The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #513 July 13, 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. Make Friends or Make Money?

2. Tie Your Pitch to Breaking News

3. Last Chance to Get Onto for “Oprah”

4. Fatal Email Marketing Mistakes

5. Goodwill’s Donations Calculator

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Make Friends or Make Money?
=====================================

If you’re participating in social media, and you’re not seeing a
return on your investment, it could be because you’re more
concerned about making friends than making money.

People who are seeing huge ROI know their goals. They know what
they want to sell and to whom.

They know the problems and concerns of their target markets. They
know how to promote their expertise. And they spend the majority
of their time writing about those topics at their blogs and other
social media sites.

My friend Don Crowther said too many people are more concerned
about making friends. They participate in idle chitchat that gets
them nowhere. And they make numerous other mistakes at sites like
Facebook and Twitter.

Don has created a series of free videos and a free worksheet that
will help you understand why your social media efforts might not
be working out as well for you as you had hoped.

Take a look:
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/social/JoanStewart

Read the more than 170 comments from people who watched the
video. Many of them admitted that the light bulb finally went on.
Will yours?

======================================
2. Pitch Yourself During Breaking News
======================================

When news is breaking and you’re the local angle to a national
story, or you can comment on the hot topic of the day, you can be
sure that TV producers, daily and weekly newspaper reporters and
bloggers will practically be begging to talk to you.

But too many Media Mutts don’t bother picking up the phone or
emailing. They think the media are too busy. Or they don’t know
what to say.

Let’s stop this nonsense. This is the very best time to pitch!

Crackerjack publicist Michelle Tennant, who got one of her
clients booked on “Dr. Phil” the very day the client signed the
PR contract, will show you how it’s done. Michelle, a graduate of
The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, uses very simple email
subject lines, includes three important elements in every pitch,
and moves mountains to make her clients accessible to reporters.

She’ll be my guest during the webinar “How to Tie Your Pitch to
Breaking News and Make the Media Interview YOU” at 3 p.m. Eastern
Time on Wednesday, July 21. She’ll share 7 places to look for
news and she’ll tell you about a free media resource website she
uses, thus saving her thousands of dollars on media directories.
Everyone who registers will receive handouts so you can read the
email pitches she sent to the media–the ones that got her
clients phenomenal publicity.

Register for the webinar at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/breakingnews.htm
even if the time is inconvenient, because you’ll get a link where
you can watch the video afterward.

=====================================
3. Last Chance to Get Onto “Oprah”
=====================================

Faith, fidelity and food are continuing hot topics with Oprah.

Managing our inner life: Our thoughts, feelings and beliefs
fascinate her audience.

Fidelity: How we are true, or untrue, to our lover/partner/self
is a consistent pressing issue.

Food: So much of family, friends and fun centers around food.
Delicious, healthy, beautifully presented food gets the
producer’s attention.

So says Susan Harrow, author of the recently updated “Ultimate
Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah.” I’m promoting it as an
affiliate, because you don’t have much time left. Oprah’s show
concludes in September 2011 and the producers are already booking
guests far in advance. There will be a last-minute rush of
pitches. Learn how you can beat the crowd and make Oprah’s
producers snap to attention. Go to
http://www.webmarketingmagic.com/app/?af=307515

=====================================
4. Fatal Email Marketing Mistakes
=====================================

If you use email to market, here’s a mistake that can get your
business closed down–fast: Buying or renting email lists.

Many people on those lists have not given you permission to email
them, and they might complain to your Internet service provider
or email management company that you’re spamming. That can close
down the Internet part of your business, pronto. Besides, you
have no guarantee that the email addresses are current.

You can also get into trouble if you automatically add people
like me to your newsletter list, thinking that if you sign up for
my newsletter, I’ll be willing to sign up for yours.
Wrong.

You don’t have to use those tactics to build a list. Instead, you
should be doing 7 other things to direct people to your website
or blog. Millionaire entrepreneur Ali Brown uses them all, and
she’ll be sharing them during a free teleseminar at 7 p.m.
Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 14.

You can register at http://bit.ly/9xLbo9

Learn how to create a slow and steady flow of prospects as well
as fast gushes of list growth (and why you need both). And listen
for Ali’s tips on 3 new list-building methods you should try.
They replace 3 others that are out of date.

======================================
5. Goodwill’s Donations Calculator
======================================

Goodwill uses a really clever calculator at its website at
http://donate.goodwill.org/ to show you exactly how many hours of
career training time you can give a worthy recipient by donating
certain types of household items.

For example, a donated coat, a bike and three CDs can give
someone 48 minutes of career counseling.

A calculator is one of dozens of enticing ways you can pull
people to your website. Learn the others in “Special Report #51:
55 Free Things You Can Offer to Generate Publicity or Capture
People’s Email Addresses” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-
products/reports.html#SpecialReport51

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

Thanks to Dan Poynter, the self-publishing guru from Santa
Barbara, California, for sharing these great photos of “upside
down dogs.” They made me laugh:

http://upsidedowndogs.com/

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…
====================================

Consider retweeting:

American Way magazine searching for Road Warriors
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6673

Why holding a press conference can backfire
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6657

Moderate comments at your blog using these 7 tips
http://www.mysocialmediasolution.com/?p=418

Connect with journalists through media leads service
http://www.mysocialmediasolution.com/?p=420

3 email marketing mistakes that can kill your business
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6645

——————————————-

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:

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
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
U.S.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737

         The Publicity Hound’s
          Tips of the Week
       Issue #462 Aug. 4, 2009
        Publisher: Joan Stewart
  mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
    http://www.PublicityHound.com
 http://www.publicityhound.net/  (Blog)
 http://www.PublicityArticles.net   (Ezine Archives)

           Circulation: 38,964

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. No Junk for Granny

2. How to Make Page 1 on Google

3. Pitch Back-to-School Stories

4. Promote Your Food, Wine Events & Blogs

5. I’m Moving, Come with Me

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

=====================================
1. No Junk for Granny
=====================================

The world is filled with grandmothers and great grandmothers who
seldom venture outside their homes.

Yet their families buy them perfume, jewelry and other useless
junk that ends up in the trash.

Jacqueline Whitmore, the gift-giving expert for Sam’s Club,
can suggest dozens of better ideas for gifts that granny would
cherish.

Buying a gift for the boss?

Best not to give booze. As the gift-buying expert for Office
Depot, Jacqueline has better ideas for tasteful gifts that aren’t
too personal and won’t get you into trouble at work.

Buying cell phones for your kids? Why not teach them cell phone
etiquette?

You can get tips galore from, who else, but Jacqueline Whitmore,
the national spokesperson for Sprint. She shares them on Twitter
at http://twitter.com/EtiquetteExpert and on Facebook at
http://budurl.com/467b

Her photo and tips are usually plastered all over newspapers and
magazines during National Cell Phone Courtesy Month in July.

You’ll also find her promoting Clarisonic, a company that sells
skin care products, as well as Hologic, which sells imaging
equipment for the health care industry.

Jacqueline has been covered by The Wall Street Journal, The New
York Times, USA Today, Glamour, Time, Fortune, Us Weekly, and O
magazine. She has been interviewed by CNN, FOX News, and ABC’s
20/20. That’s the short list, by the way.

“When you’re aligned with a corporation, especially a Fortune 500
company or one that has a reputable name, you’re perceived as
more credible because that corporation has chosen you as its
spokesperson,” she told me this morning.

