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Publicity Tips—Your 30-Second Bumper Sticker

May 13th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #554 May 10, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Your 30-Second Bumper Sticker

2. Work with Me One on One

3. YouTube Video Secrets

4. Fast Track for Authors, Speakers, Experts

5. Marketing Tips for a Moose Lodge

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Your 30-Second Bumper Sticker
=====================================

If you’re on LinkedIn, many people only see what Wayne Brietbarth
calls “your 30-second bumper sticker.”

That includes your name, your photo and the 120 characters that
comprise your headline.

My headline is “#1 Publicity Expert on Google. President, The
Publicity Hound. Call me & ask how I can help you with PR.”

I thought that was pretty clever when I wrote it. But when I host
a webinar on May 19 and have Wayne back for 75 minutes of
LinkedIn training, I fear he’ll rip my headline to shreds because
it breaks one of his cardinal rules. It isn’t filled with the
types of keywords people would search for on LinkedIn if they
wanted someone with my expertise.

Your headline and profile are your most important aspects of
LinkedIn–the determining factors that help someone decide,
instantly, if they want to do business with you. If your profile
is vanilla and boring, readers will move onto someone else who’s
more interesting. But if it gives the reader a clear
understanding of exactly what you do, you could get the order.

The first webinar I hosted with Wayne, back in March, got rave
reviews.

Many participants asked for a follow-up session and more training
on three topics we didn’t have time to discuss in depth:
Profiles, Groups and Company Pages.

Groups are where you can meet people for the first time, dazzle
them with your expertise, and start relationships, even if they
aren’t connected to you. Company pages are like giant free
billboards for your products and services–a place where happy
customers can post rave reviews for everyone else to see.

This time, Wayne will address those topics in depth. He’ll
critique your LinkedIn headline if there’s time. And one lucky
person who registers will receive a free, private 20-minute
LinkedIn critique from Wayne after the call.

This webinar will sell out fast, so grab your seat now. Go here
to find out what else we’ll be discussing, and register today so
you don’t get closed out:
http://www.Publicityhound.com/linkedinpowerformulapart2.htm

======================================
2. Work with Me One on One
======================================

If you’re frustrated by the social media time suck, or confused
about how to get a journalist’s attention, help is on the way.

The new class of Publicity Hounds in my Mentor Program will begin
their training on Monday, May 16, with an emphasis on how to
dovetail traditional and social media for publicity. I’ll be
teaching how to write for the web, how to repurpose content in
multiple formats, and beginning and advanced strategies for
blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, photo-sharing sites, and
niche social media sites.

Here’s the best part.

You’ll participate in training along with others in the program,
but you’ll have unlimited access to me so we can work together,
one on one, on exactly what you need. If you’re a beginner, we’ll
start at the beginning. If you’re more advanced, we’ll cover
material some of the others won’t understand.

I will also serve as your personal writing coach and review
anything you write: social media profiles, tweets, Facebook
status updates, press releases, pitches to journalists, and copy
in your press kit.

Because of numerous requests, I’ve decided to do something I’ve
never done before. I’ve set up a handy payment plan for you if
you can’t afford the 6-month or one-year registration fee up
front. You can now pay in four installments.

I invest heavily in my own Internet marketing, social media and
public relations training. I’m either working with my own coach
or mentor, or I’m taking advanced courses or attending seminars
so I can stay on top of what’s new. Plus, I always under-promise
and over-deliver. Just ask anyone who’s attended one of my
teleseminars or webinars, or used me as a mentor.

Read more about how we can work together, and don’t miss our
first mentor program teleseminar on Monday, May 16, when I
discuss how to create a strategy for Twitter:
http://www.PublicityHound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html

Confused about whether this program is right for you? Call me at
262-284-7451 and let’s see if we’re a good fit.

=====================================
3. YouTube Video Secrets
=====================================

Nothing beats video when it comes to capturing one of the top
slots on Google search results.

With just one video on YouTube, you can rank higher than one of
your competitors who has been online for years, but is relying on
nothing more than a few articles here and there to pull traffic.

Video can also be an integral part of a publicity campaign. Colin
Martin, who edits my videos, says most people do it backwards.

They create the video. When they’re ready to upload it to
YouTube, they hurriedly tag the video with whatever keywords pop
into their brains. They write descriptions carelessly, and create
titles haphazardly.

And then they wonder why the video isn’t pulling the kind of
traffic they had hoped.

Colin says you should do it the other way around. Research
keywords first, and then create the video. That’s one of his
YouTube secrets.

Colin, who also manages the video production for Tom Antion, my
Internet marketing mentor, will share many more YouTube secrets
when he joins Marc Bullard for a free webinar for Publicity
Hounds from 8 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 18.

Read more about what you’ll learn how to do after taking 60
minutes of free training with these video wizards during the
webinar “YouTube Super Secrets: Getting Views, Subscribers and
Branding Your Business” at http://tinyurl.com/62ajq65

============================================
4. Fast Track for Authors, Speakers, Experts
============================================

A job search expert was able to stand out from all the other job
experts and sell 10,000 books in three weeks.

The author of “Skinny Bitch” made her book a New York Times Best
Seller, with over 2 million copies in print.

One smart Publicity Hound wrote an enticing subject line that
forced a producer from the “Today” show to call.

Another Publicity Hound had a super story to pitch but no clue
about who to contact at his local TV stations. Within a matter of
hours, one of the local news crews was interviewing him.

How did they do it?

By being timely, acting quickly, and doing things that lots of
other Media Mutts aren’t doing.

Steve Harrison will discuss them all, and more, during a free
teleseminar on Thursday, May 12.

“Fast-Track Strategies for Becoming a Well-Known, Well-Paid
Author, Speaker or Expert In Your Field” will be offered at your
choice of 2 or 7 p.m. Eastern. I promote this as a compensated
affiliate, because I see so many authors, speakers and experts
doing it the hard way.

======================================
5. Marketing Tips for a Moose Lodge
======================================

This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips for Don Luepnitz of
Norwalk, CA, on how his Moose Lodge can use traditional and
social media to attract more members and visitors. The lodge
website is at http://www.norwalkmoose.org/

From Marcia Yudkin:

“Let’s start with your signage, as shown in the photo. It’s
uninformative and uninviting.

“It doesn’t indicate what you offer and doesn’t convey the facts
that non-members are welcome and that kids are allowed. Talk to
your local sign shop for ideas on how to add those messages
inexpensively–for example, through colorful banners.”

From Patty Newbold:

“Have a web page about darts, so anyone searching for darts in
Norwalk or surrounding towns sees the page and can tell when the
public is welcome there for darts, what it costs to be able to
play there all the time, and whether there are any tournaments or
lessons for darts players.

“Do something similar for bingo, the kids’ room, the bar, the
dinners, the breakfasts–and be sure it’s clear on each page when
the public is welcome, what it costs to be a member, and where to
join. Add a page for charities and kids’ sports teams that want
the lodge’s help, too.

From Scott Anthony:

“My first idea was to cross-promote. As a sponsor of sports
teams, you probably treat the players to pizza or ice cream after
games. On occasion, why not ask the restaurant owner to
distribute flyers for your events in exchange for the business
you send his way (pick a busy restaurant).”

