Pitching The Media | 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—Your Twitter Reputation Score

October 25th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #578 Oct. 25, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Your Twitter Reputation Score

2. A Nonprofit’s Ideal Donor

3. Cool Tool for Getting onto CNN

4. Don’t Solicit Reviews on Yelp

5. For Authors, Speakers, Experts

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Your Twitter Reputation Score
=====================================

If you’re on Twitter, Twitter has assigned you a “reputation
score.”

It has a system in place to gauge who you follow and, in turn,
who they follow and who follows them. It uses that information to
suggest the “Who to Follow” avatars in the right-hand column of
your profile.

So far, your score is still a secret. So why am I mentioning it?

Because I’m betting that Twitter will make it public very soon–
simply because other sites are starting to score and grade us.
For example:

–If you’re on Klout.com, you have a score, from 0 to 100,
largely determined by how often you tweet.

–Influencer Exchange, the new subscription-based software
program that I’ve been promoting, assigns a score to influencers
in thousands of niches, depending on who’s discussing the
influencer in traditional media or social media and how important
those people are. You can read more about this, and find out how
to sign up for a free 14-day trial, at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9613

–On Quora, the question and answer site, users “vote up” or
“vote down” your answers. The answers with the most votes show up
on top.

–On review sites like Yelp, consumers assign you from one to
five stars.

–Facebook doesn’t assign you a score–yet. But how often you
interact with your friends, and those who have Liked your pages,
determines how often the information you share shows up in their
news feeds.

–On Yelp and other review sites, consumers assign scores of from
one to five stars for restaurants, hair salons and even the local
furnace repair company.

–Google, perhaps the world’s ultimate “grader,” has been using
its secret algorithm to reward or penalize our websites in
organic search results.

I can’t help but envision the day when we all have one overall
“reputation score” that’s seared onto the flesh on our hips with
a hot branding iron.

The score could eventually determine if you’re the top candidates
for a job, or get a lucrative consulting contract, or a reporter
from the New York Times calls you for an interview because you
have a higher score than the other people who the reporter
researched.

Not tweeting yet? Don’t miss the boat. See “Twitter for
Beginners: A Step-by-Step, Can’t-Fail System for Experts and
Influencers (and Those Who Want to Be)” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/twitterforbeginners.htm

=====================================
2. A Nonprofit’s Ideal Donor
=====================================

When Sandy Rees worked as marketing director for the Knoxville
Second Harvest food bank in Tennessee, her most successful
strategy was creating a profile of the ideal donor, and then
marketing to that niche.

The food bank did its research and discovered that the vast
majority of donors were women over age 50, who attended church
regularly.

“We needed to be speaking in front of every woman’s group in
every church in town,” she said. “We did. We knocked their socks
off with the presentation and we had a special call to action at
the end. It worked like a charm.”

Rees says nonprofits that don’t take the time to research, study
and market to their ideal donors are leaving money on the table.
They’re also missing numerous publicity opportunities because if
you don’t know your donors’ profile, you can’t target the media
that are reaching them.

She will team up with me this Thursday, Oct. 27, to present her
best tips for nonprofit PR during the webinar “Failproof
Publicity Tips for Cash-strapped Nonprofits to Raise Money,
Recruit Volunteers & Promote a Worthy Cause.”

We’ll share dozens of tips, tricks and tools that will help you
save time and money communicating your story to the masses–and
achieve the results you need.

Read more about what we’ll be discussing, and register at
http://www.PublicityHound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/nonprofitpublicity.htm

======================================
3. Cool Tool for Getting onto CNN
======================================

Want to position yourself in front of the producers at CNN?

Share your news story with the world at the iReport Assignment
Desk. (PR people: Work this into your client’s media plan.)

“The most compelling iReports from these assignments often end up
on CNN television and CNN.com,” the website says.

Find out how you can participate by reading the frequently asked
questions at http://www.cnn.com/help/i-report.html

This site was one of many tools I shared during the webinar “60
Ideas in 60 Minutes: Free (or Practically Free) Tips, Tricks,
Tools & Tutorials for Publicity & Social Media.” If you missed
it, you can access the replay and the entire list of all 60 ideas
at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/60ideas.htm

=====================================
4. Don’t Solicit Reviews on Yelp
=====================================

A few favorable reviews on a site like Yelp.com can have
customers lining up at your doorstep. Here are the three most
important things business owners need to know about Yelp:

–Use it. It’s powerful.

–You shouldn’t solicit favorable reviews from customers or
you’re violating the Terms of Service. And no swinging a deal
with another business to “write a good review about me and I’ll
write a good one about you.”

–You should respond to bad reviews publicly and privately. Don’t
waste time trying to convince Yelp to remove them.

My friend, a small business owner, won’t create a profile on Yelp
because she’s afraid of a bad review. Big mistake. Find out why
by reading the blog post I wrote on “11 ways for small business
to use Yelp, respond to bad reviews” at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7464

Yelp is one of more than 50 places I recommend to promote your
live and virtual events to reach your target market and pull
sell-out crowds. Learn more about the other places at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/promotevents.htm

======================================
5. For Authors, Speakers, Experts
======================================

One of the biggest mistakes authors make is overlooking the 22
streams of revenue that go far beyond just selling books.

Speakers often fail to realize they, too, have talents–such as
the ability to guide CEOs and company presidents through
corporate consulting–that transcend the speakers’ circuit.

And experts? They can earn money as an expert witness in trials.

If you’re ready to make a quantum leap in your career as an
author, speaker, consultant or expert in your field, and share
your message with a lot more people while also developing new
income streams from what you know, join Steve Harrison for a free
telephone seminar today at your choice of two times: 2 p.m.
Eastern or 7 p.m. Eastern. He’ll sharing strategies which can
propel you to a whole new level of income and influence.

Even though the call is free, I promote his products and services
as an affiliate. Register at
https://m164.infusionsoft.com/go/Thrive/A10011NO/

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

Thanks to Dan Poynter of Santa Barbara, CA, for this video of a
dog puppet playing catch with a toddler. The puppet almost looks
real!

http://www.flixxy.com/dog-puppeteer.htm

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

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

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

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

5 website gems for nonprofit PR, fundraising, marketing
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9625

How long before we’re branded, like cattle,
with a “reputation score”?
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9640

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

=======================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound

Publicity Tips—Lazy, Cop-out Photos

September 14th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #572 Sept. 13, 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. Lazy, Cop-out Photos

2. Bad Guest Blogger Pitches

3. Your Book: A Premium Incentive

4. Promoting a Breast Cancer Auction

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Lazy, Cop-out Photos
=====================================

“We can’t think creatively. We’re lazy. And we don’t mind boring
you with this photo, which you’ve seen a thousand times before.”

