It’s true. You should consider your pr firm a long-term partner. Public relations doesn’t happen overnight.

Sure, some exceptions do exist. You are Apple. You are the President of the U.S. You sell something related to Michael Jackson.

But think about it, even Apple and Obama have PR machines working for them on a continual basis.

For the rest of the business world, your public relations agency should lead you through monsoons (when you have something new or newsworthy of which media can’t get enough) and droughts (when it takes an extremely creative angle to make or tie into news). You need a publicity team working on your behalf to keep the coverage coming through all phases of your business.

Let me give you an example or two.

We do the public relations for the Del Mar Racetrack. One of the most popular tracks in the country, Del Mar receives massive coverage locally because it’s an institution. It’s our yearly Super Bowl party so to speak. Not every publication in San Diego–in this case, San Diego CityBeat– wants to jump on the bandwagon and cover Del Margaritas, Cougar Contests and Opening Day crowds. So what’s a PR agency to do?

• First, your team should read and understand the magazine. Do the research. In this case, our team understood that an insider’s perspective coming from a jockey’s agent just might be the hook.

• Second, your team needs to have a relationship or build a relationship with the editor to create an opening to pitch a story idea or two, get his feedback and see what really piques his interest. In this case, it required our team to host the editor to a day of racing followed by the Devo concert. Last year.

• Third, your team needs to follow up. Based on things out of our control, the story couldn’t run last year. Or even in this year’s summer beat issue. But with persistence and patience, a targeted story pitch with follow up correspondence will result in a two-page, three-photo PR placement. A year later.

We also handle the public relations for Electra Bicycles. Pretty, aren’t they? They ride even better. With product public relations, actual placement is dictated almost entirely by the magazine’s schedule. So while we are gearing up for Interbike and telling magazine editors now what’s new, we will most likely have to wait until Spring and Summer issues to see bicycle placements. Why? Because that’s when magazines cover bikes. So let’s reiterate–pitch products in September. See coverage in June.

So remember, in this time of immediate gratification, 140 character conversations, instant email letters, some art still takes time.