She said that Brendon Burchard, an expert on how to partner with
large companies, presented a program on that topic last month at
the National Speakers Association convention in Phoenix. The
crowd loved him.

“He was one of the highest-rated speakers at the convention,” she
said.

Brendon will share his secrets during a free teleseminar this
Thursday, Aug. 6, with Steve Harrison. Discover how you can use
his methods to promote your own book, product or business, just
like Jacqueline does, and get PR firms to pay all your expenses.

The call will be presented twice–at 2 and 7 p.m. Eastern. If you
can’t make it, please recruit someone to listen and take notes
for you. Register at
http://www.SponsorshipTrainingTeleseminar.com/?10011

=====================================
2. How to Make Page 1 on Google
=====================================

The next time President Barack Obama does something inspiring,
infuriating, heroic or stupid–and millions of people type his
name into Google to learn more about it–will your blog or
website appear near the top of the list?

It very well could, says Colin Martin, even if you work in an
industry that’s a little dull.

“Your industry isn’t as boring as you think,” says Colin, a
social media expert who knows how you can spin a presidential
news item, or any news item for that matter, into a top spot on
Google.

One way to do it is by creating fun, quirky or controversial
content tied to Obama and submitting it to a major bookmarking
site like Digg.com.

Within minutes, you can have thousands of eyeballs reading your
blog post or an article at your website, or watching a video
you’ve created.

The content can even turn into what Colin calls a “server
burner.” That’s a website that gets thousands of hits in one day,
or just a few hours. That big burst of traffic can also give you
top search engine positioning.

I asked Colin to produce four videos for the teleseminar I’m
hosting next week on social bookmarking. In one video, he
demonstrates how interesting content on one of the major
bookmarking sites got 2,820 hits in just several hours.

“How to do Social Bookmarking to Promote Your Expertise, Attract
Followers & Pull Massive Amounts of Traffic” will be presented at
8 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, Aug. 13. If the time is inconvenient,
sign up anyway and receive the MP3 download.

Tomorrow, everyone who registers for the call will receive a link
to the four videos Colin has created. They show in step-by-step
detail how to create your accounts at these sites, how to
bookmark content, how to make friends and join groups, and
everyday uses and results of this powerful marking tool. I
suggest you watch the videos before the call, if you have time.

Hint: If you want major publicity in top-tier media, remember
that journalists and big bloggers frequently refer to social
bookmarking sites to find out what people are talking about.

Read more about the teleseminar and register at
http://www.snipurl.com/social_bookmarking_teleseminar

=====================================
3. Pitch Back-to-School Stories
=====================================

It’s almost time for students to return to school, and that means
publicity opportunities galore in the traditional and social
media. Pitch stories and offer advice on:

–Decorating college dorm rooms.

–How to make and pack healthy lunches.

–Resources for parents and students.

–Schoolyard bullying.

–Cell phones in the classroom.

–Technology in the classroom.

–How to beat the high cost of college.

–Fashion trends.

–Studying for the SAT tests.

–The trendiest school supplies.

–Parents returning to school.

–How to know if your kid needs a tutor.

–Cheating.

–Good study habits.

–The benefits of sleep.

If none of these ideas work for you, I have lots more that will.
I teamed up with TV producer Shawne Duperon to brainstorm “103
Sizzling Story Ideas from July through December.” You can
download all the ideas immediately when you buy the recording or
transcript of this teleseminar I hosted with Shawne. Read more
about the kinds of tips you’ll find at http://budurl.com/v84e

=========================================
4. Promote Your Food, Wine Events & Blogs
=========================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Lee Romano Sequeira for sharing this
helpful website for anyone who needs to promote a wine event like
a wine tasting, festival, class or party.

It’s at http://www.LocalWineEvents.com and it even invites
Publicity Hounds to submit and link to their blogs devoted to
wine, food, beer, spirits or etiquette. It has a Google Page Rank
of 6, which means more Google juice for you.

Lee, by the way, is my Facebook Friend, and that’s where I
learned about this website.

Facebook has become a valuable resource for me. Because I share a
lot of helpful information at that site, and have my own Fan
page, I get a lot of feedback from Friends and Fans. Hence, more
content for this newsletter.

For me, that’s a huge return on investment.

You can become my Fan at http://budurl.com/k48y

Learn how to create your own Fan Pages, find more top-quality
Fans, and use Facebook nine other ways to connect with people.
See “11 Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on Facebook” at
http://budurl.com/jfgw

========================================
5. I’m Moving, Come with Me
========================================

Starting next week, this newsletter will be coming to you from a
new server.

To stay with me, you must do two things:

First, resubscribe by going to
http://www.PublicityHound.com/aweber/optin.htm and entering your
name and email address into the form.

Second, check your email inbox for a message with the subject
line: “Response Required: Confirm Your Publicity Hound
Subscription.”

If you somehow get lost, email me and I’ll put you back onto the
list. But if you follow these two steps, you should be fine.

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

Suzanne Fox Sevel of Melbourne, Fla., writes:

“I have a client in Atlanta, Ga. who just launched a new product
called Scurtz: stylish, decorative skirts for chairs. They’re
very upscale, and some people see them as an alternative to
tablecloths or place settings as a unique way of decorating for
guests.

“They’re $49-$69 a pair and come in luxurious or traditional
fabrics such as velvet and tulle. Since they are so new, there
are not very many customers. The sales numbers are not
impressive enough for the local business press to even write a
story about it.

“Also, local newspapers and magazines are showing little interest
in writing a feature story about these fabulous home accessories
or the two entrepreneurial moms who invented them.

“They will be available to a major retailer very soon, but my job
is to create some initial buzz and excitement about them first so
that when they hit the stores, there will be a line of people
waiting for them. Do your Hounds have any ideas for low-cost,
high-impact PR? The owner is not on Facebook or Twitter and has
no interest in social networking as a means of promotion.”

The website is at http://www.Scurtz.com

The Publicity Hound says:

No interest in social networking as a means of promotion? You’re
breaking my heart!

There are so many opportunities to share their information on the
social networking sites, including the hundreds of mom
entrepreneur sites, that I don’t even know where to begin.

Let’s see how many clever publicity and marketing ideas other
Hounds can suggest. Think holidays, home decorating, mom
entrepreneurs, chairs inside businesses, types of chairs, etc.

You can watch a video demonstration of how to tie a Scurtz, and
post your best ideas for Suzanne, at my blog at
http://budurl.com/e4u2

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

=====================================
7. 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. (OK, Hounds, I’ll make to you next week with a
really funny video. Promise.)

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

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

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

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

Social media time-saver: Turn a LinkedIn Q&A into a video
http://budurl.com/jhvb

Lemon-Ginger String Beans: Quick & healthy
http://budurl.com/aeyt

How to pitch small business tips, stories to BusinessWeek.com
http://budurl.com/kzfj

Subscribe to my publicity tips? I don’t want to lose you
http://budurl.com/my7z

How to land a corporate sponsor, even in a bad economy
http://budurl.com/4dvk

————————————-

Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:

Aug. 5 — Teleseminar for Restaurants

“How Restaurants Can Use Social Media to Create a Loyal Following
and Keep Customers Coming Back–Even in a Rotten Economy.”  3
p.m. Eastern. Host: Jaime Oikle of RestaurantReport.com. Register
at http://budurl.com/m6tl

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

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

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

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #459 July 14, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.PublicityArticles.net (Ezine Archives)

Circulation: 39,035

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

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

1. When in Doubt, Tweet It

2. Use Value in Your Pitches

3. Who’s Using Your YouTube Videos?

4. How to Look Like a Weasel

5. The Benefits of Petting Animals

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Video of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

=====================================
1. When in Doubt, Tweet It
=====================================

Do you ever send helpful tips on the social media sites and
wonder if anybody’s reading them?