That’s the message you send when you use these three types of
photos in a publicity campaign:

–The dreaded ribbon cutting, with the giant cardboard scissors.

–The ghastly check passing, with the oversized check that often
dwarfs the people on each end who are holding it.

–The uninspired groundbreaking, with eight guys in suits, ties
and hard hats, lined up side by side, each with a foot poised on
the shovel.

C’mon. You can do better than that.

Instead of a ribbon cutting, take a photo that shows how the
money is being spent. If it’s for the local food pantry, take a
photo of a volunteer stocking the shelves.

Dispense with the ribbon cutting. Instead, photograph the store’s
first customer making a purchase at the check-out counter.

Rather than a groundbreaking photo, create a helpful info-graphic
that explains various stages of the project, or a timeline for
completion.

Or hire a local artist to create an oil painting of the project.
Make inexpensive reprints available to the public. That’s a much
more interesting story.

That last idea comes from Dan Collins, the PR expert who was my
guest during the teleseminar on “Fun Alternatives to Boring
Groundbreakings, Ribbon Cuttings and Check Passings.” He has so
many creative suggestions for sidestepping boring photos that
you’ll swear off using the lazy ones forever. Read more about how
to access the transcript or audio replay at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/groundbreakings.htm

=====================================
2. Bad Guest Blogger Pitches
=====================================

This is starting to happen with annoying frequency.

Somebody emails me, offers to write a guest blog post and then
asks, “What would you like me to write about?”

I barely have time to figure out what topics I can write about.
The last thing I need is a guest blogger who I have to baby-sit.

Pitch a blogger the same way you’d pitch a journalist. Let them
know, without coming right out and saying it, that you’ve read
their blog. You know the kinds of topics their audience loves,
and you have an idea that’s a perfect fit. Also, explain your
area of expertise and why you’re the best person to write about
it.

Better yet, pitch two or three ideas. Include a link to your
blog, but do not tell the blogger to “visit my blog, take a look
around and let me know what you think.”

If you want exposure to my audience, make my job so easy that
publishing your post on my blog is a no-brainer.

When you submit the post, include one or two screenshots or
images. Write your own short author resource box. Link within the
post to other websites, when appropriate. And adhere to
Associated Press style. If you don’t have a stylebook, you can
buy one for less than $20 at http://ow.ly/6sXPb

Learn dozens more ideas on how to make a journalist’s or
blogger’s job easy by watching the video replay of a webinar I
hosted recently on “A Simple 5-Part Formula for Delivering the
Perfect Media Pitch and Hitting it Out of the Park.” You an
access it at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/pitchingformula.htm

======================================
3. Your Book: A Premium Incentive
======================================

Many big companies offer books as “premium incentives” to
encourage people to buy a particular product, much like your
favorite magazine might offer you a clock, T-shirt or other bonus
when you renew your subscription.

Some companies also buy books to give to their customers as
“thank you” gifts. Other firms buy books in quantity to train or
inspire their employees and buy 5,000, 10,000 or as many as
20,000 books from an author or publisher.

It’s not as hard as you might think to land these kinds of super-
lucrative deals–IF you know how the corporate market really
works.

Matthew Bennett, a self-published author who’s relatively unknown
to the general public, has sold more than 5 million books in
quantity to Fortune 500 corporations including Disney, Reebok,
NBC, Abbott Labs, Pfizer, US Healthplans, Subway and many others.

Want to learn how he does it and how you too can get started
selling your books by the truckload to big companies?

You’re invited to a free webinar (or telephone seminar) on
Thursday, Sept. 15, to hear Steve Harrison interview Matthew
about his methods and proven system for selling tons of books.
Register here:

http://www.authortrainingwebinar.com/?10011

Even though the call is free, I promote it as a compensated
affiliate, because too many authors spend far too much time and
effort selling single-copy books, and not enough on bulk sales.

Note: Steve has only 11 spots remaining for his National
Publicity Summit Oct. 12-15 in New York City, where you can
personally meet more than 100 producers and journalists who do
stories and shows for many of America’s biggest media outlets.
The price goes up after tomorrow, Sept. 14. Apply here:
http://www.nationalpublicitysummit2011.com/applyhere/?10011

=====================================
4. Promoting a Breast Cancer Auction
=====================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Leticia Meireles
of San Diego, CA, on how to get more traffic to her online
auction that’s raising money for breast cancer research.

From Christel Hall:

“Leticia may get a big boost from social media. In fact, I just
tweeted for her cause:

“Birthday girl asks for friends/family to bid & buy to donate to
cancer cause, rather than give her b-day gifts:
http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/1878/auctions/2039.”

From Judith Bron:

“Every community has a hospital, hospice, health center or some
other health facility that works with breast cancer patients and
breast cancer survivors. Try contacting them and asking if you
can publicize your auction on their website, on their Facebook
page or other communications. If one of these organizations is
holding a dinner to raise funds for the cause, ask if you can
place flyers on tables at the event. Ask if you can put flyers at
health care facilities and in the cafeterias at local hospitals.”

From The Publicity Hound:

“Some big brands have donated items to your auction. Do they have
Facebook pages? If so, thank them publicly for the donation, tag
them, and link to the auction page. Same for all the local
businesses that have donated gift certificates and other items.
Their customers and fans might be very interested in bidding.”

Read all the responses to this week’s “Help This Hound” question
at http://publicityhound.net/?p=9341

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

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

Carrie Steuer of Itasca, IL, writes:

“I am a ‘Bra Lady’—a direct seller for Essential Bodywear.

“This month, I’m being featured in Family Circle magazine. It’s
an article about me, being a wife and mom and managing my bra
business.

“I am considering writing a press release or something else, but
I don’t know how to do that, or what to say, or what else I
should be doing.

“Can your Hounds lead me in the right direction? My website is
http://www.MyEssentialBodywear.com/breastfriend.”

The Publicity Hound says:

I love the bra care advice at your website I’ll bet other
magazines, women’s newsletter editors and bloggers would too.
Create a simple “tips list” and start pitching. Let’s see what
other suggestions my Hounds can post to my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9401

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

Thanks to Christel Hall of Minden, NV, for this video of a dog
that just couldn’t make it as a service dog and became a SURFice
dog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=BGODurRfVv4

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

10 ways to be an indispensable media source
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9348

Need a 2-page website? You can be a beta tester
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9386

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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
The Publicity Hound

Publicity Tips—Facebook Deadline Oct. 1

September 9th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #571 Sept. 6, 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. Facebook Deadline Oct. 1

2. Make Your Blog Your Home Base

3. The Press Release Addiction

4. Repeat of TV Talk Shows Webinar

5. Help This HOund

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Facebook Deadline Oct. 1
=====================================

If you’re on Facebook and you have created a page that is
customized and hosted outside of Facebook, you will need to buy
an SSL certificate before Oct. 1. This affects almost all of us.
If you’re in doubt about whether you need it, talk to your web
consultant.

