The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #456 June 23, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.PublicityArticles.net (Ezine Archives)

Circulation: 39,405

==========================================

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/

==========================================

===============================
In This Issue
===============================

1. Would You Embarrass the Host?

2. Gift Guides Stress Value

3. Write a Book in a Weekend

4. Brag About Publicity on Facebook

5. Promoting a Book on Marketing

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

=====================================
1. Would You Embarrass the Host?
=====================================

What would you do if this happened to you?

You and your business partner take turns appearing as guest
experts on a weekly TV talk show in your community. The
interviewer, one of the best in the business, has been
interviewing you and your partner for several months, so he knows
you fairly well.

During one segment, which is broadcast live, he accidentally
calls you by your partner’s first name. Would you correct him on
camera and risk embarrassing him in front of thousands of
viewers?

Be honest. Would you? Should you?

A reader called to tell me that’s exactly what happened to her
recently when she was being interviewed. She gently corrected the
host without making a big deal out of it.

After the show, he was furious–not at her, but at the producer
who put the wrong name on the teleprompter.

The woman asked me if she did the right thing, even though she
embarrassed him. I said I thought that what she did was fine.
But I wanted a second opinion and forwarded the question to
Connie Dieken, a Cleveland TV personality and media coach.

Connie said:

“Your reader was right to offer a gentle correction. Here’s why.
A guest’s primary responsibility is to the television audience,
not the host. The host is the conduit to the audience.

“I know how embarrassing it can be for a TV host to use the wrong
name. But it’s a shame that the host lashed out at the producer
for writing the wrong name on his script. Producers have a lot
on their plates–they’re under pressure writing and organizing
loads of reports as well as making sure their shows start and
stop on time.

“Bottom line, the host was livid because he was embarrassed and
had to take the blame publicly. It’s the reverse of the famous
Broadcast News movie scene where the producer (Holly Hunter)
spoon-fed the anchor (William Hurt) with intelligent remarks and
made him look good. It goes both ways.

“Your reader made the right call with a calm correction of
her name. Kudos for having the grace to do it politely.”

Connie gives more great advice on how to act–and react–when
you’re the guest on a TV talk show. When I interviewed her on
“How to be a TV Talk Show Host’s Dream Date,” she offered sage
advice to guest experts who must handle difficult questions from
TV interviewers, look cool under the hot studio lights, and give
such a sterling performance that when the interview ends, the
producer invites them back.

Read more about what we discussed at http://budurl.com/lbvr

=====================================
2. Gift Guides Stress Value
=====================================

If you sell a consumer product or service that would make an
ideal gift, you should be trying to generate publicity in holiday
gift guides, even though the economy stinks.

Gift guides are special sections in newspapers and magazines,
and special features on TV and radio, devoted specifically to
holiday gift giving.

Between now and December, journalists and broadcasters will be
looking for press kits about products and services tied to three
angles:

–If the gift you sell costs under $50, or even under $25, you
have a golden opportunity to play up that pricing because of the
bad economy. Even if the media aren’t looking for strict price
guidelines, a pitch that highlights the value of your product
will catch their eye. Most luxury-oriented media outlets are
mentioning value for price. AARP, Real Simple, and Good
Housekeeping are just a few magazines that are looking for low
price gifts this season.

–If your brand is involved with a charitable group, say so when
you pitch. Economic downturns hit charitable organizations hard,
and the media want to know about companies that are still giving
back to society. Self, Family Circle and Seventeen magazines are
all looking for gifts that have a charitable component. Readers
feel good about supporting these products and appreciate hearing
about them.

–During a period of high unemployment, you have ample
opportunity to pitch regional publications if you keep your
manufacturing on-shore.

The trick is finding these media outlets. You can make hundreds
of phone calls and spend weeks researching on the Internet. Or
you can subscribe to The Gift List, which features contact
information, pitching tips and background on hundreds of media
outlets.

Each journalist profile is packed with details on which consumer
products they cover, what interests them the most, how they like
to hear about new products, specifications for sending photos,
whether they welcome press kits for your books, and more.

The Gift List will knock 15 percent off the subscription price if
you subscribe by June 30 using this link:
http://www.giftlistmedia.com/?link=ph

Many national magazines work six months ahead of the publication
date and they’re reviewing pitches right now. So get going, or
lose out.

=====================================
3. Write a Book in a Weekend
=====================================

If you’re thinking of writing a book to promote your expertise,
do you dread having to devote your entire vacation, and precious
time away from your family, to write the first draft?

If so, you’re one of the lucky ones. Some authors quit their
full-time jobs and take sabbaticals so they can spend years
writing and rewriting.

Ann McIndoo, the former creative assistant to motivational
speaker Tony Robbins, has developed a system for writing the
first draft of a non-fiction book in just one weekend–a fraction
of the time it takes most authors.