I’m trying to make sure that about half my tweets include advice
that people would find useful.

Last week, for example, I tweeted about Oprah’s top 25 money-
saving tips and also included the link on my Facebook page.

One of my Facebook friends, Jennifer Melnick Carota, of
Pittsburgh, Pa., replied:

“Joan…you are a lifesaver! Just got a call from our local news
network requesting a last-minute money-saving segment with me
tomorrow…so many fresh ideas that I look forward to sharing,
thanks to you.”

Jennifer calls herself The Gift Therapist. At her website at
http://www.TheGiftTherapist.com, she passes along helpful tips to
her audience on how to buy inexpensive gifts for almost any
occasion.

When she taped the segment for the “Project Economy” feature in
the studios at WTAE-TV, the ABC station in Pittsburgh, on Friday,
she took the list of tips with her.

“What we didn’t use, I turned over to the reporter in case he
wanted me to do a follow-up segment,” she said. “I told him,
‘Here’s my gift to you. If you need anything else, please call
me.’”

Not only did I earn Jennifer’s loyalty with that one little tweet
that took less than 60 seconds to post, but I helped her help the
reporter, who will be more inclined to call her again. She said
he’s already considering a “Christmas in July” segment with her
that explains how shoppers can get good deals by buying now.

I called Jennifer after I saw her reply and invited her to test-
drive a new learning tool I’m creating. If she likes it, she’ll
give me a testimonial. So that little tweet turned into a win-
win.

Lesson: In social media, give before you receive. If you’re ever
on the fence about sharing helpful information, when in doubt,
tweet it.

That’s the Number One message from Warren Whitlock who was my
guest last summer during a teleseminar on “How to Use Twitter to
Amass an Army of Followers, Customers & Valuable Contacts–and
Promote.” Read more about what else Warren taught at
http://tinyurl.com/3lbcaw

=====================================
2. Use Value in Your Pitches
=====================================

When you pitch yourself to journalists and clients, how do you
describe yourself?

Do you tell them about the tasks you perform? Or do you explain
how you add value?

Publicity Hound Cheryl Antier, a freelance writer who lives on
the French Riviera, says there’s a huge difference. Before she
knew any better, she would tell potential clients about all the
things she could do for them, from writing copy for their
websites to creating their marketing brochures.

Business was good, not great, and she closed about 40 percent of
the projects she pursued. Last year, she immersed herself in
Formula Five, the course that teaches a five-pronged formula to
growing a business. She immediately started applying what she
learned when trying to attract clients.

As a result, she landed a freelance job writing for What Boat, an
international yachting magazine published in the UK.

Earlier this year, while on assignment in Greece, she ran into
the editor of the magazine and knew immediately she wanted to
write for him. Formula Five had taught her how to discuss value,
so she pitched him right on the spot, without preparing or
rehearsing the pitch.

“They write about a lot of technical topics, like sophisticated
radar devices you can use on your boat,” she said. “I told the
editor I thought readers might appreciate a story that explained
what they could do for fun in the Greek Islands, from chartering
a yacht to visiting shipwrecks from the 5th Century B.C.

“I told him I would immerse readers in the story, make them feel
like they were actually there, and open their eyes to all the
possible ways they could have fun while on their boats.”

Value. Value. Value.

Cheryl not only sold the story, but the editor invited her to
write a monthly article for his magazine.

Communicating value also works with her consulting clients, and
it can work with yours, too, whether you’re a nonprofit, sell PR
services, own a bricks-and-mortar store or work for somebody
else. A few weeks after she returned to France from Greece, she
met with a potential client in the insurance industry who needed
help with his website and other marketing materials.

Instead of going through the typical client interview and then
submitting a proposal, she instead communicated value by
discussing how she would work with his graphic designer, results
he would see from her work, and ways he could work with her on a
long-term basis.

“I told him that I’d like the opportunity to look at how he was
currently doing his marketing, as well as keeping in touch with
past clients. I told him that from looking at his website, I
could see five ways he could start getting his current customers
to buy new or more comprehensive policies–within the first 30
days.

He immediately asked her, “Where should I send the check?”

She’s booked solid with writing assignments until October, and
she’s on track to almost double her goal of $150,000 in revenues
this year. Today, 85 percent of new business comes from
referrals. Here’s the kicker.

Cheryl uses much of the information she learned in Formula Five
when working with her own consulting clients and with members of
the Writer’s Business Academy at
http://www.writersbusinessacademy.biz where she teaches authors
and writers how to market themselves.

In other words, she teaches her clients the five-pronged
technique of growing their businesses, just like she has. You can
do the same with your clients, too, and add value to what you
already do.

Watch the video Cheryl created that talks more about what she
does differently when somebody calls her and asks about her
prices. (Hint: You should be doing this, too!)

http://tinyurl.com/nqgp87

=====================================
3. Who’s Using Your YouTube Videos?
=====================================

When you post a video to YouTube, you’re giving anyone permission
to cut and paste the coding and embed it on their own website or
blog.

Knowing who’s using your videos can help you in several ways.

It can lead you to possible joint venture partners. You can share
other information you have, like articles you’ve written. You
might offer to be a guest on their podcast, or write a guest post
at their blog, or ask them to write a guest post at your blog.

YouTube is now making it easy for you to learn who’s using your
videos with a new tool called Insights. You’ll find step-by-step
directions at http://tinyurl.com/mhz6gf

That’s just one of dozens of benefits of using online video to
promote yourself. Learn more at a free webinar on Thursday, July
16. Register for “How To Quickly Drive More Traffic and Sales to
Your Website Through Social Media Using Easy-To-Create Videos
That Cost Almost Nothing to Produce” at
http://www.TrafficExplosionWebinar.com/?10011

========================================
4. How to Look Like a Weasel
========================================

If you’re appearing at a press conference or media event you’re
hosting, or one you’ve been invited to by somebody else, don’t
expect the media to play nice and ask you questions only about
the topic at hand.

Bad news, controversy and other nasty topics you don’t want to
discuss are fair game. Refuse to answer a reporter’s questions
and you’ll look like a weasel.

That’s what happened to Wisconsin State Rep. Tom Nelson last
week when he appeared at a press conference to discuss autism, an
innocent topic that couldn’t possibly get him into trouble.
..
Problem was, he and another Democratic legislator had been
dodging reporters from the local TV station all week. The
reporters wanted them to comment about an investigation they did
into an unknown provision that was slipped into the state budget.
It gives special treatment to a local Indian tribe and the way it
gets its liquor license. The tribe is a huge campaign contributor
to the Democratic governor.

After the autism event, a reporter approached Nelson on camera
and asked him to explain his vote approving the budget. Watch the
short video (after a short ad) and judge for yourself if you
think Nelson looks like a weasel when he refused to answer
questions about anything other than autism:
http://tinyurl.com/m2sb2g

That’s one of the disadvantages of press conferences. If you put
yourself out there for the media, you’d better be ready to answer
any and all questions, particularly if you’re a public official.
The media hate these staged events, by the way, but people
continue to have them.

