Look, I know there is a social media craze going on with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn leading the charge but don't forget the basics.  Remember, its all about building relationships when it comes to successful public relations.

Here is my list of "must-haves" for successful PR.

Confidence.  If you don't have confidence in your business it will show to your customers and your employees.  You need to be passionate about what your business is all about.  Doing so will help make it easier to translate that product or service into coherent messages for the media, stakeholders and customers.

Valuable network.  Let's face it.  You all have friends and business acquaintances.  But what are you  doing to ensure that your network is of value?  If you aren't doing so already, be sure that you stay in contact, be interested in their world and continue to build your network with customers and media. Check out your competition.

Write Well.  According to Robert Wynne, Forbes Contributor, "All the tools in the world won't help if nobody reads your tweets, posts, pitches or press releases." Josh Ochs, a social media guru in Los Angeles, says, "Great messaging is the key to everything on Facebook and Twitter. The more time you spend perfecting your messaging in social media, the more you will make friends and make money."  He suggests creating all messaging in a tone that is "light, bright and polite."

Learn the Tools.  Again, from Wynne, "Eric Schwartzman, author and social networking expert, follows the latest research and learns quickly.  A Gartner Research study found 80% of smart phone users are using purchasing decisions within a 10-20 mile radius of their location."  Schwartzman suggests capitalizing on this by telling entpreneurs "You need to register your biz with Google Places, Bing Local, andYahoo Local and you should also register with paid services like UniversalBusiness Listings and LocalEze."    And don't forget Yelp!  Stay local, stay relevant and keep digitally connected with your market.

The Media Is a Friend. Read more.

 I can't tell you how many potential clients have no marketing budgets or strongly believe that spending $$$ on marketing is expensive; a cost rather than an investment for their business.

• Facebook Page = what is cheaper than free?
• Website = cheaper than a copy of your favorite magazines.
• Business Marketing plan = cheaper than a lightweight road bike.
• News release about your business = cheaper than a pair of running shoes.
• YouTube business video = cheaper than a canister vacuum.
• Banner = cheaper than 2 pairs of your favorite wedge or slip-on Croc shoes.
• Business Logo = cheaper than two hours with your plumber.
• TV ad = cheaper than a set of four tires and will go farther.
• Musical jingle = cheaper than a bachelor party weekend.
• Radio personality at your event = cheaper than upgrading to a new smart phone.
• 200,000 new encounters in 20  minutes = cheaper than a oil change.
• Marketing consultant = cheaper than a divorce lawyer!