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. It lets your customers know
that their transactions and other communications with you are
secure.

You can buy an SSL certificate from hosting services such as
HostGator at
http://secure.hostgator.com/~affiliat/cgi-
bin/affiliates/clickthru.cgi?id=pubhound and GoDaddy at
http://x.co/ZW1h for less than $100.

Please don’t ask me about SSL certificates, because this isn’t my
area of expertise. But this deadline is important enough to
mention here. If you have questions, ask your web consultant or
read this blog post, the best one I found that explains this
topic is at
https://ilocalsearch.net/facebook-pages-changes-ssl-certificate-
requirements-that-you-need-to-know-about

Once this is out of the way, you go back to your checklist of
things you can do at your Facebook account to build a loyal base
of fans who have Liked your pages, the only place on Facebook
where you can promote what you’re selling.

I created a checklist of 33 items that Mari Smith mentioned when
she was my guest during the recent webinar on “33 Ways to Attract
Facebook Fans, Provide Sterling Content & Keep Them Coming Back
for More.” Follow one tip each day, and watch the number of
“Likes” on your page skyrocket.

Read more about how to access the replay and the cheat sheet of
tips, part of the handouts, at
http://www.publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm

=====================================
2. Make Your Blog Your Home Base
=====================================

It’s darn near impossible to sell something directly from
Twitter, or even the snazziest Facebook page.

But not from your blog.

Your blog is the place where you can promote your expertise,
explain how to use one of your products, answer readers’
questions about your services, or go into great depth explaining
why visitors should donate to a worthy cause you’re promoting.
It’s also the place where you can convince journalists that you
know so much about your topic that they should be using you as a
source, and probably even interviewing you for their articles.

You can post photos and videos at your blog, too. After you’ve
hooked visitors and convinced them they need your products or
services, you can link to a sales page at your website.

The big mistake on social media sites is that most people skip
the blog. They try to take their followers directly from Twitter
to a sales page. Spend a few minutes reading all the junk in your
Twitter feed and you’ll see what I mean.

If you aren’t blogging yet, it isn’t too late to start. I have
yet another cheat sheet for you. It’s more than 100 ways to find
content for your blog so you’re never lacking for ideas. It comes
with the replay of the teleseminar I created with Patsi Krakoff
on “Time-saving Tips for Smart Business Blogging.” Read about
what Patsi will teach you at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/businessblogging.htm

======================================
3. The Press Release Addiction
======================================

Writing press releases is like a drug addiction.

It’s a quick fix that feels good, because it makes you think
you’ve really accomplished something. But when you come down from
Cloud Nine, it dawns on you that the press release hasn’t moved
one journalist to call you. The problem of no media attention is
still there–staring you in the face.

Sound familiar?

If so, break the vicious cycle right now by vowing to never write
a press release and send it to a journalist or broadcaster if you
want them to cover your story. Instead, write a compelling,
personalized pitch that tells the journalist, “I know who you
are. I know what you cover. I know what you need. Here’s a story
idea that can help you.”

Keep the press release in your back pocket, just in case they
tell you they are interested in the story and would like a
release along with an interview.

A webinar I hosted recently, “A Simple 5-Part Formula for
Delivering the Perfect Media Pitch and Hitting it Out of the
Park,” shows you how to do what nine out of 10 other people
aren’t doing when they want media attention. They aren’t
customizing pitches.

The replay of the webinar includes handouts that offer samples of
compelling pitches that generated media coverage. When Publicity
Hound Mary Castillo used my formula, two journalists bit and said
they’d cover her client’s story. Find out what she did that you
could be doing at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/pitchingformula.htm

=====================================
4. Repeat of TV Talk Shows Webinar
=====================================

If you missed the webinar on how to get booked on big TV talk
shows like “Rachael Ray,” “Live with Regis & Kelly” and the
“Wendy Wilson Show,” you’re in luck.

Steve Harrison is repeating it at 2 and 7 p.m. Eastern Time on
Thursday, Sept. 8. When you pitch, producers and guest bookers
may ask you a question that you must be ready to answer, pronto.
Find out what it is and learn the inside secrets on exactly what
kinds of guests these shows are looking for. Register for the
call at http://www.tvpublicityteleseminar.com/?10011

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

Leticia Meireles of San Diego, CA, writes:

“I just had my birthday and, in lieu of gifts, I’ve been asking
friends to support a cure for breast cancer.

“Many generous business owners helped me to gather almost 100
items to be sold on my fundraising online auction—items on
Ebay, too. Many of them are from retailers and restaurants in San
Diego. Others are from national chains such as BestBuy. All
proceeds will benefit the Susan Komen 3-Day for the Cure.

“I need to raise $10,000, but no one seems to be bidding. What
should I do differently? You can see the items up for bid at
http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/1878/auctions/2039

The Publicity Hound says:

Social media to the rescue. At least that’s what I’d do. I’d find
every social media group possible near San Diego and ask people
to spread the message for you. But that’s just a start. What
about other online promotion ideas, and the many ways you can
spread the word offline? Hounds with ideas for Leticia can post
them to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=9341

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

Check out this dog’s eyes as he stands before a plate of
cupcakes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTuOr2vlC-c&feature=
player_embedded

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

What Taylor Swift can teach you about book marketing
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9320

Press release mistake: Not including a call to action
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9311

Promoting fiction: Should authors fake a memoir?
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9252

9 ways to sneak your website address into media stories
(A guest blog post I wrote)
http://www.arikhanson.com/2011/08/25/9-ways-to-sneak-your-
website-address-into-media-stories/

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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
The Publicity Hound

Publicity Tips–Surprising Source of Traffic

August 31st, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #570 Aug. 30, 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. Surprising Source of Traffic

2. Write Razor-Sharp on Facebook

3. Pitch a “Follow Up”

4. Don’t Share Photo Albums

5. Sell My Products & Services

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Surprising Source of Traffic
=====================================

Which website is the biggest referrer of traffic on the Internet?

You get three guesses.

Nope, it’s not Twitter. It’s not Facebook either. And it’s not
LinkedIn.

If you guessed Google, that’s wrong, too. Google is a search
engine, not a website.

The one site that drives more traffic than any other is
StumpleUpon.com, a social bookmarking site.

I was shocked when I saw that statistic recently. But when you
stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense. Social
bookmarking sites exist to share links to interesting content on
the Web. Sites like Facebook exist to keep you on Facebook,
interacting with your friends.