The CD “Creative Alternatives to Boring News Conferences”
features PR pro Sandra Eggers who gives you dozens of ideas for
fun, interesting events that sidestep those horrid news
conferences.

Read more about what you’ll learn at http://tinyurl.com/hb3rs

=====================================
5. The Benefits of Petting Animals
=====================================

This week, six Publicity Hounds have advice on how Cathy Watson,
of Bostic, N.C., can promote the therapeutic benefits of petting
animals so she can bring traffic to her website and sell tickets
to her farm where people can pet animals.

From Patti Pokorchak:

“Have a party! Make it a charity fund-raiser for your favorite
animal shelter or other animal-related charity. Invite other
animal-related businesses to be part of this day–dog trainers,
groomers, pet food retailers, gourmet pet biscuit companies,
doggie shrinks, etc. Put on a fashion show. Go wild with
stretching the animal theme (paintings, sculptures, cakes).”

From Joni at Tangi Adopt A Rescue:

“Invite local artists and art teachers to a special ‘Draw the
Animals’ Day at your farm…Contact dog trainers and see if they
need a place to hold dog training classes or special events.
Consider learning, then starting, your own Clicker training
classes.”

From Lori Green LeRoy:

“Write a news release with tips about why petting animals is
therapeutic and invite unemployed people, people who have lost
their houses or cars, etc. (and the media) for a free pet therapy
session event to combat the recession blues.”

Read all the responses to this week’s Help This Hound question
http://budurl.com/9g6y

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

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

Cynthia Flash, of Bellevue, Wash. writes:

“I’m looking for a way to put a dollar value on web hits I get
for my PR clients.

“For example, if a client is mentioned in a blog, is that worth
anything in terms of dollar equivalents (like having an article
appear in a newspaper)? If an online-only newspaper does a story
about the client, how much is that worth? Certainly, increased
sales to the client is a great way to tell, but it’s difficult to
know if that’s directly a result of the web publicity.

“Are PR people putting dollar values on web placements or is that
only something reserved for traditional media?”

The Publicity Hound says:

Many other PR people are curious about this, too, so the answers
will be interesting. If you do PR and can help Cynthia, post your
comments to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/kmwqcp

================================
7. Hound Video of the Week
================================

Thanks to Elaine Grassbaugh of Columbus, Ohio, for this video of
Bizkit, the Sleep-walking Dog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2BgjH_CtIA

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

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

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

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

Artists, new book shows how to meet your PR goals
http://tinyurl.com/nfggu5

Media interview? How to deal with a confused journalist
http://tinyurl.com/lggx5f

————————————

Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:

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

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

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

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #457 June 30, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.PublicityArticles.net (Ezine Archives)

Circulation: 39,264

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Feed Your Twitter Tribe

2. Avoid Excessive Links

3. Think Christmas in July

4. Another Facebook Annoyance

5. Reach Interior Design Students

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Video of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

=====================================
1. Feed Your Twitter Tribe
=====================================

If you use Twitter to provide lots of helpful tips and advice to
your tribe, what happens to all that great content you’re dishing
up every day?

The more you tweet, the more your tips get pushed to the bottom
of your feed, right? Does that mean they’re as stale as last
week’s leftovers?

Not if you follow the lead of Chris Knight, CEO of
EzineArticles.com, who came up with a clever idea this week on
how to recycle his tweets and encourage others to share them.

He collected more than 50 of his own tweets and organized them
into four categories: tips and training snippets, fun facts,
inside information and motivation moments.

At the end of each tweet, you can click on the link and it
will take you directly to your Twitter sign-in page. Once
you’ve signed in, the retweet will automatically appear in the
window. All you have to do is click on “update.”

One caution, however. I noticed that in some cases, the addition
of “RT @EzineArticles” will make the tweet longer than 140
characters, so you may have to shorten it.

Take a look:
http://budurl.com/ugm5

What a fabulous way to feed your Twitter tribe with information
they don’t have to dig up themselves. You’ve suddenly given new
life to a lot of your old but valuable content.

Still confused by Twitter, or not getting the return on
investment that you expected? Let Warren Whitlock guide you. See
“How to Use Twitter to Amass an Army of Followers, Customers &
Valuable Contacts–and Promote” at http://budurl.com/bupu

=====================================
2. Avoid Excessive Links
=====================================

Submitting articles to EzineArticles.com can pull traffic to your
website or blog and make it easy for others to republish your
content.

But don’t make the mistake of stuffing lots of links into your
articles, or the EzineArticles police might reject them.

You should have no more than four links in each article:

–Two links within the body copy that lead to websites you don’t
own. These should be inserted after the third paragraph.

–Two self-serving links that can lead to your own websites or
blog. These should be in the author resource box at the end.

Here’s a tip I learned during yesterday’s “faculty office hours”
call hosted by  Stompernet, the membership site for Internet
marketers. Make sure one of those self-serving links is a raw
link that looks like this: http://www.PublicityHound.com

The second self-serving link should be hyperlink text. That means
my author resource box would include the phrase “publicity tips.”
That phrase would be a live ink that would lead the reader to my
homepage at http://www.PublicityHound.com

Why does Stompernet recommend this?

Because many publishers, when reprinting your articles offline,
will reprint them exactly as they appear on the screen. If an
article doesn’t include a raw link, the reader doesn’t have the
option of clicking on hyperlink text and going to your website.
Without a raw link, readers won’t know where to find your site.
And you lose.

Check out the cool video “Guide to Avoiding Excessive Links” at
http://budurl.com/2syw

If you can’t write, I’ll show you how. See “How to Write How-to
Articles” at http://budurl.com/s6r2 My training session includes
a template for a how-to article that you can use when writing
about almost any topic.

=====================================
3. Think Christmas in July
=====================================

Smart Publicity Hounds are poring over their media contact lists
right now, on the lookout for newspapers, magazines, wire
services, TV and radio shows and other media outlets that are
hungry for press releases and photos of consumer products that
would make great holiday gifts.

Many of these media outlets, particularly national magazines,
work six months ahead of time. Know their deadlines so you can
start pitching while lots of other clueless people are lying on
the beach.

This year, inexpensive gifts that offer high value, as well as
environmentally friendly gifts, will take precedence.

The very best guide on the market for holiday gift coverage is
The Gift List, which includes contact information, deadlines and
pitching tips for hundreds of media outlets. Today is the last
day to take advantage of their offer to knock $100 off the
subscription price, but only if you act before the clock runs out
at midnight and use this link:
http://www.giftlistmedia.com/?link=ph

If you’re donating a portion of the product price to a nonprofit
or charitable group, mention that in your pitch.

=====================================
4. Another Facebook Annoyance
=====================================

Many Facebook users who weren’t able to grab a vanity URL for
their Fan Pages several weeks ago, because they didn’t have at
least 1,000 Fans, waited patiently until this past Sunday when
Facebook opened up the URLs again to everybody who got closed out
the first time.

But–surprise!–Facebook raised the number of Fans you must have
from 25 to 100.

That sent lots of angry users to the message boards, blogs and
their own Facebook profiles where they ranted about how Facebook
unfairly raised the bar at the last minute.

Instead of complaining, how about trying to unravel some of the
other complexities of the world’s largest social networking site
and figuring out what you CAN do to make the experience better
for you and your Facebook Friends?