She has helped 238 authors write their books in just three days,
thanks to time-saving shortcuts.

Her system works best for authors who are writing non-fiction
books on topics they know well, particularly how-to, leadership,
business, self-help and autobiographies.

Ann will explain her system during a free telephone seminar with
Steve Harrison at 2 and 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, June 25.

Register at http://www.WriteYourBookInAWeekend.com/call/?10011

If the times are inconvenient, recruit someone to listen and take
notes for you.

========================================
4. Brag About Publicity on Facebook
========================================

When you score publicity in traditional media outlets or
online, be sure to let your Facebook Friends and Fans know.

–Post a Note to your Fan Page and link to the online video or
radio interview. But go one step further. Ask your Fans to
critique your performance.

–If you’re included in an article that appeared online, link to
it.

–Excerpt tips you’ve offered to newspapers and magazines and
tell your Friends and Fans where they can find the article
online.

–Has a blogger written about you? Link to the post, and
encourage your Facebook Friends and Fans to comment at the blog.

–Share with your Friends and Fans what it was like to be
interviewed by the media. How did you prepare for difficult
questions? Did you take advantage of media training before
appearing on a TV show? What little extras did you include in
your pitch that tipped the scales in your favor?

–Don’t forget about Internet radio shows. Let your Friends and
Fans know how to find the archives.

Do you know the difference between Facebook Friends and Fans? Do
you know where on Facebook you can and can’t promote? Do you know
about other social media sites that let you sync your Facebook
account with theirs so you can save valuable time and recycle
content?

If not, “11 Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on Facebook”
explains how. The audio and electronic transcript of the
teleseminar I hosted several weeks ago is now available. They
discuss common errors that newbies and others make when they
don’t understand all the ways to build a huge following on
Facebook.

Read more about how to use Facebook at http://budurl.com/jfgw

=====================================
5. Promoting a Book on Marketing
=====================================

This week, five Publicity Hounds have tips for Judith Sherven and
Jim Sniechowski, of Las Vegas, Nev., on how to market their new
book “The Heart of Marketing: Love Your Customers and They
Will Love You Back.”

From Marcia Yudkin:

“The website for your book does not contain a way to contact you.
Therefore, it is impossible for someone who sees the publicity
you are generating to contact you with just a click. During your
publicity efforts, you should always make it possible for one
publicity effort to build from another, which requires providing
contact information to allow that to happen.”

From Shel Horowitz:

“This is a perfect book for partnership marketing (something I
know Judith and Jim are already skilled at). Find newsletter
editors already reaching the audience of soft-sell marketers,
ethical marketers, green marketers, etc. Run an excerpt or an
interview or make a special offer to their readers”

From Donna Cook:

Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, go for it (if you haven’t
already).

The Publicity Hound says:

Does your Facebook profile include a Fan Page for the book? Have
you joined marketing Groups on Facebook? Are you “dripping” out
your tips on Twitter? Are you creating short videos on soft-sell
marketing and uploading them to the video-sharing sites? Are you
writing book review for other books on marketing? If not, you’re
missing opportunities galore to market your book on your
competitors’ Amazon pages. Randy Gilbert and Don Mitchell show
you how. Read more about it at http://budurl.com/xcf6

Read all the responses to last week’s Help This Hound question at
http://budurl.com/zr4t

Send your own Help this Hound question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and
include your city and state.

===============================
6. Help This Hound
===============================

Jeanette Simpson of Lakewood Ranch, Fla., writes:

“I have just published my first book, From Interior Design Intern
to Employee: How to be a ‘Keeper’ (Including Tips from Those Who
Hire).

“It’s written specifically to help interior design interns
transition from college to career.

“Aside from social networking, contacting university design
departments and all vendors, reps, designers and architects I
know, how can I reach my target audience–college students?

The Publicity Hound says:

Targeting a niche is often much easier than targeting a more
general group. I’m sure Jeanette would also love to hear ideas
from my Hounds on what she can do at the social networking sites
to catch the attention of college students studying interior
design.

Hounds with marketing ideas for her book can post them to my blog
at http://budurl.com/cahj

================================
7. Hound Joke of the Week
================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Sophie Wajsman of Melbourne, Australia
for this one:

If a fire hydrant has H2O inside, what does it have outside?
Answer: K9P

=================================
8. And at My Blog…
=================================

Squidoo to limit number of outbound links to the same domain
http://budurl.com/jedx

20 social media tips point to four common mistakes
http://budurl.com/twq5

DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.

http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/

————————————

Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound

Friend me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/joanstewart

Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound

Permission to Reprint:

You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy. Read my privacy policy at
http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
USA
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #455 June 16, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.PublicityArticles.net (Ezine Archives)

Circulation: 39,579

==========================================

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/

=====================================
===============================
In This Issue
===============================

1. Letterman’s Lesson

2. Facebook Vanity URLs June 28

3. Give Away Food for Publicity

4. Let Corporate Sponsors Promote You

5. Promoting a Kosher Cooking Show

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

=====================================
1. Letterman’s Lesson
=====================================

When you’ve done something dumb, and you need to apologize, do it
quickly.