Why is StumbleUpon important for Publicity Hounds?

Because if you create a StumbleUpon account and share terrific
content, other “Stumblers” will view you as a reputable source.
You can then–very infrequently and very carefully–share your
own content, even though it’s better to have someone else share
it for you.

Colin Martin, a social bookmarking expert, says sites like
StumbleUpon also help you become a recognized expert within your
field. He explained how to use that site and Delicious, Digg and
Reddit, the three other major sites, during a teleseminar called
“How to do Social Bookmarking to Promote Your Expertise, Attract
Followers & Pull Massive Amounts of Traffic.” The audio replay or
electronic transcript comes with four short videos that show you
how to create your accounts at bookmarking sites, bookmark
content, make friends and join groups, and find everyday uses for
this powerful marketing tool.

Read more about what you’ll learn to do at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/social_bookmarking.htm

=====================================
2. Write Razor-Sharp on Facebook
=====================================

If you’re searching for a compelling topic to write about in your
next Facebook Status Update, and you’re in a hurry, consult this
infographic that lists eight clever ideas:

http://www.allfacebook.com/infographic-8-ways-to-conquer-
facebook-statuses-2011-08

Here’s one of them. Write a fill-in-the-blank sentence, like
this: “___________ always makes me smile.”

I used to think status updates like that were nonsense. But
people love responding to them. And as the infographic I linked
to above explains, the more Likes and Comments your content
receives, the higher your Edgerank score. And the higher your
score, the more your content will appear in your friends’ and
fans’ news feeds.

Of course, the fill-in-the-blank tactic can be used on your Pages
as well. One of the most frequent questions I receive is, “How
can I get more people to Like my pages?”

I hosted Mari Smith, the world’s Number One Facebook expert,
during a webinar recently on “33 Ways to Attract Facebook Fans,
Provide Sterling Content & Keep Them Coming Back for More.” The
webinar replay comes with a handy cheat sheet that lists all 33
tips. Follow one tip each day, and watch the number of “Likes” on
your Page skyrocket.

Read more about how to access the replay and the cheat sheet at
http://www.publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm

======================================
3. Pitch a “Follow Up”
======================================

One of the easiest ways to generate publicity is by pitching a
story that’s a “follow up” to a story about you that a media
outlet already has covered.

Let’s say you’re a nonprofit that received publicity a year ago
for several new partnerships you formed with local businesses to
place people with disabilities in jobs at those companies.

Don’t let the publicity end there. Return to the same media
outlets and let them know the rest of the story. How are the
employees doing?
Do they have good attendance records? Have any of them been
promoted? Have you placed additional people with disabilities in
jobs?

These stories are easy to place because the media already have
covered you. “Follow up” is media lingo, so use that phrase when
you pitch.

Publicity Hound Mary Castillo of Orange County, Calif., used the
other pitching tips I shared during a webinar earlier this month
and, within 15 minutes of pitching, received two confirmations
from reporters who agreed to run her story. A radio show that
she’s been trying to get her client onto for a year also
expressed interest.

Read more about what I taught Publicity Hounds how to do, and
access the video replay and handouts that include pitches that
received media attention:
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/pitchingformula.htm

=====================================
4. Don’t Share Photo Albums
=====================================

If a family member or employee who is very famous in your
community dies, and the local newspaper or TV station asks you
for photos, don’t hand over your entire photo album when they ask
for it.

This is an old reporter’s trick, and the media will sometimes try
to pull this off so competing media can’t get access to your
photos.

Offer a few photos, but save several for other media. One way
around this problem, of course, is to offer digital photos.

This tip comes from my ebook, “How to Use Photos & Graphics in
Your Publicity Campaign” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicityphotos.htm

If you’re only pitching stories, you’re missing half your chances
for publicity.

=====================================
5. Sell My Products & Services
=====================================

If you love my products and services and want to recommend them
to your own followers, and earn a hefty commission for every
sale, sign up for my affiliate program at
http://www.publicityhound.com/affiliateinstructions.htm

And stay tuned for a webinar I’ll be hosting next month, filled
with helpful tips that will explain the best ways to promote, all
within guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission.

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

The Publicity Hound asks:

When dog food is “new and improved” and better tasting, who tests
it?

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

Promoting fiction: Should authors fake a memoir?
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9252

Prepare your PR company for hurricanes, earthquakes
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9233

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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
The Publicity Hound

Publicity Tips—A Dirty Word When Pitching

August 17th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #568 Aug. 16, 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. A Dirty Word When Pitching

2. Offer Extras & Sweeten the Pitch

3. Attract More Facebook Fans

4. Wanted: Your Guest Blog Post

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Photos of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. A Dirty Word When Pitching
=====================================

The next time you pitch a story idea to a journalist, don’t use
the one word that will force the reporter to hit the delete key,
write you off as a jerk, and maybe even blackball you.

The word?

Publicity.

As in, “We’re hoping for a little publicity for our fund-raiser
to benefit cancer research.”

Journalists HATE that word. They don’t view their jobs as giving
people publicity. They cover news.

Bloggers might cut you a little slack, but don’t use the word
with them, either.

Your job as a Publicity Hound is to be as helpful as possible to
anyone you pitch and to send the message, “I’m here to help you,”
not “I’m here so you can help me.”

The list of pitching mistakes is longer than my dog’s 3-foot
leash. It includes sending the same one-size-fits-all pitch to
dozens of media outlets, putting all journalists’ email addresses
in the CC line of your email, misspelling their names, pitching
via Twitter when the journalist doesn’t want to be pitched there,
and obeying journalists when they tell you, “Do not follow up.”

What they really mean is, “Don’t follow up if you don’t have
anything of value to offer.”

So what can you offer that will make them pay attention?

Lots of things like photos and graphics, and even audio and
video. I’ll cover them all when I host the webinar “A Simple 5-
Part Formula for Delivering the Perfect Media Pitch and Hitting
it Out of the Park” from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday,
Aug. 18. If the time is inconvenient, register anyway, because
you’ll receive the video replay and other materials within 72
hours.

You can use my formula as a cheat sheet every time you pitch. And
I’ll give you 27 story angles you can steal on days when the idea
well is dry.

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

=====================================
2. Offer Extras & Sweeten the Pitch
=====================================

One of the little extras you can offer journalists when you pitch
is a list of other sources they can call to round out their story
or their program.

That’s one of three strategies that a husband and wife used to
clinch a seven-minute segment on the “Today” show.

