Publicity tips/Don't Let Blog Content Confuse You Jan 6, 2009

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #432 Jan. 6, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 43,872

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity
Hound website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me
that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can
unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free
publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation,
position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products
and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

******************************************

Still Time to Download 'Best of 2008' Ebook

More than 3,000 Publicity Hounds have claimed their copy of "The
Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week of 2008," the free
ebook that's my holiday gift to you. Lots of Hounds have tweeted
about it on Twitter, shared it on Facebook, and encouraged their
followers to claim their copy. It isn't too late to regift it.

Please use this link when sharing the book with your own readers,
followers and connections: http://tinyurl.com/Bestof2008Tips And if
you'd like to download the "Best of" books from previous years, you
can do so at http://tinyurl.com/bestofebooks

Thanks to all of my loyal Publicity Hounds for your continued
support. You make my job the best in the world.

*****************************************

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

1. Don't Let Blog Content Confuse You

2. How About a Little Good News?

3. How Could I be So Dumb?

4. Beware of this Twitter Scam

5. Promoting a Christmas Tree Accessory

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


=====================================
1. Don't Let Blog Content Confuse You
=====================================

If you're an expert, you'd better be cranking out lots of content in
these formats:

Blogs. Ezines. Twitter posts. Facebook notes. Articles at article
directory sites. Articles at your own website.

Yet some Publicity Hounds are easily confused about what kinds of
topics to write in which types of formats, particularly when writing
for their blogs.

Over the weekend, Publicity Hound Michele Nightengale, who
teaches bricks-and-mortar businesses how to market online, told
me she's going to start blogging. But she's confused about the
difference between content for her blog and content for articles at
her website.

"I can't seem to differentiate them in my mind," she said. "The
ideas for my articles page and my blog are identical. I can only
think to post my articles on my blog. How do you treat them
separately and without too much duplicate content?"

She's right. There's a lot of overlap. Here's how I differentiate the
two:

Articles posted at article directory sites like
http://www.EzineArticles.com generally focus on helping people solve
a particular problem. The structure of these articles can follow various
formats. But in general, they offer solutions to a problem. And
they're about 500-700 words. Examples:

--TV Publicity: 6 ways to find your way onto the local evening news

--Inflight magazines: 8 topics editors love to write about

--Hiring a publicist? Know the 4 ways they charge for their services

--Public service announcements have these 6 elements

Almost everything else, I told her, is fodder for a blog. Think of
blogging as journaling, or keeping a business diary. It usually
includes much more opinion than how-to articles do. And the
writing can be a little more personal and informal. You can use a
blog to:

--State an opinion on a topic.

--Comment on somebody else's blog post or article and link to it.

--Comment on something happening in the news.

--Offer a quiz for a reader.

--Present a question from a reader and then offer the answer.

--Present a case study.

--Disagree with somebody else's position on a topic, and explain
why.

--Discuss something in your personal life that relates to something
in your professional life.

--Review a book, home study course or other product you've
bought.

--Comment on a service you have used.

The ideas for blog content are endless. If you're still short on ideas,
create several Google Alerts at http://www.Google.com/alerts for
topics you want to blog about.

Google will then email you as often as you wish and let you know
what articles, videos, news stories and other content about those
topics appear online.

I'll address the topic of avoiding duplicate content in an upcoming
issue of this newsletter. But in general, you don't want to use
identical content at your website, blog and article directory sites.

If you're new to blogging, or if your current blog isn't generating the
traffic or sales you had hoped, you'll learn some quick tips from
Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad, during a
f~ree teleseminar from 4 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26. It's called
"Boost Your Biz with a Blog" and Denise and Patsi will explain how
they differentiate blog content from all the other kinds of content
they produce. You'll also learn about the biggest mistakes bloggers
make and how beginning bloggers can sabotage their own
success.

Register at http://www.blogsquadteleseminars.com/joan/


===================================
2. How About a Little Good News?
===================================

All those bad news stories about the economy that the media love
will soon turn into old news. And when the economy worsens this
year, as predicted, that old news will be downright depressing.

It's time to start thinking about a few good news ideas to pitch.
TV producer Shawne Duperon offers these ideas:

--Credit unions in four Midwestern states are generating fabulous
publicity in top-tier media outlets like USA Today by pledging $10
billion in loans to car buyers and teaming with General Motors to
offer special deals to boost car sales. You can read the USA Today
story at http://tinyurl.com/9lyes7

--How are retailers using tough times as an asset to sell products?
Some car companies launched new campaigns that guarantee if
you buy a car and lose your job within the year, you can return the
car. How effective will strategies like this be?

--How are you making the most of the economic downturn in your
business? Are you investing more in marketing? If so, let the media
know.

--Are you in an industry or niche that, so far, has been unaffected?
Many Internet marketers, for example, particularly those who sell
training on how to build a business, are reporting increased sales,
and have the shopping cart statistics to prove it.


If you have little good news to report but you still want to pitch, let
Shawne and me help you. We brainstormed "116 WOW!
Story Ideas from January through June" when we teamed up for a
teleseminar for Publicity Hounds. We recorded it, and it's available
as a CD complete with a handout of all 116 ideas. You can
download the handout as soon as your order has been approved.

There's something for everybody, and you can borrow all of our
ideas, starting today, by going to http://tinyurl.com/6k7zk


========================================
3. How Could I be So Dumb?
========================================

If you've already made a list of the top five or six goals you want to
achieve this year in your business, make sure they're the types of
goals in which you can measure their success.

I have five goals for this year. Each one, if achieved, will help me
build my business by at least 15 percent. If I succeed at them all,
I'll double my business.

All five are recommended by Paul Lemberg, a business coach who
created the Formula 5 system, a package of videos, checklists,
worksheets and mastermind coaching groups that provide ongoing
support. I've been devouring all of it the last several weeks, and I
already have the wheels in motion to survey Publicity Hounds in the
next few weeks about what they want and need--a technique that
will shorten my learning curve even more.

Several times during the course, when Paul explained a great
strategy, I slapped my palm against my forehead and asked out
loud, "Why am I not doing this? How could I be so dumb????"

One of the most valuable tips I learned is that the onslaught of
emails I'm receiving from business people offering cut-rate prices on
their products and services is, for them, the quickest way to the
poor house. In fact, raising prices, even in a meltdown economy, is
one of the fastest ways to success.

Interested? If not, move onto the next item. If so, here are two ways
to learn more about each of the five Formula 5 elements:

--Watch the first of three Stompernet videos that explains more
about Formula 5 and offers startling results of what can happen
when you raise the price of an ebook by a paltry $7, from $47 to
$54: http://tinyurl.com/PaulLembergFormula5

--Get direct access to Paul during a f~ree teleseminar I'm hosting
with him from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, January 8.
He'll explain the five elements of Formula 5 in more detail, and you
can even email questions to us during the call.
Sign up at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/teleseminar/formulafive.htm

Don't miss this one. And for heaven's sake, don't fall into the trap of
lowering your prices without understanding the consequences.


===================================
4. Beware of this Twitter Scam
===================================

Are you receiving strange email messages from people referring
you to photos and other posts about you at Twitter.com?

I am. The messages are a scam.

Here's how it works. This particular scam sends out emails
resembling those you might receive from Twitter if you get email
notifications of your Direct Messages. The email says something
like, "Hey! Check out this funny blog about you..." and provides a
link. That link redirects to a site masquerading as the Twitter front
page. Look closely at the URL field. If it's different than Twitter's
URL at http://Twitter.com, leave the site immediately.

Do not enter your username or password. If you do, the scam
artists can use that information to send out direct messages on
your behalf which could trick your followers. Read this post at
Twitter's blog to find out what else you should do if this happens to
you:
http://blog.twitter.com/2009/01/gone-phishing.html


Not Twittering yet because the site is too confusing? Join the
crowd. Most of us who Twitter felt the same way when we started.

But don't give up on what has become one of the most powerful
communication and promotion tools for business. Learn in step-by-
step detail how to navigate the site, and how to adopt smart
strategies that will save you hours of time.

Twitter expert Warren Whitlock explained "How to Use Twitter to
Amass an Army of Followers, Customers & Valuable Contacts--and
Promote." It's available as electronic transcripts and your choice of
MP3s or CDs. Read more about the power of Twitter at
http://tinyurl.com/3lbcaw


==========================================
5. Promoting a Christmas Tree Accessory
==========================================

This week, five Publicity Hounds have tips for Shannon Hein of Fort
Collins, Colorado, who needs ideas on how to promote "Branchies,"
a product that helps you hang heavy objects on your Christmas
tree.


From Shirley George Frazier:

"My suggestion is to 'branch out' to other reasons for people to buy
Branchies: Easter ornaments, gardening tools, every day uses, etc.

"If you only focus on Christmas buying reasons, you won't sell all
year long, and that's a disservice to a great product and customers
who'll benefit every day."


From Dale W. Hutchings:

"I think your target market for these giant ornaments is not the
typical homeowner, but the commercial market. These massive
ornaments would look so much better on the giant trees that are
put up every year in city parks, government offices, large bank
lobbies, and shopping malls, among other venues. I would
recommend that you target the commercial market through a
holiday decorative contest."


From Barbara:

"For Christmas next year: send some to major consumer magazine
editors in June or so. If they like them, they may feature them in
the Christmas issues of their magazines. There are always articles
about gift giving and how to decorate for the holidays."


The Publicity Hound says:

Send a press release and generic photo showing garden tools used
as ornaments to gardening magazines. Send a press release and
photo showing heavy sports-related ornaments like football helmets
to sports magazines. Just change the ornaments in each photo to
match the needs of various niche audiences. Your goal is to make
every magazine editor say "Aha! this is PERFECT for our readers."

And don't forget to create videos that demonstrate how to trim a
tree with Branchies. Videographer John Easton shows you dozens
of ways to use quick videos to promote what you're selling. He
explained them all during the teleseminar on "9 Clever Ways to Use
Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or
Community." We recorded it and it's available as a CD, MP3, or
electronic transcript.