Do it thoroughly. Be humble. Accept blame. Explain how it will
never happen again. Most importantly, look like you mean it.

David Letterman’s first mistake was the bad joke about
Sarah Palin’s 14-year-old daughter being “knocked up by Alex
Rodriguez.” The second was turning his apology into an eight-
minute segment last week, two days after he used the joke in his
monologue.

He looked so uncomfortable that it made me squirm. The apology
was punctuated with even more jokes and lots of laughs from the
audience.

It didn’t work. Instead, it allowed the controversy to swirl out
of control. By yesterday:

–The story had been front and center, every day, for a week.

–Women’s advocacy groups, including the National Organization of
Women, blasted Letterman at their website and on news shows.

–Palin supporters, calling themselves FireDavidLetterman.com,
planned a protest for today, outside the show’s studio at the Ed
Sullivan Theater in New York’s Times Square.

Letterman apologized again last night and Palin accepted his
apology. But he did more damage to himself than necessary by
trying to slither out of trouble the first time with a half-
hearted mea culpa.

Another example of how not to say “I’m sorry” surfaced yesterday,
when GOP activist Rusty DePass likened Michelle Obama to an
escaped gorilla. DePass removed his Facebook page Sunday after he
was caught commenting on a report that a gorilla had escaped a
zoo in Columbia, S.C.

“I’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors–probably
harmless,” he commented.

When a blogger noticed the comment and reported on it, DePass
told WIS-TV in Columbia, “I am as sorry as I can be if I offended
anyone. The comment was clearly in jest.”

Then in a dumb-and-dumber moment, he added, “The comment was
hers, not mine,” claiming Michelle Obama made a recent remark
about humans descending from apes.

Crisis counselor Jonathan Bernstein says a fast, thorough apology
is one of the best ways to atone for your PR sins. During my
interview with him “How to Keep the Media Wolves at Bay,” he arms
Publicity Hounds with all the tools necessary to keep the media
off your back and keep a story from blowing up in your face. Read
more about what we discussed at http://budurl.com/xjxa

=====================================
2. Facebook Vanity URLs on June 28
=====================================

If you claimed the vanity URL you wanted for your Facebook
Profile, congratulations.

On Friday night, more than 1 million user names were snapped up
within the first hour. But you’re not done yet.

Facebook users who created Fan Pages by May 31 this year and who
had accumulated at least 1,000 fans by that date were also able
to claim vanity URLs for their Fan Pages, on Friday.

Everyone else has to wait until June 28. If that includes you,
mark your calendars.

Facebook Fan Pages–sometimes referred to as Product Pages,
Company Pages or Business Pages–are the only way to promote your
business on that site. Creating and promoting Fan Pages can put
you miles ahead of your competitors who don’t know about these
powerful tools.

Because Facebook doesn’t limit the number of Fans you can
attract, but limits you to 5,000 Friends, you’d be crazy not to
create Fan Pages for various topics in which you specialize, or
various niches you are targeting.

Google indexes these pages, by the way, so they can show up in
the organic search results on the left side of the screen when
somebody searches Google for your keywords. That’s why you must
make sure relevant keywords are within the titles of your Fan
Pages.

During the teleseminar I hosted June 4 on “11 Ways to Avoid
Missed Opportunities on Facebook,” the 28 pages of illustrated
handouts included four examples of Fan Pages, two options for
creating Pages, things you need to know about Pages, three ways
to find an unlimited number of Fans, and the best ways to promote
other people’s Fan pages so they promote yours. We recorded the
teleseminar and it’s available as a CD, MP3 or electronic
transcript.

It got rave reviews from participants. Read more about what they
said and what you’ll learn at http://budurl.com/jfgw

=====================================
3. Give Away Food for Publicity
=====================================

It’s time for summer festivals, concerts, rib burn-offs, county
and state fairs, farmer’s markets, church carnivals, and many
other events tied to food.

If you’re promoting one of them, make food a valuable publicity
tool:

–Deliver your signature dish to local deejays in town a day or
two before the event. The Wisconsin State Fair delivers “six
packs” of giant cream puffs to radio stations throughout
Wisconsin the day before the fair opens. The result? Thousands of
dollars in valuable publicity without having to pay a penny.

–Try to get one of your chefs or cooks onto a morning TV news
show to demonstrate how to make a dish that will be featured at
the event. The hosts love to help cook on the set. And the hungry
production crews devour the food when they’re done shooting.

–Contact the food editor of your local newspaper and offer
several recipes for food items that will be featured at your
event.

