I see websites that aren't that great being mentioned in the press. I'd be willing to bet these are paid for somehow, How can I get in on this? Hire a marketing company?
If you have sufficient budget, you can go in for press release. It is an offline way of advertising your site. Very few sites get natural mention in the press while the rest are paid...
Make them give you free advertising. You can do this by giving them what they want. Stick with it and you will see results.