Media Plan | The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week

Free Subscription
- "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," is emailed every Tuesday, and provides tips & tricks on how to generate thousands of dollars in free publicity.
Syndication
Search
Tags
- Blogging Book Promotion Facebook Facebook Fan pages free publicity how to get free publicity LinkedIn Media Relations pitching the media Pitching to Reporters Press Releases publicity for niche markets Publicity Tips social media social networking Twitter
Publicity Resources
- Online & Offline PR
  Publicity Tips Blog
Follow Joan On...
- Facebook
- Twitter
Tips of the Week
- 2008 /2007 /2006 /2005
Kick-Butt Publicity
Need A Publicist?
Publicity Photos

Publicity Tips—Fail to Prepare? Prepare to Fail

April 20th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #551 April 19, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Fail to Prepare? Prepare to Fail

2. Your Twitter Lists

3. Top-quality Animoto Videos

4. Jack Canfield’s Tips for Authors

5. Promoting Photos on Glass

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Fail to Prepare? Prepare to Fail
=====================================

If you, or your PR client, are interviewing with the media, and
you haven’t prepared answers to difficult questions, particularly
if you’re in a bad news situation, you’ve blown it.

That’s what happened last week when a correspondent for the BBC
interviewed Mike Lazaridis, the co-chief executive of Research In
Motion (RIM), the Canadian firm behind Blackberry.

After discussing the new Playbook tablet, the focus of the
interview shifted to the company’s problems in India and the
Middle East, where governments want to gain greater access to the
tight security system used for Blackberry’s business users.

Lazaridis wasn’t ready for the question and complained that it
was unfair. His PR person tried to intervene. Things got ugly.

The correspondent kept his cool. But Lazaridis got flustered and
eventually ordered the camera person to “turn that thing off.”
Bloggers, like PR consultant Greg Simpson in the UK, started
writing about it and sharing the YouTube video. Take a look:
http://pressforattention.com/2011/04/15/back-off-the-rim-
blackberry-ceos-pr-tussle-with-bbc/

Ben Franklin had it right when he warned: “By failing to prepare,
you are preparing to fail.”

Be prepared. Crisis communications counselor Jonathan Bernstein
explained how to deal with sharp reporters (and nasty, hostile
ones) when he was my guest during the teleseminar, “How to Keep
the Media Wolves at Bay.” Learn more about what we discussed
here:
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/media_wolves_atbay.htm

======================================
2. Your Twitter Lists
======================================

Frustrated that you aren’t getting in front of the right experts
and journalists on Twitter?

Do you have too few quality followers?

Is hardly anyone retweeting your fabulous content?

You can change all that by using Twitter lists. Here are three
ways to use lists:

Save hours of time researching journalists, broadcasters,
Internet radio hosts, freelancers, beat reporters, editors and
others by looking for lists that other people on Twitter have
created. Within seconds, you can even find lists of journalists
in specific cities.

Want to get in front of influential bloggers who write about a
particular topic? Save hours of time by finding them on Twitter
lists that other people have created. (You can do this even if
you aren’t tweeting.)

If your favorite journalists, or journalists who you want to
notice you, are on Twitter, and you have a Twitter account,
create a “(Fill in the blank) Journalists” list and add them. If
you have a food-related story to pitch, for example, and you want
to get in front of food journalists, add them to a “Favorite Food
Journalists” list. And then let them know you’ve done so.
They’ll be flattered. This is a great way to start a
relationship with journalists before you pitch them.

You’ll find two more ideas at my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6929

And you can access the video replay of a webinar I hosted on
Twitter lists and directories at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/twitterlists.htm

=====================================
3. Top-quality Animoto Videos
=====================================

I love Animoto, the web-based program that lets me create slick
videos, accompanied by music or my recorded voice, within
minutes, using stock photos and text and even video clips.

The program is particularly helpful when I don’t have time to get
all dolled up for a talking-head video.

But I just realized I haven’t been adding my Publicity Hound logo
to the beginning and ending of all my videos. This important step
introduces newcomers to my brand, and solidifies the brand in the
minds of those who know me. No problem. My assistant can log into
my account and correct this problem for me very quickly.

Publicity Tips—How to Make Facebook Easier

March 21st, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #545 March 15, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. How to Make Facebook Easier

2. 31 Definitions of PR

3. LinkedIn: Perpetual Leads Machine

4. Use Sizzling Statistics

5. Free Twitter Bird Icons

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. How to Make Facebook Easier
=====================================

If you’re like me, you want to throw your coffee cup through the
computer monitor when you can’t figure out how to do something on
Facebook.

Why do more than 200 million people use that site, then, if it’s
so darn complicated?

Several reasons:

–Many kids, who grew up with computers and practically live on
Facebook, are patient enough to figure out all the nuances.

–Many users have Facebook accounts, but they aren’t really
active on the site because it’s too confusing. So that 200
million figure is a bit deceiving.

–Business owners, like me, use Facebook primarily for business
because we know a lot of people in our target markets are there.
We also understand the value of creating fan pages and using a
powerful “welcome” page that encourages visitors to give us their
email addresses.

That’s worth putting up with all the aggravating changes that
Facebook makes every six months or so.

The most recent batch of changes, introduced last month, offers
opportunities galore for businesses, nonprofits and government
agencies to solidify their brand.

But some of the changes are more important than others. And
trying to understand all of them at the same time can make you
crazy.

My virtual assistant, Christine Buffaloe, who manages Facebook
accounts for many of her clients, is joining me this afternoon
for a webinar on “12 More Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on
the New & Improved Facebook.” It’s at 4 p.m. Eastern Time and we
have a few seats left.

We’ll explain only what we think you need to know so you aren’t
overwhelmed, and we’ll tell you about the two things you should
no longer be doing with Facebook.

You may have heard lots of people buzzing about another new
Facebook feature. But we aren’t using it, and we’ll explain why.

You’ll learn about a new tool we discovered that will help you
find other people’s fan pages where you can post helpful content
to their walls, talk directly to their thousands of fans, and get
a link back to your own fan page–without spamming.

Register here, even if the time is inconvenient for you, because
I’m recording it, and I’ll send you the replay link and all the
handouts:

http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/facebook12ways.htm

======================================
2. 31 Definitions of PR
======================================

Here’s one of my favorite explanations of the difference between
public relations, marketing, promotion and advertising:

“If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying
‘Circus Coming to the Fairgrounds Saturday,’ that’s advertising.
If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into
town, that’s promotion. If the elephant walks through the
mayor’s flowerbed, that’s publicity. And if you get the mayor to
laugh about it, that’s public relations.”

Now that you know what public relations is, how do PR people
explain what they do?

You’ll find 31 definitions of PR at Heidi Cohen’s blog at
http://heidicohen.com/public-relations-definition/

Fascinating reading.

=====================================
3. LinkedIn: Perpetual Leads Machine
=====================================

Few social media sites will keep working for you 24/7, even when
you’re asleep.

But LinkedIn will. Let’s say you’re looking for journalists who
live within a 100-mile radius of Chicago.

You plug in the details of what you’re looking for and click.
After you review the results, you can save your search.

Here’s the best part: You can tell LinkedIn to send you an email
weekly or monthly to notify you if a new journalist who meets
your search criteria has been found in your network (including
Levels 1, 2 and 3 and Groups.) You can keep up to three searches
in a free account.

It’s a perpetual leads generator. LinkedIn expert Wayne
Breitbarth recommends getting on the phone as soon as you see
that someone new has become part of your network. Set up a
meeting. It could be a home run.

Read more about what Wayne taught recently during my webinar,
“Your LinkedIn Power Formula: How to Make Killer Contacts, Pull
Crowds to Events, be a Star in Your Industry & Track Down Leads
Like a Bloodhound.”

I recorded the webinar and you can download the video replay, the
MP3 and all the handouts at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/linkedinpowerformula.htm

=====================================
4. Use Sizzling Statistics
=====================================

The next time you write a press release or a pitch, think of a
clever way you can introduce sizzling statistics to really
attract attention.

Brad Phillips uses them all the time. He publishes the Mr. Media
Training Blog, which offers daily media and presentation training
tips. And he wrote a super guest blog post for me with five
examples of how to make boring numbers come alive.

For example, percentages, he says, are a drag on your copy.