–Offer recipes to your weekly shopper, the tabloid newspapers
that are given away in almost every community.

–Issue a challenge and make food the prize. A hamburger chain in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin gives customers six burgers for just $5 when
the Brewers score five runs or more in any game, win or lose,
home or away.

Those are only five ideas. You’ll get lots more, plus tips on how
to navigate the media’s ethics policies, serve food at news
conferences and on company tours, avoid problems when offering
gifts of food to the media, and more. See “Special Report #43:
The Do’s and Don’ts of Offering Food to the Media.” Only $10.
Order at http://budurl.com/xyvl

========================================
4. Let Corporate Sponsors Promote You
========================================

You’d think that in this bad economy, landing a corporate
sponsorship is tougher than ever.

Not necessarily. Companies and nonprofits are often putting
pricey ad campaigns on the chopping block before anything else.

Sponsoring the promotion of a book, author, speaker, product or
service sometimes amounts to peanuts compared with other
marketing expenses. Because many people ASSUME sponsorships are
harder to come by, they might not bother going after them.

That’s exactly the reason you should.

Brendon Burchard, an author and speaker, has figured out some
really ingenious ways to land corporate and nonprofit promotional
sponsorships and use them to fund his marketing efforts.

–Sony, for example, featured his company on a website with more
than 5 million visitors for f*ree. That allowed him to quickly
build a mailing list of more than 30,000 people.

–Brendon knows the magic phrase you must use to quickly convince
nonprofits to publicize your book or product to their thousands
or millions of members.

–His corporate sponsorships have been responsible for the
publicity he has gotten on ABC World News, Oprah & Friends,
National Public Radio and 63 major radio stations.  (The company
pays its PR firm or uses internal PR staff to get him media
exposure.)

–Corporate sponsors have made it possible for him to receive
$500,000 in advances for his second book.

–He has figured out how to get major companies like Wachovia,
Coke and Toyota to promote and sponsor his books, publicity and
speaking tours.

In other words, he’s using somebody else’s influence, somebody
else’s contacts and somebody else’s money.

But Brendon says the process most people use to do what he does
is hit and miss, at best. They don’t know the right people to
approach within a company or nonprofit. They don’t know the five
elements they must include in their written proposal. And they
don’t know about the website they can use to find potential
sponsors and promotional partners.

Curious about how he does it?

Listen to him explain during a free 90-minute teleseminar on
Thursday, June 18, with my friend, Steve Harrison. You can choose
from two times: 2 p.m. Eastern or 7 p.m. Eastern.

Sign up here and Steve will send you the details for the call:
http://budurl.com/3t8e If you can’t attend, recruit somebody to
listen for you and take notes.

=====================================
5. Promoting a Kosher Cooking Show
=====================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Avrom Honig who
wants ideas for how to promote an Internet TV show called Feed Me
Bubbe (Yiddish for grandmother). She demonstrates how to cook a
variety of kosher food.

From Jennifer Manocchio:

“Send the excellent media coverage you have received so far to
the big food magazine editors and invite them to come cook with
Bubbe. Just be careful not to send media coverage to competitive
outlets.”

From Gail Sideman:

“Use a High Holiday or Chanukah angle. Bubbes are stereotypically
recognized for their holiday cooking prowess, and these
publications/show often run features or sidebars about Jewish
holiday food. You might emphasize honey-flavored/infused foods
for the New Year, varieties of latkes for Chanukah and so on.”

From The Publicity Hound:

Just for the heck of it, I think you should try contacting the
Food Network (go to their website) and let them know what you’re
doing.

They’re a little too slick and polished for you and Bubbe, but
the fact that you both have a huge following could really work in
your favor.

I’d also pitch the dozens and possibly hundreds of bloggers who
write about food, anything Jewish, and the elderly. See “How to
Pitch the Best Bloggers and Create a Publicity Explosion” at
http://budurl.com/avyr

Read all the responses to this week’s Help This Hound question
http://budurl.com/4guy

Send your own Help this Hound question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and
include your city and state.

===============================
6. Help This Hound
===============================

Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski of Las Vegas, Nev., write:

“We’re already best-selling authors of five relationship books,
and we have turned our attention and expertise to soft-sell
marketing. Our new book, The Heart of Marketing: Love Your
Customers and They Will Love You Back, Morgan James Publishing,
May 2009), already a best-seller at Amazon, promotes selling as
spiritual service and marketing from the heart.

“This book is the voice for consciousness and conscience, caring
and community in commerce–and has been released at this time
when the aftershocks of hard-sell greed are being felt all around
the world.

“Please don’t bother suggesting ‘get on Oprah.’ That is already a
definite goal. Please DO suggest the best ideas you can think of
to get the book standing on long legs so that word of mouth takes
over and drives the book onto the New York Times Best Seller
list.