Steve Harrison interviewed them and found out they used two other
strategies to get the producers to say “yes.” He’s repeating a
teleseminar with producers who book guests on TV talk shows for
ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, at 2 and 7 p.m. Eastern Time today.
Register at http://www.tvpublicityteleseminar.com/?10011

I promote this teleseminar as a compensated affiliate, because an
appearance on a big TV talk show can propel authors, speakers,
experts and small business people to stardom. Producers pay
attention to who’s booking which experts, and it isn’t unusual
for you to receive multiple calls from other producers if you
make it onto just one show.

======================================
3. Attract More Facebook Fans
======================================

An excellent way to pull more people to your Facebook page is to
post on the walls of other Facebook pages if the target audiences
are similar to yours.

But don’t promote. Share helpful content their readers will find
interesting.

How do you find those page owners? Simple. By following the trail
of bread crumbs on Facebook.

Start with someone you already know who reaches the same audience
you do, perhaps somebody in your industry. Go to their Facebook
page and look along the left margin where it says “Likes.” Find
out what pages they have Liked. Click through to each one.

When you see a page that’s a good fit, click on “Like” at the
top. But don’t leave just yet. Look along the left side for a
list of pages that that page owner has Liked. Before you know it,
you’ll have another dozen or so pages that you’ve Liked, and that
means more pages where you can comment on their content and post
to their walls.

During this exercise, it’s a good idea to use a paper and pen and
keep track of whose site you started on and where you went from
there. Then, you can go back to your friend’s site and see what
other pages they have Liked.

That’s one of several dozen ideas I discussed with Mari Smith,
the world’s Number One Facebook expert, when I hosted a webinar
recently. We came up with “33 Ways to Attract Facebook Fans,
Provide Sterling Content & Keep Them Coming Back for More.”

If you missed it, you can still access the video replay, Mari’s
PowerPoint slides and a helpful handout of all 33 ideas so you
don’t have to take notes. Access it at
http://www.publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm

=====================================
4. Wanted: Your Guest Blog Post
=====================================

Bloggers are trying to squeeze in a week or two of vacation
before the kids go back to school.

August is the ideal time to suggest a guest blog post to a
blogger whose audience needs to hear what you have to say.

That’s what I did last week and the blogger said “yes!” He also
mentioned that my timing was perfect because he’s going on
vacation next week. I’ll share the link here as soon as he
publishes it.

If your idea isn’t a perfect fit and the blogger declines, ask,
“What other bloggers do you know who might be interested in this
topic?”

I always welcome guest posts on topics that include how to use
traditional and social media, and not just when I’m going on
vacation. Pitch me, and explain why my audience would be
interested.
Send an email to JStewart@PublicityHound.com and put “Guest blog
post” in the subject line.

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

Dr. Karen Hoving of Aurora, Colo., writes:

“I have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and specialize in two
areas: Bipolar Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“Here’s what I’m doing right now to market myself:

–A Facebook page.

–A website.

–Two blogs: The Couch Trip for general psychology and
“Shrinking” Chronic Illness.

–A monthly newsletter (with only 11 subscribers-–sigh).

–A Twitter account.

–A LinkedIn profile (but am not terribly active). I share
different information on each site.

“Here’s my question: Do shrinks get patients via social media
marketing? I am doing a lot and watching all of the videos you
and others send. But often, people are trying to sell something
online. I am trying to sell ME-—my services and education, and my
time.

“Can this be marketed on sites like Facebook and Twitter? If so,
how? Marketing for therapists is different than marketing for
someone selling widgets.”

“If social media won’t work for me—and I’m willing to be
patient-—I don’t want to waste a lot of time.”

The Publicity Hound says: Many other professionals face the same
frustrating dilemma, Karen. But I know they’ve found ways to use
Facebook and Twitter creatively. How about it, Hounds? What are
some things Karen can do to reach her target market and turn
social media friends and fans into paying clients? Post your best
ideas to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=9172

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

======================================
6. Hound Videos of the Week
======================================

10 Adorable Corgi Videos on YouTube (I love the one of the Corgi
that wants to be vacuumed):

http://socialtimes.com/corgi-videos_b72360

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

Pitch Patch.com for a new series on the American Dream
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9181

Pitching journalists? How to avoid “spraying & praying”
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9148

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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
The Publicity Hound

Publicity Tips— Piggyback Onto the Crash

August 10th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #567 Aug. 9, 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. Piggyback Onto the Crash

2. Make Animated Graphics Quickly

3. Spray & Pray

4. Tips from Rachael Ray

5. How to Promote Hair Accessories

6. Hound Photos of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

***********************************
ADVERTISEMENT:

Get timely, relevant clips about your business or interests from
newspapers, television, radio and the Internet from Wisconsin
News Tracker.com.
http://www.wisconsinnewstracker.com

Want your ad here? Read how:
http://publicityhound.net/the-publicity-hounds-tips-of-the-week-
now-accepts-ads/
***********************************

=====================================
1. Piggyback Onto the Crash
=====================================

It’s been a bumpy roller-coaster ride so far today on the U.S.
Stock Exchange after yesterday’s gut-wrenching crash that saw
investors lose a trillion dollars in just one day.

Time to take a break from fretting about your 401K and figure out
a way to tie into this breaking news event that will be with us
for a long time.

Here are five ideas:

–All polls show that voters are furious at the Washington
politicians. Call your local TV station and ask for the newsroom.
Tell them why you’re mad, and what you’re doing about it, and
agree to be on camera. TV loves people, color and motion. Are you
posting a sign in the window of your business? Printing bumper
stickers? Protesting with signs outside your Congressman’s
office?

–How will the crash affect your small business or nonprofit?
What are you doing differently?

–Do you work in a business in which you’re seeing a trend
develop from today’s bad news? Restaurant owners, are you selling
more liquor? Therapists, are more people suffering from
depression over their finances? Financial planners, are clients
yelling and screaming at you? If so, how are you handling it and
what are you telling them?

–What’s happening as a result of the skyrocketing price of gold?
Jewelers, are more people bringing in grandma’s jewelry for some
quick cash? Bankers, are more customers buying safety deposit
boxes to store their gold?

–The downgrade will mean higher interest rates for things like
credit cards and student loans. How are college students reacting
to the bad news? If you’re in a business, nonprofit or government
agency that deals with teen-agers, let the media know what you’re
hearing from them.

Learn dozens more tips on how to tie your news into the bad
economy. This is the time when the media are hungry for sources
like you. See “How to Tie Your Pitch to Breaking News & Make the
Media Interview You”
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/breakingnews.htm

=====================================
2. Make Animated Graphics Quickly
=====================================

Did you ever land at a blog, and spend more time staring at a
clever graphic than you did reading the post?

I have. And I’ve thought, “I wonder how they did that?”

My paws couldn’t move the mouse fast enough when I stumbled upon
an incredibly cool, free generator that lets you make 10 types of
customized graphics, some of them animated.