“Instead of proclaiming that your plant’s new energy efficient
manufacturing equipment will cut your company’s carbon footprint
by 35 percent, tell your audience what that means. Does your new
efficiency mean that you will save 20,000 barrels of oil this
year? Say so!”

Read the other four tips and leave a comment about how you used
statistics. Go to http://publicityhound.net/?p=7994

======================================
5. Free Twitter Bird Icons
======================================

Looking for some attractive Twitter icons to place at your blog
or website or use on your marketing materials?

You can download an entire set of six incredibly cute birds, some
with their “Follow Me” and “Tweet About Us” signs. Kudos to Gopal
Raju of Convax Solutions for offering these under Creative
Commons, which means you can freely use them for your private and
commercial projects, including software, online service,
templates and themes.

Smart Publicity Hounds can also use them in online media rooms
and press kits.

Grab ‘em now at
http://www.productivedreams.com/free-twitter-bird-icon-set/

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

A police dog responds to an ad for work with the FBI.

“Well,” says the personnel director, “you’ll have to meet some
strict requirements. First, you must type at least 60 words per
minute.”

Sitting down at the computer, the dog types 80 words per minute.

“Also,” says the director, “you must pass a physical and complete
the obstacle course.”

This perfect dog specimen finishes the course in record time.

“There’s one last requirement,” the director continues. “You must
be bilingual.”

With confidence, the dog looks up at him and says, “Meow!”

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

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

Http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/

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

How to Promote Events on Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8006

Why statistics can be your greatest PR ally–or enemy
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7994

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips—Five Killer Social Media Strategies

July 28th, 2010 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #515 July 27, 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. Five Killer Social Media Strategies

2. How to Get on Top TV Shows

3. Book Bloggers

4. Subject Lines That Scream “Open!”

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Five Killer Social Media Strategies
=====================================

If you’ve been following the series of free videos that Don
Crowther has been sharing this past week, you’re already adopting
some of his killer strategies on how to make more money than
friends on the social media sites.

If you missed any of the videos, you can still access them here:
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/reverse/JoanStewart

Even if you don’t watch them all, I don’t want you to miss the
replay of a special webinar that Don did last week for Jeanne
Hurlbert, my business partner, and me. It’s at
http://www.mysocialmediarx.com/downloads/media/donc/ In it, Don
explains his strategies on exactly how often you should be
posting on sites like Twitter and Facebook, and the exact types
of content you should be sharing to make money, not just friends.

For example, if it’s more sales you want from these sites, stop
tweeting about what you had for lunch, what’s new in your pet’s
life, or the latest sob story about your aches and pains. Don
lays it out in step-by-step detail and shows you exactly how to
come across as trusting, competent, confident and helpful so
people will be practically begging to buy from you.

I also learned about a clever strategy that Don uses on LinkedIn.
He encourages other people to answer a question but it makes HIM,
not THEM, look like the expert.

He shared free Google tools that will make your social media
tasks so much easier and help you determine exactly which links
are bringing in leads and sales.

All of this free content is to promote his Social Profit Formula
product. To encourage you to buy it from me (I earn a
commission), I’m adding this bonus: $500 worth of my products or
consulting.

That’s in addition to bonuses he’s offering. They include:

–”How to Make a Living as a Social Media Consultant” (this is
the hottest job market and he explains in detail how to make a
living even with no previous Social Media knowledge. It includes
guidelines on how to price your services.

–”How to be a Super Affiliate using Social Media.” It’s a
complete step-by-step module that gives every detail on keeping
customers while sending them offer after offer that convert to
sales.

Bottom line: Don has a $5,000 guarantee he is offering if you
implement everything he teaches and still don’t recoup the cost
of the course.

Watch the webinar he did last week, and then decide if you’re
ready to take the next step:
http://www.mysocialmediarx.com/downloads/media/donc/

======================================
2. How to Get on Top TV Shows
======================================

Most people who dream of being on “Oprah” and other major TV talk
shows have no business being there.

Either their topic isn’t a good fit for the show, or they can’t
articulate a convincing pitch in 15 seconds or less. Yet they
continue to flood the producers with lousy pitches that label
them as pests.

On Thursday, July 29, Steve Harrison will host a teleseminar on
the three biggest tips you need to know to get onto major TV
shows. You’ll learn what NOT to send to producers, what NOT to
pitch to guest bookers, and mistakes you should never make, or
they’ll blackball you forever.

Then you’ll learn about the 3 big secrets for doing it the right
way. Read more about what you’ll learn and register for the call
at one of two times–2 or 7 Eastern Time
http://www.tvpublicityteleseminar.com/?10011

If you can’t make the call, recruit somebody to take notes for
you. (I’m a compensated affiliate.)

=====================================
3. Book Bloggers
=====================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Regina Lundgren of Kennewick, Wash.,
for tipping us off to this long list of book bloggers that she
found in the Publisher’s Weekly ezine:
http://bookbloggerconvention.com/attendees/

Some of them discuss books. Many write book reviews.

The timing couldn’t be better, as more newspapers and magazines
are eliminating book review sections.

Check them out if you need to promote a book. And then add
bloggers to your list of targeted media. See “How to Create a
Media Plan” at http://www.publicityhound.com/mediaplan.htm

=====================================
4. Subject Lines That Scream “Open!”
=====================================

Here’s some really bad advice that the so-called PR experts
dispense: Your email pitches to journalists and bloggers should
be as short as possible. No more than three or four words.

Why is it bad advice? Because it forces people to make their
subject lines sound cute rather than informative.

Publicist Michelle Tennant, a master at booking her clients on
top-tier TV and radio shows, often uses as many words as
necessary in her subject lines so they scream, “Open me!”

And wow, do journalists ever open them!

During last week’s webinar on “How to Tie Your Pitch to Breaking
News and Make the Media Interview YOU,” Michelle dissected three
email pitches that scored publicity in major media outlets. All
three had the critical elements of an email pitch and made the
journalist’s job incredibly easy. You can adopt them for your own
use.

News is breaking all around you–and that’s the very best time to
pitch. I recorded the webinar and you can watch it at your
computer, or download it along with the MP3 file, the handouts
and Michelle’s sample pitches. Read more about what she taught at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/breakingnews.htm

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

Cathy Berger of Roslyn, New York, writes:

I keep having to cancel events because I don’t have enough paid
registrations.

I have a live, hands-on “dress better” fashion company full of
classes. Most are $36 for 90 minutes of instruction, and
attendees can take individual courses whenever they are held, but
they must be physically near to New York City or Long
Island/Nassau County. You can learn more about it at
http://www.fashionsociete.com/

The “What’s Your Body Type? Now Dress For It” class, for
example, includes:

–Topics such as an analysis of your present style

–A real measurement of key body areas

–A professional determination of your true body type

–Techniques to create the illusion of a slimmer (or custom) look

–Slides showing ways to dress for it and how to create a
wardrobe for it

–How to use items already in your closet to pull your new look
off.

What are some quick and creative ways I can market the event
calendar and reach the right people—women who want or need to
look and dress their best?

The Publicity Hound says: Cathy, I encourage you to use social
media and Internet marketing to help solve people’s problems and
pull them to your live events, and also to create products for
women who don’t live in the New York area. Don Crowther’s
excellent series of social media videos at
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/reverse/JoanStewart that
I referred to in the lead item will show you how to do that.

Hounds with other ideas for Cathy can comment at my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6727

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

“The dog is a yes-animal. Very popular with people who can’t
afford a yes man.” — Robertson Davies, Canadian author

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:

How to write a guest post for my publicity blog
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6573

Get the monkey off your back using VAs, subcontractors
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6758

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips—The Stealth Interview

June 29th, 2010 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #510 June 22, 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/

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

ADV:
Why agonize when you can energize & italicize
your bio with ‘Bio Whisperer’ Nancy Juetten’s
expert help?
http://www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com/rent-a-brain

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

1. The Stealth Interview

2. Blog Effortlessly on Vacation

3. The Power of Guest Blogging

4. Sneak Your URL into Media Stories

5. Read In-flight Magazines Online

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

====================================
1. The Stealth Interview
====================================

You’re reading USA Today and you see yourself quoted in an
article.

Problem is, you never talked the reporter who wrote it, or any
other reporter for that newspaper. In fact, you never remember
anyone interviewing you on that topic.

