So your company is doing something really amazing and wants to “issue a press release,” assuming it’ll be picked up in The New York Times, featured on the evening news in every major market, and added to the trending list on social media platforms. Right. OK, let’s get a few things straight before these visions of grandeur get the best of us.

Companies that put their public relations and marketing efforts on autopilot, or—worse yet—continue to do what they’ve always done, are heading for a disastrous result. Especially now, with an endless slate of “specialists” lining up to take their consulting fees with little to show for it, businesses need to focus on the important aspects of attracting and keeping customers.