You can read all the rules about creating Fan Pages at
http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=900

Then, when you’re done, take a look at all the topics Christine
Buffaloe covered on June 4 when she was my expert on a
teleseminar on “11 Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on
Facebook.” We included 28 pages of illustrated handouts that walk
you step-by-step through some of the most confusing parts of the
site. You can read the rave reviews from attendees and see all
the topics we covered at http://budurl.com/jfgw

=====================================
5. Reach Interior Design Students
=====================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have ideas on how Jeanette
Simpson, of Lakewood Ranch, Fla., can market her ebook, “From
Interior Design Intern to Employee: How to be a Keeper (Including
Tips from those Who Hire)”, to interior design interns:

From Judy Soccio:

“ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) has student
members, and they do a lot to involve students in the society’s
activities. Contact your local ASID chapter to be included in
their newsletter, and offer to do a presentation to student
chapters. ASID also has a LinkedIn group where you could promote
your book.”

From Bruce Jones:

“Being that most of the interns are college students and are
heavily into Facebook and YouTube, how about producing several
videos? Make some simple two- to three-minute videos about
getting a job, with links to Amazon or wherever you’re selling
the book.”

From Susan Murphy:

“Join some of the many LinkedIn groups for interior designers and
promote your book (or blog if you have one) through those
groups…I am an interior designer and brand marketing
professional and find new resources through my groups all the
time.”

The Publicity Hound says:

If you’re using LinkedIn to promote, which can be powerful, make
sure you aren’t too heavy-handed with the promotion. LinkedIn
expert Scott Allen says you must be very savvy about how you use
this site in a marketing campaign. Do it right, and you can
encourage hundreds of your connections to also promote for you.

During the teleseminar I conducted with him last summer on “How
to Use LinkedIn to Promote Anything–Ethically & Powerfully,” he
offered an entire timeline of what a promotional campaign would
look like on LinkedIn. Read more about it at
http://budurl.com/fjm5

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

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

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

Cynthia Harvey, of Pasadena, Calif., writes:

“I am a fashion designer, sewing instructor and fashion career
advisor.

“I own The Sewing Studio in Old Town Pasadena, Calif., where I
have fun teaching kids, teens and adults about the fashion
industry and how to sew.

“For almost two years, I have taught hundreds of students. My
goal is to teach 100 each month.

“How do I reach my goal without an ad budget?”

The Publicity Hound says:

The first place I’d promote it is on Craigslist. See “How to Use
Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool” at http://budurl.com/hff3

I can also think of several ways to collaborate with other
organizations in your community. Let’s see how many other ideas
my Hounds can generate. Hounds with great suggestions for Cynthia
can post them to my blog at http://budurl.com/hff3

================================
7. Hound Video of the Week
================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Karla Little, of Toverton, R.I., for
this video of a four-legged hound defending itself from stealing
its own bone. If this doesn’t make you laugh out loud, I’ll be
doggone:

http://ow.ly/ga2p

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

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

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

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

Michael Jackson songs won’t stop playing inside my head–help!
http://ow.ly/gbrD

Use social networking to market your product, services 12 ways
http://ow.ly/g9PD

Retailer’s guide lists clever ideas for in-store promotions
http://ow.ly/fXoc

Online press releases: 8 powerful reasons to keep using them
http://ow.ly/ga6y

———————————-

Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:

Listen to the Internet radio interview I did yesterday morning
when I was a guest on “Techno Granny,” Joanne Quinn-Smith’s
Internet radio show. Topic: “25 Things to Hate About Facebook.”
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/30986

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

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

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

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

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

Circulation: 39,854

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Grab Your Facebook Vanity URL

2. Publicize on Bank Marquees

3. Email Subject Lines

4. Link Your Plaxo, Facebook Accounts

5. How to Promote Tips Booklets

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Church bulletins

–Local newsletters

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

–Flyers at colleges and universities

–Bumper stickers

–Banners and signs

–Statement stuffers

–Door hangers

–Posters

–Calendar listings on local cable TV channels

–Flyers at colleges and universities

–Flyers in company cafeterias

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

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

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

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

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

–Last-minute:

–Look:

–Media alert:

–Local:

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

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

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

Listen at http://budurl.com/l8jt

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Sync your status updates between the two services.

–Automatically connect with your Facebook friends who use Plaxo.

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

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

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

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

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

From Greg Pincus:

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

From Sonia Singh:

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

From Christine Buffaloe:

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

The Publicity Hound says:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Publicity Hound says:

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

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

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

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

“First, I’d like to be rich.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

————————————

Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:

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

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

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

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #442 March 17, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 41,750

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

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

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

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

Speakers: Hit the Continuing Education Market

Many of my friends who are professional speakers says it’s harder
than ever to get paying gigs because companies are trimming their
training budgets, and meeting planners are bringing in industry
experts who are often willing to waive their fees.

It’s time to tap into the lucrative market of continuing
education. Tom Antion is hosting a paid teleseminar called “CEU
Secrets Revealed: How to Sell Your Knowledge for Big Bucks in the
Continuing Education Market” at 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, March
19. His guest is Doug Bench, a former judge who retired from law
and started teaching continuing education classes for Florida
homebuilders. He’s bringing in over 7 figures in revenue each
year, and he’ll share all the ins and outs of selling your
knowledge as CEU credits both online and off.

If the time is inconvenient, sign up anyway because the first 200
registrants will get a copy of the CD.

Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/ako5×7

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

1. Newspaper Closings? Ho-Hum

2. Thanks for Taking My Survey

3. A Handy Twitter Formula

4. Backgrounders Educate Reporters

5. ‘Window Shopping’ for a Retirement Home

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

========================================
1. Newspaper Closings? Ho-Hum
========================================

Fewer than half of Americans surveyed by the Pew Research Center
say that losing their local newspaper would hurt civic life in
their community “a lot.”

Even fewer, one in three people, say they would personally miss
reading the local newspaper a lot if it were no longer available.

Those are among findings of the latest weekly News Interest
Index, conducted March 6-9 by the Pew Research Center for the
People & the Press.

The survey also shows that more people say they get local news
from local television stations than any other source. About two-
thirds (68 percent) say they regularly get local news from
television reports or television station websites, 48 percent say
they regularly get news from local newspapers in print or online,
34 percent say they get local news regularly from radio, and 31
percent say they get their local news, more generally, from the
Internet.

You can read more about the survey and see all the results at
http://tinyurl.com/agy3h3

Close on the heels of the survey results was yesterday’s
announcement by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that it’s stopping
the presses and experimenting with a web-only edition of the
paper. The 118,000-circulation daily is keeping only 20 of its
journalists to work on the online edition, and laying off 145
others.

An article in the Wall Street Journal says the smaller digital
edition will no longer be a catch-all of local and national news
and features. Instead, it will cover local events and publish
blogs and columns from staff, readers and prominent local
citizens. It also plans to link liberally to other news sources
in the Seattle area.

What does this mean for Publicity Hounds in Seattle? (If you live
elsewhere, pay attention. The same thing might happen to your
local daily newspaper.)

–Newspapers like the Post-Intelligence will be hungry for
content, including letters, opinion columns and even video.

–They might even start calling on “citizen journalists,”
including local bloggers, to report on news and events. No longer
will you have to genuflect before the media gatekeepers. Anyone
with a computer or a camera can report the news.

–Hounds no longer will be able to rely on their local
metropolitan paper for major publicity. Consider pitching your
local business journal, which is probably on more solid footing
than your local daily. And, of course, continue to pitch local TV
stations.