The Publicity Hound says:

These are all great suggestions. I offered lots more when I
hosted the webinar “60+ Places Offline to Promote Your Product,
Service, Cause, Issue or Event to Build the Buzz & Encourage
Others to Promote for You.” Learn more about all the publicity
tools that are right at your fingertips at
http://www.publicityhound.com/promoteoffline.htm

Read all the responses to this week’s “Help This Hound” question
at http://publicityhound.net/?p=8351

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

======================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
======================================

Thanks to Dan Poynter of Santa Barbara, CA, for tipping us off to
this video of a talking dog. It racked up more than 12 million
views on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw

======================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
======================================

10 Magic Phrases Journalists and Bloggers LOVE
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8368

YouTube secrets push your video to top of search results
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8395

——————————————-

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

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

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

=======================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
P.O. Box 437
Port Washington, WI 53074-0437
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451

Publicity Tips—Betty Boop, Minnie Mouse & Me

April 6th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #549 April 5, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Betty Boop, Minnie Mouse & Me

2. USA Today Adds Women Bloggers

3. How to Create a Facebook Link

4. Snazzy Graphics Package

5. Follow Me on Quora

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Betty Boop, Minnie Mouse & Me
=====================================

One of the questions a professional speaker and trainer never
wants to hear is, “What’s wrong with your voice?”

My friends in the Wisconsin chapter of the National Speakers
Association started asking that more than a decade ago.

Every time I spoke, on stage and off, they could hear me
straining, almost as though I was tightening my throat muscles.
I felt it, too, and tried everything I could to make the words
come out smooth, but to no avail.

The voice coaches were beside themselves.

“You talk lazy,” one coach kept chastising me. “Use your
diaphragm when you talk.” So I signed up for a series of voice
coaching lessons with her. They didn’t help either.

An ear, nose and throat specialist examined me and couldn’t find
anything wrong. She concluded it was a mild case of acid reflux,
even though I didn’t have any of the symptoms.

She referred me to a physical therapist for voice. That
coaching, which included a series of voice exercises three times
a day, didn’t work either.

After an army of voice coaches, physical therapists, plus a small
fortune spent on expensive throat spray, Throat Coat teabags,
CDs, tapes, books and other sources of information on how to
improve my voice, I gave up in frustration. Nothing worked.

Finally, I know what’s wrong with my voice. Read about my
diagnosis and what it means for you:

http://publicityhound.net/?p=8142

======================================
2. USA Today Adds Women Bloggers
======================================

USA TODAY has launched five new blogs by top women writers, now
appearing at http://YourLife.USAToday.com/index

Topics include:

–Family, friends and relationships

–What beauty really means.

–Why sleep is important to women’s health

–How to achieve work/life balance

–Skin care, weight, hair care, new products, tempting trends and
celeb news.

If you think your story is a good fit, don’t pitch the bloggers
until you know what you’re doing. Patsi Krakoff and Denise
Wakeman show you how to research bloggers, pitch a story they’ll
love and offer enticing extras that will make them say yes. They
were my guests during a teleseminar I hosted on “How to Pitch the
Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/pitch_bloggers.htm

=====================================
3. How to Create a Facebook Link
=====================================

You’ve written a fabulous status update for your Facebook fan
page, and you want to share the link on other social media sites,
or in your newsletter.

But you don’t want to give people the URL to the fan page, and
then force people to hunt for the status update on the Wall. What
do you do?

You share the unique link for the status update, of course. But
Facebook doesn’t make it easy to find unless you know where to
look.

Simply click on the time stamp below the status update. It might
say something like “9 hours ago” or “Saturday at 8:52am.”

After you click, go to the browser window, and cut and paste the
link.

That’s an opportunity a lot of Facebook page administrators don’t
know about. Learn about a dozen others in the replay of the
webinar “12 More Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on the New &
Improved Facebook” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/facebook12ways.htm

=====================================
4. Snazzy Graphics Package
=====================================

If you’re like me, you rush over to one of the stock photo
services when you need a graphic for your website, blog, a press
kit, a sales page, or a Facebook Note.

But even at a buck or two each, you can burn through your credits
quickly.

I just discovered a really snazzy graphics package where can buy
a boatload of graphics for next to nothing. Read about it at my
blog, and see some of the samples, at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8096

======================================
5. Follow Me on Quora
======================================

This past week, I answered several questions on Quora.com,
including:

–How do you increase the number of Likes and comments on a
Facebook Fan Page?

–How do you tell if someone is an expert?

–How do you find funny video, pictures and articles online to
share at the social media sites?

Read my answers and follow me on Quora at
http://www.quora.com/Joan-Stewart-1

Quora is quickly becoming one of the premiere websites to find
experts who can answer questions on almost any topic.

======================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
======================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Kathleen Mahan of San Juan Capistrano,
Calif., for this funny video of two dogs sitting at a table and
eating food off plates, using silverware, and wiping their mouths
with napkins. It’s almost seven minutes long. If you don’t have
time to watch the whole thing, at least catch the first few
minutes. More than 2.2 million people have seen it on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVwlMVYqMu4&feature=
player_embedded#at=216

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/

=====================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
====================================

With apologies to Betty Boop, I’m finding my voice
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8142

Add visual pizzazz with this versatile graphics toolkit
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8096

——————————————-

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

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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 or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam 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.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity Tips—Cool Tool for Local Publicity

March 24th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #546 March 22, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Cool Tool for Local Publicity

2. Answer Your Damn Phone

3. A Facebook “Welcome” Page

4. Pitching Tips from Journalists

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Cool Tool for Local Publicity
=====================================

Here’s another hyper local website to add to your publicity
toolbox.

EveryBlock at http://www.EveryBlock.com is perfect for
publicizing local news in bigger cities and also finding other
local blogs and media outlets you might not know about.

MSNBC bought it in 2009 and unveiled the new version yesterday.
It operates in 16 cities mostly on the east and west coasts:
Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San
Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

EveryBlock offers news down to the block level and encourages
collaboration among neighbors. Enter any address in one of those
cities and you’ll see news articles, blog coverage, crime reports
and a wide variety of other local information, all updated
throughout the day. You can also submit your own news, which they
don’t edit.

You’ll find three main types of news:

–Civic information, including building permits, crimes,
restaurant inspections and more. In many cases, this information
is already on the Web but buried in hard-to-find government
databases. In other cases, the data hasn’t been posted online,
but EveryBlock gets it through government agencies.

–News articles and blog entries, including information from
major newspapers, community weeklies, TV and radio news stations,
local specialty publications and local blogs. If you find a
local blogger on that site who you didn’t know about, you can
start pitching that blogger when you have local news to share.

–Fun from across the Web, including local photos posted to the
Flickr photo-sharing site, user reviews of local businesses on
Yelp, and lost-and-found postings from Craigslist.

This site is perfect for news from clubs and civic groups,
schools, nonprofits, churches, political campaigns, neighborhood
groups, etc., because it offers customizable RSS feeds for every
block, zip code and neighborhood in each city it serves. Sign up
for a free account and you can receive email updates. Read the
FAQ page at http://www.everyblock.com/about/faq/

I’m adding EveryBlock to the long list I’ve already accumulated
and shared on the webinar “50+ Places Online to Promote Your Live
or Virtual Events to Reach Your Target Market & Pull Sell-out
Crowds.” Find out how to access the webinar replay at
http://www.publicityhound.com/events.htm

======================================
2. Answer Your Damn Phone
======================================

Obsessed with your tweets, clicks, likes, bookmarks, friends,
fans and apps?

None of them will do you any good if you don’t provide basic
customer service offline, like answering your damn phone.

Jay Baer hit a nerve when I read his blog post on how, in almost
every case, people experience our companies in the “real world”
first, and then decide whether (or how much) to interact with us
in the virtual world. Every smart Publicity Hound knows that
includes journalists.

For example, I had my journalist hat on this morning when writing
the item above about EveryBlock. I had two questions.

Luckily, I found the mobile phone number of an EveryBlock
employee at their website. I called, he answered the phone, I got
what I needed, and I was VERY impressed.