Welcome to what blogger BJ Ochman calls The Stealth Interview. It
happens when a journalist, freelancer or blogger lifts quotes or
other material from you that they find online, and attribute it
to you. That material can include:

–A tweet.

–A status update on Facebook.

–Comments you made at someone else’s blog.

–A LinkedIn question you answered, or a discussion in which you
participated.

–Material from an email newsletter, yours or someone else’s,
that’s archived online.

–Quotes taken from a podcast you hosted, or one in which you
appeared as a guest expert.

–An email you sent to someone.

–Anything you’ve said in an online forum.

In her blog post on this topic at
http://www.whatsnextblog.com/archives/2010/05/the_stealth_intervi
ew_yet_another_reason_to_think_before_you_hit_submit.asp, BL
writes: “You will definitely be quoted out of context in a
Stealth Interview because there is no context. The interview
never happened. But you’re quoted nonetheless, and you did make
the statement. You just didn’t think you were saying it to a
reporter.”

It’s another reason, she says, to think before you hit “Submit.”

BL, a prolific blogger and social media expert, explains how she
juggles it all in the teleseminar I hosted on “How to do Social
Networking, Run a Business and Still Have a Life.” Learn more
about you can juggle it all, too, at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/socialnetworking.htm

======================================
2. Blog Effortlessly on Vacation
======================================

If you’re planning a vacation this year, you don’t have to hustle
like a lot of other bloggers do and crank out lots of content for
your blog, and then schedule it to appear when you’re gone.

Do what I do. Recruit a guest blogger, or several, to write for
you.

You can also use guest bloggers when you’re knee-deep in a major
project that eats up all your time, on the long July 4 weekend,
during the last two weeks of the year when you’re busy with the
holidays, or when you’re just plain sick of writing for your own
blog. (C’mon, admit it. We all get that way sometimes.)

But where do find guest bloggers? How do you work with them to
make everything go smoothly? And what happens if they submit a
post that has material you object to?

How do you find guest bloggers and know if they’re any good
before you commit to publishing their content? Why do some
bloggers reject duplicate content like last week?s leftovers, and
should you? How much liberty can you take editing someone else?s
copy? And what if you disagree vehemently with the opinions of a
guest-blogger?

I’ll give you those answers and show you how to let guest
bloggers do some of the heavy lifting for you, when I host a
webinar at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, June 30. Join me
for “How to Find Valuable Guest Bloggers (and Be One Too!).”
Register at
http://www.PublicityHound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/guestblogging.htm

If the time is inconvenient, sign up anyway. You’ll get the link
afterward where you can watch the video.

=====================================
3. The Power of Guest Blogging
=====================================

One of the best ways for corporations to market themselves is
through experts like Brendon Burchard and Jacqueline Whitmore and
maybe even you.

After a lot of trial and error, Brendon cracked the code and
developed a surprisingly easy way to get major companies like
Wachovia, Coke, Toyota and Sony Pictures to promote and sponsor
his books, publicity and speaking tours.

Jacqueline has had equally impressive success.

She’s the gift-giving expert for Sam’s Club, the gift buying
expert for Office Depot, and a national spokesperson for Sprint.
She also has partnered with Clarisonic skin care products and
Hologic, which sells imaging equipment for the health care
industry. In both cases, Brendon and Jacqueline found companies
that were a perfect fit with their area of expertise and have
received mountains of free publicity from national print and
broadcast media.

“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 said.

In fact, at the National Speakers Association convention a few
years ago, Jacqueline heard Brendon speak about how to land
corporate sponsors and said he was one of the highest-rated
speakers at the event.

This year, Brendon will share his secrets during a free
teleseminar this Thursday, June 24, with Steve Harrison.
Discover how you can use his methods to promote your own book,
product or business, just like Brendon and Jacqueline do, 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 (I’m a
compensated affiliate for Steve Harrison).

=====================================
4. Sneak Your URL into Media Stories
=====================================

When a reporter is interviewing you, on of the worst questions
you can ask is, “Can you please be sure to print my website
address in your article?”

You must give her a good reason to include it. Here are five
ways:

–Instead of identifying your company by its correct name, The
Widget Company, tell her it’s TheWidgetCompany.com.

–Offer a free download at your website.

–Offer a quiz or poll at your website.

–Offer a free cheat sheet on how to (fill in the blank).

–Share with her five tips on how to solve a problem that’s
related to the interview. Tell her that readers can find 15 more
tips on that topic in an article at your website, and give her
the URL.

I shared dozens more tips like that during the webinar “How to
REALLY Use Publicity as an Online Marketing Channel and ZIG When
Everyone Else is ZAGGING.” Regardless of what you’re selling,
you’ll trounce the competition when you start adopting killer
strategies that few other Publicity Hounds are using. Read more
about it at http://www.PublicityHound.com/onlinepublicitytips.htm

======================================
5. Read In-flight Magazines Online
======================================

In the old days, if you wanted to read an in-flight magazine,
you’d have to pester a friend who was traveling by air to bring
the magazine with him and then snail-mail it to you.

No more.

Most in-flight magazines now have an online archives where you
can page through each edition. Not only that, but some of the
bigger magazines even let you sign up for a free subscription. As
soon as a new issue is published, the airline will email it to
you.

So what do you do if you’re reading it and you suddenly want to
pitch one of the writers or an editor? The magazines,
unfortunately, don’t tell you how to do that.

But I do. The 2010 update of “Fly High with Publicity in the In-
flight Magazines” includes contact information and pitching tips
for 56 magazines. We’ve even included something you won’t find in
any of the other media directories: links to the journalists’
blogs and social media profiles on Twitter, Facebook and
LinkedIn. We’ve even included links to the in-flight magazines’
Facebook fan pages.

The database includes a very cool interview with Orion Ray-Jones,
the editorial director for Ink Publishing, which publishes more
than 30 in-flight magazines in the database. You’ll get both the
MP3 download and the electronic transcript.

Read more about what you’ll know how to do when you read my new
report:
http://www.InflightMagazinePublicity.com

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

Thanks to Darlene Arden of Framingham, Massachusetts for this
one.

A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town he
planned to visit on his vacation. He wrote:

Dear Hotel,

I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-
groomed and very well-behaved. Would you be willing to permit me
to keep him in my room with me at night?

An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who said, “I’ve
been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I’ve
never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or pictures
off the walls. I’ve never had to evict a dog in the middle of
the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I’ve never had a
dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at
my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you’re welcome to
stay here, too.”

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:

How to find journalists online and wow ‘em with your pitch
http://publicityhound.net/how-to-find-journalists-online-and-wow-
em-with-your-pitch/

Definitions of advertising, publicity, promotion and PR:
http://publicityhound.net/definitions-of-advertising-promotion-
publicity-and-pr/

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips—Food Freebies Soothe Tax Bite

April 21st, 2010 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #501 April 20, 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. Food Freebies Soothe Tax Bite

2. PublicityHound.mobi

3. How to Use Surveys

4. Teleseminars This Week

5. Promoting Online Parenting Classes

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blogs…

====================================
1. Food Freebies Soothe Tax Bite
====================================

Publicity Hounds can learn a thing or two from the restaurant
industry.

Offer free stuff on April 15.

Cinnabon, Maggie Moo’s and Dairy Queen handed out free samples on
tax filing day. Taco Del Mar offered free tacos. Starbucks gave
away free coffee.

McCormick & Schmick’s and P.F. Chang’s had food deals all day.
Whole Foods picked up the sales tax all day on grocery bills at
stores in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and
Georgia.

Publicity for the food freebies was EVERYWHERE.

I don’t know if any of the restaurants incorporated mobile
marketing into their campaigns, but this would have been the
perfect opportunity to send text messages to customers letting
them know how to soothe the tax bite.

Next year, make a note to yourself early in the year and think of
something fun you can give away on April 15. Then start promoting
it long before tax day arrives. The media love these local tie-
ins to filing taxes.

Upcoming holidays worth considering for freebies: Earth Day on
April 22 and Mother’s Day on May 9.

Don’t let these holidays sneak up on you! By creating a 12-month
media plan, you’ll have a systematic way to generate publicity,
be aware of long lead times for magazines, piggyback onto
breaking news so you get onto the TV news the same day you pitch,
and create more publicity online.