Read more about how to start using video at
http://tinyurl.com/5pbgzn


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


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

Publicity Hound Sheryl P. Kurland of Orlando, FL writes:

"With Valentine's Day just around the corner, which is a logical tie-
in to my product, I need some new, exciting, low-cost ideas prior to
the holiday to stimulate Valentine's Day book sales.

"I'm the author of the self-published Everlasting Matrimony:
Pearls Of Wisdom From Couples Married 50 Years Or More, an
elegant coffee-table book in which I interviewed 75 couples married
50+ years. The first run was published four years ago.
You can learn more about it at
http://www.everlastingmatrimony.com/. My background is
Marketing/PR, so I've done just about everything---all on my own
and on a shoestring budget.

"What can I do that I haven't already done to get big publicity a few
weeks before Valentine's Day, using Valentine's Day as the tie-in,
obviously, to significantly stimulate book sales? Shows like
"Today," "Good Morning America," etc., won't talk to me because
I'm self-published. Also, I am not interested in teleseminars,
teaching a course, or creating CDs to sell."


The Publicity Hound says:

I spoke with Sheryl and told her the long list her media successes
at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/832mpk is obviously missing social
networking.

She told me she's starting to Twitter. How about giving Sheryl some
quick tips on traditional media she might pursue, in addition to
some ideas on how to pull traffic from the social networking sites.
She doesn't yet have a Facebook profile but could create one fairly
quickly.

Also, we'd like to hear tips from self-published authors on how to
get onto the big morning TV talk shows. Eli Davidson, a member of
The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, is self-published, and she
appeared on the "Today" show, so I know it can be done.

Post your ideas to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/832mpk


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

"Dogs have no money. Isn't that amazing? They're broke their entire
lives. But they get through. You know why dogs have no money?
No pockets."

--Comedian Jerry Seinfeld


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...
===================================

Write an unsolicited testimonial for additional publicity
http://tinyurl.com/7qlp2v


--------------------------------------

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:


Thursday, Jan. 8--Teleseminar

"Formula Five: 5 Ways to Double Your Business in 2009" with my
guest expert Paul Lemberg. From 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, he will
explain five ways every business person can double their business.
This is perfect for anyone who is frightened by all the gloom-and-
doom talk about the bad economy. This is a free teleseminar.
Register at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/teleseminar/formulafive.htm


Wednesday, Jan. 21--Teleseminar

Join me for the third annual smARTist telesummit where
photographers, jewelers, potters, painters, metalworkers,
woodworkers and other artists will learn all the secrets for growing
their art business. I'm presenting a session on how to use social
networking, from 2 to 2:45 Eastern Time on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
Register for the telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/5axy3x


Monday, Jan. 26--Teleseminar

"Boost Your Biz with a Blog," from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern on Monday,
Jan. 26. Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad,
will explain how to draw more traffic and boost more sales from a
blog. You'll also learn about the biggest mistakes bloggers make
and how they sabotage their own success. Register at
http://www.blogsquadteleseminars.com/joan/


March 6-10--Atlanta

I'll be at the Stompernet convention in Atlanta from Thursday until
Sunday. Let me know if you're attending and we'll have lunch.


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 News Release."

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

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Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me
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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

Publicity tips/My Gift to You Dec 17, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #429 Dec. 17, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 44,601

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity
Hound website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me
that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can
unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free
publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation,
position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and
services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

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

1. My Gift to You

2. 'I Blogged About You'

3. Choose the Right TV Show

4. Google Alerts for Twitter

5. How to Keep Track of Media Contacts

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


================================
1. My Gift to You
================================

This is the time of year when smart Publicity Hounds are creating
"Best of 2008" lists to squeeze a few more publicity hits into 2008.

As for me, it's time for my annual "Best of the Publicity Hound's Tips
of the Week" ebook, my gift to you at Christmas, Hanukkah and
New Year's. The ebook includes the best 24 tips from this past
year, or tips that generated a lot of response from readers.

I encourage you to regift it to your own blog readers, newsletter
subscribers, clients, customers, Twitter followers, and MySpace and
Facebook friends.

This year's book includes tips on:

--A fast, inexpensive way to catch the attention of journalists in
your community.

--A clever way to get onto the morning TV talk shows by
suggesting something out-of-the-ordinary.

--A place where you can connect daily with journalists who are
looking for sources. And it won't cost you a penny.

--What to do when you're tempted to strangle a reporter for
wasting your time interviewing you, and then leaving your name out
of the story.

--A news story that appears several times a year in almost every
community and is PERFECT for piggybacking onto.

--9 ways to use video to pull more traffic to your website, sell more
products, generate publicity, and build the buzz about your
product, service, cause or issue.

--11 ways to use a paid or unpaid assistant to help with publicity-
related tasks.

--How to make your local Chamber of Commerce one of your
biggest promoters.

--A f~ree tool that tell you whether your press release gets a
passing grade or falls flat on its face.

--How to use a popular social networking site to snoop on your
competitors

--What writers can learn from a beloved dog's obit.

--How to claim the Number 1 spot on Google.

--A publicity mistake that most companies make, and it kills their
chances of ever getting covered

You can get the ebook here, save it to your hard drive and then
share it on the social networking sites:
http://tinyurl.com/Bestof2008Tips


If you'd like to excerpt content from the ebook and then link to the
book, let me know and I'll send you the item as a Word document
so you can cut and paste.

Thanks to all of you for being loyal readers and to many of you for
being active participants in this newsletter. Each week, I receive
dozens of emails from Hounds who share publicity success stories,
contrarian viewpoints, helpful publicity tips, time- saving tools and
shortcuts and, of course, Hound jokes, quotes and hysterical
videos.

Thanks, too, for correcting me when I goof. I'm grateful that you're
part of my community, and it's because of you that I have the best
job in the world.

P.S. Regifting this ebook is entirely appropriate. Share this link:
http://tinyurl.com/Bestof2008Tips


====================================
2. 'I Blogged About You'
====================================

If you're following journalists or bloggers who are in an ideal position
to give you publicity, here's a great way to get their attention.

Set up a Google alert at http://www.Google.com/alerts for their
names. Every time you see that they've written a blog post or an
article that fits in with the content at your blog, comment on it at
your own blog and link to it.

Then send an email with the subject line "I blogged about you"
and provide the link. Every time I see subject lines like that one, I
open the email immediately, then I jump to the blog to see what
somebody said about me. I can almost guarantee they'll open your
email. And they might even reply.

You can keep the conversation going by:

--Inviting the blogger to write a guest post at your blog. don't
bother asking journalists who are too busy. You can, however, ask
permission to reprint a post from their blog on your own blog.

--Posting comments on the blogger's or journalist's blog. This is a
powerful way to get onto their radar screens BEFORE you pitch
them. In fact, comment several times over a few weeks and
chances are good they'll remember you when they see your pitch.

--Search for them on Twitter, follow them, and reply to their
tweets. Check out the Journalists Who Twitter wiki at
http://tinyurl.com/3erv9s

--Friend them on Facebook.

--Connect with them on LinkedIn. When extending an invitation, be
sure to mention you read their blog regularly. Some people, me
included, won't accept invitations from strangers who are trolling for
connections.

Now, for the hard part. None of this is much good if your blog
stinks.

My heart breaks when Publicity Hounds tell me they've stopped
blogging because they don't have time or can't think of anything to
write about. Or they've been blogging for two months and quit
because traffic is sparse and nobody bothers to comment.

Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad, are
releasing their "Build a Better Blog" training system that helps you
create a blog from scratch, or shows you how to make over an
existing blog and pull traffic like a magnet. You can do most of the
work yourself using their step-by-step instructions, or let them build
the entire blog for you.

Read more about the three levels of training for "the best marketing
tool on the planet," offered by the two best blog teachers on the
planet, at http://tinyurl.com/ydew4w


===================================
3. Choose the Right TV Show
===================================

If you're angling to get onto TV, your pitch had better be a perfect
match with the content and tone of the show, its hosts and its
interviewers.

Take, for example, these five TV shows, all of which are very
different:

--ABC's "20/20"

--C-span's "Book TV"

--"The Ellen DeGeneres Show"

--"Hannity & Colmes" on Fox News

--"The Rachael Ray Show"

Ready for some tough questions? Then you might welcome a
chance to sit across from tough interviewers on "20/20."

Standing firm on the left or right of a political issue?
"Hannity & Colmes" (soon to be without Alan Colmes) might be
perfect for you.

Or do you prefer fun and games and an unpredictable host? If so,
you'll love Ellen, who features a mix of celebs, entertainers and
everyday people with extraordinary stories and talents.

If your product or service ties into food, there might be a spot for
you on the set of "Rachael Ray."

If you're an author, "Book TV" is one of the best media outlets
where you can feature your book and your expertise.

Even if you were only pitching two of those five shows, you must
customize your pitch, and then make sure it's delivered to the
correct person. Sometimes it's a guest booker, and sometimes it's
an assistant producer. Unless you have specific pitching
instructions and contact information, you can never know for sure.

Steve Harrison will give you exact pitching instructions for each of
those five shows, if you go to
http://www.freepublicity.com/freetvlistings/?10011

The listings are from "Harrison's Guide to the Top National TV Talk &
Interview Programs" database which gives you
1,122 key contacts at the top 323 national TV and cable shows
that interview guests.

If you like the samples and want the entire database, grab it before
6 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, Dec. 19, and get up to $200 off,
depending on which option you choose. You'll also get the next
edition when it comes out in March.


===================================
4. Google Alerts for Twitter
===================================

Frustrated because you can't keep up with the waves of
information washing over you each day on Twitter? But you don't
want to miss who's talking about you and your products?

Welcome to TweetBeep, sort of a Google Alerts for Twitter.

It helps you keep track of conversations that mention you, your
products, your company or anything else you want to follow. You
can even keep track of who's tweeting your website or blog, even if
they use a Tiny URL.

This is a great service for reputation management, catching all
your replies, finding job/networking opportunities, and keeping up on
your favorite hobbies and TV programs.

Sign up for TweetBeep at http://TweetBeep.com


Then learn many more ways to use Twitter to promote whatever it
is you're selling, without being an obnoxious pest. Warren Whitlock,
one of the most well-respected Twitterers, walks you step by step
through the process of "How to Use Twitter to Amass an Army of
Followers, Customers & Valuable contacts--and Promote."