I played around with it last night and made my own newspaper with
the front-page headline “Publicity Hounds Rock!” and then wrote
an article below it explaining how savvy you are for suggesting
wonderful ideas in the periodic Help This Hound section of this
newsletter.

You can create your own talking cat, talking owl, talking veggies
and a customized cigarette pack that would be perfect for anyone
who sells products or service that help people quit smoking. You
can use many of these animations and graphics at your website and
blog, in your online press kits and elsewhere in a PR campaign.

I demonstrate how it works and give you lots of ideas at my blog
at http://publicityhound.net/?p=9064

======================================
3. Spray & Pray
======================================

Have you ever created a publicity pitch, and then send it to a
half dozen journalists or more?

That’s called the “spray and pray” technique. You spray a pitch
to whoever is on your media list–sometimes dozens of journalists
and bloggers–and then you pray that somebody bites.

Problem is, nobody ever bites. Then you moan and groan that you
can’t get publicity because “nobody cares about our story.”

The secret to perfect pitching is a customized pitch that you
change each time you deliver it, depending on whom you want to
receive it.

If you’re pitching your story to a TV station, there’s nothing
wrong with calling, particularly if you’re piggybacking onto a
breaking news event and your story would be perfect for that
night’s news.

But if you’re pitching the same story to a national magazine,
you’d almost never call.

So how do you know when to call and when to email? How do you
pitch on Twitter? Or would you?

I’m hosting a webinar from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on
Thursday, Aug. 18, to explain “A Simple 5-Part Formula for
Delivering the Perfect Media Pitch and Hitting it Out of the
Park.” If the time is inconvenient, register anyway because
you’ll receive the video replay and other materials within 72
hours.

You can use my formula as a cheat sheet every time you pitch. And
I’ll give you 27 story angles you can steal on days when the idea
well is dry.

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

=====================================
4. Tips from Rachael Ray
=====================================

Tommy Crudup, senior talent producer for Rachael Ray, is on the
receiving end of lots of those “spray and pray” pitches I
mentioned above.

You can’t treat Tommy the same way you’d treat one of Regis &
Kelly’s guest bookers.

They have their own checklists of “What I’m looking for in a
guest.”

Still, their checklists have a common theme. They want to be sure
that if they book you to be on the show, you won’t bomb on
camera. You need to be animated and interesting, but you can’t
upstage the host.

If you want to understand the mindset of national TV producers
and what entices them to book you as a guest, don’t miss Steve
Harrison’s teleseminar with several national producers who book
guests for ABC, NBC, and CBS. They’ll explain what they’re
looking for, and you’ll learn the most important question you
must be able to answer after you pitch. Tommy Crudup will be
there.

Choose from one of two times and register here:
http://www.tvpublicityteleseminar.com/?10011

This is a free call, but I earn a commission if you buy any
products or services from Steve.

=====================================
5. How to Promote Hair Accessories
=====================================

This week, 15 Publicity Hounds have tips for Juliet Hartley of
St. Petersburg, Fla., on how to pitch her chic hair accessories
for women and girls to magazines.

From Luke Vorstermans:

“How about a contest: How many bows can you put in your hair?”

From Cristina Salinas:

“Look at the pre-Christmas buying and decorate a tree in a high
traffic store with Bow Allure bows. Have fun with it!”

From Carol Stevens:

“The pitch is too salesy. But what I recently learned the hard
way was don’t just send a pitch and a photo. They need to see the
product!

“I was pitching a line of skin care products. Emails resulted in
no response. So I sent out products with a letter and, then,
called to arrange a desk side, which is an in-person ‘meet and
greet.’ I got the responses I was after by trying that tactic.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Sometimes you amaze me. You really do. I was bowled over by all
the creative suggestions at my blog. Read them all at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9030

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

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

30 Dogs Attacking Bubbles (some of these are really funny):

http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/ferocious-dog-attacks-caught-on-
camera

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

Once-sacred Google PageRank doesn’t matter anymore
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9073

Create animated graphics for PR with free generator
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9064

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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
The Publicity Hound

Publicity Tips—The Most Powerful Twitter Strategy

August 5th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #566 Aug. 2, 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. The Most Powerful Twitter Strategy

2. It’s Fair Time; Start Pitching

3. Webinar on Webinars Replay Link

4. Correcting Corrections

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Photos of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

***********************************
ADVERTISEMENT:

Get timely, relevant clips about your business or interests from
newspapers, television, radio and the Internet from Wisconsin
News Tracker.com.
http://www.wisconsinnewstracker.com

Want your ad here? Read how:
http://publicityhound.net/the-publicity-hounds-tips-of-the-week-
now-accepts-ads/
***********************************

=====================================
1. The Most Powerful Twitter Strategy
=====================================

Here’s the best way to attract thousands of raving fans on
Twitter if you’re using it primarily for business:

–Provide a steady stream of useful content that helps your
followers solve their problems. That includes links to other
people’s content such as articles and blog posts. Twitter is all
about your followers. It shouldn’t be all about you.

–Link to infographics, photos and videos that explain
complicated topics and offer how-to information.

–Humor your followers occasionally with pithy one-liners,
particularly those about your industry. I tweet about “Dumb
Headlines” like this one: “Stiff opposition expected to
casketless funeral plan.”

–Answer questions when people ask. Don’t tell them “It’s on Page
44 of my book.”

–Be one of the first in your industry to share breaking news.

–Keep promotion to an absolute minimum. Push your Twitter
followers to your blog, where you should also be sharing helpful
content, but where you can promote all you wish.

Use these guidelines, and your followers will retweet your
content. Their followers will retweet it too, and so on.

Don’t fret if you’re still not on Twitter, or if your tweets
aren’t gaining traction.

I’m hosting a webinar on “Twitter for Beginners: A Step-by-Step,
Can’t-Fail System for Experts and Influencers (and Those Who Want
to Be).” It’s at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Aug. 4.

This webinar is perfect for Publicity Hounds who manage their own
Twitter accounts and for PR people who are training clients on
how to manage theirs. Read about what you’ll be able to do after
the webinar:
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/twitterforbeginners.htm

=====================================
2. It’s Fair Time; Start Pitching
=====================================

This is the month for state and county fairs. The media love
story ideas like these:

–If you’re an expert on household budgets, invite a reporter to
accompany you and your family and see the fair on the cheap. What
food and entertainment can be had for next to nothing? Where can
people find coupons for the fair?

–At the Wisconsin State Fair, beer on a stick and butter on a
stick are among the new foods being featured this year.
Nutritionists and cookbook authors can pitch a story on “State
fair food that can kill you.” Suggest healthy options offered by
fair vendors.