“How to Create a Media Plan,” one of my most popular courses,
walks you step-by-step through the entire process and even
includes handy, at-a-glance templates for keeping your 12 months
worth of ideas and publicity tasks well-organized. It comes with
more than 200 story ideas for every month of the year. Read more
about it at http://www.publicityhound.com/mediaplan.htm

==================================
2. PublicityHound.mobi
==================================

Have you seen my new mobile site at http://publicityhound.mobi/?
Here’s how I’m using it:

–To collect names and mobile phone numbers so I can text people
about special offers and news.

–To make it easier for journalists using mobile phones to learn
about me, without having to navigate my clunky PC site on a tiny
screen.

–To collect email addresses and grow the subscribers list for
this ezine.

–To make it easy for people on mobile phones to find links to my
blogs and social media profiles. More than half of all social
media activity takes place on mobile phones.

–To link to my mobile site from my Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
and Google profiles.

–To offer testimonials from delighted clients and market my
mentor program, without making people read the entire sales page
on my PC site at
http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html
(Note: I have two openings in the program right now. Read that
page to see if you’re a good candidate.)

–There’s even a page with links to the best dog jokes and
videos.

Tonight, I’ll be attending the fourth of 10 classes in
StomperMobile, the mobile marketing course hosted by Stompernet.
We’ll learn how to use Twitter and Facebook to pull traffic to
our mobile sites.

Next week, we get a break, and then resume the following week.
Join today, and you’ll have an extra week to catch up, watch the
first of three webinars, and build your own site, before Lesson 5
on May 4.

As an affiliate, I can offer you a backstage pass where you can
register at $200 off the regular registration and spread payments
over six months. Learn more at
http://snipurl.com/mobilemarketingclass

How many of your competitors have mobile sites? Few, if any. Jump
onboard right now, and you’ll be light years ahead of them by the
time they finally “get it.”

=====================================
3. How to Use Surveys
=====================================

When I hired survey expert Jeanne Hurlbert to create my customer
profile survey last spring, I was hoping the results would give
me a few ideas for new products to create and services to offer.

Never, ever, did I think it would result in creating a spin-off
business to teach people how to incorporate social media into a
publicity campaign. Jeanne, it turns out, was the perfect
business partner. So we created My Social Media Solution, LLC,
and we both now have a new source of revenue.

Lots of businesses are hurting during this recession. The smart
ones that are still on their feet aren’t guessing about what to
offer people in their target markets. They’re asking them through
surveys. Then they’re using the survey data to:

–Add new product lines that customers are begging to buy.

–Increase click-through and conversion rates by as much as 45
percent.

–Get proof that lets them convert prospects and keep customers
buying over and over.

–Gather 100 testimonials at a time quickly, easily and
inexpensively.

–Generate publicity by letting journalists know how they’re
changing their businesses as a result of surveys.

–Find “pre-qualified” prospects who are ready to buy.

Jeanne, whose client roster includes the Tony Robbins Companies,
has teamed up with Mike Koenigs to present a series of free
videos that explain more about how to use surveys to not only
survive the recession, but thrive in it. You can access them at
http://snipurl.com/surveycustomers

=====================================
4. Teleseminars This Week
=====================================

Wednesday, April 21, 11 a.m. Eastern (90 minutes): “How To REALLY
Use Publicity as an Online Marketing Channel and ZIG When
Everybody Else Is ZAGGING!” Members of StomperNet, the Internet
marketing membership site, can join me as I bust publicity myths
and explain how to build relationships with journalists and
bloggers. Register at http://www.stompernet.com/

Thursday, April 22, at 2 and 7 p.m. (90 minutes): “Jack Canfield
Shares How To Get To Where You Want To Be As An Author/Speaker,”
2 and 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Jack, of the enormously famous
“Chicken Soup” books gives his best advice on how he and co-
creator Mark Victor Hansen kept going when “Chicken Soup” was
rejected by 144 publishers, what to do if you find yourself
reluctant to aggressively market, what to do if you need to make
money within 30 to 60 days, the two mindsets you need to create a
bestselling book, and how to find someone to sponsor your book.
I’m an affiliate. Register at
http://www.teleseminarwithjackcanfield.com/?10011

Download the replay of “Discover the Secrets to Speaking in the
Recession-Proof College Market” with James Malinchak, or listen
at your computer. Includes 17 most in-demand topics.
http://www.callwithjames.com/call

======================================
5. Promoting Online Parenting Classes
======================================

This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips for Kathy Slattengren
of Kenmore, WA who is looking for the best way to promote her
online parenting classes.

From Katie Schwartz:

“Distribute fliers at sports centers for young children, and
through pediatricians and pediatric dentists.”

From Stephanie Trahd:

“It won’t be long before there?s another celebrity parenting
debacle in the news (think Britney Spears, Balloon Boy, etc.).
Have a press release and comment ready when this happens, and
then just plug in the name/event and send it out immediately.
Make yourself available as a parenting expert resource for media
covering the story.”

From Gail Sideman:

“Co-brand with businesses that attract the same demographic:
OB/GYNs, daycare centers, local baby stores, etc.

“There are so many people who say, ‘I wish there was an
instruction manual to raise children.’ Well, now they can
reference what you have to offer!”

The Publicity Hound says:

When you read all the responses to this week?s ?Help This Hound
question at http://tinyurl.com/parentingclasses make note of how
Kathy interacted with and thanked people who left comments. This
is a great social media lesson. Thanks, Kathy.

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

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

Anne Roos of South Lake Tahoe, CA, writes:

“I am really struggling with time management. I’m a professional
musician and a published author, working on two upcoming CDs,
live performances, and an upcoming book.”

“I am also very physically active, taking classes in the martial
arts. These activities all involve practice/rehearsal and being
offline to concentrate on my writing.”

“I have very limited time to spend on the Internet, and in fact,
as a harpist, I am trying to pace myself when typing at the
computer to save my hands. I already work with a wonderful
virtual assistant, Christine Buffaloe, and she can handle many
tasks for me, but it’s not enough. I know that she can’t do
everything for me. It’s not a question of whether I know what I
need to do or whether I am capable of doing them. It’s a question
of finding time to do what really needs to be done.”

“So, I need to know what I absolutely must do at the computer and
what I can forego. What’s a time waster and what is not? What are
the activities that are necessary (other than the obvious—
answering my emails, replying to direct messages on social
networks, etc.), and what is a waste of time? And how do I
streamline my time doing these things?”

“OK, the harpist is tired of typing.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Anne, I blogged last week on why cutting way back on email is one
of the very best ways to make more time. You can read it, and
retweet it, at http://ow.ly/1yAbv. Many of my other Hounds will
post great suggestions for you at my blog at http://ow.ly/1AN3i

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Meryl K. Evans, for this video of a dog
frolicking on a minor league ball field, and leaving behind a
little gift:
http://ow.ly/1Aytd DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.

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

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

====================================
8. And at My Blogs…
====================================

Consider retweeting:

Publicity op: Columnist needs ideas on ethnic minorities &
updating job skills
http://ow.ly/1AyAp

How to get a recommendation from someone who’s not on LinkedIn.
Step-by-step directions.
http://ow.ly/1AKEA

No time for social media, but lots of time to waste on email
http://ow.ly/1yAbv

—————————————

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

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

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

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy.

================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound

Publicity Tips—My Gift to You

December 23rd, 2009 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #483 Dec. 22, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
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. My Gift to You

2. Quick, What’s Your Brand?

3. Another Media Leads Service

4. Promoting The Screaming Pillow

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Video of the Week

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

It’s time for my annual Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s gift
to you.

“The Best of The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week of 2009″
includes the best 26 tips from this year’s newsletters, or tips
that generated the most response from readers.

Feel free to re-gift it to your own blog readers, newsletter
subscribers, clients, customers, Twitter followers, and Facebook
friends.
They don’t even need to opt-in. You can download the ebook at
http://tinyurl.com/bestof2009tips and pass along that link.

If you work at a company, share it with your PR department. If
you work for a nonprofit, show it to your staff and even your
board members.

More than half of the tips in this year’s book are about social
media. What does that tell you about how much self-promotion has
changed?

Tips include:

–How to create your own holiday, or your own day, week or month
of the year.

–10 dead or dying PR tactics. (Which ones are you still using?)

–How to find out if a journalist blogs and how to navigate the
blog to find all the juicy tidbits you need to customize your
pitch.