It's available as electronic transcripts and your choice of CDs or
MP3 downloads. Read more about how Twitter will make your
marketing and your life a lot easier at http://tinyurl.com/3lbcaw


==========================================
5. How to Keep Track of Media Contacts
==========================================

This week, nine Publicity Hounds have tips for Erin Portman of
Austin, Texas, a freelance writer, who is asking for ideas for a
better way to keep track of media contacts.


From Barbara Florio Graham:

"I use ClipMate at http://www.thornsoft.com to keep media contact
info on hand for insertion into email, letters, and my label program.
It allows you to store an unlimited amount of information, in an
assortment of categories, and I find it invaluable."


From Jeff "SKI" Kinsey:

"Please do not use MS Outlook on a Mac.

"For each person, there is a best solution. We don't know enough
about your needs to make recommendations. And wisely, you did
not ask for any.

"You simply asked what we use.

"Me? Apple Mac Mini and its Address Book and iCal plus my iPod
touch which syncs nicely, so I ALWAYS have all details with me at
all times. For those urgent interactions while enjoying a Frappuccino
at Starbucks, it offers free WiFi to card carrying fans, which allows
me to check (and send) emails from my iPod while on the road."


From Denise Dorman:

"I may be unique in my method because I have ADD, but for me,
once something is out of sight and touch, such as tucked away in
an Excel program or on an electronic hand held-device, I will never
think of it ever again. My system is tactile, visual, and cannot be
easily lost, flushed down a toilet or lost by electronics gone
haywire.

"I create old-fashioned, handwritten Rolodexes for each client's
media list. I also have an Excel sheet backup for email blasts, etc.,
and a Google shared document spreadsheet to share with my
cohorts, but I've found that for someone like me with ADD, I need
to see and touch those Rolodex cards to keep those journalists top
of mind."


The Publicity Hound says:

Because I'm not a publicist, I don't have a lot of use for a media
database. So I use ACT. My series of teleseminars on "How to
Create a Media Plan" includes a template for a 12-month plan, sort
of a "fill in the blanks" document that tells you exactly what kind of
information you need to keep on hand for every media outlet you
are target, regardless of which program you are using.

The package includes more than 200 story ideas for all 12 months
of the year. You'll also get a half-hour consultation with me to help
you get a running start.

Read more about the value of a plan and why you need one at
http://publicityhound.com/mediaplan.htm

Read all the responses to this week's Help This Hound question
http://tinyurl.com/5vf9pq

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


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

Kendra Hinzmann of Oshkosh, Wisconsin writes:

"I am the director for a fine art exhibit space within an upscale
retirement community. This new venture was mostly set in place as
life enrichment for the residents, but I really wanted to include the
community as well.

"I got on board with the local Gallery Walks (over 40 local
businesses) that occur monthly. That proved to be a good move
and attendance had been building with the last shows at 80 and
100 (including public) respectively. I was thrilled to have booked an
internationally known artist for November. He is very prestigious in
the art world and thought the community would be as ecstatic as
we were to have him. He generously donated his time for a great
presentation and an art piece for a silent auction that would benefit
our nonprofit.

"I feel like I used all the correct avenues--tying it to another
community event that pertained to the show’s holiday theme,
printed press releases, inviting pillars of the community, Chamber of
Commerce advertising that went out to 1,600 recipients, and on
and on. I was shocked at our lowest turnout yet!

"Do your readers have any ideas to salvage and re-promote this
show (without the artist present) that ends Jan. 15?"


The Publicity Hound says: My Hounds ALWAYS have a few last-
minute ideas up their sleeves and they'll post them to my blog at
http://tinyurl.com/6eafms

Speaking of art, artists won't want to miss the 2008 smARTist
Telesummit, a series of teleseminars that teach you how to turn an
art hobby into an art career. I'm presenting a segment on how to
use social networking on Jan. 21. Learn more at
http://tinyurl.com/5axy3x


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

Top 10 things heard at Fido's office Christmas party:


10. "Wow! Check out the hot poodle with Rover."

9. "So I says to him, throw in toilet bowl privileges, and you
got yourself a deal."

8. "Look, I gotta go chase a cab..."

7. "Hey you--cat! You work here?"

6. "Not the Macarena again! Somebody cut off the boss' bar
tab..."

5. "Did you see the neat photocopies of Bowser's rear end?"

4. "Hey, good lookin'. Wanna swing by the ol' doghouse later?"

3. "Who ordered the hot dog pizza with everything?"

2. "Dead Cats--We're Still for 'Em!"

1. "Gainesburgers? Who catered this disaster?"


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...
===================================

NPR canceling 'Day to Day,' 'News & Notes'
http://tinyurl.com/6f968j


How to write a guest post for Copyblogger.com
http://tinyurl.com/5wgytc


--------------------------------------

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:


Wednesday, Jan. 21--Teleseminar

Join me for the third annual smARTist telesummit where
photographers, jewelers, potters, painters, metalworkers,
woodworkers and other artists will learn all the secrets for growing
their art business. I'm presenting a session on how to use social
networking, from 2 to 2:45 Eastern Time on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
Register for the telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/5axy3x



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 News 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

Publicity tips/How to Claim the #1 Spot on Google Sept 17, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #417 Sept. 23, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 50,820

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you
can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the
newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free
publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their
reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more
products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

**********************************************

Don't Miss Twitter Teleseminar and 2 Recordings:


--If you aren't Twittering yet, you're missing out on one of the
biggest publicity tools on the planet. Join me and Warren
Whitlock, co-author of The Twitter Handbook, for two 70-minute
teleseminars on how to use Twitter to promote. They're from 3 to
4:10 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Oct. 13, and Tuesday, Oct. 14.
You can start signing up next week.


--If you're an expert who speaks on one of 17 topics, colleges
and universities want to hire you. If you missed last Tuesday's
teleseminar with James Malinchak, the king of the college
speaking circuit, you can learn more about it and listen to the
recording in which he shares the 17 topics that are in demand.
Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/43o9cl


--Tom Antion teaches you his (and my) three-part strategy--
public speaking, Internet marketing and success principles--to
position yourself as an expert and grow your business, including
the three biggest website mistakes. Download our interview at
http://tinyurl.com/4rpwer

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

1. How to Claim the #1 Spot on Google

2. Newspapers Eliminating Zoned Editions

3. Ping: Social Networking Time-saver

4. Advice for Friday's Debaters

5. Promoting Alternative Energy Research

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


=========================================
1. How to Claim the #1 Spot on Google
=========================================

When news breaks in the TV advertising industry, journalists
Google "TV advertising expert" and, within seconds, find Adam
Armbruster's telephone number so they can call him for an
interview.

When news breaks in the toy industry, reporters can Google "toy
expert" and find Tim Walsh, who can talk about everything from
Hula-hoops to Wii, Nintendo's home video game console.

Both men have the coveted #1 spot on Google for their area of
expertise.

"When the new Bill Gates commercials came out recently, Fox News
called me and wanted an interview because they wanted to know if
I thought the commercials were a good tactic," Adam said. The
segment lasted about eight minutes.

Reporters from the Boston Globe, E Television, the Daily Globe &
Mail in Canada and other media have found him in the experts
database at Expertclick: The Online Yearbook of Experts.

"The Yearbook of Experts really turbo-charges the PR momentum of
what I'm doing," said Adam, who has had an Expertclick
subscription for only 18 months.

It includes his profile and contact information in the database,
which journalists search frequently, and the ability to post up
to 52 press releases a year with no additional per-release
charges.

Tim, the toy expert, credits Expertclick for his media hits.

"Anytime there's a toy safety recall, or a Cabbage Patch doll
anniversary, or a new hot game, they call me after finding me on
Expertclick," Tim said.

His biggest media hit was an appearance on CNBC's "The Big Idea"
with Donny Deutsch. Donny interviewed Tim for a segment on how to
be successful after you've been rejected. Several toy companies
rejected Tim's idea for a board game called TriBond in which
players have to guess what three seemingly unrelated things have
in common. So he manufactured it himself and sold 3 million
copies.

The Washington Post called Tim for a story on Wham-O's 60th
anniversary because he's the author of "WHAM-O Super Book:
Celebrating 60 Years Inside the Fun Factory," which will be on
book shelves in a few weeks.

KGO radio in San Francisco called him for an interview on Wii,
Nintendo's electronic game "and I've gotten a ton of smaller
media hits as well."

A trade publication even asked him to write an obituary for
Richard Knerr, WHAM-O's founder, who died in January at age 82.

"Expertclick isn't like a typical ad that you hope people find
and read," Tim said.

Sept. 30 is the deadline for Publicity Hounds to save $250 on the
price of an annual subscription, which is normally $995. Mitchell
Davis of Expertclick will let early birds save $150 if they
subscribe by Sept. 30, and an additional $100 if they mention The
Publicity Hound or use this link:
http://www.ExpertClick.com/Referral/Publicity_Hound


=========================================
2. Dailies Eliminating Zoned Editions
=========================================

Local daily newspapers, faced with mounting financial pressures,
are running out of things to eliminate.

This time, it's the zoned editions for local news that are taking
a hit. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently eliminated all of
its zoned editions, which offered readers local news from the
counties where they live. The Atlanta Journal Constitution
eliminated its zoned editions in July.

Making these cuts means newspapers, forced to lay off workers to
lower their payroll, no longer have to staff outlying bureaus.

But what does it mean to Publicity Hounds who have relied on
local dailies for publicity? Here are four alternatives which you
should also consider even if your local daily still has zoned
editions:

--Think weeklies. If you view weekly newspapers as rinky-dink,
get over it, and start building relationships with local
reporters. See "Special Report #49: 17 Ways to Build Valuable
Relationships with Media People" at http://tinyurl.com/539tcf

--Think video. Newspapers are hungry for your video, even amateur
video, to use at their websites. The next time your group has an
event that the newspaper won't cover, cover it yourself, using an
inexpensive Flip Video camera, and offer the video to your local
TV stations, too. I've explained how to do this at
http://tinyurl.com/4e8j4o

--Think Craigslist. One of the reasons newspapers are dying is
because Craigslist's free classified ads have taken millions of
dollars in ad revenue from local dailies. So start posting your
news to the Craigslist nearest you. Be aware that Craigslist has
strict rules against posting the same item to more than one
category or to more than one list. See "How to Use Craigslist as
a Global Publicity Tool." Craigslist expert Nancy Mills explains
the correct strategies for using this worldwide community
bulletin board to publicize your events and other news at
http://tinyurl.com/geog2

--Remember that most dailies might welcome your news for their
online editions. So identify one editor or reporter as your key
contact, and start building the relationship.


