cred or something - the other half (especially consultant-types who have been lead to believe that media exposure is the fast-track to fame and fortune - or at least getting the $250/hour we all dream of) quietly asked me how I'd managed to do it.

So here, my friends, is the secret: media releases which contain 5 Easy Tips of something.

It can be 5 Tips to Happiness, or 5 New Ways to Use Condiments - it doesn't matter. If you put out a media release containing 5 handy tips, steps or hints, I promise you that eventually someone will run a story or call you for an interview. (My most recent one was 5 Tips for Older Job Seekers.)

BONUS SECRET: On the CBC show, one of my co-panelists was David Foot, economist and author of the (Canadian) best-selling Boom, Bust and Echo, himself an old hand at media appearances. Two seconds before we went live, he gave me an excellent piece of advice, which was this: "Don't forget you're here to promote yourself and your business, so remember to mention your company name and website as much as possible." Good advice - the more you can mention mycompany.com casually in the conversation, the more likely it is that the viewers/listeners will look you up after your segment is over, and actually go to the right site.