The Publicity Hound says:

You have so many options for promotion, including traditional
media and social media. Let’s see how many ideas my Hounds can
suggest. Book publicists and authors, let’s see your best stuff.
Post your ideas to my blog at http://budurl.com/zr4t

If you, too, want to get onto Oprah, see if you’re Oprah-ready.
Take the quiz at http://ow.ly/epje

================================
7. Hound Joke of the Week
================================

The other day I saw two dogs walk over to a parking meter.  One
of them says to the other, “How do you like that?  Pay toilets!”

=================================
8. And at My Blog…
=================================

Cheap PR tactics for independent restaurants
http://budurl.com/uaz9

PR interns shouldn’t pitch the media on your behalf
http://ow.ly/epkJ

DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.

http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/

————————————

Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound

Friend me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/joanstewart

Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound

Permission to Reprint:

You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter.  But please include
the following paragraph:

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy.  Read my privacy policy at
http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
USA
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #454 June 9, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.PublicityArticles.net (Ezine Archives)

Circulation: 39.728

==========================================

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/

==========================================

===============================
In This Issue
===============================

1. Feed Me Bubbe

2. Mass Confusion on Facebook

3. Claim Your Facebook URLs Saturday

4. Media Lead for Small Biz Owners

5. Promoting a Holistic Business

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

=====================================
1. Feed Me Bubbe
=====================================

Publicity Hound Avrom Honig already has received a mountain of
coverage for his popular web TV cooking show, Feed Me Bubbe.

He’s the director and creator. But the star is his
eighty-something grandmother, Bayla “Bubbe” Sher. (Bubbe is
Yiddish for grandma.)

In one episode, she’s whipping up a bowl of refreshing borscht.
In other, she explains the intricacies of making potato latkes.
In another, she demonstrates the finer points of chicken
schnitzel.

Each episode features a Yiddish word of the day. Avrom and Bubbe
even appear in their own homemade TV commercials.

The show at http://www.feedmebubbe.com/ has become such a hit
that it’s attracted the attention of ABC World News, the Wall
Street Journal, PBS’s “Frontline,” and Retirement Living’s “The
Art of Living.” TrendHunter.com named Feed Me Bubbe one of the
top trends of 2009.

But Avrom, 25, is never satisfied with the publicity.

So he used a tip he read here about asking everyone who
interviews him, “Who else do you know who might be interested in
this story?”

“I landed major publicity over at TubeFilter.tv when I asked a
blogger that question,” Avrom said. “It started when I received
an email from a fellow podcaster mentioning all of the places
where they had received glowing reviews about their production.

“I figured, well, if they received such good press, I would go
down the list and contact everyone that had left these great
reviews. One of the reviewers, a freelancer named Jacob, wrote
back and was thrilled to do an interview.

“At the end of the interview, I boldly asked, ‘Who else should
know about Bubbe?’ He mentioned that one of the places he
freelances for is TubeFilter.tv. The very next day, we found
ourselves on the front Page of TubeFilter.”

You can see the episode at http://budurl.com/v4vt

Pitching bloggers, like Avrom does, has huge payoffs. But make
sure you offer them ONLY what they need. “How to Pitch the Best
Bloggers and Create a Publicity Explosion” explains how. Read
more about it http://budurl.com/avyr

Avrom wants more ideas for ways to promote his show. So I’m
featuring his question this week in the Help This Hound section
in Item #6 below.

=====================================
2. Mass Confusion on Facebook
=====================================

During last week’s teleseminar on “11 Ways to Avoid Missed
Opportunities on Facebook,” it was painfully obvious from the
questions participants asked that many business people don’t
understand two important rules about Facebook:

–First, you cannot create a Facebook account under your company
name. This violates Facebook’s terms of service. I was astounded
at the number of people who emailed us to say they have multiple
accounts on Facebook–one for their personal use and one for
their business. If you’re among them, and Facebook finds out,
they can close down your accounts pronto, and all that valuable
content you’ve been posting will be gone forever.

If you’re concerned because you don’t want your business contacts
to see personal information that’s reserved for your family
members, and vice-versa, you can use the Settings to control who
sees what.

–Second, the only place on Facebook to promote a business is on
Fan Pages. Facebook is partly to blame for the confusion. They’ve
hidden the powerful “Create a New Facebook Page” three layers
into the site. It could take you months to find it, unless you
already know that it’s at
http://www.Facebook.com/pages/create.php

Christine Buffaloe, my guest expert who also creates and manages
social media accounts for her clients, said many Facebook users
complain that they can’t get traction on the site. They don’t see
any sales after they’ve been on Facebook for a few months, and
they conclude it’s a waste of time.

“Facebook is a process, so don’t have the expectation that you’re
going to be on Facebook and in one week you’re going to have all
these people wanting to hire you or use your services for
whatever reason,” she said. “It’s a process, and it takes time.”