–If you’re not on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other social
networking sites where your target audience is gathering for much
of their news, start right now.

BL Ochman, a prolific blogger who creates social networking
campaigns for her corporate clients, says “the social media train
has left the station.” She was my guest during a recent
teleseminar on “How to do Social Networking, Run a Business &
Still Have a Life.”

It’s available as a CD, MP3 or an electronic transcript that you
can download and be reading as soon as your order has been
approved. Read more about how to chase after the train and hop
aboard at http://tinyurl.com/6kswbc

======================================
2. Thanks for Taking My Survey
======================================

If you want to know what your customers think of your products or
services, don’t sit around and guess. Ask them.

That’s what I did when I emailed the link to my Customer Profile
Survey to more than 50,000 Hounds this month.

The response was fabulous, and I learned that many of you who
took the survey are more patient that I’ll ever be.

We chose the vendor for this survey after a lot of research. But
the company dropped the ball and threw so many technology
roadblocks in your way that many of you bailed out before
completing it. Some of you were “frozen” on a particular page and
couldn’t move. Others couldn’t make it onto the thank-you page to
get the code for $40 off their choice of products.

Scott Buffaloe, one of my customer service managers from Serenity
VA Services, and Jeanne Hurlbert, my wonderful consultant who
helped me write the survey, personally contacted dozens of Hounds
who emailed and called for help. We think we’ve resolved all the
problems but we want to be 100 percent sure. Please email Scott
at mailto:scott@serenityva.com if you had trouble using the
coupon, or Jeanne at mailto:hurlbert@optinetresources.com if you
have questions about the survey.

Just when we thought all the glitches were solved, the vendor’s
entire system crashed one day last week. Miraculously, we have
retrieved all the survey results, and we’re in the process of
analyzing them.

Why am I telling you this? Because 94 percent of the people who
took the survey ranked my customer service 8, 9 or 10 on a scale
of 1 to 10.

Part of good customer service, I believe, is to explain problems
that occurred, why they occurred, and what I’ll do to make sure
they never happen again.

From time to time, I’ll be asking you to take much shorter
surveys but I promise you I will not use the same vendor. Survey
Monkey, another popular survey service, doesn’t quite fit our
needs. I’m curious about companies you recommend. If you survey
your customers regularly and you’ve found a great vendor, drop me
a line at mailto:jstewart@PublicityHound.com and let me know.

I’ll be sharing some of the survey results through press
releases. If you take surveys, or you’re thinking of taking them,
recycle the publicity over and over again. My ebook “How to be a
Kick-butt Publicity Hound” gives you hundreds of ideas on how to
generate buzz for whatever you’re promoting and gives you an
excellent bird’s-eye view of all your opportunities. The 2009
update includes seven new chapters on how to use social
media to promote.

Learn more about the book at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity/publicityhound.htm

===========================================
3. A Handy Twitter Formula
===========================================

Confused about what to tweet about on Twitter?

Do you hate those “what I ate for lunch” tweets and vow you’ll
never write them, but you can’t think of much else to say that
your followers would find interesting?

Here’s a helpful tip from Perry Belcher, who accumulated more
than 52,000 Twitter followers in only 128 days. At the Live7
event hosted by Stompernet, the Internet marketing membership
group earlier this month, Perry shared his formula for the
content of his tweets:

–30 percent: Tips that help make people’s lives better

–10 percent: Information that keeps them informed

–30 percent: Anything that makes people laugh (He says
http://www.Fark.com is a great site for humorous content)

–25 percent: Compliments and praise

–5 percent: What you’re doing

Have you been writing most of your tweets about what you’re
doing? If so, try this formula and see how much more quickly
people start following you.

Granted, this takes a little more time and discipline. But I’m
sure it’s the reason Perry has been able to attract such a huge
following so quickly. You can follow him on Twitter at
http://Twitter.com/perrybelcher and you can follow me at
http://twitter.com/PublicityHound

Yes, you can use Twitter to promote. But you have to do it much
more subtly than the way you promote in other venues. Twitter
expert Warren Whitlock gives you the step-by-step process on “How
to Use Twitter to Amass an Army of Followers, Customers &
Valuable Contacts–and Promote.” It’s available as an electronic
transcript and your choice of CDs or MP3s. Publicity Hounds raved
about the two teleseminars I hosted with him several months ago
because his advice helped shorten their Twitter learning curve.

Read more about how to use Twitter to promote at
http://tinyurl.com/3lbcaw

=======================================
4. Backgrounders Educate Reporters
=======================================

If a complicated story is about to break within your industry,
consider hosting a backgrounder, a one-on-one meeting with a
journalist and others who might cover it.

The March 16 issue of PRWeek magazine says backgrounders are
particularly helpful in the health industry, where stories about
new drugs, diseases and devices can be difficult for journalists
to understand. Backgrounders help educate reporters who aren’t
under the pressure of deadlines.

Radi Medical Systems, for example, invited a reporter from the
Wall Street Journal who wanted information about cardiology
procedures, to a hospital to watch a procedure and speak with
cardiologists.

AstraZeneca has been hosting media briefings on various cancer
topics the last few years.

Briefings also let companies control which reporters they speak
with and which spokespeople they provide.

You can also use briefings to educate the editorial boards of
newspapers because they’re the ones who decide the positions that
the newspaper will take on certain issues. Sometimes an hour-long
briefing with a group of editors can help you gain their support
for a cause or issue you’re promoting.

Afraid of meeting with a group of journalists? Don’t be.

During a teleseminar I hosted, I explained exactly how to contact
them, ask for a meeting of the editorial board, what to take with
you and what to say. “How to Use Newspaper & Magazine Editorial
Boards” is available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you
can download and be reading as soon as your order has been
approved.

Read more about editorial boards and backgrounders at
http://tinyurl.com/5wh45

========================================
5. Window Shopping for a Retirement Home
========================================

This week, 10 Publicity Hounds have tips for Keri Gerlach, the
marketing director of Clement Manor, a retirement community in
Greenfield, WI. She’s looking for ways to encourage families to
“window shop” now for long-term care for their aging parents.

From Barry Lebow:

“Look up http://www.seniorsrealestate.com which is the Senior
Real Estate Specialist website. It identifies Realtors who are
dedicated to working with Baby Boomers and their parents. Get a
list of members within, say, 50 miles of your location and invite
them for a special tour of your facilities. Work with the
Realtors who are in the field, create a program for them and
welcome their referrals. Make it easy for them to recommend you
by sponsoring a lunch, have a speaker on a subject relating to
seniors and real estate (will and trusts?). Keep them in the loop
and on your mailing list.”

From Patricia C. Vener:

“Keri, have you heard of Eons? It?s an online social media group
for people over, I think, 50 or so. You’d be surprised at how
many early Baby Boomers are pretty computer-savvy.

“You might also look into those health fairs that are often
sponsored by newspapers, Chambers of Commerce, and other health-
oriented businesses.

Finally, offer an open house affair with a dinner (or coffee and
dessert) and a presentation, kind of like what the vacation
share companies do.”