–The merchants building is filled with businesses hawking car
polish, knives, cookware, mops and massage machines. If you have
a booth, pitch a story on what you’re doing differently this year
to try to get fair-goers to part with their credit cards. Free
samples? Contests? Free bottled water?

–Doctors, hospitals and clinics: Offer tips on how fair-goers
can survive the heat.

–Floral shop owners: Pitch a story on how to keep fresh-cut
flowers looking their best for a week, even in the heat. Lots of
gardeners are competing for blue ribbons. Even those who aren’t
going to the fair will love this story.

–Chiropractors: What midway rides are the most dangerous for the
spine and back?

What happens if you pitch, but no one responds? Should you follow
up? Of course. But do it the right way. Jill Lublin shows you
how. See “Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News
Release or a Story Pitch” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/failprooffollowup.htm

======================================
3. Webinar on Webinars Replay Link
======================================

Publicity Hounds’ tails were wagging during the webinar I hosted
last week with Daniel Hall on “Step-by-Step Insider Secrets To
Producing Highly-Profitable Webinars.”

Why? Because Daniel told us what webinar company to use. He gave
us specific instructions on exactly what to put on our PowerPoint
slides, word for word. And he showed us how to “close the deal”
at the end. If you want to use free webinars to sell a product or
service, don’t miss the replay:

http://www.realfastwebinars.com/joanwebinar.html

Even if your webinar participants don’t buy anything from you,
they’ll still love you for providing high content.

The replay link is live only until Sunday. Then it’s paid access
only.

Even if you don’t take up Daniel on his offer, which also ends
Sunday night, you’ll want to get your hands on this formula.

http://www.realfastwebinars.com/joanwebinar.html

I bought his product. Once I’ve studied all of it, I’ll be
inviting you to free webinars on a variety of publicity and
social media topics, and they’ll be very different than the ones
you are use to seeing.

=====================================
4. Correcting Corrections
=====================================

One of the mistakes that will send you to the dog house without
your dinner is contacting a media outlet or a blogger about bad
information you provided to them, asking for a correction, and
then screwing up the information in the correction.

So it looks like no dinner tonight for this Hound. In last week’s
newsletter, I wrote a correction for an item that appeared here
the week before about basketball star Dwyane Wade of the Miami
Heat. But in the correction, I misspelled his name. Another
alert Hound caught my error.

With my tail between my legs, I’m slinking off to my dog house.
And no treats for a week!

What’s that? You say you don’t ask for corrections? Big mistake!
Find out why by reading my article “How to Ask for a Correction”:

http://publicityhound.com/pics/free_publicity/Articles/ask_for_a_
correction.html

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

Publicity Hound Juliet Hartley of St. Petersburg, Fla., writes:

“I’ve been sending a lot of pitches to different magazines about
my chic handmade hair accessories at http://www.BowAllure.com,
but I just don’t hear anything back from them. It’s very
frustrating.

“I’m attaching a copy of a pitch I sent to a few magazines and
would love to hear your input. I’ve contacted a couple of
reputable publicists but I just cannot afford to pay for their
services at this moment.

“The magazines I’m trying to send pitches to are very hard to
reach, like Parents magazine or Pregnancy and Newborn magazine.
They don’t give you the email address of the editor.”

The Publicity Hound says: As soon as I read Juliet’s pitch, which
I’ve posted at my blog, I spotted a problem instantly. There are
others. Let’s see if you can find them, get Juliet back on track
and make some suggestions on how she can pitch a story about hair
accessories. Or should she?

Post your comments to my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9030

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Meryl K. Evans of Plano, Texas, for
this funny photo collection of dogs shaking off water:

http://www.petapixel.com/2011/07/28/portraits-of-dogs-as-they-
shake-off-water/

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

5 things they never tell Twitter newbies, but should
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9015

Muck Rack lists 140+ journalists on Google+
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9043

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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
The Publicity Hound

PublicityTips—TV Interview Emergencies

July 19th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #564 July 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. TV Interview Emergencies

2. Why So Many Tweets?

3. Piggyback onto Twitter

4. NYT Writers on Quora

5. Help People Share Your Content

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. TV Interview Emergencies
=====================================

It’s 7 a.m., and you’re scheduled to be at the local TV station
for a talk show interview in three hours.

You pull your favorite silk suit from the closet, remove it from
the dry cleaning bag and put on the slacks.

Horrors! They’ve shrunk.

Now what?

If you were prepared, and you’d tried on the outfit yesterday,
you wouldn’t be in this predicament.

But don’t feel bad. I had my own emergency last week shortly
before I was to appear on a live webcast in San Diego, hosted by
Don Crowther, the creator of the Social Profit Formula 2.0 social
media course I took and highly recommend.

Just before I was to leave for the recording studio, I noticed my
tube of liquid lipstick cracked, or the top came loose. And I had
to deal with a gooey mess that stained my fingers bright pink and
caused unnecessary delays and frayed nerves.

That made me think about other emergencies that pop up before and
during TV interviews, like freeway accidents that back up traffic
and make you late for your appearance. Or questions from the
interviewer that you don’t know how to answer. Or a hair stylist
who cancels your appointment the morning of the interview because
she’s ill.

Read my blog post, and be prepared:

http://publicityhound.net/?p=8866

=====================================
2. Why So Many Tweets?
=====================================

Don Crowther, who hosted the webcast I mentioned above,
recommends that Publicity Hounds who use Twitter to promote their
expertise send up to 20 tweets per day.

Why so many? Doesn’t that brand you as a pest?

Not if you’re sharing terrific content. During last night’s
coaching call for people who have registered for his Social
Profit Formula course, he explained that when people log into
their Twitter accounts, they see the most recent tweets at the
top of their feed. Those are the tweets that catch people’s
attention first.

If yours is among them, and readers click on a link you’ve
shared, they might end up at your website or blog or a helpful
article you’ve written that will position you as an expert. Or
they’ll click on a link to someone else’s content-rich article,
and you’ll look like a hero.

Last week, during the launch of Don’s Social Profit Formula 2.0
course, lots of people missed out because they were on vacation
or had to wait for payday, or whatever.

Don has reopened registration for the course (which I’m taking).
I love the coaching calls because I can ask questions. And his
constantly updated material keeps me abreast of the many social
media changes on sites like Facebook and YouTube. I share only a
few tidbits from his course here.

Is the entire course right for you? Only if you want to be far
ahead of your peers and equipped with time-saving tools and smart
strategies that will make you money, not just friends and
followers. Find out how:

https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/spfopen/a342/

His next coaching call is Monday, July 25. I hope you can join
us.

======================================
3. Piggyback onto Twitter
======================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of The
Frugal Book Promoter, who tipped me off to this clever way that
KFC piggybacked off a tweet to create great publicity.