If a journalist were to call you right now, would she be kicked
into voicemail? If a customer orders from your website and your
shopping cart accidentally charges his credit card twice, is he
forced to fill out one of those annoying Help tickets before his
problem is resolved? Do you hide behind caller ID and never
answer unless you recognize the caller’s name?

Read what Jay Baer has to say about offline customer service,
including my comment at his blog, and then grade yourself:

http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-strategy/why-
social-success-is-no-accident

And, yes, I answer my own phone.

=====================================
3. A Facebook “Welcome” Page
=====================================

Assuming you do answer your phone and take care of customers,
make sure they can follow you on the social media sites,
especially Facebook.

Turning friends into fans, and fans into customers, isn’t easy.
But there are all kinds of apps, tricks, tools and techniques you
can use to draw a huge following.

For example, did you know that a customized Welcome page converts
twice as many visitors to a company page into fans than if those
visitors were to simply land on the Wall? You can create a simple
landing page yourself, or you can pay a design firm to do it for
you like I am. I’ll share the results in a few weeks.

During last week’s webinar on “12 More Ways to Avoid Missed
Opportunities on the New & Improved Facebook,” we showed examples
of Welcome pages, and shared dozens of tactics you can use to
build up a huge following.

If you missed it, read more about what we discussed and access
the replay and the 14 pages of handouts, complete with screen
shots, here:
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/facebook12ways.htm

=====================================
4. Pitching Tips from Journalists
=====================================

What’s the one thing journalists and broadcasters are looking for
when they hear your pitch?

It depends on the journalist. But watch this video, and four of
them will share valuable pitching tips you can start using right
now:
http://www.nationalpublicitysummit.com/info/nps8media.html?10011

All four have been among the more than 100 journalists who have
attended the National Publicity Summit, where authors, speakers,
experts and PR people can meet them face to face and pitch. This
year’s summit is April 13-16, and only 19 of 100 seats are left.

Plus, the price goes up after tomorrow. If you want to attend,
apply here:

http://www.nationalpublicitysummit2011.com/apply/?10011

For the remaining 19 spots, Steve Harrison will consider all
applications submitted through Wednesday and give preference to
applications in the order submitted. I’m a compensated affiliate
for this event.

======================================
5. Help This Hound
======================================

Heather John of Los Angeles, Calif., writes:

“I created and manage the Facebook business page for an online
store and I want to set something up on Facebook (maybe through
Events?) where we send out a mass Facebook message inviting
previous customers to like our new Facebook business page.
(There are about 30,000 people on file in our customer base,
though many may not have a Facebook profile.)

“The idea is that I would say something like, ‘Like’ [our
company] on Facebook and get a promotional code for 10% off.”
But, how can I set it up so that it sends the code automatically
to anyone who likes us (for a limited time)? Is there an app
that I can make for that or do I just have to respond directly to
each individual Like?”

The Publicity Hound says:

I’m getting more questions like this from Publicity Hounds who
want to know how to reward people for Liking their pages.

Wildfire is an online software application that lets you create
branded interactive campaigns like sweepstakes, contests, give-
aways, incentive-based surveys and to simultaneously publish them
in multiple social networks and on your website, but I haven’t
tried that yet.

I’m experimenting with Suggest This, the Facebook app at
http://facebook.com/suggestthis that lets you suggest to 20
friends at a time that they visit your page and Like it. But it
doesn’t reward them for doing so.

Please share your comments on how you actually reward visitors
for Liking your page, with coupons, discounts or other
incentives. And please include a link to your page. Post your
comments to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=7974

======================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
======================================

Guilty!

That’s what the expression on this dog’s face says when his owner
asks if he stole the cat’s treats. The video is a little over two
minutes, and worth it. I howled. Thanks to my virtual assistant,
Christine Buffaloe, for sharing it.

http://www.youtube.com/user/foodplot#p/u/0/B8ISzf2pryI

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/

=====================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
====================================

How to read the Wall Street Journal, NY Times online for free
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8035

EveryBlock: Another uber-local site for community news
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8059

——————————————-

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

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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 or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam 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.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity Tips—Steal This Headline

February 23rd, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #542 Feb. 22, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Steal This Headline

2. Startling LinkedIn Statistic

3. No More Boring Tweets

4. Twitter One-liners

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Steal This Headline
=====================================

Don’t worry. I won’t sick the police dogs on you for stealing
headlines, tweaking them and using them on your own blog posts,
articles and content for the social media sites.

I steal them all the time. So do other journalists.

They’re called formula headlines and they’re all over the covers
of consumer magazines and on blogs. They often beg to be stolen,
like this one:

Authors, Publishers: 50 things under $50 to promote your book

I saw that headline on a blog published by author Lisa Peitsch.
Think of the ways you can tweak it to suit your needs. Some
examples:

–Eat at your desk? 5 things under $5 to keep your keyboard clean

–Moms: 10 things under $10 to occupy a cranky toddler

–Drivers: 20 things under $20 to store in your trunk for
emergencies

You get the idea. Make a list of formula headlines you like and
then tweak them when needed.

You’ll find formula headlines galore at Copyblogger, one of the
top blogs in the world for writing sterling copy. Scroll down and
see many of the formula headlines under the title “Popular
Articles” in the right margin: http://www.CopyBlogger.com

======================================
2. Startling LinkedIn Statistic
======================================

BNET Blogger Jim Edwards wrote about a surprising nugget of
information tucked inside the document that LinkedIn wrote for
its initial public offering recently:

Most of its 90 million registered users don’t visit the site on a
monthly basis, or hardly ever use it. In fact, Jim says, the
company can’t tell the difference between an inactive or deceased
member and an active user.

I blinked when I saw that. I read it again. Then I ventured an
easy guess as to why.

Most LinkedIn users simply don’t understand the power of making
connections, joining groups, answering questions, making and
receiving recommendations, promoting events, starting
discussions, and providing daily status updates. They aren’t
aware that they can ask their connections to introduce them to
powerful movers, shakers and other influential users who might
never take their phone calls or answer their emails.

Learning all that is time-consuming. And applying it can eat up
precious weeks and months.

Even if less than half of those who have accounts on LinkedIn use
the site monthly, that’s still more than 44 million people who
do. LinkedIn has turned into the go-to destination for companies
and nonprofits that are checking out job applicants, looking for
recommendations for vendors, and searching for experts who can
solve their problems.

I’ve heard one success story after another of LinkedIn users who
have used the site to sign book contracts with publishers, find
paid speaking engagements, and attract consulting clients.

Tom Beug, one of my fellow management consultants in The Summit
Group in Milwaukee, used LinkedIn to contact a former client and
say hi. Turns out the company needed an executive, and signed a
contract with Tom to conduct the search.

If you’re on LinkedIn but you’re confused about how to use the
site, don’t spent weeks or months learning.

Join LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth and me for a webinar on
March 3 on “Your LinkedIn Power Formula: How to Make Killer
Contacts, Pull Crowds to Events, be a Star in Your Industry &
Track Down Leads Like a Bloodhound.”

Inc. Magazine is so impressed with Wayne that the magazine has
invited him to speak at its Growco conference April 6-8 in Las
Vegas.

Learn more about the webinar, how to register, and what you’ll
find on the killer handouts, at
http://www.PublicityHound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/linkedinpowerformula.htm

=====================================
3. No More Boring Tweets
=====================================

OK, so you’ve stopped tweeting about boring topics like when
you’ve logged onto your computer, what you ate for lunch, and
which coffee shop you’re tweeting from.

That’s a start. But how do you find compelling, interesting
content that fills the void and forces your followers to retweet
what you’ve written?