–What to do if you’re a blogger and you’re sued tomorrow.

–The lazy way to create fun video–even if you don’t have a
technical bone in your body.

–25 reasons to hate Facebook (but how to suck it up, jump in and
actually have fun).

–A big, bright flashy–and free–publicity tool, right in your
own community.

–9 attention-grabbing phrases to use at your blog and at Twitter
to generate comments and retweets.

–How to share your best foodie tips on Twitter without boring
your readers with “what I had for lunch” drivel.

–How to boost the Google page rank of your blog or website with
an investment of only 15 minutes a week.

–Where to find more than 30 sample social media policies, for
free.

–How to promote your local events on Twitter and draw crowds.

–5 great social media marketing ideas when the idea well is dry.

–The Number 1 press release writing mistake that will doom you
every time.

–9 ways to get retweeted on Twitter.
You can get the ebook here, save it to your hard drive and then,
share it on the social networking sites:
http://tinyurl.com/bestof2009tips

If you’d like to excerpt content from the ebook and then link to
it from your own blog or Facebook Fan page, let me know and I’ll
send you the ebook as a Word document so you can easily cut and
paste.

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

Thanks, too, for correcting me when I goof. I’m grateful that
you’re part of my community, and it’s because of you that I have
the best job in the world. Next week, I’ll introduce you to my
new business partner and tell you what we have cooking for 2010.

P.S. Re-gifting this ebook is entirely appropriate. Share this:
http://tinyurl.com/bestof2009tips

===================================
2. Quick, What’s Your Brand?
===================================

You’re interviewing for a job, and the hiring manager asks,
“What’s your brand?”

Quick, how would you answer that question?

Personal branding consultant William Arruda says you’d better
know because “What’s your brand?” will become as standard an
interview question as “Tell me about yourself.” If he’s right,
you can probably expect the question during media interviews and
even business networking events.

That’s one of 10 branding trends that Arruda predicts in the
Marketing Profs article “Personal Branding Predictions: Top 10
for 2010″ at http://budurl.com/2010predictions He says hiring
managers and executive recruiters expect serious professionals to
have a powerful online identity through Google searches and at
social media sites.

“In 2010, if you don’t show up in Google, you don’t exist,” says
Arruda.

That’s already true, to some extent, when journalists and
bloggers are searching for experts to interview. If they’re
looking for someone with your expertise and your name isn’t on
the first or second page of Google, you’ve missed an opportunity
for a media interview–and maybe even a new job.

Once you’ve decided on your brand, be sure to carry it throughout
your entire media plan for 2010. If you’re busy closing out the
year and you haven’t even started thinking about how to generate
publicity for next year, it isn’t too late. I can walk you step-
by-step through the entire process. See “How to Create a Media
Plan,” and take advantage of the one hour of telephone consulting
that comes with this package. Read more about it at
http://www.publicityhound.com/mediaplan.htm

====================================
3. Another Media Leads Service
====================================

Take advantage of every opportunity to subscribe to the media
leads services that pass along leads from real, live journalists
who are looking for specific types of sources for stories they’re
covering.

The newest service is Bill and Steve Harrison’s “Reporter
Connection” which will tell you about topics for which
journalists and producers are actively seeking experts to
interview. Subscribe and you’ll receive their email newsletter
containing listings of sources needed by top reporters,
producers, writers, editors, bloggers and other media, every
business day. Journalists can also submit queries.

They say their service is unlike other media leads services in
two important ways:

–First, all replies go through their system which means
journalists don’t need to publish their email addresses to would-
be sources.

–Their unique Media Reply Forms practically force experts to
answer up to six specific questions for the media. This is good
for both sides because it cuts way down on off-target replies and
means you won’t end up pestering media people. It also means
journalists will only hear from on-target experts.
You can subscribe at
http://www.ReporterConnection.com/JoinNow/?10011 Even though you
don’t pay for this service, the Harrisons pay me a commission if
you turn into a customer.

The easiest time to get publicity is when journalists have
already decided to cover a particular subject and they’re hungry
for sources.

If you’re a journalist, blogger or ezine editor and you need
sources, you can submit a query at
http://www.ReporterConnection.com/press

===================================
4. Promoting The Screaming Pillow
===================================

This week, six Publicity Hounds have tips for Gabrielle Yetter of
Marblehead, MA, on how to market The Screaming Pillow, a
decorative pillow that people can scream into when they’re
stressed and want to let off steam.

From Rekaya Gibson:

“Have a ‘Scream in Your Pillow Contest’ similar to the ‘Stella
Shouting Contest’ that’s held during the Tennessee Williams/New
Orleans Literary Festival in recognition of ‘Streetcar Named
Desire.’ There’s a great video on YouTube–-another great way to
promote your pillows after the contest.”

From Nancy Binzel Pierce:

“Your target market is anyone who has ever felt like screaming
into a pillow, or roughly 100 percent of the population. Pitch
this to Ellen, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.”

From Linda S. Williams:

“How about writing an ebook that would include a Screaming Pillow
for anyone who buys the book. The book could tell your story and
the therapeutic information behind the pillow. It might also
include other stories. Since you already have a website and use
Facebook, you’re ready to go.”

The Publicity Hound says:

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

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

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

Alissa Rothstein of Alissa Rothstein Design Studio in Woodbridge,
NJ, writes:

“I am a graphic/web designer, and I’m stuck when it comes to
marketing.

“I’ve tried email blasts to different industries, postcard
mailings, and am a member of the Chamber of Commerce which,
incidentally, had promised but never provided any leads.

“I am not really targeting small businesses because I find that
they can’t or don’t want to pay for designer services and I have
to fight the ‘I can do it myself’ mentality. Or, they think that
they can save money by hiring a cheap intern or a kid out of
college. While they can do graphics, web and e-marketing
activities themselves, they just can’t do it very well and it’s a
poor reflection on their company.

“Help! I need marketing and publicity ideas from your Hounds. I
have Facebook, MySpace and Twitter pages, although I’m not very
active.”

The Publicity Hound says:

You must position yourself as one of the foremost experts in your
field and hammer home that point again and again by sharing
useful, helpful advice for anyone who needs a website. Let’s see
if my Hounds can suggest other ideas. Hounds? Post your
suggestions to my blog at http://budurl.com/webdesignmarketing

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Christine Buffaloe of San Diego, CA, my
virtual assistant, for this heart-warming video of what dogs do
on Christmas Eve.

http://budurl.com/doggieChristmaseve

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/

————————————

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

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

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

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website 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

Publicity Tips—Got Blogger Butt?

October 27th, 2009 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #475 Oct. 27, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
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. Got Blogger Butt?

2. Rub Elbows with Editors

3. Tips from ‘Mars/Venus’ Author

4. How to Deal with Media Bias

5. Help This Hound; Win a Shovel Mask

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog…

====================================
1. Got Blogger Butt?
====================================

Thanks to those three little words, Publicity Hound Michelle
Tennant landed an interview with FOX News later today on the
topic of how women can stay healthy while in front of their
computers 14 hours a day.

When Michelle’s doctor ordered her to take off 50 pounds by
August of next year, she bought a treadmill. Her woodworker
husband made her a handy treadmill desk, a removable desk
attachment that lets her work on her laptop while working out.

Michelle, a publicist, blogged about it at
http://budurl.com/bloggerbutt and then pitched the story to FOX.
A producer called her, and she’ll use a webcam and Skype for the
interview later tonight. FOX is taping segments now for November
sweeps and loves any kind of angle that will appeal to the
masses.

You can do what she did. You can come up with a clever angle for
even the most routine story. Here are four tips from Michelle on
how to find a clever angle:

–Use alliteration in your pitch. “Blogger butt” turns the pitch
into a sound bite that’s irresistible to broadcasters.

–Magazine covers offer ideas galore for angles. “Women should
get out of their comfort zone and read the cover of a men’s
magazine, and men should read the cover of a women’s magazine,”
she says. Look for headlines you can steal. By substituting just
a few words, you’ve got an angle. Example from Cosmopolitan
magazine: 26 gutsy ways to make a fresh start. Your headline: 8
gutsy ways to make your office a fun place to work.

–Tie into breaking or seasonal news. “In this case, I tied my
breaking news into women in the workforce and weight gain in the
digital age.”

–Look for problem/solution angles that appeal to the masses. The
best angles tie into topics like saving money, staying young,
looking and feeling better, and being more successful.