The 28 pages of illustrated handouts we provided offer lots of
shortcuts and multiple ways to do things. We illustrate how to
find Friends, invite Friends to become Fans of your Fan Pages,
flag your Facebook Friends about information you don’t want them
to miss, and ask your Friends to help you spread the word about
something you’re doing.

We explain the correct way to use the Events application, how to
dovetail your Facebook account with other social networking sites
and how to recycle tips you’ve used elsewhere for Facebook, so
you don’t always have to create original content.

We even offered several ways to find solutions to pressing
problems dealing with Facebook. Its Help Center isn’t always
helpful.

If you missed the call, you can order the CD, transcript or MP3
download. CDs and transcripts will be ready by the end of the
week. All come with the 28 pages of illustrated handouts that you
can download immediately. Read more about what you’ll learn at
http://budurl.com/nqzn

=====================================
3. Claim Your Facebook URLs Saturday
=====================================

Facebook just announced that users can claim their vanity Profile
and Fan Page URLs starting at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, June 13.

I wrote about this last week and urged you to claim your URLs, or
kick yourself later when somebody else has claimed them.

Facebook is offering vanity URLs for both Profile and Fan Pages.

It’s first come, first-served. Learn more at their blog at
http://blog.Facebook.com/blog.php?post=90316352130

At the bottom of that post, you’ll also see a link where you can
contact Facebook if you want to ensure that you keep the rights
for a trademark or other protected name.

========================================
4. Media Lead for Small Biz Owners
========================================

Karen Klein, a columnist for BusinesWeek.com and the Los Angeles
Times, is looking for sources for a BusinessWeek column she’s
writing on what small business owners think of President Obama.

“I’m taking the temperature of small business owners on the new
direction Obama has set, and what key issues are important to
them right now,” she said. “I have some polls and metrics, but
it’s always good to get quotes from real entrepreneurs as well.

“For instance, business owners historically have tended to skew
Republican because they are the ‘party of business’ and tend to
be for lower taxes, less regulation, etc.–all things that are
near and dear to most business owners’ hearts. I’m wondering if
that’s still true, however, or whether small business owners are
more willing to give Obama a chance right now.

“The idea came about after the tax/tea party protests of a month
or two ago, when I wondered whether small business owners might
be strongly represented in those ranks, or whether they were
taking more of a wait-and-see attitude about Obama’s ideas and
policies. Are they worried? Hopeful? Angry? Shocked and appalled?
And why?”

Her deadline is Friday, June 12. Email responses to
mailto:Karen@KarenEKlein.com and put “Reaction to Obama” in the
subject line.

Karen also has written for Newsday, the Chicago Tribune, Newsweek
and Sunset. You can follow her at her blog at
http://kareneklein.blogspot.com and start building a relationship
with her. See “Special Report #49: 17 Ways to Build Valuable
Relationships with Media People” at http://budurl.com/xnsp

=====================================
5. Promoting a Holistic Business
=====================================

This week, eleven Publicity Hounds have tips for Nancy L.
Jerominski, of SeaTac, Wash., a holistic health coach, who’s
looking for ways to generate publicity for her business.

From Dina Eisenberg:

“Like you, my market is Baby Boomers. Do a Technorati.com search
for ‘menopause’ and ‘Baby Boomers,’ and then find 10 bloggers to
befriend by commenting on their blogs. You might even ask to
share your knowledge via a guest post or two.”

From Brent:

“Get involved in your local Toastmasters club. It helps in public
speaking and writing, and gives you a safe place to practice.
It’s great for networking and has gotten me to the next level.”

From Jennifer Manocchio:

“Start by pitching local television news shows. Morning shows and
weekend producers love these kinds of topics, especially if you
can tie it into something timely like how to get flatter abs this
summer without doing crunches. Once you get a few under your
belt, incorporate your exposure into your bio (’Nancy has shared
her expertise on XYZ.’) You can also use the TV coverage in your
pitch to national TV shows to show them what a great guest you
are!”

The Publicity Hound says:

One of my most popular training tools is “How to Get on the Local
TV News Tomorrow” in which TV producer Shawne Duperon explains in
step-by-step detail how to pitch your local TV stations. Read
more about it at http://budurl.com/y5ty

Read all the responses to this week’s Help This Hound question
http://budurl.com/w66e

I need more questions! Send yours to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and
include your city and state.

===============================
6. Help This Hound
===============================

Publicity Hound Avrom Honig writes:

“My three-year-old web TV show Feed Me Bubbe, which features my
Bubbe (Yiddish for grandmother) demonstrating how to cook a
variety of kosher foods, has received national media attention.

“Of course, we’d like to receive more. Can your Hounds recommend
the best ways to pitch a story about the show to the big food
magazines? We’ve already been on ABC News and PBS’s ‘Frontline,’
and in the Wall Street Journal. But we’re always interested in
any other media attention we can generate, including blogs.