=========================================
3. Ping: Social Networking Time-saver
=========================================

One of the biggest complaints about social networking is that it
takes too much time to post to multiple sites.

Ping to the rescue!

Go to http://www.Ping.fm and open an account. Then decide which
social networking sites you want to receive the information you
post to Ping. The sites include MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn,
Twitter, Jaiku, Delicious, Friendster, Plaxo and more than 20
others. (You must first create separate accounts at whichever
sites you choose.)

You can post your message using AIM, GTalk, iGoogle, Windows Live
Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, WAP, iPhone/iPod Touch, SMS or
email.

When I started using Ping, I included LinkedIn, but I'm removing
it from the list. That's because a lot of the personal
information I post on my Facebook and Twitter pages isn't
appropriate for LinkedIn, which is strictly for business
networking.

LinkedIn, by the way, is very different from many of the other
social networking sites. I've spent a lot of time the last few
weeks answering questions related to public relations, publicity
and even writing, so I can promote my expertise through my
answers.

Scott Allen, a social networking expert, explained how to use the
question feature and many other strategies to forge valuable
relationships with your LinkedIn contacts. The two teleseminars
we conducted sold out quickly.

We recorded them, and they're available as electronic transcripts
and your choice of either MP3 download links or CDs. Start
learning "How to Use LinkedIn to Promote Anything--Ethically &
Powerfully" at http://tinyurl.com/5zvzyd


=========================================
4. Advice for Friday's Debaters
=========================================

Friday's presidential debate, which promises a record TV
audience, offers a golden opportunity for experts to weigh in
with their advice beforehand, their comments during the debates,
and a critique afterward.

Here are some ideas on how to use the three presidential debates
and the vice presidential debate to promote your expertise.

--Experts in anger management can offer advice on how to not get
rattled when somebody is pressing your buttons.

--Speakers and speech coaches, share your tips on how to sound
your best when somebody asks you a question you least expect and
don't want to discuss. Every speaker has faced this problem. But
the presidential candidates must face it head-on.

--Bloggers, write about the debate this week. Tell your readers
you'd like them to weigh in with their immediate reactions during
the debate, and afterward, in the comments section at your blog.

--Twitterers, let your followers know you'll be tweeting your
immediate reactions throughout the debate and invite them to join
the conversation.

--Afterward, create a video that critiques the candidates and
comments on whatever topics tie into your expertise, like image
for image consultants and speech for speech coaches. Upload it to
dozens of video-sharing sites at the same time using Traffic
Geyser at http://tinyurl.com/3sgo6s which will save you hundreds
of hours waiting for each video to upload. Many users are getting
front-page Google listings in just a few hours when they use this
service.

--Contact your local TV stations and offer your commentary
afterward, whether you're a group of soccer moms or a staff of
political science professors.

Local TV will be looking for the local angle to this national
story, and TV producer Shawne Duperon has valuable tips on how to
convince your local stations to feature you on the news. She was
my guest during a teleseminar on "How to Get on the Local TV News
Tomorrow." Take a peek at what she discussed and get started
contacting your local stations today using Shawne's advice at
http://tinyurl.com/4zpuz


==========================================
5. Promoting Alternative Energy Research
==========================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Mike Michaud of
Fannin County, Texas, on how he can promote a website on
alternative energy research in a non-partisan way.

From Loretta Lynn:

"Promote it on MySpace, Linked In, Facebook, the usual social
media outlets....You can use Twitter to blog about it." (See "How
to Use Facebook to Promote Your Business or Nonprofit" at
http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar/facebook.htm )


From Gail Sideman:

"Stock your website with facts, facts and more facts--not with
pages of copy, but quickly and concisely so that people can get
the idea quickly.

"Include case studies about why alternative sources of energy are
so necessary for the future of our country. Again, keep it
concise and highlight the benefits so the average Joe/Jane can
understand.

"To highlight the bipartisan aspect of this effort, gather
comments from people who represent both sides of the aisle about
the importance of the research and why they believe in it."


From The Publicity Hound:

Create Google Alerts at http://www.Google.com/alerts for specific
keywords, so that you know on a daily basis what is being
discussed online about this topic. The Alerts will lead you to
bloggers. Post comments at their blogs and let them know about
your campaign. See "How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a
Publicity Explosion" at http://tinyurl.com/m7ymr


Read all the responses to this week's Help This Hound question
http://tinyurl.com/622sud


Send your own Help this Hound question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com and put Help This Hound in the
subject line. Include your city and state.


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

Jennifer Melnick Carota of Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania writes:

"I am an expert bargain shopper and 'give-ologist' known as the
Gift Therapist. I have a ton of fun teaching folks how find
fabulous gifts on a shoestring budget.

"I recently combined all of my bargain shopping tips and gifting
advice into my first book titled 'Shop Smart, GIVE MORE' and I
have been asked to speak about it next month at a regional
Women's Expo in the Pittsburgh area.

"I have purchased table space where I will sign my books
throughout the two-day event, but wondered if your Hounds had any
creative ideas on what other types of informational products I
could develop and sell at the Expo, as well as the upcoming gift
giving season.

"The event begins October 11. Yikes!"


The Publicity Hound says:

Yikes is right, Jennifer. Luckily, information products are among
the easiest to create because you can outsource the work to a
freelancer, and sell the products electronically, which requires
no up-front costs. I just wrote an article on "Outsourcing Tips
for Hiring Freelancers" at http://tinyurl.com/3lfklp

But electronic products probably won't sell very well at the
trade show. So let's see what other ideas my Hounds might have
for creative tchotches or other items you can create quickly to
sell. Hounds, post your best ideas to my blog at
http://tinyurl.com/4zxue7


==================================
7. Hound Story of the Week
==================================

"I know that dogs are pack animals, but it is difficult to
imagine a pack of standard poodles...and if there was such a
thing as a pack of standard poodles, where would they rove to?
Bloomingdale's?"

--Yvonne Clifford, American actress


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...
================================

Perez Hilton's 3 tips for a p~rofitable blog
http://tinyurl.com/4z2ok5


Colleges hungry for experts who speak on 17 topics
http://tinyurl.com/43o9cl


How do you promote your social networking profiles?
http://tinyurl.com/6f59nn


Tomato pie: A great way to get rid of all those tomatoes
http://tinyurl.com/5sr4vz


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 list "89 Reasons to Send a News 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

---

Publicity tips/Dark Days at Newspapers Feb 12, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #385 Feb. 12, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 40,808

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

*******************************************

SAVE THE DATE:

3 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 5; free teleseminar with Cathy Stucker on "How to Turn Your Content into Cash Whle Promoting Your Expertise."

This teleseminar is perfect for authors, speakers and experts who have content and handouts in their file cabinets, on their bookshelvs and hard drives. Cathy will show you how to take your content and spin, retool or tweak it to create information products and lots more.

She promises a teleseminar packed with content, and she'll take your questions, too. This call is limited to the first 250 people. You don't have to sign up. Simply call 1-218-486-1300. The access code is 1-8-2-2-2-2.

See you there!

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

1. Dark Days at Newspapers

2. Do You Squidoo? I Do

3. Pitch the Wire Services

4. Media Leads

5. How to Promote The Crapper Digest

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. At My Blog...


======================================
1. Dark Days at Newspapers
======================================

"An Industry Imperiled by Falling Profits and Shrinking Ads, a story in last week's New York Times, is a must-read for Publicity Hounds everywhere.

It paints a grim picture of a once-vibrant industry that's now seeing stumbling stock prices, declining ad revenues, layoffs and numerous properties for sale.

"The talk of newspapers' demise is older than some of the reporters who write about it, but what is happening now is something new, something more serious than anyone has experienced in generations," the Times article stated.

You can read the entire article at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/business/media/07paper.html
The once-mighty Sun-Times Media Group, suffering deep losses, announced recently that it's closing several weekly papers and will try to sell any assets it could, including its flagship paper, The Chicago Sun-Times.

Here in Wisconsin, The Capital-Times newspaper in Madison told readers last week that it's making a "major shift" to the Internet, ceasing six-day publication and shifting to publishing a tabloid-sized edition only twice per week.

If these changes don't affect you, wait. You'll hear similar announcements soon from a newspaper near you.

Last month, I made several suggestions about how newspaper layoffs and closings affect Publicity Hounds. You can read them at http://tinyurl.com/ys737d

Here's another tip, inspired by a quote from bank robber Willie Horton. When asked, "Why do you rob banks?," he replied, "Because that's where the money is!"

Using that logic, Publicity Hounds should spend less time pitching traditional media and more time promoting your expertise online where the real traffic is. Read the next item to learn about one website where most of you should have a presence.


=====================================
2. Do You Squidoo? I Do
=====================================

Squidoo, a content-sharing site, lets you flaunt your expertise by setting up a single page, known as a lens, on a topic you know a lot about.

It's f~ree, but that's not the biggest advantage:

--The search engines love this site, and Google gives it a page rank of 7/10. So you can get more Google juice to your site and drive lots of traffic by including links within your Squidoo content.

--You can make money from your content through Google AdSense.Keep it, or donate it to your favorite charity.

--This site helps promote you as an expert.

As the lensmaster, you can share your point of view and recommendations. Lenses can be about anything, such as ideas, people or places, hobbies and sports, pets or products, philosophy and politics. Lenses aren't primarily intended to hold content. Rather, the emphasis is placed on recommending and then pointing to content on the web.

For example, a single lens could point to Flickr photos, Google maps, blogs, eBay auctions, YouTube videos, and other links.You're encouraged to promote personal agendas, causes, products and opinions.

