The economy is challenging so now is the time to keep your communications laser-focused on your audience.

Executives often ask me how to get stories in the media. What companies and executives need to remember is that the content has to be interesting to the audience, or it’s just not going to get picked up by the media, especially by my former employers at The Wall Street Journal or CNBC.

Just because an event or announcement is important to your  organization doesn’t make it important to anyone else. You have to have useful content and direct it to your real audience.

This is where new media and Web 2.0 tools can help companies stay in touch with their customers get immediate feedback.

You can easily monitor coverage in many publications through Google Alerts to see what’s getting media coverage and what isn’t. You’ll know how the media and bloggers write about your company and your competition.

You can engage in conversations with your customers and tailor announcements to offer the news that’s really interesting.

The press release is for your web site and the PR Newswire.  If you want your story to get picked up by old or new media, you actually have to pitch an interesting story angle that matches the media and the audience.

Tailor your message now more than ever.