From Alan McBride:

“I worked for a radio station with a 55+ audience and we put on a
Seniors Expo. This involved all the retirement villages but it
would be just as easy to hold the event at yours. Invite funeral
parlous, local tour operators–in fact, anyone who provides a
service. Each person buys time on the radio over eight weeks and
gets a stall. Radio stations love you, providers love you. Even
invite Scouts and guides to generate goodwill to the elderly.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Keri, how about using the Milwaukee Craigslist regularly to
attract the attention of Baby Boomers and others? You can share
tips on how to choose a retirement community, create short videos
and offer the links on Craigslist, and even do video interviews
with some of your residents. Nancy Mills, an expert on how to use
Craigslist, was my guest during a teleseminar and she shared all
of her time-saving tips on how to take advantage of the world’s
giant classified ad bulletin board.

“How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool” is available
as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be
reading as soon as your order has been approved. Read more about
how to get started on Craigslist at http://tinyurl.com/geog2

The Publicity Hound says:

Read all the responses to this week’s “Help This Hound” question
http://tinyurl.com/bgep5b

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

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

Mitchell Teplitsky of New York, NY writes:

“I am self-distributing a documentary to the home video and
institutional markets.

“I do my own PR, but as one-man band, it’s too much. I’m thinking
of trying to find an intern or PR firm pro bono. The benefit:
They’ll get to work with and learn how to independently market a
film (few can do it well).

“The movie tells the story of two women raised in different
worlds–an immigrant folk dancer from the Andes, and a modern
dancer from Queens, NY–who return to Peru to reconnect with
roots and an astonishing world of traditional dance and
celebration. You can learn more about it at
http://www.soyandina.com/

“Do your Hounds have any suggestions on where I might look? Are
there any sources you can recommend to find people?”

The Publicity Hound says:

Many companies and nonprofits are looking for PR interns this
time of year, so you’ll be up against some stiff competition to
lure the right person.

My Hounds who have used interns will be able to offer some great
shortcuts. Hounds with tips for Mitchell can post them to my blog
at http://tinyurl.com/cecogs

But don’t just hire an intern then send them off on their own.
They need guidance, training and mentoring. I can help. My
teleseminar series on “How to Help Your Boss or Client with a
Publicity Campaign” is an in-depth course on how to do
publicity–perfect for summer interns, virtual assistants, or
anybody who works in a PR capacity and needs help understanding
fairly quickly the best ways to promote any product, service,
cause or issue.

It’s available as CDs, MP3s or electronic transcripts–all with
handouts. Read more about how to train your assistant at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/PHU_AssistantsCourse.htm

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

Dear God:

Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the
mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not ONE
named for a dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around?

We do love a nice ride! Would it be so hard to rename the
“Chrysler Eagle” the “Chrysler Beagle”?

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

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

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

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

Gardeners, USA Weekend wants photos of giant fruits, veggies
http://tinyurl.com/crkgkb

—————————————

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #439 Feb. 24, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 42,491

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

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

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

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

Complete My Survey, Get a $40 Coupon & Chance to Win a Kindle:

I’m sending 500 readers of this newsletter, chosen randomly, my
customer satisfaction survey. If you complete it, you’ll get a
$40 coupon (I’ve increased it from 30) good for any products or
services I sell, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a
Kindle 2, the new wireless reading device that Amazon sells for
$359. If the winner doesn’t want the Kindle, I’ll send an Amazon
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The first batch of 500 surveys are helping me identify any
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*****************************************
================================
In This Issue
================================

1. Enhance Your Pitch with Video

2. Target College Blogs

3. Blogrolls: Publicity Gold

4. Meet Journalists Face to Face

5. Promoting Home & Garden Shows

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

========================================
1. Enhance Your Pitch with Video
========================================

Too many Publicity Hounds are obsessed with generating coverage
in the printed versions of newspapers and magazines.

They forget that newspaper circulation is plummeting and that
things aren’t exactly rosy in the magazine industry, either.

If you can make it into your local daily newspaper,
congratulations. But what about the thousands of people who have
stopped subscribing because they can read much of the content
online and not have to pay?

If your story shows up in the printed newspaper, but not at the
paper’s website, you’re missing the chance to be in front of all
those people who read it online.

Entice editors to publish your story in the printed and online
editions by offering them video at their website. For example:

–Let’s say you’re a fashion consultant. You can pitch a story
about how Casual Friday has resulted in slobs in the workplace,
and then offer a short video that shows the Top 10 Casual Friday
Fashion Mistakes. Editors will be happy to put the video at their
website and refer to it from the story in the printed edition.

–An author publicizing a recipe book for children can offer the
food editor a video that shows a child making a peanut butter and
jelly roll-up, with help from mom or dad.

–A manufacturer who’s pitching a business story can offer video
that shows a product in various stages of completion, sort of a
mini version of the popular show “How it’s Made” on the Science
Channel.

Print journalists love video because they’re under immense
pressure to provide multi-media at their websites. Multi-media
draws visitors, and that means more people reading paid ads. So
be sure to mention video in your pitch. Lots of other Publicity
Hounds aren’t using video. If you do, you’ll set yourself apart
from the crowd.

Publicity Hound John Easton, a videographer, has turned into a
media darling in his own community of Charlotte, North Carolina
by cranking out videos whenever he can–for use at newspaper
websites and the local Chamber of Commerce websites, among
others.

He says you don’t have to be a video professional like he is to
endear the media. With an inexpensive Flip Video camera and a few
tricks up your sleeve, you can generate mountains of publicity
far and above what every else is getting.

John explained all his tricks during a teleseminar last year on
“9 Clever Ways to Use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your
Industry or Community.” We recorded it, and it’s available as a
CD, MP3 or electronic transcript that you can download as soon as
your order has been approved. Read more about what you’ll learn
at http://tinyurl.com/5pbgzn

==============================================
2. Target College Blogs
==============================================

If you’re publicizing something that appeals to a college
audience, the school’s newspaper and campus TV and radio stations
should be on your targeted media list.

Don’t forget about the blogs associated with those media.

I picked up a copy of The Marquette Tribune, the campus paper
published by Marquette University in Milwaukee. Inside, I found
four URLs leading to the newspapers blogs. They are devoted to
student government, music and entertainment, Greek life, and club
sports. Most of them accept comments.

I’m guessing that some college students who don’t read
traditional newspapers also don’t read their college paper but,
instead, search for information online, including these blogs.

Including college newspapers in your publicity campaign is one of
the thousands of tips featured in the 2009 update of my ebook
“How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound.” When co-author Tom
Antion and I updated it late last year, we added six new chapters
on social media.

This is one of my most popular learning tools because it gives
Hounds an overall view of hundreds of publicity tools and
resources, and gives specific strategies on how to use them. Our
eight new chapters include tips and strategies for using video,
MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, photo-sharing sites, and
social bookmarking. If you’re late getting started with social
media, this ebook explains in easy-to-understand terms how to
incorporate these sites into a publicity campaign.

Read more about what you’ll learn at http://tinyurl.com/2a3dp9

========================================
3. Blogrolls: Publicity Gold
========================================

Authors, if you want more reviews for your books, pay attention
to this tip.

Publicity Hounds everywhere, if you’re trying to generate
publicity among the blogging community, and you blog, this tip
applies to you, too.

It’s courtesy of Rebecca Morgan, who publishes the excellent
SpeakerNetNews ezine for speakers at
http://www.SpeakerNetNews.com

Rebecca says that since so many newspapers are discontinuing
their book review sections, Hounds need to think creatively about
ways to publicize their books.

She suggests that you hunt down bloggers who mention your blog in
their blogroll. The blogroll is the list, usually in the right or
left margin, that links to all the blogs they find interesting.

I’ve seen my blog listed on dozens, maybe even hundreds, of
blogrolls that deal with marketing, publicity, books and
promotion.