MediaBistro.com suggests these five tips for spicing up your
Twitter feed:

–Say something controversial.

–Sprinkle in some quotes.

–Add humor.

–Tweet breaking news.

–Join a hashtag conversation.

You can read the entire log post here:
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/5-types-of-tweets-that-
will-get-you-retweeted_b3431

I’ve also started following more influential people who
generously share information like the type listed above. One very
easy way to find them is to visit the profiles of Twitterers I
admire, check out their lists, and then subscribe to the ones I
like.

If you’re not using Twitter lists, you’re missing out on a
powerful, timesaving tool that can also help you promote your
expertise.

I hosted a webinar recently on “How to Use Twitter Lists &
Directories to Generate Business & Build Your Brand.” The replay
is available at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/twitterlists.htm

=====================================
4. Twitter One-Liners
=====================================

If you like the tips you read here, but you aren’t following me
on Twitter, go to the dog house without your dinner because
you’re missing hundreds of helpful tips.

This morning, for example, I shared this link where you can find
41 terrific one-liners, perfect for Twitter. Many of my followers
are already retweeting it:
http://hubpages.com/hub/funny-one-liners-for-twitter

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

======================================
5. Help This Hound
======================================

Michael Smith of Philadelphia writes:

“My brother is the chef/owner of Fletcher’s BBQ, a restaurant
that opened in September in a working middle-class neighborhood
in the Philadelphia suburbs.

“It offers take-out and delivery only. The motto, emblazoned on
T-shirts and the menus, is ‘Dig the Pig!’

“My brother already has landed a great story in the local paper,
and that drove some customers to the venue. Now we’re looking to
keep the momentum going. By the way, he provides 10 percent
discounts to the local VFW, policemen, firefighters and active
military, and also donates to local churches.

“In addition to ads and publicity in local papers, what are other
effective ways to spread the word? There are a lot of other
eateries in the neighborhood but not authentic BBQ food, so it’s
filling a niche.

“Any advice you and your Publicity Hounds can offer to promote a
new take-out only BBQ food venue? I’m sure there are some great
ideas out there among your readers.”

The Publicity Hound says:

There sure are, Michael. Help This Hound questions from
restaurant owners always seem to generate a lot of ideas. I love
the logo of the pig on the motorcycle and the “Dig the Pig”
motto. Hounds with ideas for Michael’s brother can post them to
my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=7866

======================================
6. Hound Joke of the Week
======================================

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

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

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/

=====================================
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
====================================

Need story ideas? Here are 6 to pitch in March
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7854

Why half of LinkedIn users aren’t active on the site
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7848

——————————————-

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

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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 or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam 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.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity Tips—Whom to Pitch: Blogs or Press?

January 26th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #540 Jan. 25, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Whom to Pitch: Blogs or Press?

2. The Feature Facebook Forgot

3. Your LinkedIn Headline

4. Why Your Book Isn’t Done Yet

5. Explain Your Awards

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Whom to Pitch: Blogs or Press?
=====================================

I’ll bet you’ve found yourself in this quandary:

You have a great story idea, but you have a decision to make. Do
you pitch it to traditional media, or to bloggers?

There’s no right answer. It depends on the story idea, your
target market, and a variety of other factors.

The next time you face this decision, read the thorough summary
of the pros and cons of pitching the press vs. bloggers from
David Spinks, at the Social Fresh blog at
http://socialfresh.com/pitching-bloggers-mainstream-media-or-
both/

Here’s a quick recap:

Blogs will help you reach a more targeted but smaller audience.
Less popular bloggers are more accessible.

Bloggers can sway their audiences much easier than traditional
media, because people trust them more. But, because they publish
far less frequently, you may have to wait awhile before they
finally use your idea.

Traditional media are generally far less accessible. Because your
audience isn’t targeted, you can see a boost in website traffic
that levels off over time. But a story in USA Today, or even your
local weekly newspaper, can give you instant credibility.

My advice: Use both.

Don’t forget to research before you pitch, however. I wrote a
lengthy comment under David’s blog post that underscores the
importance of research.

One of the best ways to increase the chances of being covered is
to piggyback your story idea onto breaking news. Michelle
Tennant, a publicist who regularly places stories about her
clients in top-tier media outlets, explains how she does it in
the video replay of a webinar I hosted with her recently. Read
more about “How to Tie Your Pitch to Breaking News and Make the
Media Interview YOU” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/breakingnews.htm

======================================
2. The Feature Facebook Forgot
======================================

If you manage your own Facebook Fan Pages, you know how
frustrating it can be to constantly check to see if anyone has
commented on notes, photos, videos or other content you’ve
shared, so you can write a timely reply.

HyperAlerts to the rescue!

It’s a new, free app that sends you an email notice every time
someone posts or comments on one of your pages. You can decide
how often you want to be notified–as soon as possible, daily,
weekly or monthly.

I added it to my Facebook Fan Page at
http://www.Facebook.com/publicitytips and decided I want to be
contacted as soon as possible, because if I show up late to my
own party, my guests could be long gone by then.

You can monitor as many pages as you wish, and even create
multiple alerts for the same page. Maybe you want an alert
immediately, as well as a weekly report of all activity.

Add it to your Fan Page now at http://alerts.hyperinteraktiv.no/

Thanks to Christine Buffaloe, my virtual assistant, for letting
me know about HyperAlerts. She’s a Facebook expert extraordinaire
who was my guest during the webinar “11 Ways to Avoid Missed
Opportunities on Facebook.” Read more about the things she can
teach you to do at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/how_to_use_facebook.htm

=====================================
3. Your LinkedIn Headline
=====================================

Does your LinkedIn headline set you apart from everyone else in
your field? It should say to journalists and others who find you:
“You need to contact this person, pronto!”

Until recently, my headline was lame. It made me sound like every
other publicity expert. So I came up with one that I think really
sets me apart, and includes a call to action:

“#1 Publicity Expert on Google. President, The Publicity Hound.
Call me at 262-284-7451 & ask how I can help you”

A week after I changed it, the phone rang. It was Matt
Schumacher, a financial services consultant from Milwaukee. The
first words out of his mouth were, “How can you help me?”

I explained how, and now he subscribes to this newsletter, and
knows all about my free content that’s available. I also told him
about my telephone consulting, and where he can find the products
I’ve created that can help him market his practice.

Your headline, by the way, is the two lines of type that appear
to the left of your photo on your profile page. It should include
keywords that the search engines can find.

You’re allowed 120 characters. So use them! No wimpy one-liners.

The LinkedIn headline isn’t necessarily the same as the profile
you write for the other social media sites. Let Nancy Marmolejo
show you how to write a sizzling profile that says, “Call me.”
See “Can Your Social Media Profile Pass the 10-Second Test?” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/socialnetworkingprofile.htm

=====================================
4. Why Your Book Isn’t Done Yet
=====================================

If you’re writing a book, and it’s taking much longer than you
expected, it could be because you’ve fallen into one or more
common traps:

–You’re taking way too long to do your research.

–You’re striving for perfection.

–You’re putting off the task because you’re not sure if you’re
doing it correctly.

You’re invited to a free webinar (or telephone seminar) on
Thursday, Jan. 27, with a woman who’s developed a unique system
for writing a quality non-fiction book in 90 days. I’m a
compensated affiliate for this program.

Click here to register:
http://www.freeauthortraining.com/call/?10011

Discover the speed writing system she’s used to help 268 authors
get their books done quickly.

See you on the call!

======================================
5. Explain Your Awards
======================================

If you’re publicizing an industry award, for heaven’s sake,
please explain what you did to earn it.