Squidoo says building a lens "is fast, f*ree and super-easy."I'm a member of the SMARTS social media coaching program, which gave me in-depth step-by-step videos on how to build a lens and really make this site work for me. Still, it took me four and a half hours to build my lens two weeks ago. Now, I spend about a half hour several days a week updating it.

You can see my lens at http://www.squidoo.com/howtogetfree_publicity

Check out the fun items I posted on how a PR guy got an interesting product onto "The Rachael Ray Show" with just a few minutes of effort. I also wrote about how you can score some last-minute publicity that ties into Valentine's Day, even if your product or service has nothing to do with love.

Build a Squidoo lens and update it frequently. But please don't email me questions about Squidoo. I don't have time to answer them. Instead, spend some time at the learning center known as SquidU at http://www.squidu.com/

Items that work well at Squidoo are short lists, questions and answers, or round-ups of other websites you're recommending.These are called "briefs." A teleseminar I conducted several years ago called "Briefs, Fillers & Quizzes" explains the nine types of briefs, how to write them and how to use them online and offline to promote what you're selling.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/d74h7


=========================================
3. Pitch the Wire Services
=========================================

One of the best ways to get your story into dozens, perhaps even hundreds of newspapers across the U.S.--all at the same time--is to pitch one of the wire services.

The Associated Press, the world's largest news agency, is a great place to start. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations. The media outlets contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staffers.

I'm betting that AP reporters are among the most overlooked journalists.

They love getting scoops, too. And because AP has its own state bureaus as well as a national bureau, offering a scoop could mean that the AP covers your story and sends it to all media in your state, or throughout the U.S.

Authors, if you want to learn an incredibly simple strategy for scoring an Associated Press story about you, don't miss Steve Harrison's teleseminar, "Seven Things You Absolutely Must Know to Get Publicity in Major Magazines and Newspapers," tomorrow, February 13.

On this 90-minute call, you'll hear from writers and editors who do stories for top magazines, including Woman's Day, Woman's World and Inc. Magazine, as well as authors who will share how they got coverage in major publications.

Register for the free call at http://www.getmajorpress.com/call10011


====================================
4. Media Leads
====================================

--If you have an incredible mom in your family, or as a client, enter her in the search for "America's Favorite Mom." The top 25 moms will be featured on NBC's "Today" show the week leading up to Mother's Day. The audiences will vote, and the top five winners will be the focus of a prime time special airing the evening of Mother's Day, May 11. To enter, turn down your speakers if you're at work and go to http://americasfavoritemom.com/ Thanks to Publicity Hound Erin Portman for this one.


--Mildred Culp, who writes the WorkWise syndicated column, needs sources to discuss whether good music in the workplace actually improves morale and productivity. Email her at mailto:Workwise@Comcast.net


--Publicity Hound Jeanette Simpson is looking for sources for an ebook she's writing on how to go from being an intern to an employee. She needs tips from those who hire. "Tell me what you look for, as well as what you don't want in an intern or entry-level employee. Send me tips, problems, and do's and don'ts. Explain what keeps interns from being hired." If you're willing to complete her 10-question survey, email her at mailto:jsimpson@kidspaceinteriors.com


When you respond to media leads like these, start building relationships with these journalists, broadcasters and authors so the next time they need sources, you're one of the first ones they call. "Special Report #49: 17 Ways to Build Valuable Relationships with Media People" explains how. Only $10. Order at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g


==================================================
5. How to Promote The Crapper Digest
==================================================

This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips on how author Dave Kessler of Richmond, Indiana can promote his ebook, "The Crapper Digest." It's a collection of the humor, doggerel and vulgar verse that he's collected from restroom walls all over America for the last six decades.


From Shonika Proctor:

"Sign up for a Google alert at http://www.google.com/alerts to get notified of topics/keywords that are related to potty, toilet, poo poo or whatever. Whenever a website post, blog entry or article goes up with that related term, you will be notified in your email and can see where it posted. Then you can go to that site and either make a post/comment yourself that is related to that post and include a link to your book in your signature line, or you can contact the journalist and try to get featured in their publication."


From Kathy Lisson:
"This ebook seems like an excellent candidate for a Digg campaign. Share 'The 10 Funniest Notes Found on Bathroom Stalls,' and include information on how to buy the book on Amazon. Link to the post on Digg and related sites."


From Dan Janal:

"Send a copy to the writers at Leno and Letterman. They could eat this up, and then you'd have broad word of mouth publicity."


The Publicity Hound says:

This will take a lot of effort, but the payback could be huge. Find a way to shoot video of some of the best stalls. Incorporate the clips into one short video and post it to YouTube to pull tons of traffic to your website.

Learn more about how to make a fortune using videos even if you don't have a computer at http://tinyurl.com/y3b6wj

Read all the responses to this Help this Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/2jn6g9


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

Catherine Painter of Raleigh, North Carolina writes:

"My Bible study book, 'So, You're a Christian! Now What?' is a 12-week study for small groups in churches, or for individuals who will work through it alone.

"The book is in bookstores now and the publisher, Hensley Publishing, also sells them at their website.

"I sell books as well, dozens at the time, at book signings, especially when I'm invited to speak to religious groups.

"The book is targeted to new Christians who profess Christ as adults. However, many adults more mature in their faith, buy the book and actually recognize the quality and substance in the book more than the baby Christians do.

"Can your readers share ideas on what else I can do to promote the book? My website is at http://www.catherinepainterministries.com"


The Publicity Hound says:

Catherine, learn all you can about social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. Millions of Christians, young and old, hang out on those two sites and are just waiting for somebody like you to ask, "Will you be my friend?"

Search online for articles on how to use those two sites. Or just about any kid can explain it to you. You can reach out to a very targeted niche audience fairly quickly. My friend, Don Crowther, created a wonderful 50-minute video and a special report that explains the power of doing what I've just explained, including how to use Squidoo. Turn down your speakers if you're at work, and watch it, then download the free report at http://www.stompernet.net/jvp/aw.aspx?B=25&A=332

Hounds with other ideas for Catherine can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/35dmgw.


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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Don Miller of Mansfield, Ohio for these fun crossbreeds:

Collie + Lhasa Apso = Collapso, a dog that folds up for easy transport

Spitz + Chow Chow = Spitz-Chow, a dog that throws up a lot

Pointer + Setter = Poinsetter, a traditional Christmas pet

Great Pyrenees + Dachshund = Pyradachs, a puzzling breed

Pekingese + Lhasa Apso = Peekasso, an abstract dog

Irish Water Spaniel + English Springer = Spaniel Irish Springer, a dog fresh and clean as a whistle

Labrador Retriever + Curly Coated Retriever = Lab Coat Retriever, the choice of research scientists

(More next week)


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. At My Blog...
=================================

PR types don't understand how consumers use media
http://tinyurl.com/35rrsy


Newseum, the news industry museum, to open April 11
http://tinyurl.com/2p87zv


Top 10 ways authors can make radio interviews pay
http://tinyurl.com/2uwt9l


Freelancers, journalists can connect on Reporterist.com
http://tinyurl.com/2r7typ


------------------------------------------------------------

Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound


March 27: Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin

"Red Hot Tips to Set Your Publicity Campaign on Fire, "Menomonee Falls, Sussex and Germantown Business to Business Networking Breakfast; networking and breakfast from 7:30 to 8, presentation from 8 to 8:45 a.m. Tickets are $15. Guests welcome. For reservations, call Diane Henning at the Menomonee Falls Chamber at 262-251-2430.


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 list "89 Reasons to Send a News 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
U.S.A.Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity tips/How Not to Pitch a Reporter Dec. 25, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #378 Dec. 25, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 37,327

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

********************************************

My Gift to You: The Annual "Best of" Ebook

I've compiled the best 28 tips from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" from this past year and created a handy ebook you can download at http://tinyurl.com/32avtz

Review the ebook when you need an idea to jump-start your publicity campaign.

Many thanks to all of you loyal Publicity Hounds who read this newsletter, contribute to it, and comment on it. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and all my best for the coming year.

--Joan

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

1. How Not to Pitch a Reporter

2. Pay-per-placement Pros and Cons

3. More on Dirty Hotel Glasses

4. Media Leads

5. How to Become a Newspaper Columnist

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. How Not to Pitch a Reporter
======================================

The next time you send an email pitch to a reporter, take an extra minute or two to send the email to yourself first so you can see what it looks like on the screen.

Laura Lorber, the Wall Street Journal's assistant news editor for WSJ.com, blogged about an email she received from an unidentified PR person.

The email message, apparently the victim of Microsoft Word’s quirky email editing, shows that the pitch accidentally includes at least one paragraph of information on a separate topic that had been part of an earlier release. Rather than starting from scratch, the writer took the old release and edited it to conform to the new topic. Problem is, all the original copy that the writer edited out shows up on the screen.

Yikes.

The pitch is typical of many I see--and quickly delete. See if you don't agree. You can read the entire email at http://tinyurl.com/2kw72u

Laura, by the way, says she was inundated with pitches from Publicity Hounds who read here Dec. 5 that she was looking for story ideas on how small business use public relations. She's still sorting through all the emails.

Dan Janal of PRLeads.com asked me to share my best pitching tips during an interview we conducted call "Secrets of Perfect Pitching to Reporters." I discussed the one word you must never use in a pitch, things you can do to sweeten your pitch and encourage a reporter to write about you, and how to avoid major mistakes when pitching by phone.

It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/s3tyx


========================================
2. Pay-per-placement Pros and Cons
========================================

It's called pay-per-placement and it works like this.

Rather than paying a publicist or PR firm a retainer, regardless of whether they generate publicity for you, you pay for every placement they help you get.

No publicity equals no fee.

But if they pitch you to a national TV show like "Good Morning, America" and you end up on the show, the fee can be upwards of $10,000.

Let's say several newspaper and magazine journalists see the show and ask you for interviews. Depending on how the pay-per-placement contract is written, you'll have to pay the publicist an additional fee for each of those articles.

Pay-per-placement, one of the most controversial forms of PR services, isn't for everybody, particularly those on a shoestring budget. Critics say there's no justification for the outrageous fees. But advocates argue that it makes publicists work that much harder.