Rebecca suggests that you ask bloggers who list you in their
blogroll to review your book.

“You already know they are your fans. Send them an advance copy.
When they review it, put a link on your site to the review and
tell your readers to check it out.”

She also suggests:

–Add a quote from their review on your book description page
with a link to the full review.

–Ask other bloggers or sites that focus on your book’s topic for
a review, even if your site isn’t on their blogroll.

–Offer five f~ree books to their site to use as awards for a
contest they may want to run. Thus your book’s title stays in
front of key buyers.

–Provide bloggers with a jpg of the book cover to post with the
review.

–If you have an affiliate program, invite them to join so they
earn commissions from orders coming from their readers. Many of
these folks will also invite you to appear as a guest on their
podcasts or Internet radio shows.

Her ideas could work for many other products, not just books. To
find blogrolls that mention your blog, you can use
http://blogsearch.google.com or http://www.Technorati.com

P.S. If you list me in your blogroll and want to review the 2009
edition of “How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound,” or if you’re
a blogger or ezine editor who wants to review the book, let
Christine Buffaloe, my customer service manager, know.
Mailto:Chris@serenityva.com

Authors, if your book sales have fallen flat, do NOT give up and
start writing your next book. That’s a big mistake. Instead,
start applying the same strategies that book publicist Lissa
Warren uses when her clients’ book sales hit the skids. She
details them all during the teleseminar we conducted on “How to
Revive a Dying Book Marketing Campaign.” It’s available as a CD
or electronic transcript that you can read as soon as your order
has been approved.

Read more about how to jump-start dying book campaigns at
http://tinyurl.com/67bhu

==========================================
4. Meet Journalists Face to Face
==========================================

More than 100 journalists from media outlets large and small will
meet Publicity Hounds face to face at the National Publicity
Summit April 22-25 in New York.

The journalists will sit across from authors, speakers,
consultants, experts and others who will be pitching their ideas
to get onto shows like “48 Hours,” ABC’s “The View,” Fox News and
the “Today” show.

Hounds will be delivering succinct, 10- or 15-second pitches and
including all the enticing little “extras” that encourage a media
person to say “tell me more.”

Each year, only 100 people are accepted at the summit so that
each can have enough face time with journalists.

In years past, the summit has produced dozens of success stories
that include:

–Ron & Lisa Beres’s appearance on the “Today” show.

–Steve Shapiro’s big write-up in “O the Oprah Magazine” after
meeting the writer at the publicity summit.

–Barry Spilchuk’s interview on the Fox News Channel within just
five hours of meeting the producer at the summit!

–Sandy Clemmons’s stories in Health Magazine, Money Magazine and
TV Guide, all from meeting journalists face to face at this
event.

You’ll have to complete an application before you’re accepted.
Visit http://www.NationalPublicitySummit.com/?10011 for all the
details.

==========================================
5. Promoting Home & Garden Shows
==========================================

This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips on how Lori Feldman
of St. Louis, Mo. can promote home & garden shows in four cities
throughout the United States.

From Jeff Rutherford:

“There has been so much media coverage of the impact of the
economy on people’s day-to-day lives, why not pitch reporters on
the idea that more people will be gardening this year? It’s
relatively low-cost fun, and some of those people may very well
be growing their own food. You could offer spokespeople from the
show as experts on the power of gardening–to help feed people
and promote family bonding.”

From Holly Miller:

“Get in touch with your local Master Gardeners, Cooperative
Extension Office, and any regional government groups that promote
water conservation, beautification, or storm water management
through rain gardens. For examples, see http://www.hrwet.org,
http://www.hrclean.org, and http://www.hrstorm.org.

“Additionally, check http://www.meetup.com for environmental or
gardening groups in your target area. You’ll be amazed at how
many resources there are for finding your target audience. And,
a give-away targeting a specific green initiative wouldn’t hurt.
Think about free rain barrels or installation of a rain garden.”

From Catherine McVicker:

“Get a garden center to contribute the creation of a pint-size
victory garden for four people as a prize. They get publicity at
the show, get to put a sign at the street like painters do, and,
hopefully, get word of mouth exposure as the family of four eats
its way through the garden produce during the summer.”

The Publicity Hound says:

These ideas are fabulous. The first one, about promoting
gardening during a bad economy, is perfect for TV because there
will be so many great visuals at the show. I’d pitch it to local
TV stations a day or two before the show opens in each city. If
you can find local people who preserve their garden vegetables,
that would be a great local tie-in.

TV producer Shawne Duperon gave step-by-step directions on how to
contact local TV newsrooms and pitch ideas when she was a guest
on my teleseminar “How to Get on the Local TV News Tomorrow.”

It’s available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can
download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.
Read more about what you’ll learn at http://tinyurl.com/yjrktx

Read all the responses to this week’s Help This Hound question at
http://tinyurl.com/atm843

Send your own Help This Hound question to
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com

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

Jill Cranford of Livermore, Colo. writes:

“My company, Stone2Furniture, which makes outdoor furniture from
stone, is having an Ugly Patio Furniture Contest at
http://www.stone2furniture.com/contest.htm and we’ll be giving
away a set of our stone furniture valued at $4,100.

“So here I am with the rules drawn up, and it’s live on our
website and in the Media Room. I sent out 130 snail-mail flyers
and emails to editors.

“My next step is getting it to the local news channels. But I am
wondering if I am missing a step? I haven’t heard from any
editors. I know this will be fun but I’m just not sure how to
launch it.”

The Publicity Hound says:

I love these “ugliest” contests and other journalists do, too!
Sometimes a photo can tell a story far better than a press
release or a brochure. You already have two photos of entries at
the link above. The photo that shows the ugly patio table made
out of two rubber storage containers will really attract a lot of
attention when you’re pitching this story.

I’m leaving it up to my Hounds to offer suggestions on how to use
that photo, and any other ideas they have on how to promote your
contest. Hounds, you can post your ideas to my blog at
http://tinyurl.com/apbzws

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

Today is Mardi Gras Day.

To celebrate, Jeanne Hurlbert of Baton Rouge, La., shares this
video of the Mardi Gras Dog Parade, an annual event where she and
her family “throw beads and dog treats and have a great time.”
(If the video won’t load, come back in an hour or so because too
many people might be trying to watch it.)

http://tinyurl.com/d2am2b

Jeanne is the survey consultant I hired to help me create the
survey that you’ll be getting from me soon.

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

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

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

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

Increase your web sales: 27 ways to get ‘em to buy
http://tinyurl.com/bmdfo7

More publicity for Dallas hardware store after Bush visits
http://tinyurl.com/blaz7p

Real estate magazine needs expert articles
http://tinyurl.com/cz8vpu

A journalist’s tips for pitching story ideas about your business
http://tinyurl.com/agzdkf

—————————————

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:

March 6-8–Atlanta, Ga.

I’ll be at the Stompernet Live 7 event. If you’re going, let’s
meet for coffee.

March 16–Teleseminar on Internet Marketing

I’ll be Marilee Tolen’s guest from 8 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time for
her teleseminar series “Introduction to Internet Marketing” for
nurses, healers, coaches and holistic professional solopreneurs.
If this is your niche, and you’re tired of running after the next
client, this is the training session for you. It starts Feb. 23.
Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/dl3xhm

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

If you like these tips please pass them on to your friends,
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=======================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound®
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
USA
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737