In this media-centric world, small businesses that spread word of their successes can gain beneficial online PR from coverage by national news providers without needing to spend thousands on marketing.
That is the central message of an interesting article on nytimes.com, which highlighted the work done by Help a Reporter Out - a website that itself aims to publicize small businesses to a wide-yet-targeted cadre of writers.
In a blog for the internationally-renowned news site, Jennifer Walzer explained that her own business has received coverage from the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, the New York Daily News and the New York Enterprise Report.
This was achieved through countless hours networking with media contacts, spreading news of her company's success and its reputation as an expert in its particular field - something which Help a Reporter Out can aid small businesses in achieving, she explained.
Originally conceived as a networking tool for social media website Facebook, the service provides an easy way for companies to share their success stories and expertise with reporters who might be interested.
Reporters make queries for information they can use to write articles, which are then emailed to somewhere in the region of 100,000 companies, or "sources" as they are known.
Upon reading a query from a journalist that they think they could answer, all a source needs to do is reply and they could end up with positive online PR in a piece being published on websites or in print.
The link-building potential provided by the PR tool is virtually limitless.
"This is a great service that connects reporters with potential sources using daily email blasts," Ms Walzer wrote on nytimes.com.
"Not only do we use the site to look for PR opportunities for ourselves, we also keep an eye out for anything that might be appropriate for our clients. This is a simple way to help them out and let them know we're always thinking of them."
In highlighting the innovative service that is offered by Help a Reporter Out, Ms Walzer has given the site itself extra positive exposure.
But as Help a Report Out founder Peter Shankman explains, the "good karma" that he receives from spending a few minutes each day sending out requests is so "immeasurable", that he doesn't even need to charge companies to become sources.
In fact, Mr Shankman insists that if firms do want to give him donations for any link-building success they enjoy as a result of his service, they should instead send the money to an animal hospital or an animal rescue society - to "keep the good karma flowing".
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