Watch the video she produced about blogger butt at
http://storytellertothemedia.com/

Michelle, a graduate of The Publicity Hound Mentor program, has a
long track record of getting her clients into top-tier media. She
explained how she does it, and shared inside secrets on how she
connects with journalists, when I interviewed for my series of
lessons on “How to Create a Media Plan.” Learn more about it at
http://www.publicityhound.com/mediaplan.htm

========================================
2. Rub Elbows with Editors
========================================

Telephones and email aren’t the only ways to contact editors.
Here are three great ways to meet journalists face-to-face:

–At events sponsored by your local press club. Many press clubs
allow people who work outside the media to join. It’s a chance to
meet editors in a relaxed setting.

–At events sponsored by local business journals and magazines.
Business Journals generate a huge chunk of their revenue from
corporate sponsors at events such as power breakfasts, the 40
Under 40 awards ceremony, and the Book of Lists party. Pay
attention to what events they’re sponsoring and attend. Don’t
pitch at these events. Concentrate on building the relationship.

–By hanging out near the media room at trade shows. If you’re
attending a trade show as a participant, speaker or vendor, there
are lots of things you can do before, during and after the event
to make valuable media connections. Example: When you meet a
journalist at a trade show, invite him for coffee.

“Trade Show PR: How to Rise Above the Noise Level,” a recording
of an interview I did with PR expert Dan Janal, offers dozens of
tactics and strategies you can use long before trade shows begin,
and long after they’re over, to build valuable relationships with
the media. Learn more about the CD at
http://budurl.com/tradeshowpr

========================================
3. Tips from ‘Mars/Venus’ Author
========================================

John Gray says one of the biggest mistakes an author can make is
not understanding how to survive financially while writing and
promoting a book.

I know what he means. I’ve worked with clients who have taken
sabbaticals from their businesses or their corporate jobs to
write their books, only to reluctantly take out a second mortgage
just to pay the bills until their books hit the bookstores.

A second mistake, he says, is that they relied on the book for
revenue.

During a short interview with Steve Harrison, Gray discusses the
rocky road he traveled as a self-published author, long before
his ‘Mars/Venus’ success, and how anyone who is writing a book or
wants to write one can learn from his experiences.

You’ll also hear the one thing he did to come up with a memorable
title for his book on relationships. I’ve never heard this tip
mentioned anywhere. It worked. “Men Are From Mars, Women Are from
Venus” went on to sell 30 million copies and spent seven years on
the New York Times Best Seller List.

Listen to the interview, including what he learned about
appearing on Oprah, at http://budurl.com/menarefrommars

=======================================
4. How to Deal with Media Bias
=======================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Ivy Mendoza of
Manila, Philippines on how to deal with a local newspaper editor
who refuses to print press releases about her client.
From Nancy Binzel Pierce:

“I suggest finding a neutral third party who is friendly with
both sides. Explain the situation to her (or him) and ask her to
help you re-establish a relationship.”
From Gin:

“Write a press release around the subject of forgiveness and bad
work ethics, then invite feedback from the public, adding
information about other available business services. The feedback
may indirectly reflect and change the opinion of the editor.”
From the Publicity Hound:

Forget about the Lifestyles editor. Call her direct supervisor
and explain what happened. If you don?t like that answer, keep
working your way up the ladder to the publisher. Everybody works
for somebody.

I’m also willing to guess that far more people read Craigslist in
the Philippines than that newspaper. See “How to Use Craigslist
as a Global Publicity Tool” at
http://budurl.com/howtousecraigslist

Read all the responses to this week?s ?Help This Hound question
http://tinyurl.com/editorsaysno

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

=====================================
5. Help This Hound; Win a Shovel Mask
=====================================

John T. Unger of Mancelona, MI writes:

“My original art, including my fire bowls, which I’ve been making
since 2005, has been copied by a manufacturer.

“He is now suing me in federal court to overturn my existing
copyrights and continue making knockoffs. I have a strong case, a
great lawyer and believe that if I can continue to defend myself,
the case will be resolved in my favor.

“I did not initiate this lawsuit, but am defending my art, my
creative rights, my reputation and my livelihood. I’ve already
spent over $50,000 out of pocket in defense of my original
designs. Seeking a judicial ruling in federal court will cost
more than most artists or small businesses can afford, but
attempts at settlement have been unsuccessful. I am holding a
fundraising sale of my artwork to finance a defense in court.

“What ideas do your hounds have for raising awareness of the
story, its broader implications for other creative professionals
and raising funds to see that the laws which protect copyright
are not weakened for other artists?”
The Publicity Hound says:

John called me to ask for my help with this problem, and I told
him my Publicity Hounds will come through with some great
suggestions on how he can defend he lawsuit without going broke.
What can he do in traditional and social media to spread the word
and muster support? Post your best ideas to my blog at
http://budurl.com/firebowl

The Publicity Hound who suggests the best idea will win a
beautiful shovel mask, made by John. The winner will be announced
here in two weeks. Check by blog post for photos of the shovel
mask and the fire bowl.

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

It’s almost Halloween and you can’t forget about your dog. Here
are several clever ideas for dog costumes.
http://ow.ly/wKW7

Dog Jokes & Quotes Ebook: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
Http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/

==================================
7. And at My Blog…
==================================

PR/social media book perfect for wanna-be publicists
http://ow.ly/wKRL

Want a Bulldog award? Teleconference explains how to win
http://ow.ly/wtww

Avoid press release buzzwords; use press release keywords
http://ow.ly/wtvO

————————————

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

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

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

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

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

Publicity Tips—How to Promote Local Events on Twitter

September 23rd, 2009 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #470 Sept. 22, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com

http://www.PublicityHound.com

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. How to Promote Local Events on Twitter

2. Five Social Media Marketing Ideas

3. Entertainment Tonight Needs Pitches

4. Promoting a Reading Program

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blog…
=========================================
1. How to Promote Local Events on Twitter
=========================================

You can find some of the best tips by reading comments at blogs.

For example, if you’re curious about how to use Twitter to
publicize local events, you’ll find a slew of tips in the
comments at http://budurl.com/uymm

They include:

–Use Twitter Grader at http://twitter.grader.com/ After entering
your Twitter username and getting your grade, click on your city,
state or country. A list of local tweeters will appear. If you
find them of like mind, you could choose to follow them. Then
tweet about your event so they’ll see it.

–Download and install Tweetdeck, a browser that will let you
organize your tweets and see everything all at once. Then set up
search columns based on your local area. You’ll then “see” people
talking about that area. Chances are that if they are talking
about it, they either live there, or visit regularly, so follow
them. Chances are also good they’ll follow you, too.

–Follow the premiere local tweeters in your area, including
bars, hotels, clubs and local businesses whose target customers
are the people you want to attract. Retweet events and posts they
tweet. This will tell them you’re interested in promoting what
they’re doing and, in turn, they may follow you and promote your
event.

–Two good tools for finding Twitterers in your area are
http://TwitterHawk.com and http://Twellowhood.com

Be sure to read the rest of the comments for lots more tips.

Now that you have the tools, adopt a good strategy. Warren
Whitlock shows you how. See “How to Use Twitter to Amass an Army
of Followers, Customers & Valuable Contacts–and Promote” at
http://budurl.com/b8nj
=======================================
2. Five Social Media Marketing Ideas
=======================================

Social media is more than just collecting Facebook fans, sending
tweets and joining the conversation. It’s also about making all
that hard work pay off.

Here are five great social media marketing ideas, courtesy of DP
Dialogue, a social media marketing agency in Australia. All of
them are free. Pick and choose which ones are best for you:

–Start a Twitter account and give people incentives to follow
you. Read their blog post to see how Domino’s Pizza did this at
http://budurl.com/8flq

–Use Google’s keyword tool at
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal to find
whatever keywords related to your business are being searched for
the most. Blog about them and make videos about them.

–Become an expert and start blogging or podcasting. (Read the
excellent Expertise Imperative White Paper that explains how to
become an expert at http://www.PublicityHound.com/expertise.pdf
It was written specifically for professional speakers from a wide
variety of backgrounds. Use it as a starting point to grow your
own expertise.)