I've heard journalists complain that overly-aggressive pay-per-placement publicists can make pests out of themselves. I've also heard editors say they love PPP publicists who have pitching down to a science and will never waste the journalist's time pitching lousy story ideas.

The article at http://tinyurl.com/2f7v24 is a good example of how pay-per-placement is getting good results for the CEO of a Colorado gift basket company.

If you're hiring a publicist, don't interview any candidates until you know the right questions to ask, and you understand how they charge for their services.

My ebook "How to Hire the Perfect Publicist" walks you step-by-step through the entire process. It includes a list of questions to ask all potential candidates, shows you how to rank them, how to choose the best one, and how to work with your publicist. The ebook also explains the four ways publicists charge for their services, and the pros and cons of each one.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.publicityhound.com/hireapublicist.html


=========================================
3. More on Dirty Hotel Glasses
=========================================

More Publicity Hounds have responded to the items you've read here the last few weeks on the Atlanta TV station's I-team report about dirty hotel glasses than any other item in recently memory.

An observation:

I half-expected the PR departments at Embassy Suites, Sheraton Suites and the Holiday Inn in Atlanta to email me and explain improvements they've made to their housekeeping as a result of the I-team video. (If you missed it, you can see it at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7f_1194813218)

After all, don't savvy Publicity Hounds create Google Alerts at http://www.Google.com/alerts so they know what people like me are saying about them online, and then follow up with journalists and bloggers to tell their side of the story? Don't they try to do damage control? So far, I haven't heard from anybody representing those hotels. Amazing.

A warning:

All you hotel PR people, don't be surprised if your hotel is the target of an I-team investigation like the one in Atlanta. When a story like that one uncovers wrongdoing, you can bet that one or more other stations will do an identical I-team story.

Creating Google alerts, and responding to bad news stories, are integral to your 2008 media plan. I discussed both of those topics and hundreds of others during my teleseminar series "How to Create a Media Plan." It comes with detailed handouts, including a fill-in-the-blanks template for a 12-month plan. Start laying the groundwork right now for next year's publicity campaign.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.PublicityHound.com/mediaplan.htm


=========================================
4. Media Leads
=========================================

--Mildred Culp, who writes The WorkWise syndicated column, needs sources to comment about job hunting tactics. No newspaper columnists, please. mailto:workwise@comcast.net


--The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is looking for writers and photographers to participate as unpaid citizen journalists. It is looking especially for bloggers who can write about topics such as pets. "We want you to blog about anything you're passionate about: Hobbies, neighborhoods, sports, news, leisure activities...the list goes on. We can give your blog a home on one of the top-20 news sites in America and we'll give you the independence to say what you mean." Mailto:blog@seattlepi.com with your idea, your resume, a writing sample, and a link to your current blog (if you have one). We respond to every request, so contact us today." Thanks to book marketing guru John Kremer for this media lead.


============================================
5. How to Become a Newspaper Columnist
============================================

This week, six Publicity Hounds have tips on how Kelly Moore of Des Moines, Iowa can turn her job as an unpaid blogger for a local magazine into a paying job as a newspaper columnist.


From Sarah Adams:

"I think you could use the upcoming primary to your advantage! If your numbers are as good as they seem, you could offer interviews to the many candidates on the topics of parenthood (and talk about guilt over the constant travel of a campaign). What about Chris Dodd who, I believe, moved his children to Iowa public schools? Great move, and I’m sure he would love to talk about that commitment to Iowa!


From Lois:

"The largest publisher of home, garden and niche magazines has its corporate headquarters in Des Moines. Meredith Corporation (Better Homes & Gardens) publishes Parents magazine. You might as well start at the top.

"Get the name of the editor from the masthead and pitch your idea to her. She is probably already aware of the local magazine, so be sure to mention your experience there."


From Brannan Vines:

"I just looked at your blog and I love it!

"Since your readers are your strongest ally, why not involve them? Post a short message explaining that you’re passionate about what you’re doing, list the reasons why, and then tell them you need their help to go global (regional, national, etc). You could either (1) ask them to post their reasons for supporting you, loving your blog, etc, (2) ask them to send you an email to the same effect and just include a few of the best in your blog or (3) set up a survey form asking them to rate, on a scale of 1to 10, how likely they would be to read a daily column that you wrote. Then you could take that feedback to the editors of the daily paper (or, like Lois suggested, to the editor of parents)...I’m the publisher of a South Carolina local newspaper and that approach would be most convincing to me. It would make the decision almost a no-brainer."


Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/2vkjod


The Publicity Hound says:

Kelly, before you pitch the editor for your own column, boost traffic to your blog by posting comments at other popular blogs on parenting. I teamed up with Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff and explained "How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion." You can read more about the strategy of posting comments before directly pitching at http://tinyurl.com/m7ymr


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

Nicka Stewart of Middletown, New Jersey writes:

"I started an organization with a partner last May. The Decorators' Alliance of North America offers professional affiliation, certification and continuing education for interior decorators. DANA is dedicated to the personal and professional growth of its members. We offer resources, educational opportunities, industry discounts, and networking programs. Our website is at http://www.DecoratorsAlliance.com

"We have several hundred members, but there are many thousands of decorators who are still unaware of us. This is the first group devoted specifically to professional decorators (not licensed designers), and is open to all fields of home fashion (window treatment designers, home stagers, interior re-designers, organizers, etc.). We know that many other decorators will profit from DANA, as well. We just need to get the word out!

"Can your Hounds help?"


The Publicity Hound says:

Your group has lots to offer, Nicka, and the secret of promoting it is to direct your message to your niche audience. Hounds with ideas on how Nicka can do that can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/38xorv


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

I pulled into a crowded parking lot and rolled down the car windows to make sure my Labrador Retriever had fresh air. She was stretched out on the back seat, and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there. I walked to the curb backward, pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically, "Now you stay. Do you hear me? Stay!"

The driver of a nearby car gave me a startled look.

"I don't know about you, lady," he said incredulously. "But Iusually just put my car in park."


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...
================================

Chicago media expand opportunities for commentary
http://tinyurl.com/38fb9f


----------------------------------------------------------

Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound:


January 21: 2008 smARTist Telesummit

I will teach artists "The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Art Buyers and Collectors, Not Only for Journalists" from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Register for the entire telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr If you want a taste of what you'll be learning, you can register for a one-hour teleseminar at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Three experts will give away their best marketing advice on how to succeed without sacrificing your artistic voice or wasting tons of time on dry business stuff. To register for that call, click on the link above, then "Register" at the top of the page.


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 list "89 Reasons to Send a News 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
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity tips/Google Alerts' Big Payoff Nov 13, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #372 Nov. 13, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 35,957

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

Need help with publicity?
See the resources list at
http://www.publicityhound.com/resources.htm

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

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

1. Google Alerts' Big Payoff

2. Pizza Hut's Job Offer

3. Ferret Poop to the Rescue

4. Promote Interesting Places

5. Ideas for a Dryer Vent Company

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. Google Alerts' Big Payoff
======================================

Google Alerts might well be the most valuable online tool you can use in your publicity campaign.

Just ask publicist Renee Young, whose client, Dr. Amiya Prasad, a New York City plastic surgeon, appeared on a two-minute segment on this morning's "Good Morning America" as a result.

Google Alerts is a nifty service that notifies you as soon as something appears online about your area of expertise.

Renee went to http://www.google.com/alerts and created a Google Alert for "plastic surgery" so she could pitch her client and piggyback off related breaking news events. Google scans news stories, blogs, websites, videos and even user groups to find information related to "plastic surgery" and emails her whenever it finds something.

Yesterday, Google alerted her that Donda West, mother and manager of hip-hop star Kanye West, had died, possibly of complications from cosmetic surgery.

"I dropped what I was doing and got on the phone to pitch my doctor as an expert to the national morning shows and local television news," said Renee, of Renee Young & Associates in Scarsdale, New York. "Three hours later, I was in my client's office with a crew from Good Morning America."

Here are other ways to use Google Alerts:

--To find bloggers who are writing about your topic, so you can post comments at their blogs, or pitch them.

--To find journalists who cover your area of expertise. Once you know the name of the journalist who wrote a particular story, you can do even more research on them before pitching. How? By creating a Google Alert for their name.

--To get up to speed quickly on hot topics.

If you haven't created Google Alerts yet, get going. Then, while you're waiting for your information, learn more about how to get yourself or your PR client onto shows like "Good Morning, America," the "Today" show and "Fox & Friends." My CD and electronic transcript on "How to Get Booked on the Morning TV Talk Shows" explains how to pitch each show, what they're looking for, and how to make your pitch stand out from the thousands of other people who are pitching.

Click here to continue reading more about how to score a publicity coup on these shows: http://tinyurl.com/ab86x


========================================
2. Pizza Hut's Job Offer
========================================

Kudos to Pizza Hut for jumping on celebrity Reece Witherspoon's innocent, but not-so-nice, comment about pizza delivery drivers and turning it into some fun publicity.

The actress told a journalist that her 4-year-old son, Deacon Phillippe, wants to be a pizza delivery driver when he grows up.

"Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it's hard to see how it could be a career as such," she said.

Pizza Hut responded immediately. Sandi Karrmann, identified as the "Chief People Officer" for the pizza chain, wrote a letter to the boy, offered him a job when he's older, and even sent him a package of gifts. It included a Pizza Hut uniform "that's just your size," writes Karrmann, and a mini-delivery car "for you to polish your driving skills." She also sent gift cards for Pizza Hut pizzas.

"We have delivery drivers who have worked for us for 10, 15, even 20 years!" says the letter. "And the same Pizza Hut drivers who deliver hot, fresh pizzas right to your door have gone on to become successful business people, doctors, lawyers and, yes, actors."

That, my fellow Hounds, is brilliant. And thanks to Publicity Hound Andrea Swinton of Toronto for pointing it out and sending the link to the article at http://tinyurl.com/2ejzoc

Want more ideas on how to do what Pizza Hut did? "Special Report#50: How to Piggyback onto Celebrity News to Promote Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue," gives you lots of ideas. Only $10. Order at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g


=========================================
3. Ferret Poop to the Rescue
=========================================

Here's another example of how a trade association jumped on a news story for publicity.