Even better, offer a list of tips on how other people can do what
you do, whether it’s selling more computers, or designing a
better building, or writing a prize-winning novel.

Too many press releases and other promotions that announce awards
fail to do this.

And when you receive the award, make sure you give a gracious and
professional acceptance speech. Speech coach Patricia Fripp
explains how at
http://billionaires.forbes.com/article/09nL48j9Df1u3

======================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
======================================

Have you seen this one of the dog playing basketball? Two points!

http://www.funnydogsite.com/videos/basketball.htm

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/

=====================================
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
====================================

Paint a picture with your blog, article headlines
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7679

Look far beyond your topic for publicity ideas
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7670

——————————————-

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

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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 or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam 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.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity Tips—-7 Ways to Improve Your Blog

January 4th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #537 Dec. 28, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. 7 Ways to Improve Your Blog

2. My Facebook Page is Missing

3. Workplace Columnist Needs Sources

4. Do You Tweet? Be on Twellow

5. How to Thank Your Clients

6. Hound Photos of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. 7 Ways to Improve Your Blog
=====================================

What would you rather do?

Go to a cocktail party and spend the entire evening bragging to
everyone in the room about how great you are?

Or miss the cocktail party, but hear later that everyone there
was talking about you, and gushing about your competence,
expertise and wit?

That’s one way to illustrate the power of inbound links to your
blog. You can’t control them. But when you get them, the search
engines reward you. The more inbound links your blog receives
from authoritative websites and blogs, the more important you’ll
look in the eyes of Google.

Even though you can’t control who says what about you, you can do
seven things to increase the likelihood of obtaining high-quality
incoming links. Copywriter Jim Lodico explained them all in the
blog post he wrote for the Social Media Examiner blog at
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/7-ways-to-improve-your-blog-
seo-with-inbound-links/#more-7068

One of them is something you’ve heard me harping about
repeatedly. Write and distribute online press releases. Not so
the media find them, call you and write about you. That rately
happens.

Of far greater value is that–and this is important–you can
control the inbound links to your blog or website from that press
release.

“The key is to link from the body text of the press release to
pages deep within your site such as a related blog post (deep
linking),” Jim explains.

For example, let’s say I wrote a blog post about how to write
headlines for how-to articles. I can write a press release
offering tips on how Publicity Hounds can write various formula
headlines to accompany their own articles. Within my press
release, the phrase “how to write headlines for articles” would
link directly to the blog post where readers can learn more about
the topic. I’d distribute the release through PRWeb.

The search engines see that “how to write headlines for
articles,” a phrase at an authoritative site like PRWeb, links to
my blog post. My blog gets credit for that backlink. And the more
backlinks I can attract, the more important my blog becomes in
Google’s eyes, and the higher the post ranks when someone types
“how to write headlines for articles” into Google.

But you can’t throw keyword phrases here and there. And you can’t
stuff keywords into the release. Press release expert Janet
Thaeler explained exactly how to use and position your keywords
when she was my guest during the teleseminar on “Keywords, the
Magic Magnets that Pull Consumers and Journalists to Your Press
Releases.” We recorded it, and it includes 11 pages of
illustrated handouts, links to three videos Janet has created
that show you how to do keyword research, an easy 8-step
checklist you can refer to every time you write a press release,
and a good example of a press release that was optimized for the
search engines, with keywords highlighted in yellow so you knkow
exactly how to do it.

Read more about how to access the teleseminar recording and the
handouts at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/keywords_in_press_releases.htm

======================================
2. My Facebook Page is Missing
======================================

Talk about frustrating!

For the past few months, I’ve had no activity at my Facebook Fan
Page at http://www.Facebook.com/publicity tips despite the fact
that I’ve been posting videos, notes, tips and photos.

If you click on that link or paste it into your browser window,
you’ll end up in your own account. Yet the page comes up in the
search results if you search for “publicity” pages. So I know
Facebook hasn’t yanked the page.

I’ve filled out Facebook’s “bug report” form twice but have heard
nothing.

Does anyone have any bright ideas about how to solve this
problem? Publicity Hound DeeNice Rhodes suggested going to
LinkedIn and connecting with someone from Facebook, then asking a
Facebook employee to help me. That’s what she did when she had a
problem with Facebook, and someone helped her immediately.

Email me at JStewart@PublicityHound.com or, better yet, comment
at my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=7601 so that others who
experience this same problem know what to do.

On LinkedIn, are you connected with a Facebook employee who might
be able to help me, and would you be willing to make the
introduction?

=====================================
3. Workplace Columnist Needs Sources
=====================================

Dr. Mildred Culp, who writes the WorkWise syndicated column,
needs sources to discuss how they overcame (or are overcoming)
excessive electronic connection at work by connecting face-to-
face with others. Include your city and state, and telephone
number.

Publicists, you can promote your clients and their employees.
WorkWise is featured in dozens of daily newspapers, from The
Miami Herald to San Diego Union-Tribune. It uncovers emerging
trends in the workplace. Email her at Workwise@comcast.net

=====================================
4. Do You Tweet? Be on Twellow
=====================================

Looking for people in a certain niche on Twitter, but confused
about how to find them?

Twellow.com to the rescue. It’s like the Twitter Yellow Pages,
with hundreds of categories and some really obscure niches. I
spent much of the day there today looking for people who one of
my corporate consulting clients can follow.

Twellow grabs publicly available messages from Twitter. It
analyzes and categorizes the writer into several hundred
categories at Twellow.com, which helps you narrow your search
into specific niches where you can find who you are looking for.

While you’re there, check to see if you’re registered. If not,
get onto Twellow pronto! If you’re already on Twellow, you can
be listed in 10 categories, delete categories that have been
assigned to you, or add those that aren’t. Read the FAQs at
http://www.twellow.com/about.php

My other favorite way to find people on Twitter is by using
Twitter lists. Lists can help you spy on your competitors, save
hours of research time, and find large groups of experts in the
same niche. You can also use Twitter lists to find joint venture
partners and journalists who cover your industry.

If you want a crash course in lists, check out the webinar I
hosted on “How to Use Twitter Lists & Directories to Generate
Publicity and Build Your Brand” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/twitterlists.htm

======================================
5. How to Thank Your Clients
======================================

Say Happy New Year and thank your client with my free ebook
packed with 25 tips on how to use traditional and social media to
promote their product, service, cause or issue.

Download “The Best of The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week of
2010″ at http://Ez.com/bestof2010

And then encourage your clients to subscribe to this newsletter.
You read it. Shouldn’t they?

======================================
6. Hound Photos of the Week
======================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Meryl K. Evans of Plano, Texas for
these photos of the 10 Weirdest Dog Toys. My favorite is the red
lips!

http://www.oddee.com/item_97297.aspx

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/

=====================================
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
====================================

CEOs: Unusual hobbies, collections? Forbes wants you
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7562

Help! No one can see my Facebook Fan Page
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7525

——————————————-

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

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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 or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam 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.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity Tips—Your Own “Seal of Approval”

November 17th, 2010 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #531 Nov. 16, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
http://www.MysocialMediaSolution.com/blog

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Your Own “Seal of Approval”

2. Yahoo Launches Weekend Edition

3. USA Today’s Health Website

4. Publish an Ebook for the Kindle

5. Promoting a Writing Website

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Your Own “Seal of Approval”
=====================================

The Good Housekeeping “Seal of Approval” has been reassuring
consumers about product quality for more than a century.

It’s one of the most recognized consumer emblems in the market
today. Two years ago, the magazine added the Green Good
Housekeeping Seal to help consumers identify products that are
effective and environmentally friendly.

What if you could have your own “Seal of Approval” that would
underscore your expertise in your field? Just think of the
publicity that you could generate!