–Start a Facebook group that people will want to join and subtly
sponsor it. If you sell candles, start a Facebook group for
people who are afraid of the dark. (See “11 Ways to Avoid Missed
Opportunities on Facebook” at http://budurl.com/wcxb

–Figure out who the key influencers are for whatever it is
you’re selling. Read their blogs and leave comments on them
regularly. (When it comes time to pitch them, see “How to Pitch
the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion” at
http://budurl.com/xlgw
========================================
3. Entertainment Tonight Needs Pitches
========================================

Entertainment Tonight has asked PitchRate.com, a media leads
service, to suggest segment ideas and experts to be featured in
short segments of three to five minutes. Segments must be unique
and interesting.

PitchRate will review your pitches and pass along the best ones
to Entertainment Tonight. If the producers are interested,
they’ll contact you.

If you’ve already signed up as a Publicity Hound at
http://www.PitchRate.com, simply visit the site again, log in,
and at the top of the requesst list, you’ll see the request for
Publicity Hounds only. If you haven’t signed up yet, use this
link: http://www.PitchRate.com/PublicityHound

P.S. Shannon Nicholson says PitchRate’s recent request for women-
related tips, advice and success stories resulted in 17 great
pitches from Publicity Hounds. He will forward all of them to
PitchRate’s top media contacts, including O Magazine, Montel
Williams, the Associated Press, and more.
Not sure how to craft a great pitch? See “How to Write a Pitch
Letter More Powerful Than a Press Release” at
http://budurl.com/rphb
=======================================
4. Promoting a Reading Program
=======================================

This week, nine Publicity Hounds have tips for Suzanne Wood, of
Raleigh, NC, who is starting an after-school writing academy to
help kids in grades 8-12 improve their writing.
From Meryl Evans:

“Contact local school PTAs to offer a free presentation on a
topic of value. I am sure there’s something you can offer to help
parents with kids and writing.”
From Karen Zapp:

“Look for any club or group for Home Schooling. Then meet with a
few moms to demonstrate how you can help them and the kids, and
the word will start to spread. These moms can also help spread it
to parents in the neighborhood who don’t home-school.”
From Shel Horowitz:

“Do a free demo for teachers and guidance counselors who then
could send a steady stream of referrals.”
The Publicity Hound says:

Read all the responses from last week’s “Help This Hound”
question at http://budurl.com/3f5n

Send your own Help this Hound question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound
and include your city, state or province. I need questions!
===================================
5. Help This Hound
===================================

Vicki Young of Dallas, Texas, writes:

“What’s the best way for a very worthy nonprofit agency to get
free help with their PR campaign?

“I’ve been doing PR work for Captain Hope’s Kids as a nonprofit
client for years, but I have to step down. It’s a great
organization in Dallas, Texas, that’s dedicated to meeting the
critical needs of homeless children in North Texas.

“They need an annual marketing and public relations plan
developed, and help publicizing their annual special events.

“I know this agency isn’t the only one that needs volunteer PR
help, so I’m hoping your Publicity Hounds can recommend ideas
that will help many other groups, too. Where should we be looking
for volunteer PR people who can write press releases, or at least
advise nonprofits on how to create a good marketing plan?”
The Publicity Hound says:

I hear this question all the time, so I hope my Hounds can
suggest ideas for nonprofits or any other company on a budget.
How about it Hounds? Are unemployed PR people, particularly
beginners, a possibility? What about college journalism classes?
Or stay-at-home moms who once worked in PR? Ideas? Post them to
my blog at http://budurl.com/vfe6

If you can find a great volunteer, I can do all the training for
you. See “How to Create a 12-Month Media Plan” at
http://publicityhound.com/mediaplan.htm
==================================
6. Hound Joke of the Week
==================================

The front door was accidentally left open and our dog was gone.
After unsuccessfully whistling and calling, my husband got in the
car and went looking for him.

He drove around the neighborhood for some time with no luck.
Finally he stopped beside a couple out for a walk and asked if
they had seen our dog.

“You mean the one following your car?” they asked.
DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
===============================
7. And at My Blog…
===============================

Stompernet taking new members: Here’s what you’ll get
http://budurl.com/wwpm

80+ free social media policies: Add yours to the list
http://budurl.com/sr6m

How to publicize your ‘Make a Difference Day’ activities
http://budurl.com/n28y

Gift List offers 25 percent discount until Sept. 30
http://budurl.com/lv6c

————————————

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

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

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

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

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

Publicity Tips – Grand Slam Giveaway

February 17th, 2009 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #438 Feb. 17, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 42,573

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

“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 $30 Coupon & Chance to Win a
Kindle:

I’ll be sending 500 readers of this newsletter, chosen randomly,
my customer satisfaction survey as soon as it’s ready later this
week. If you complete it, you’ll get a $30 coupon 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.

The first batch of 500 surveys will help me identify any glitches
I need to fix before sending it to everyone else. Your honest
feedback will help me improve this newsletter and give you
products and services I might not be aware that you need.

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

1. Grand Slam Giveaway

2. Don’t Ask to Review an Article

3. How to Recycle Publicity

4. 2 Events for Hounds

5. Promoting a Farmer’s Market

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

========================================
1. Grand Slam Giveaway
========================================

Call it what you want–a handout, a sample, a giveaway.

When the economy is tanking, consumers want a good deal. That’s
exactly what Denny’s restaurant delivered two days after the
Super Bowl when it gave away 2 million of its signature Grand
Slam Breakfasts.

Denny’s reported that its $3 million commercial drew that many
people to its 1,600 outlets in North America and Puerto Rico. The
company spent $5 million for the promotion that generated $50
million in news coverage.

“A lot of people have forgotten what Denny’s is, or they think
they know, while we’ve come out with a whole lot of new products.
We felt like we needed to jump start the brand,” said Mark
Chmiel, Denny’s chief marketing and innovation officer.

Mitchell Davis, who owns Expertclick.com and
NewsReleaseWire.com, loved the Denny’s promotion.
If it could work for people who needto eat breakfast,
why can’t it work for Publicity Hounds who need to
write press releases, he reasoned.

Mitch wants you to “taste his service” and send news releases
this week without cost or obligation.

“I got the idea after seeing Denny’s give out 2 million Grand
Slam breakfasts and thought more people should see how good our
News Release Wire service works–and understand our
commitment to customer service,” he said.

So here’s the deal. For one week, you can test-drive his service
by sending press releases and creating a Press Room Page about
your business. Watch his video about how it all works at
http://www.ExpertClick.com/brochure

I subscribe to the service, which helps me claim the first three
spots on Google for the keyword phrase “publicity expert” and
drives my competitors crazy.

Don’t expect those kinds of results within one week, however,
because Google probably won’t index your pages that quickly. But
if you call Mitch at 202-333-5000 and ask him for The Publicity
Hound special, he’ll set it up for you so you can see how the
service works–with no commitments to subscribe. I love the fact
that they answer their own phones and jump through hoops for
their customers–like the time I spotted a heinous typo after I
posted my release. I called them, and they corrected it within
minutes.

If you don’t want to call Mitch, you can create the test-drive
yourself at https://www.ExpertClick.com/create

Choose the Gold Level at $995. Then scroll down and complete
the “Participant” information (who the account will be about)
and the “Subscriber” info (for the person in charge of the
account).

Check the credit card box but don’t enter your number because you
aren’t paying for this.

In the “Special Offer” box enter:”F*ree Week from Publicity
Hound.” Then click on “Create Your Press Room Page” and you’ll
be able to edit instantly. Once they approve your account, you’ll
be able to start sending press releases instantly. Their standard
editorial policies at http://www.TermsandConditions.com apply, so
be sure to read them.

Try it for a week and let me know how you like it.

==============================================
2. Don’t Ask to Review an Article
==============================================

Publicity Hound Gail Sideman saw a Twitter post that caught her
attention recently.

It was from someone who said that Inc. magazine was doing a
feature on him until he asked the magazine to let him review the
article for his final approval.

“Was I wrong to ask? Yes or no?”

She replied and told the guy he was wrong. That led to a spirited
debate on Twitter. So she emailed me and several others in the
journalism world and asked our opinions.

Here’s what I told her:

–You were right. He was wrong. By asking that question, he
showed he wasn’t media-savvy, and it sounds as though it cost him
publicity in Inc. magazine.