Last week, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced an experiment in which people can dispose of harmful prescription drugs safely without flushing them down the toilet, which can harm the environment.

More than 6,300 pharmacies throughout the U.S. have signed up for the pilot project. When patients fill prescriptions for a list of abuse-prone medicines, the pharmacist also will hand over a flyer urging them to hide whatever pills are left over in cat litter, then wrap it up and throw it in the garbage.

Another way to disguise leftover pills is to mix them with used coffee grounds.

What if you don't drink coffee or own a cat, but you have a ferret?

"Ferret waste, like nearly any other form of pet waste, can be effectively used to help prevent the abuse of unused prescription drugs," said a spokesman for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Enter the American Ferret Association, which responded by saying, "The U.S. government declares ferret poop to be an effective weapon against drug abuse."

Hmmm. Do you think the association learned about this through a Google Alert? Thanks to Publicity Hound Traci Browne of Cheltenham, Pennsylvania for tipping us off to this one.

Opportunities like this are perfect for writing press releases and posting them online. If you struggle with releases, I have good news. Gone are the days when we had to write them only when we had "legitimate" news. Today's smart Publicity Hounds are writing press releases and posting them online not only for journalists, but for consumers.

My free tutorial "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases" is a graduate-level course on how to write and distribute them. Sign up at http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/list.htm


=========================================
4. Promote Interesting Places
=========================================

If you're promoting a tourist attraction, an event, a neighborhood, or even something as mundane as your local firehouse, here's a cool social media tool to use in your publicity campaign.

It's called waymarking, and you can do it at http://www.waymarking.com/. Publicity Hound Rebecca Davey of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio emailed me last week to tell me about it.

"The website is dedicated to marking interesting places from abstract public sculptures to firehouses to Minor League baseball stadiums to even Starbucks stores plus many, many more," Rebecca says.

She does publicity for the Irish community in the Akron area and waymarked the newest Irish-American Historical marker in Ohio.You can see her entry at http://tinyurl.com/yt84fx

Post photos, link back to your website, search for locations similar to yours, and have fun with this site. You don't need a GPS unit but you must know the longitude and latitude of what you're promoting.

You can post for free, but a premium membership for $3 a month or $30 a year gives you full use of the site.

This is a great way to promote special events. Debra J. Schmidt and I came up with 847 more ways when we created "How to Plan & Promote Sizzling Special Events." It's available as a package of 6 audio CDs or electronic transcripts that you can download as soon as your order has been approved. Both formats come with 15 "can't do without" checklists for event planners and publicists.

Click here to continue reading more about what you'll learn:http://tinyurl.com/46jzg


==========================================
5. Ideas for a Dryer Vent Company
==========================================

This week, seven Publicity Hounds have tips on how Janice Bittner of northern Virginia can promote her company, Dryer Vent Wizard, which cleans, fixes and installs dryer vents in an effort to help prevent dryer fires.


From Tom Reitz:

"Most fire departments have public education officers who do lots of fire prevention education in schools, shopping malls, etc. In our region, the fire departments hold a Fire Prevention Day where people can learn about fire safety, get free batteries for smoke detectors, sit in a fire truck, etc., and often the fire department will distribute loot bags of information and products to local citizens. If they say 'no' because you’re a commercial company, offer a coupon for your services to be used as a give- away at their next public event."


From Cheryl Pickett:

"There are a ton of Mom/Family-type websites and magazines that I’m sure would welcome a tips list, article or even review the product for their readers."


From Linda Swisher:

"Janice should visit Chase's Calendar of Events at http://www.chases.com/ to create her own commemorative holiday like "Dryer Vent Safety Day. Once her holiday is created, write White Papers, fact sheets and create publicity around the event she created."


The Publicity Hound says:

Janice, start pitching the bloggers and offer lists of tips on how to prevent vent fires. Use the Technorati search engine at http://www.technorati.com/ to search for bloggers by topic.


"How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion"shows you how to find influential bloggers, start building a relationship, then pitch them with information that will help their readers. Patsi Krafoff, Denise Wakeman and I shared our best tips on this audio or electronic transcript that you can read as soon as your order has been approved. We even tell you which major mistakes to avoid when pitching bloggers.

Continue reading more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/m7ymr

Read all the responses to this Help This Hound comment at http://tinyurl.com/37t4jb


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

Rebecca Witek of Buffalo Grove, Illinois writes:

"I started a website for young designers at http://www.youngdesignersguide.com/ that focuses on the soon-to-be or newly graduated. I was in their shoes not too long ago, and I've realized as a graphic designer that it's important to understand and learn skills that compliment their creative talents such as marketing, networking, public relations and business.

"I post articles monthly, but I need to build up awareness and hopefully get input from other experts. I would really like to see it grow. Any ideas?"


The Publicity Hound says:

I'll bet many experts who read this newsletter would love to get in front of your audience with their articles and other information. OK, Hounds. What does Rebecca need to do to find more content for her website and attract more young designers? I see one thing on the homepage that might be discouraging visitors, and at least one thing that might be creating problems for the search engines. Let's see if other Hounds can find them. Post your best ideas to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/353xdy


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

I went to a movie theater the other day and saw an old man and his dog in the front row.

It was a sad/funny kind of film. During the sad parts, the dog cried his eyes out, and during the funny parts, the dog laughed his head off. This happened all the way through the movie.

When it ended, I walked up to the man and said, "That's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Your dog really seemed to enjoy the film."

The man turned to me and said, "Yeah, it is. He hated the book."


P.S. Bogie received her diploma last week at our final puppy training class. We both got straight As when asked to demonstrate "sit," "stay," "come" and "down." She "stayed" longer than Emma, Kokomo and Rebel, the other hounds, even when I turned and walked away from her. And we got bonus points when I issued the command "Shake!" and she lifted her paw to shake, something they didn't teach in class. Now it's onto Big Dog School.


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

Authors lose during writers strike
http://tinyurl.com/3dgqxv


Nonprofit bios: Keep 'em short and credible
http://tinyurl.com/2q2cno


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/


----------------------------------------------------------
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 list "89 Reasons to Send a News 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
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity tips/Your Hand Sanitizer Can be Poisonous Sept 25, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #365 Sept. 25, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 35,713

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

Need help with publicity? See the resources list at http://www.publicityhound.com/resources.htm

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

*******************************************************

Announcements:

--James Malinchak, an expert on how to get onto the college speaking circuit and generate tons of publicity doing it, will be my guest once again during a complimentary teleseminar at 4 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, Oct. 9. This is a high-content call chock full of lists of tips that will whet your appetite for his boot camp Nov. 29-Dec. 2 in Los Angeles. Warning: I got several complaints last year that the boot camp sold out early because James lets past attendees return as many times as they wish. So if you're thinking of going, don't wait until the last minute. Sign up for the teleseminar at http://tinyurl.com/fs56k

--Join me from 1 to 2:30 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, Sept. 27, for the teleseminar on "PR Writing Boot camp: Give Your PR Writing More Polish, Punch and Power." Sponsored by Bulldog Reporter, this session will be packed with tips and writing exercises designed to streamline the writing process and strengthen your press release or pitch. You'll learn how to craft the first 25 words of your pitch precisely the way a journalist would and why word choice matters. We'll share credibility-building language, as well as the fuzzy, jargon language traps that many PR people fall into. It includes a handout with tips, checklists and other goodies from me and the three other guest experts who will join me. Click here to continue reading about what you'll learn: http://tinyurl.com/2dmtza

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

1. Your Hand Sanitizer Can be Poisonous

2. Attention Article Writers

3. Do You Do What Experts Do?

4. 'Talk Like a Pirate' Day

5. 'Best of' Website Competitions

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. Your Hand Sanitizer Can be Poisonous
======================================

Confession: I eat in my car.

That's why I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in the glove compartment. I thought that was fine until yesterday when I was conducting a teleseminar for people in The Publicity Hound Mentor Program.

Marilee Tolen, an expert in holistic health marketing, rattled off a list of reasons why hand sanitizers--specifically, the Purell brand--can be dangerous to your health:

--Purell contains isopropanol which is used to denature the ethanol in Purell, and isopropanol is poisonous.

--On Feb. 1 this year, The New England Journal of Medicine published information on the dangers of ingesting hand sanitizers.

--Purell kills all of the bacteria on the skin, even the good bacteria, which help fight the bad bacteria. Eliminating the bad bacteria means skin is more "naked" than it already is--with lowered protection and lowered immunity.

Air fresheners also can be hazardous to your health. Last week, one day after a group of environmental organizations asked the federal government to start assessing the risk of air fresheners, Walgreens pulled three of its products off store shelves.

I asked Marilee how she's using both stories to her advantage.

--She's blogging about them at http://www.homespalady.com/blog/, and mentioning that essential oils, which she sells, are good alternatives to hand sanitizers and air fresheners.

--She's creating Google Alerts and posting comments at other blogs that discuss this.

--She's writing articles for online article directories.

--Tomorrow's issue of her ezine includes a lead story on the dangers of air fresheners.

When bad news breaks about a product or service that you compete with, are you jumping on every opportunity to offer yourself as the safe alternative?

Marilee is even hosting a series of teleseminars this week that teach holistic health counselors, nurses, doctors, therapists, educators, healers, massage therapists, nutritionists, spa owners and health care business owners how to create a huge presence for themselves online. Click to continue reading about what she's teaching: http://tinyurl.com/3xmbfb

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2. Attention Article Writers
========================================

If you're posting articles to article directory sites, you may have felt the bottom drop out of your stomach when you discovered where some of these articles are showing up.

That's what's happened to me, and to other Publicity Hounds who have emailed me, when we discovered that our articles are appearing on some of the most sickening, disgusting websites out there. And it's all legit, since anybody can use our articles as long as the byline and author resource box remain intact. Even worse, one of my articles that included tips for taking great photos ended up on a website devoted exclusively to d*irty photos.

What to do?

Ignore it. That's what all the article experts I've contacted are doing.

Rebecca Morgan, editor of SpeakerNetNews, the excellent ezine for speakers at http://www.speakernetnews.com/, gives the best explanation I've seen:

"Stopping this would be a full-time job. There is no way to contact the owner from the site, so you have to look them up in Whois.com. They are often located in Eastern European countries or Asia. Emailing them gets no response. Contacting their ISP to take down the site will just mean they’ll be live from another site the next day."