You could award the seal to a certain number of products,
services or companies each year and then, pitch bloggers and
journalists. Winners would imprint your seal on their products,
use it in paid ads and launch their own publicity campaigns. The
seal could become a valuable component to your branding.

A seal of approval is only one of the several dozen promotion
tactics I’ll discuss when I host the webinar “60+ Places Offline
to Promote Your Product, Service, Cause, Issue or Event to Build
the Buzz and Encourage Others to Promote for You.” It’s at 3 p.m.
Eastern Time on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

Can’t attend live? I’ll record it, so you can catch the replay at
your convenience. Register at
http://www.PublicityHound.com/promoteoffline.htm

Also, let me know about offline tactics you use to promote, and
send a photo if you can. I can work the idea into my presentation
and create even more publicity for you!

======================================
2. Yahoo Launches Weekend Edition
======================================

Yahoo launched a weekend news and entertainment guide last week
that’s devoted to lifestyle topics such as travel, health and
entertainment.

It’s called Weekend Edition at
http://weekendedition.news.yahoo.com/, and it can lead tons of
traffic to the registration page for your online and virtual
events. That’s because the site geo-locates the incoming user to
feed them schedules of local events and localized news.

Many of those events come directly from Upcoming.org, which is
part of Yahoo. So if you aren’t posting calendar events to that
site, you’re missing a lot of traffic, registrations and
publicity.

Upcoming.org is just one of the many websites I discussed during
the recent webinar “50+ Places Online to Promote Your Live &
Virtual Events to Reach Your Target Market & Pull Sell-out
Crowds.” I recorded it, and you can purchase the entire package
that includes the video replay and handouts at
http://www.PublicityHound.com/events.htm

=====================================
3. USA Today’s Health Website
=====================================

If you’re an expert in any facet of health, or you sell products
or services related to health topics, add USA Today’s new “Your
Life” website to the list of media you want to target for
publicity.

That’s where you can find names of journalists and bloggers who
are contributing to the site, in addition to information on how
to follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Want to get their attention?

Then stop doing what 99 out of 100 other people are doing. During
the webinar I hosted on “How to REALLY Use Publicity as an Online
Marketing Channel and ZIG When Everyone Else is ZAGGING,” I
shared valuable tips on what the rest of the smart Publicity
Hounds are doing to catch their attention. Read more about how to
access the video replay at
http://www.publicityhound.com/onlinepublicitytips.htm

=====================================
4. Publish an Ebook for the Kindle
======================================

Three fast facts that show you why publishing ebooks for
Amazon.com’s Kindle is such a big deal, especially if you’re an
expert in your field:

–The New York Times is now adding ebooks to its best-seller
list.

–For every 100 hardcover books Amazon is selling, it sells 143
Kindle ebooks.

–Every ebook in the Kindle store is available worldwide within
60 seconds. (Authors, how long does it take you to ship your
hardcover book to a customer?)

If you’re not publishing ebooks for the Kindle, you should be.
But where do you start, especially if you don’t even know how to
write an ebook?

Let Daniel Hall give you step-by-step directions. He will be my
guest during a free webinar at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday,
Dec. 1.

Please set aside at least two hours for this session. Daniel
stays on the line until everyone’s questions are answered.

======================================
5. Promoting a Writing Website
======================================

This week, five Publicity Hounds have tips for McKenna Donovan of
Asheville, N.C., who needs ideas on how to promote her writing
classes at http://www.ToWriteWell.com

From Daphne Gray-Grant:

“You need more sales copy on your sales page. What will people
gain from taking your courses? Tell them! Be specific. Also,
spell out how the classes work.”

From Phyllis Zimbler Miller:

“I checked out the meta tags of your site, and it appears you
have none besides the non-keyword-optimized title tag ‘To Write
Well.’ A subtitle using keywords along with that title would be
very helpful–and definitely a description meta tag using
keywords that people might search with to find your site would be
very helpful.”

From Kathi Petersen:

“I’m from Asheville, too. And while we folks from Western N.C.
embrace our eclectic population of tie-dye meets necktie, gray-
hairs and pink-hairs, mohawks and ponytails (with a big splash of
spirituality and quantum physics thrown in), I’d be concerned
that anyone outside of Asheville might balk at the ‘woo-woo’
background of some of your faculty, several of whom focus on the
paranormal. It just seems inconsistent and less professional than
what I was expecting. If paranormal is a special niche, the
branding needs to reflect that.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Read all the responses to this week’s “Help This Hound” question
at http://publicityhound.net/?p=7362

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

======================================
6. Hound Joke of the Week
======================================

Thanks to Twitter follower @NathanBryce for this one:

A dog gave birth on the side of the road and was cited
for…littering.

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/

=====================================
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
====================================

You can now sign up to receive email notifications every time I
publish a new blog post. Submit your email address to “Subscribe
to Email Updates” on the right side of my blog at
http://www.PublicityHound.net

Here are posts from the last seven days:

Churches, claim your free social media platform
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7391

Letters to the editor offer clues to articles you can write
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7393

2 best cruise lines for beginning speakers
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7383

——————————————-

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

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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 or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam 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.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity Tips—Protect Your Online Reputation

October 27th, 2010 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #528 Oct. 26, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
http://www.MysocialMediaSolution.com/blog

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Protect Your Online Reputation

2. Blog Comments Can Invite a Lawsuit

3. Colleges Need Speakers on 17 Topics

4. A Cosmetic Surgeon’s Tips

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Protect Your Online Reputation
=====================================

You can’t prevent a disgruntled employee, an angry customer or a
jealous competitor from writing nasty things about you online and
negating all the great publicity you’ve received elsewhere.

But you CAN make it more difficult for those comments to show up
on the first page of Google by flooding the Internet with so much
favorable information about you that it practically drowns out
the nasty stuff. In some cases, you can even “push” a bad comment
from the first page of Google onto the second or third page. A
whopping 94 percent of people who type keywords into Google never
click onto the second page of the organic listings.

That’s only one of many things you can do to protect your online
reputation. Here are others:

–Create your own profiles at high-ranking sites like Amazon.com,
BarnesandNoble.com, Borders.com and BooksaMillion.com. Some of
these sites allow you to do that, even if you’re not an author.

–Encourage your customers to post reviews of your products or
services on sites like Yelp.com, CitySearch.com, InsiderPages.com
and SuperPages.com, or on niche sites like FindLaw.com for
attorneys and TripAdvisor.com for travel-related businesses.

–Create a profile on Ebay and link back to your own websites and
blog from the “About Me” page.

I learned all this from Tom Antion, one of my Internet marketing
teachers, on the 2-CD set he published recently, “Reputation
Management: How to Build and Protect a Great Reputation Online.”
I listened to it for the third time over the weekend, took
copious notes, prioritized everything, and I’ve already started
using many of his tips.

One of Tom’s most valuable tidbits was the incredibly easy way to
find .edu and .gov websites or blogs, related to your topic, that
allow you to post comments and get links back to your own site or
blog. Google views .edu and .gov sites as authoritative and will
give you extra points for all those links. (Nine out of 10
Internet marketers don’t know this trick, but now I do, and I’ve
been busy commenting at these sites and getting lots of backlinks
to my own site and blog.)

Nobody can protect your good online reputation except you. Learn
more about what Tom can teach you at http://tinyurl.com/2eyyljb

======================================
2. Blog Comments Can Invite a Lawsuit
======================================

If your blog is automatically publishing comments every time a
visitor writes one, you could be opening yourself up to a libel
suit.