–He certainly could have asked the writer, “Would you be willing
to run by me any direct quotes you are attributing to me?” Some
journalists will say yes, some will say no. It never hurts to ask
because some journalists will want to make sure their quotes are
accurate. But the deal is, if you hear the quote and you know you
said it, but you don’t like the sound of it, you can’t ask the
writer to change it. That’s one of the ground rules they never
teach you.

–He could also have asked if the magazine will fact-check the
story. Inc. most likely has its own fact-check department and
would do this anyway. But again, it never hurts to ask.

Bottom line: Never ask a journalist to show you a story before
it’s printed so you can “approve” it. For sensitive interviews,
you can negotiate the terms of the interview, but little else.

I devoted an entire chapter of my ebook “How to be a Kick-butt
Publicity Hound” to what you should do before, during and after
an interview. These are the ground rules the media never tell you
about and hope you never learn. The ebook is the most
comprehensive product I offer on all aspects of generating free
publicity. The 2009 update includes six new chapters on social
media.

Read more about what you’ll learn at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity/publicityhound.htm

========================================
3. How to Recycle Publicity
========================================

When you generate a publicity hit in a newspaper or magazine, on
a TV or radio station, or in the social media, don’t be
satisfied.

Try to recycle that hit into multiple hits, or multiple
promotions.

I’m one of three experts featured in the January/February issue
of SUCCESS magazine, offering my advice on how to promote
online.
You can read more about it at my blog at
http://tinyurl.com/bg33ml

Here are six ways I’ve already recycled that publicity:

–I tweeted about it at Twitter.

–I included some of the tips that didn’t make it into the
magazine in the “What’s New” section of my Facebook group
called Friends of The Publicity Hound. If you already have a Facebook
profile, join the group by logging into Facebook, then pasting
this link into your browser and join: http://tinyurl.com/d2h8gk
I’ll be sharing more tips over there and I might not always
remember to share them here.

–I went to the blog of Joel Comm, who was featured along with me
in the article. I posted a comment to an unrelated blog post and
then mentioned in a “P.S.” how interesting it was to read his
advice alongside mine in SUCCESS.

–Ditto for Scott Fox, the other Internet marketer featured in
the article.

–I added a line to my email signature that lets people know I
was in the magazine, and I linked to the article.

–I’m writing about it here.

That’s only six ways! And I know you Hounds can think of many
others. Add them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/bg33ml

Recycling publicity is an important part of a media plan because
you must follow up, follow up and follow up. I explain in step-
by-step detail how to create a yearlong plan, follow up, and take
advantage of every publicity opportunity in front of you. The
teleseminar series “How to Create a Media Plan” is available as
CDs, MP3s and electronic transcripts. Read more about why you
need a plan and how to create one at
http://www.publicityhound.com/mediaplan.htm

==========================================
4. 2 Events for Hounds
==========================================

Event #1: Teleseminar on how to start a coaching program

Do you offer coaching services? If not, consider it.

Coaching is one of the quickest ways almost any non-fiction
author or anyone with expertise can make more while also helping
a lot of people. For example, I have three types of coaching
programs: one-on-one coaching over the phone, my group mentor
program at
http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html
and teleseminar series devoted to specific topics.

You’ll be surprised how much others will gladly pay for what you
know, even though you take it for granted.

To discover how to get started offering coaching services, you’re
invited to a free telephone seminar on Thursday, February 19.
Hear Steve Harrison interview Tim Paulson, an author, speaker and
coaching expert who’s helped many people start thriving coaching
practices. You’ll learn how to get others to pay you from $100 to
$1,000 an hour, or more, for your expertise.

If you have another commitment, register anyway and recruit
somebody to take notes for you. Steve doesn’t record most of
these teleseminars and if you miss it, it’s gone.

Event #2: Media event for products tied to celebrities or good
causes.

If you have a consumer product that’s tied to a celebrity or a
good cause, consider displaying it at the annual Celebrity
Connections Media Event and the Good Causes Media Event, to be
held April 1 in New York City.

Journalists are always looking for a great angle when it comes to
covering new products, and many journalists are looking for
products with either a celebrity connection or products that help
worthy causes. The events draw an impressive list of top-tier
media.

Read more about them at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/awdwlx

==========================================
5. Promoting a Farmer’s Market
==========================================

This week, 12 Publicity Hounds have tips for Rose Strong of
Springtown, Pa. on how to publicize a local farmer’s market.

From LisaMarie Dias:

“Send an online newsletter through a company like Constant
Contact. You could profile the vendors, post a calendar and
include recipes. If you send the newsletter out monthly, you
could do weekly reminders in a smaller form–with links back to
your website. You could have prizes and giveaways to gather email
addresses.”

From Michael Carr:

“Invite local chefs to create an ongoing set of promotional
opportunities. Book your chefs in advance and publicize their
participation. Your chefs can shop the market to select fresh
produce to use in their demonstrations. Customers will appreciate
sampling what the chef has made as well as learning about using
fresh seasonal ingredients at home.”

From Tara Bright:

“Kick off your season with a Raw Food Uncook-off. Host a Green
Foodie Contest. Join forces or initiate a “Buy Local, Live
Sustainable” group. Host weekly potlucks on a day you are closed.

“Why not set aside a space where children can start seeds while
their parents shop? They will need to come back every week to
check the progress and water their little sprouts. Also, do a
comparison shopping trip at a local chain grocer. If your cart
ends up costing less at the farmer’s market, publicize it.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Team up with local artists, musicians and other entertainers. One
week, feature an art show and let the artists manage it. The
next week, how about a bluegrass band? The following week,
feature arts and crafts vendors. All would provide one more
reason to shop the farmer’s market.

The teleseminar I hosted on “Publicity Tips for Restaurants,
Chefs & Foodies” offers 51 ideas you can use for almost any food-
related story. The recording is available as a CD or electronic
transcript that you can download as soon as your order has been
approved. Each includes a downloadable list of all 51 ideas.

Read more about how to generate food publicity at
http://tinyurl.com/clr26

Read all the responses to this week’s Help This Hound question at
http://tinyurl.com/bayg2c

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

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

Lori Feldman of St. Louis, Mo. writes:

“My client is a home and garden show that’s produced in four
cities–Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Portland from
late February through early March.

“We’re launching a social media plan for this company that has
done nothing but traditional advertising for the last 50 years!
Last year was the first time they even attempted to collect email
addresses from attendees, so we have a list of 20,000 we can use.

“As you can imagine, ad costs significantly increase each year
with significantly declining ROI. So the challenge was to find
alternative media to combat the ineffectiveness of old media.
They also face these hurdles: Home starts and real estate are way
down. Young people have not supported these live shows (but this
could be due to a lack of an online presence). All marketing is
local–you’re not going to jump on a plane to attend.

“Because time is short, I’d like to get as many suggestions from
your readers as possible to consider every option to increase
traffic. The pre-show promotions site is
http://www.ImproveYourHomeAndGarden.com We’ll be press
releasing, tweeting, and social networking between now and show day.
I can do a shopping spree contest winner. Thoughts?”

The Publicity Hound says:

You–and my Hounds–are up against a tough deadline. But that’s
when my Hounds are most creative! I know a lot of them publicize
events, so they’ll post their best ideas to my blog at
http://tinyurl.com/atm843

Don’t have time to wait to hear their ideas? “How to Plan &
Promote Sizzling Special Events” will give you hundreds of ideas.
Read more about what you’ll learn at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity/promote.html

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Kerry Hargraves of Oakland, Calif. for
this one:

Little Harold was practicing the violin in the living room while
his father was trying to read in the den.

The family dog was lying in the den, and as the screeching sounds
of little Harold’s violin reached the dog’s ears, it began to
howl loudly. The father listened to the dog and the violin as
long as he could. Then he jumped up, slammed his paper to the
floor and yelled above the noise, “For Pete’s sake, can’t you
play something the dog doesn’t know?”

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…
===================================

Online promotion tips in Jan/Feb issue of SUCCESS magazine
http://tinyurl.com/bg33ml

The Number One mistake of online press releases
http://tinyurl.com/d86hxx

Media event to feature products tied to celebs, good causes
http://tinyurl.com/awdwlx

—————————————

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

PERMISSION TO REPRINT:

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound® website 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

Free Subscription

Syndication

Search

Tags

Publicity Resources

Follow Joan On...

Tips of the Week

Kick-Butt Publicity

Need A Publicist?

Publicity Photos