Eric Gruber of http://www.articlemarketingexperts.com/ agrees.

"I've been getting a lot of questions like that lately. And I tell them that if their articles are on About.com and MarketingProfs.com, what are they worried about? These other sites do not generate traffic from their prospects."

Good point. Besides, what are the chances a prospect would email you and point out to you that your article appeared on a yucky site where they were lurking? If they did read your article and click through to your website and maybe even buy something, their money is as good as anybody else's.

If you want to learn more about how to set up Google Alerts so you can stay on top of what people, including bloggers, are saying about you, and where your articles are showing up, click here to continue reading, and watch the cool video on how to create a Google Alert: http://tinyurl.com/2d9wkz

Not worried about where your articles are showing up because you aren't writing them? Shame on you. It's time to start. If you can't write, download the incredibly easy template I've provided. It comes with the CD or electronic transcript titled "How toWrite How-to Articles for Newspapers, Magazines and Trade Journals."

Click to continue reading more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/dnxhb

=========================================
3. Do You Do What Experts Do?
=========================================

Are you an expert in your topic?

Based on the reaction I receive when I ask this question during my workshops, three out of four people in the audience are reluctant or afraid to call themselves experts.

"I'm not one of the top people in the world who knows the most about my topic," one audience member said.

Another lamented: "I'd be mortified if a journalist interviewed me, discovered I wasn't an expert, and then uncovered me as a phony."

Typical responses, I believe, because most people don't know the definition of an expert. My own professional association, the National Speakers Association, has struggled with that same issue. Several years ago, five top speakers wrote an excellent 12-page White Paper on what constitutes expertise. You can download it at http://nsaspeaker.org/pdfs/Expertise_Wht_paper.pdf

They concluded that there are numerous levels of expertise, and that expertise shouldn't be measured only by what you know, but by what you do.

For example, experts at various levels write books, articles, newsletters and White Papers. Some of them hold copyrights,trademarks and patents. They receive awards, accolades and honors. They serve as trainers, expert witnesses, coaches, mentors, trusted advisors, arbiters and even sources quoted in the media.

Because the several thousand NSA speakers come from a variety of backgrounds, I recommend that Publicity Hounds, even those who are not professional speakers, use the White Paper as a starting point to identify their own level of expertise. Once you know whether you're an expert, the White Paper can explain what you need to do to become one, and then deepen your expertise.

Smart experts who want reporters, journalists and bloggers to find them make sure they're listed in Expertclick: The Online Yearbook of Experts, like I am.

A subscription helps you drive visitors to your website by writing and distributing press releases at http://www.newsreleasewire.com/ You can send releases without per-release charges when you register for an ExpertClick.com page. You get a search-engine optimized Press Room page, and you can add content instantly to the Web.

Only my Publicity Hounds get to lock in a $100 Publicity Hound discount on top of the double early-order discount, and drop the cost from $895 to $595. Save $300 when you order from the link below by Sunday, Sept. 30. Prices go up $100 in October.

Call the office in Washington, D.C., at 202-333-5000, and ask for the "Publicity Hound Discount" or order on-line at http://www.ExpertClick.com/Discount/The_Publicity_Hound
You can use the $300 savings on any level of membership in the Yearbook of Experts, too. Click here to continue reading about all the benefits of a membership: http://www.ExpertClick.com/Brochure

=========================================
4. 'Talk Like a Pirate' Day
=========================================

It started as a joke several years ago.

But international "Talk Like a Pirate Day" on Sept. 19 turned out to be enticing enough that even Pulitzer prize-winning humor columnist Dave Barry, National Public Radio and other media wanted in on the fun.

John Baur and Mark Summers explain how they encouraged the columnist to write about their special day, and how the giant publicity snowball is still rolling downhill, growing bigger and bigger. Click here to continue reading:
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/about.html

"I think you will agree that these guys should win an award for being honorary Publicity Hounds," writes Julie Lichtman of Frederick, Maryland.

Shiver me timbers. She's right.

Does your company, nonprofit or government agency have its own special day, week or month of the year? If not, learn how to create it, what to do with it, and how to recycle all the great publicity that will result. I explain how in "How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound," my most popular ebook. Download a sample chapter designed to helped you identify story ideas the media will love.

Click to continue reading how to download the chapter:
http://tinyurl.com/2a3dp9

==========================================
5. 'Best of' Website Competitions
==========================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips and alternatives for Donald Hansen of Issaquah, Washington who wants to know how to find "Best of" website competitions he can enter. He wants to promote his Viking Trader website at http://www.vikingtrader.net/where he sells Viking Age artifacts.


From Lois Carter Fay of MarketingIdeaShop.com:

"I know that the Web Marketing Association holds a competition for best sites. You can read about it here:
http://www.webaward.org/

"But even better, here's a link to a work sheet that lists lots of award competitions: http://www.website-awards.net/worksheet.htm"

From Christine Buffaloe of Mequon, Wisconsin:

"Joan often mentions capturing visitors’ email addresses with the Hover Ad Creator. I think this would be ideal. Not only would it track the visitors, but it would also capture them as well." Christine is referring to special HTML coding that you can buy at http://tinyurl.com/2zhj33

The Publicity Hound says:

Your time might be better spent on things like blogging, search engine optimization, posting articles to article directory sites, commenting at other blogs and doing joint ventures with merchants who target the same audience you do.

My mentor, Tom Antion, just updated 'Click,' his excellent ebook that explains how to do all of the above, and more. This ebook, now at a whopping 817 pages and with 150 new links you must know about, is my bible for Internet marketing. I refer to it at least a half dozen times a week. I’m buying the new version today at http://tinyurl.com/s57vc

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

Brian James of Melbourne, Australia writes:

"My client wants his innovative portable water recycling device http://www.waterleech.com.au/ to break into the U.S. market.

"It's a small company with a limited budget. The Water-Leech is a portable water collector that sucks up water from showers, baths and washing machines. It is then wheeled outside to water gardens and wash cars.

"The company is looking to raise funds to grow large enough for Home Depot and other big stores to stock the product. So the devices may be test-marketed in California and include a certificate which gives the first 10,000 people 100 units in the company as well.

"What would it take to get the word out and what is the most effective means of getting into the U.S./California media?"


The Publicity Hound says: My mind is racing with ideas, but my Hounds will come up with far more suggestions than I ever could. Hounds with ideas for Brian can post them at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/3884v8

In the meantime, you or your client should start writing direct-to-consumer press releases and posting them online, so you don't have to rely on the media to deliver your message. Sign up for my free email tutorial "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases" at http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/art.htm

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Christel Hall of Carson City, Nevada for this one, an oldie but goodie:

Three male dogs are walking down the street when they see a beautiful, enticing, female poodle.

They fall all over themselves in an effort to be the one to reach her first, but end up arriving in front of her at the same time.

Aware of her charms and her obvious effect on the three suitors, she tells them, "The first one who can use the words 'liver' and' cheese' together in an imaginative, intelligent sentence can go out with me."

The sturdy, muscular black lab speaks up quickly and says, "I love liver and cheese."

"Oh, how childish," said the poodle. "That shows no imagination or intelligence whatsoever."

She turns to the tall, shiny golden retriever and says "How well can you do?"

"Um. I HATE liver and cheese," blurts the golden retriever.

"My, my," said the poodle. "I guess it's hopeless. That's just as dumb as the lab's sentence."

She then turns to the last of the three dogs and says, "How about you, little guy?"

The last of the three, tiny in stature but big in fame and finesse, is the Taco Bell chihuahua.

He gives her a smile, a sly wink, turns to the golden retriever and the lab and says...

"Liver alone. Cheese mine."


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...
=================================

BBB's 'accredited business' boosts your credibility
http://tinyurl.com/2la9xk

The Forward adds bureau to cover Jewish news in L.A.
http://tinyurl.com/3cs4zt

'Martha' to feature toilet paper wedding dress winner
http://tinyurl.com/2vuj75

What motivates journalists, bloggers? Most of these 40 things
http://tinyurl.com/35m25p

Freelance writers need more lead time
http://tinyurl.com/345rad

Special events publicity: 11 tips to draw a crowd
http://tinyurl.com/ytph7f

---------------------------------------------------------------

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®


Sept. 26: Chicago, Illinois

I'll be attending the "Un-Conference" as a participant. It's the free daylong brainstorming session on how to use social media in your PR campaign. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Millennium Knickerbocker, 163 E. Welton. It kicks off Ragan Communications' full-blown traditional conference, "Corporate Communications and the Social Media Revolution" Sept. 27-28. Learn more about the Un-Conference and the two-day session at
http://tinyurl.com/2bz79b


Sept. 27: Teleseminar on PR Writing

"PR Writing Boot Camp: Give Your PR Writing More Polish, Punch and Power," from 1 to 2:30 PM Eastern Time, sponsored by Bulldog Reporter. Includes a handout with tips, checklists and other goodies from me and the three other guest experts who will join me. Click here to continue reading about what you'll learn:
http://tinyurl.com/2dmtza

Oct. 2: Teleseminar on Promoting Your Expertise Online

Marilee Tolen will present "Intro to Internet Marketing," a series of telephone seminars for holistic health counselors, nurse, doctors, therapists, educators, healers, massage therapists, nutritionists, spa owners and health care business owners how to create a huge presence for themselves online. I'm her guest from 7 to 8:15 PM Eastern Time. And I'll teach you how to become an expert in your field, and then promote your expertise online to pull traffic, including journalists, to your website. Click to continue reading about what else you'll learn:
http://tinyurl.com/3xmbfb

Oct. 9: Teleseminar on "How to Get onto the College Speaking Circuit"

With James Malinchak, 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. This complimentary, high-content call will be chock full of lists of tips on how to make a bundle speaking at colleges. It will whet your appetite for his boot camp Nov. 29-Dec. 2 in Los Angeles. Sign up for the teleseminar at http://tinyurl.com/fs56k


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 list "89 Reasons to Send a News 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
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central)
Fax: 262-284-1737