So says PR expert Shel Holtz, who found a nasty comment recently
at his blog that could have gotten him sued. Read about it, and
about other reasons why you should be moderating comments at your
blog:
http://blog.holtz.com/index.php/weblog/libel_threat_a_good_reason
_to_moderate_comments/

=====================================
3. Colleges Need Speakers on 17 Topics
=====================================

Colleges have something that most other companies and nonprofits
don’t have: a recession-proof pot of money known as student
activity fees.

Those fees are used to pay speakers who come to campus and host
workshops, deliver keynotes, and train officers in fraternities
and sororities.

If you speak for free or for a fee, James Malinchak says there’s
a pretty good chance that you can tweak your topic for the
college speaking circuit–and get paid handsomely.

I’m hosting a free call with him this afternoon on how to get
onto the college speaking circuit. He’ll tick off the long list
of 17 topic areas that are in demand. Here are three of them:
leadership, diversity, and recruitment and retention. Learn the
other 14, and the list of staff members at colleges who are in
the best position to hire you, at 3 p.m. Eastern today. Register
at http://www.CollegeSpeakingSuccess.com/joan.html

======================================
4. A Cosmetic Surgeon’s Tips
======================================

This week, seven Publicity Hounds have tips for Dr. Robert
Kotler, a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, on how he can build his
email list for his beauty “Tips of the Month.”

From Janine Libbey:

“He could expand his target audience to include men.”

From Sonia:

“Host a Patient Appreciation Day in-office. Invite clients to
attend and bring a guest. Have snacks, a few email sign-up sheets
around the lobby and a five-minute ‘quick tip’ presentation. At
the end of the presentation, invite people to sign up and offer a
free consultation to all sign-ups.”

From The Publicity Hound:

“At your website, include a box that bounces down from the top of
the screen and tells visitors about the emailed tips, and asks
for their name and email address. When I added this to my website
at PublicityHound.com, it at least tripled the number of opt-
ins.”

Send your own “Help This Hound” question to me at
JStewart@PublicityHound.com and include your city and state.

======================================
5. Help This Hound
======================================

This week’s “Help This Hound” question is from Timothy Nishimoto,
owner of Vino Paradiso Wine Bar & Bistro, in Portland, Oregon:

“My business is known as a wine bar, but we are trying to
transition into more of a restaurant, meaning we have a full
dinner menu, bigger than ever.

“But many people in town still don’t know we even have food. The
local media people tell me they need stories about new places,
not places like mine that have been around for five years.

“Our chef is new, our happy hour menu is new, our larger menu is
new, we now have a cocktail menu—so much is new, and we’ve
never gotten a full restaurant review!

“That seems like a lot of new stuff, so what can I say to the
media besides just that?”

The Publicity Hound says:

Judging from what I see at your website, Timothy, your bistro is
hip and part of the nightlife scene in Portland. Yet, many of the
younger clientele that frequent your restaurant don’t read
newspapers. But they ARE looking for things to do and reviews
online.

So here’s the challenge to my Hounds. Give Timothy some ideas on
how he can entice the restaurant reviewers or business or
lifestyle reporters. But also make suggestions on what he can do
online to reach his target audience in Portland. I have several
ideas that I’ll share later in the week. Post your best ideas to
my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=7232

======================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
======================================

Thanks to Dan Poynter of Santa Barbara, Calif., for this great
video of The Dolphin and The Dog. It’s about four minutes long,
but well worth it.
http://www.dogwork.com/ddcv4/

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/

=====================================
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
====================================

Here is a post from the last seven days:

How to avoid choosing the wrong day for your event
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7176

——————————————-

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

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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 or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam 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.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity Tips—How to Target Zip Codes

October 27th, 2010 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #528 Oct. 19, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
http://www.MysocialMediaSolution.com/blog

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop

http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/

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

1. How to Target Zip Codes

2. Sell Your Blog on Kindle

3. Columnist Needs Source

4. Thrive as an Expert in Any Economy

5. Speak on College Campuses

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. How to Target Zip Codes
=====================================

Don’t sweat it if you can’t get news about your book-signing,
political rally or the church bake sale into your local
newspapers, or onto TV or radio stations.

Today’s online event calendars make it so easy for you to find
people within your zip code who are looking for something to do
that you can sometimes draw more people to your events using
these calendars than you can with traditional media. And you’re
leaving money on the table if you aren’t using them.

Take EventCrazy.com, for instance. I went there just now to see
what’s happening within a 50-mile radius of my home.

I typed in my zip code, 53074, and found more than 15 events
during the next few months. They include a ghost walk in my city,
a Big Band music series, a bird and game breeders show, a holiday
art fair, an all-animal expo, Breakfast with the Reindeer,
Milwaukee Bucks basketball and two gun shows.

That’s how you target zip codes with your news. You make sure
your event is on all the relevant calendar sites where people can
search by zip code and even neighborhood.

I’ll explain which sites are better than others during today’s
webinar on “50+ Places Online to Promote Your Live & Virtual
Events to Reach Your Target Market & Pull Sell-out Crowds.”

It starts at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. If you can’t attend, sign up
anyway. You’ll receive the link to the video replay, the MP3 and
a handy checklist that includes all the sites I mentioned. Use it
as a cheat sheet the next time you promote an event.

Yes, plenty of these sites are for countries outside the U.S.

======================================
2. Sell Your Blog on Kindle
======================================

More than a year and a half ago, Amazon announced that it would
give bloggers the chance to sell their blogs to pay-per-view
readers who own Kindles.

I made a mental note to check it out and promptly forgot about
it. I saw somebody else mention it on a blog and assigned my
assistant the task of making my blog for sale on Kindle.

You’ll only make 30 percent of $2 per buyer. Amazon gets the
rest.

But the much bigger benefit is exposure on Amazon, where millions
of people shop every week and type keywords into the search box.
Unlike RSS feeds, which often only provide headlines, Kindle
blogs contain full text content and most images.

Learn more about how to get started at
https://kindlepublishing.amazon.com/gp/vendor/sign-
in/183-2751729-0963127

=====================================
3. Columnist Needs Source
=====================================

Columnist Dr. Mildred Culp needs a source who has hired a lot of
employees and independent contractors and can explain the
differences in hiring both types of workers.

Sources can be from any industry except high-tech or PR. Send
your response to Workwise@Comcast.net

======================================
4. Thrive as an Expert in Any Economy
======================================

Most non-fiction authors, speakers, consultants or experts never
begin to tap their financial potential, which is too bad because
there are often some relatively easy ways they can make a whole
lot more money and generate a whole lot more publicity in the
process.

You’re invited to a free telephone seminar to learn about the
proven tips for creating spin-off income streams based on your
book or expertise. Steve Harrison will explain how one non-
fiction author created over $720,000 a year in non-royalty
income, and seven other surprisingly easy strategies for quickly
making a quantum leap in your income as an author/expert. Too
many of these authors and experts call me singing the blues when
a book doesn’t sell, or they’re speaking to near-empty rooms when
they host their own training sessions. I’m promoting this call as
a compensated affiliate.

To register, go here now:
http://www.yourquantumleap.com/callthree/?10011

======================================
5. Speak on College Campuses
======================================

These are grim times for professional speakers. But they don?t
have to be, if you know how to tweak your topic for the college
market.

-A speaker who trains corporate executives on leadership can
take the fundamental points of the presentation and teach college
students how to be leaders, whether it?s within their
fraternities or sororities, student government or special-
interest groups on campus.

-An expert on corporate recruiting and retention can teach
college fraternities and sororities how to recruit and retain
members. Greeks, by the way, have their own budgets for hiring
speakers, yet another recession-proof pot of money.

-Speakers who specialize in motivating corporate audiences as
convention keynoters can take their message to college campuses,
where motivational speakers are in high demand.

