For the last 25 years, PR pros have been taunted by the ultimate publicity dream: landing their client on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Whether she captured your target audience or not, the power of such a placement was undeniable.

If your client wrote a book, a spot in “Oprah’s Book Club” made them an instant bestseller. Any product that became one of “Oprah’s Favorite Things” was guaranteed to sell. And a worthy cause that caught Oprah’s eye had their needs met. She launched the careers of many, including Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, designer Nate Berkus and her personal trainer, Bob Green. For celebrities, she gave them a platform to share their story, in crisis and in celebration. I can honestly say the first time I heard about Barack Obama was when my college roommate saw him on The Oprah Show in September of 2006.

After today the Oprah standard of success will be no more. While Oprah will carryon her trailblazing career on the cable network OWN, one thing will change for all PR pros. We will no longer have to respond to those six little words: “Can you get me on Oprah?”

If you were lucky enough to be on Oprah – congratulations, you were apart of TV history. If you didn’t make it on the show before the May 25 finale – don’t fret, life will go on. We still have the OWN network.

As we say goodbye to an iconic program, let’s look back at some of Oprah’s top moments for insight into telling a compelling story.

1. Have a strong visual. No one can forget the image of Oprah rolling out 67 pounds of fat on a little red wagon. She showed off her weight loss in a dramatic fashion – with a much stronger impact than a before and after photo.
2. Be passionate. Yup, I’m gonna go there – Tom Cruise. He may have looked crazy up there on that couch. But we were all talking about it the next day… and six years later.
3. Forge partnerships. You Get a Car! And You Get a Car! The Washington Post said it was the “product placement to end all product placements.” No matter what you call it – a good deed, an infomercial or a publicity stunt – it worked. Oh and Oprah didn’t pay for those cars – GM did.
4. Get personal. Some of Oprah’s best shows didn’t feature celebrities or new products; they were about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. Remember to find an angle that people can relate to.