It sounds mundane, tedious and humdrum. The deed does not immediately place you in the publicity spotlight. But, development of a thorough, well-thought-out list of media you wish to target is the first and crucial step in beginning a publicity program.

Before you start, it's essential not to get "caught up" in the excitement and target media outlets that don't make sense. Really, why be on "Oprah," as glamorous as that sounds, if you market a product used in metalworking plants, even if the item is the only one of its kind? Would not a cover photo in Metalworking Digest better influence potential buyers?

Or, say you need to increase consumer sales of your new cookie product. An item in The Wall Street Journal may be great for the ego, but a story sent to newspaper food editors via the national Associated Press news wire can more precisely reach the country's cookie monsters (and shoppers).

To begin, you must determine which media are read, viewed and listened to by your target audiences. Hopefully, you already have a clear understanding of just whom your target audiences are.

To illustrate: Skil Power Tools markets a number of its products to woodworkers and consumers who tackle do-it-yourself jobs and projects around the house. The target media for Skil, in this case, are magazines such as Popular Mechanics, Workbench, Home Mechanix, The Family Handyman and Wood; national newspaper columns titled "Super Handyman" and "Home Workshop File;" home sections of daily newspapers; and the trade journals read by the retailers who sell Skil tools to these end-users, such as Hardware Age and National Home Center News.

Okay, you've identified the audiences; how do you develop this media list? There are several techniques:

Get to know media you believe would reach your target audience

Familiarize yourself with bylines, columns and special sections. If you're in real estate, know who the real estate editor and/or reporter are for the local newspaper. If you seek a story about an innovative marketing technique your company offers, and coverage in Inc. magazine would reach your audience, you should know that the magazine has a special column on marketing called "Hands On, Sales & Marketing." Plus, learn the name of the editor of the column.

Call a media outlet directly to pinpoint its editorial focus

Ask who would be the appropriate person to receive your press materials and can be contacted. Media people appreciate companies that take the time to identify names of reporters and the news beats they cover. And, always be sure to spell their names accurately.

Update lists periodically

There's a high turnover rate in the media. So, you will need to update your target list periodically. This is accomplished by always reviewing bylines, maintaining personal contact and, if directories are used, receiving updates from those companies.