“We’d love to hear ideas from your Hounds on other media outlets
or bloggers that might be interested in covering Feed Me Bubbe.”

The Publicity Hound says:

I’m a Food Network junkie, and even though their shows are a
little too slick and polished for you and Bubbe, I still think
you should pitch them because your show has a real down-home
charm: http://www.foodnetwork.com/contact-us/package/index.html

Hounds, what ideas can you offer for Avrom and Bubbe? Post them
to my blog at http://budurl.com/4guy

================================
7. Hound Joke of the Week
================================

Sign in the window of a pet shop:

“Buy one puppy. Get one flea.”

=================================
8. And at My Blog…
=================================

Social media tips for restaurants, bars and nightclubs
http://budurl.com/djxj

DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.

http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/

————————————

Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound

Friend me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joan_Stewart/541605146

Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound

Permission to Reprint:

You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter.  But please include
the following paragraph:

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound® respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy.  Read my privacy policy at
http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound®
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
USA
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #453 June 2, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.PublicityArticles.net (Ezine Archives)

Circulation: 39,854

==========================================

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/

==========================================
===============================
In This Issue
===============================

1. Grab Your Facebook Vanity URL

2. Publicize on Bank Marquees

3. Email Subject Lines

4. Link Your Plaxo, Facebook Accounts

5. How to Promote Tips Booklets

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

=====================================
1. Grab Your Facebook Vanity URL
=====================================

Starting this week, Facebook users will be able to claim their
own vanity URLs.

The Techcrunch blog broke the story and says it isn’t sure
whether Facebook will charge users for this, but the rush to
claim a name will begin within a few days.

I’m mentioning it here because if you’re on Facebook, keep your
eyes open for an announcement and grab your name pronto!

Even if you’re not using Facebook, it would be worth it to go
there now and create an account. You don’t want to be kicking
yourself six months from now if you decide that you need to be
active on this site and discover that somebody already has your
name.

Vanity URLs have only been available to celebrities, or to
Facebook users who spend a wad of dough on advertising or have a
special business relationship with Facebook.

They’re a long-awaited improvement that will make it so much
easier for people to remember their friends’ URLs. Instead of
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joan-Stewart/541605146, my URL
would look something like this:
http://www.facebook.com/Joan-Stewart (This is not a real URL so
don’t expect it to go anywhere.)

But only if I claim it in time. Delay this task by just a few
hours and the name could be gone forever. That would be Big
Mistake Number 1.

Christine Buffaloe, of Serenity Virtual Assistant Services, who
creates and manages Facebook accounts for her clients, has
identified 11 more Big Mistakes which she’ll discuss when she’s
my guest on a teleseminar at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday,
June 4.

“11 Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on Facebook” is expected
to be sold out. Everyone who signs up receives a copy of the MP3
recording.

Register at http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar.htm

=====================================
2. Publicize on Bank Marquees
=====================================

When my garden club sponsored its annual plant sale a few weeks
ago, we asked customers at the check-out counter how they heard
about the sale.

We were surprised that several people read about it on the
scrolling marquee outside a local bank.

Add these marquees to your publicity campaign because they
provide great exposure, particularly on busy streets. Banks see
this is a valuable community service.

In the rush to cover all the bases online, don’t forget about
these other tried-and-true offline publicity tools that can be
just as effective if you’re publicizing something local:

–Flyers on bulletin boards in the supermarket lobby or at the
check-out counter

–Church bulletins

–Local newsletters

–Local shoppers, those weekly publications that are mostly paid
ads

–Flyers at colleges and universities

–Bumper stickers

–Banners and signs

–Statement stuffers

–Door hangers

–Posters

–Calendar listings on local cable TV channels

–Flyers at colleges and universities

–Flyers in company cafeterias

You’ll find thousands more ideas in my ebook “How to be a Kick-
butt Publicity Hound,” a one-stop shop for everything you need to
know to create a publicity campaign for any product, service,
cause or issue. The 2009 update has six new chapters on social
media.

Read more about what you’ll learn at http://budurl.com/wvtn

========================================
3. Email Subject Lines
========================================

When you email a pitch or press release to the media, you have
one or two seconds to catch their attention with your subject
line.

Publicist Michelle Tennant, of Wasabi Publicity, sometimes flags
the media by using these phrases in her subject line, just before
the actual headline:

–Last-minute:

–Look:

–Media alert:

–Local:

It works. Michelle, one of the first graduates of The Publicity
Hound Mentor Program, has an outstanding track record of scoring
major media hits for her clients in top-tier media outlets.

Earlier this year, she got a client onto “Dr. Phil” the first day
they started working together. Learn how she did it, and listen
to the dozens of other publicity tips we shared when we were
guests recently on Voice of America’s “PRInsider” radio show with
Maureen Kedes.