-Diversity trainers who target corporate America can teach
college faculty, staff and students about diversity. At a four-
year college, a kid from the inner city and a farm kid from
Kansas can suddenly find themselves roommates, with all kinds of
potential problems.

Those four topics are among 17 categories of topics that are in
demand at colleges, universities, two-year colleges and tech
schools. James Malinchak, “King of the College Speaking Circuit,”
will review them all during a teleseminar at 3 p.m. Eastern Time
on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

His teleseminar will also include a look at how speaking at
colleges can generate fabulous publicity without you lifting a
finger, because the colleges do all the PR for you.

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

Dr. Robert Kotler of Beverly Hills, Calif., author of Secrets of
a Beverly Hills Cosmetic Surgeon, writes:

“We are eager to increase the number of email addresses to which
we send our “Tip of the Month,” short, snappy tidbits about
looking good and younger.

“It’s not a solicitation for patients, just honest advice from an
expert. Our target for the newsletter is women, 20s to 60s. The
list is compiled from patients who have had surgery with us,
prospective patients who have inquired about our services but
have yet to come, and a group that consulted with us but never
proceeded to have our services. Also, patients give us the emails
of friends. Currently, our list is over 4,000 and includes out-
of-town people.

“Any ideas on how we can ethically, and without cost, grow our
in-house email list? My website is at
http://www.RobertKotlerMD.com ”

The Publicity Hound says:

OK, Hounds, I see one problem with how Dr. Kotler is publishing
the tips. Let’s see who else can spot it. What should he be doing
differently, and what else can he be doing to build his email
list? Post your comments to my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7206

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

Guys are like dogs. They keep coming back. Ladies are like cats.
Yell at a cat one time, they’re gone.

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 Blogs & Mobile Site…
====================================

Here are posts from the last seven days, great for retweeting:

7 things that can kill your event before it begins
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7197

Triple A’s magazine reviews travel, food books & more
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7187

9 ways to spy on your competitors online
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7177

——————————————-

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

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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 or you told me you want to subscribe.

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam 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.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity Tips—Experts Directory Listing, No Charge

September 30th, 2010 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #525 Sept. 28, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
http://www.MysocialMediaSolution.com/blog

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Experts Directory Listing, No Charge

2. Promote Facebook, Twitter Offline

3. Look for Bloggers in Magazines

4. Press Release Keyword Phrases

5. Hound Joke of the Week

6. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Experts Directory Profile, No Charge
=====================================

Are you an expert, authority or spokesperson with real
credentials? If not, skip this item.

If you are, make sure you take advantage of a free Press Room
Page in the “Expert Book” at http://www.ExpertClick.com, edited
by Mitchell Davis of the Yearbook of Experts, Authorities &
Spokespersons.

I’ve promoted these listings over the years because the Yearbook
of Experts is one of the first places that many journalists look
when searching for sources in a particular industry or topic. But
until now, you had to pay to get a News Room Page at his website.

No more. Now, you can join for free and get a News Room Page and
your photo, text and link to your website.

But here’s the really valuable part. You’ll also get to post and
have distributed one news release each month, for free. News
releases posted to Expertclick are picked up by the Google and
Lexis news feeds, so your news will get wide exposure. This is a
wonderful alternative if you can’t afford paid news release
distribution services.

Mitch cautions that you shouldn’t even bother applying for a
listing if you aren’t a bona-fide expert. Within the last week,
he has turned down five people who claimed to be experts, but
aren’t. One doesn’t have a website. Another claimed she had a
variety of credentials from her industry groups, but Mitch
checked and discovered that she didn’t.

Join free, or save $100 on a paid profile that’s chock full of
other benefits, when you click from my link at
http://www.ExpertClick.com/Discount/PublicityHound

This is a no-brainer. Do it today.

======================================
2. Promote Facebook, Twitter Offline
======================================

It’s all too easy to forget about offline tactics you can use to
promote your presence on social media sites.

I just discovered two terrific tools:

–Hang a banner advertising your presence on Facebook, Twitter or
any other social media site, outside your store, restaurant,
park, school, museum, or wherever your target market gathers. I
saw an eye-catching banner over the weekend as I was driving by
the VanPatten Woods, part of the Lake County Forest Preserve in
Sterling Lake, Ill. See the photo I took and learn more about it
at the MysocialMediaSolution blog at
http://www.mysocialmediasolution.com/?p=448

–If you’re on Twitter, share your stream with customers,
patrons, colleagues, community, guests, family, friends and
passers-by via a Twisplay, an LED sign that allows you to
conveniently display whatever Twitter streams you wish. They’re
$299 each with free shipping for pre-orders. Their shopping cart
isn’t quite ready yet. But you can check it out at
http://www.twisplays.com/ and watch a demonstration of how Oprah
uses an LED sign in this YouTube video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cwreP9wmzs

I’m noticing that many Publicity Hounds still aren’t tagging
Friends on Facebook, creating their own Facebook badges, or
actively promoting other people’s Fan pages. Those are only three
of 11 Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on Facebook. Right now,
this is my fastest-selling product and available as a CD, MP3 or
transcript, complete with 28 pages of illustrated handouts. Learn
more about it at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/how_to_use_facebook.htm

======================================
3. Look for Bloggers in Magazines
======================================

The next time you read a consumer magazine, or even a trade
publication, pay attention to bloggers who are featured in those
magazines.

The September issue of Better Homes & Gardens includes a blurb
and photo about Meredith Schwartz, aka Penelope, who writes the
“Penelope Loves Lists” blog at http://www.penelopeloveslists.com

If I sold a product or service that keeps people organized, I’d
pitch it to her. But before I did, I’d inspect her blog, find
personal tidbits about her that I could include in my pitch, and
I’d take time to comment on one or two posts she has written.

That’s one of the tips I offered during the webinar “How to
REALLY Use Publicity as an Online Marketing Channel and ZIG When
Everyone Else is ZAGGING.” Learn more about what you can do if
you start zigging, and the great publicity hits that will result,
at http://www.publicityhound.com/onlinepublicitytips.htm

======================================
4. Press Release Keyword Phrases
======================================

Here’s a startling statistic that should change the way you write
press releases.

When people shop online, they typically type only one or two
keywords into the search engines. When they buy online, however,
they type four or more words.

Buyers who type those longer keyword phrases really narrow down
what they’re looking for. That means they’ll find fewer results,
but what the search engines return to them will be exactly what
they want to buy. And many of them will have credit card in hand.

If you use online press releases, one of the very best ways to
reach buyers directly without having to go through traditional
media outlets, you should be inserting longer keyword phrases,
also known as long-tail keywords, into your releases so people
can find you–and buy from you–more easily.

Press release expert Janet Thaeler has created three videos that
show you how to research keywords when writing press releases or
any other copy you’re using online. The videos are part of the 8
pages of illustrated handouts that come with the CD, transcript
or MP3 of the teleseminar I recorded with her called “Keywords:
The Magic Magnets That Pull Consumers & Journalists to Your Press
Releases.” Read more about what you’ll learn to do with keywords
and the 8-step checklist you can refer to every time you write a
press release, at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/keywords_in_press_releases.htm

======================================
5. Hound Joke of the Week
======================================

You know you are owned by a dog when you have a mental list of
people you would like to spay or neuter.

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/

=====================================
6. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
====================================

Great fodder for retweeting:

Latina bloggers a valuable PR tool, survey results show
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6922

Hang a banner advertising your Facebook Fan Page
http://www.mysocialmediasolution.com/?p=448

——————————————-

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

Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips

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

——————————————–

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spam 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.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737

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