The show is 60 minutes and covers a variety of topics, including
the importance of piggybacking onto celebrity news, pitching
traditional vs. new media, how to write headlines for your
pitches, and several of Michelle’s other client success stories.

Listen at http://budurl.com/l8jt

Read about my mentor program, in which I serve as your personal
writing coach, at
http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html

========================================
4. Link Your Plaxo, Facebook Accounts
========================================

Want an easy way to share your Facebook items with your friends
on Plaxo?

Plaxo now lets you post your items once and share them on both
sites. Of course, you control exactly what you share with whom.
Plus, Plaxo will honor your Facebook friendships on its site, if
you wish.

When you link your Plaxo and Facebook accounts, you can:

–Share your Facebook photos, links and videos with the
connections you choose on Plaxo.

–Sync your status updates between the two services.

–Automatically connect with your Facebook friends who use Plaxo.

–Share messages, links or reviews you post on Plaxo with your
friends on Facebook.

Connect your accounts at http://www.plaxo.com/settings/facebook

Sites like Plaxo can cut hours off the task of social networking.
BL Ochman, a social media expert and a prolific blogger,
discussed many more during the teleseminar, “How to do Social
Networking, Run a Business & Still Have a Life.” Learn more about
what we discussed at http://budurl.com/7gck

========================================
5. How to Promote Tips Booklets
========================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Hugo Tschudin of
River Vale, N.J. He wants to find licensees and publicity for
his tips booklet, “Wake Up to Abundant Energy.”

From Greg Pincus:

“I think Twitter would be a great place to build up a following
of folks who could spread the word about the booklet and website.
To do this, I think many of the tips would need to be tweeted.”

From Sonia Singh:

“How about going after the alternative medicine segment? You
could reach out to naturopaths, Reiki healers, massage
therapists, etc. and reach a whole new market–those who are
looking for alternative solutions to health issues, like
fatigue!”

From Christine Buffaloe:

“I know of someone that could help you tremendously. You can find
Paulette Ensign at http://tinyurl.com/qqtpo2 Learn from someone
who has been well paid for publishing more than 1 million of her
‘business cards’ (tips booklets). She shows her consulting
clients how to publish and market them, too.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Read all the responses to this week’s “Help This Hound” question
at http://budurl.com/femn

Send your own “Help This Hound” question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and
include your city and state.

===============================
6. Help This Hound
===============================

Nancy L. Jerominski, of SeaTac, Wash., writes:

“I’m a holistic lifestyle coach who has pitched a variety of
story ideas, including ‘maddening menopausal symptoms stopped
without meds’ and ’stop doing crunches for flatter abs.’

“I actually HAVE pitched Oprah several times with no results.
There are lots of miserable menopausal women, and I can help
every one of them, just by tweaking what they eat.

“I write a regular wellness column for the local neighborhood
papers and have traded my services for ad space, but have yet to
enjoy any kind of real influx of new blood into my client base.
I’m on Facebook and am trying to figure out Twitter.

“After a fair amount of media exposure, I seem stuck. Suggestions
from your Hounds?”

The Publicity Hound says:

You seem to be in a crowded field, Nancy. But even so, there
should be enough menopausal women, or anyone else who needs to
get fit, to keep you busy for months. Hounds with ideas on how
Nancy can pump up her fitness practice can post them to my blog
at http://budurl.com/w66e

As for Twitter, stop struggling! Twitter expert Warren Whitlock
explains “How to Use Twitter to Amass an Army of Followers,
Customers & Valuable Contacts–and Promote.” Read more about the
teleseminar I hosted with him at http://budurl.com/bupu

================================
7. Hound Quote of the Week
================================

An elderly lady sat on her front porch reflecting on her long
life, when a Fairy Godmother suddenly appeared and offered to
fulfill three wishes for her.

“First, I’d like to be rich.”

Poof! The Fairy Godmother turned her rocking chair into solid
gold.

“And I wouldn’t mind being a young and beautiful princess.”

Poof! The Fairy Godmother turned the old woman into an exquisite
young princess, with a priceless crown of jewels.

“Could you possibly turn my wonderful dog into a handsome
prince?”

Poof! There, in front, stood the most handsome young man anyone
had ever seen.

As he came toward her, her knees weakened. He bent down, brushing
his lips across her ear as he whispered, “I bet you’re sorry you
had me neutered.”

DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.

http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/

================================
8. And at My Blog…
================================

Your media pitch isn’t dead until you hear the word ‘no’
http://budurl.com/96pn

Publicity ops for DIY weddings, coaches and franchises
http://budurl.com/mrc4

————————————

Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound

Friend me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joan_Stewart/541605146

Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound

Permission to Reprint:

You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter.  But please include
the following paragraph:

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound® respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy. Read my privacy policy at
http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound®
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
USA
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737