KFC paid attention to one of Wade Dwyane’s tweets asking if
anyone was hiring after the NBA lockout.

Dwyane, who plays for the Miami Heat basketball team, used to
work for KFC, so they offered him his old job back. If he’d lead
a team filling KFC buckets fast (instead of NBA baskets), they’d
donate $250,000 to charity.

Here’s the link to read more:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2011-07-11/kfc-offers-
dwyane-wade-a-job-during-lockout?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-
n%7Cdl10%7Csec1_lnk3%7C218968.

If you don’t have $250,000 to spend on a similar campaign, that’s
OK.

“You just need to keep your marketing bonnet on so that when the
opportunity arises, you will be there,” Carolyn says.

To subscribe to her excellent ezine, Sharing with Writers, send a
SUBSCRIBE message to HoJoNews@aol.com.

=====================================
4. NYT Writers on Quora
=====================================

Three writers for The New York Times will be on Quora today, and
the next two Tuesdays, answering questions related to their new
books. They are:

–Financial writer Diana Henriques

–Business columnist Gretchen Morgenson

–Deputy national editor Adam Bryant

If you’re a smarT Publicity Hound who wants to get in front of
them, you won’t be pitching. Instead, you’ll be asking questions
related to the writers’ expertise. And you’ll be paying attention
to the answers, which might provide fodder for weaving into your
next pitch.

Publicity Tips—What You Must Know About Google +

July 15th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #563 July 12, 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. What You Must Know About Google +

2. Don’t Let Interns Pitch

3. Secret Tool to Get Facebook Likes

4. Use Flickr to Promote Your Business

5. Social Media Webcast

6. Best-seller Blueprint for Authors

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. What You Must Know About Google +
=====================================

If you’ve been searching for a good explanation of Google +, the
social media platform that’s the newest hot thing, you may have
been frustrated, as I have, by the lack of helpful content.

But I found a really good explanation of what it’s about,
including lots of links, at Janet Fout’s blog. Take a look:
http://janetfouts.com/google-and-world-domination/

Google + makes it imperative that you update your Google profile
now. If you don’t have a Google profile, create one at
https://profiles.google.com.

Do yourself a favor and double-check all your links to make sure
they lead to the right pages. If you’ve created new social media
profiles, or Facebook pages, be sure to add those to the list of
links.

Is the explanation of what you do recent?

Do you have new bragging rights to add to your profile? Last
week, the Business2Community blog at
http://www.Business2Community.com named me to their list of the
40 Most Approachable A-Listers on Twitter. I added that to my
Google profile and noticed how quickly it had gotten stale.

Update yours today.

=====================================
2. Don’t Let Interns Pitch
=====================================

This time of year, the debate about whether PR interns should
pitch stories to the media surfaces.

There’s a good discussion at the Get Social PR blog at
http://www.getsocialpr.com/2011/07/11/public-relations-
professionals-should-pr-interns-pitch-to-the-media/

Rodger Johnson, a PR counselor and blogger, argues in favor of
letting interns pitch, with supervision.

“Interns need to learn how to pitch and the best way to do that
is to pitch,” he says.

I disagree.

If they fail–and that’s entirely possible, even with a PR pro as
the coach–the client’s reputation is on the line.

Put yourself in the client’s shoes. What would you say if you
knew that an amateur was representing you and your brand?

Besides, too many interns are ill prepared to answer a reporter’s
questions about the company.

I wouldn’t let most virtual assistants pitch on behalf of clients
either. I know of one or two who specialize in PR and work more
as publicists than virtual assistants. But the vast majority of
them should not be pitching. It sends the message that “Miss Big
Shot is too important to be calling you herself, so she sent me.”

Am I wrong? Comment at my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8854

=====================================
3. Secret Tool to Get Facebook Likes
=====================================

Thanks to Greg Mischio, a member of The Publicity Hound Mentor
Program, for this tip on how to encourage people visiting your
business to Like your Facebook page.

Let them borrow your iPad, suggest they visit your page and Like
it, and then tell them to look around on the page. They can sign
up for your newsletter, write on your wall and leave a comment on
something you’ve written.

Greg manages PR and social media for his client, The Vision
Therapy Center, Inc., in Brookfield and Madison, Wi. He thinks
that would be a great way to occupy patients who are waiting in
the lobby to see the doctor.

His idea can work at lots of other businesses, too. Just be sure
your customers don’t walk off with the iPad.

During our conversation, Greg and I used the 33-point checklist
that I compiled last week, after the webinar I hosted with Mari
Smith, on “33 Ways to Attract Facebook Fans, Provide Sterling
Content and Keep Them Coming Back for More.” We discussed which
tactics on the list his client should use first.

You can download the checklist, the video replay of the webinar,
and Mari’s slides, at
http://www.publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm

======================================
4. Use Flickr to Promote Your Business
======================================

What if photos of your products appeared all over the Internet–
at blogs, to illustrate other people’s articles, and at other
people’s websites?

And the people who see your photos could also click on the link
that leads them to your website.

For many companies, that’s nothing more than a dream.

But not for Publicity Hounds who know how to use Flickr, the
mammoth online photo management and sharing website that makes it
easy to:

–Make your photos available to the people who matter to you,
including current customers and your target audience.

–Organize your photos in one place online where people can share
them on the web, on mobile devices, from the users’ home
computers and from whatever software they are using to manage
their content. Flickr lets you push them out in as many ways as
possible: on the Flickr website, in RSS feeds, by email, by
posting to outside blogs or numerous other ways that tie into a
PR campaign.

Flickr calls itself “the WD-40 that makes it easy to get photos
or video from one person to another in whatever way they want.”

Are you using it yet to promote your business?

If not, guest blogger David Murton has nine ideas for using
Flickr to promote your product, service, cause or issue.

Even if you don’t have a treasure trove of photos, I’m betting
you have at least several that you can upload today.

Read David’s tips at my blog:

http://publicityhound.net/9-ways-to-use-flickr-to-promote-your-
business/

=====================================
5. Social Media Webcast
=====================================

I’m flying to San Diego today to be one of Don Crowther’s guests
on a live webcast tomorrow (Wednesday, July 13) to discuss my
successes with social media.

I’m scheduled to be on at 6:40 p.m. Eastern Time, though that
time might change. I hope you’ll join us. In fact, check out the
entire live webcast from 5 to 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time. You’ll see
Don interviewing lots of other people who have great social media
tips to share.

We’re all case studies he’s using to promote Social Profit
Formula 2.0, the new, updated follow-up to the original Social
Profit Formula course, which I’ve taken.

Even if you don’t want to spend a penny with Don, you can watch
the entire webcast for free by using this link:

https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/livecast/a342/

Because it’s live streaming video, we’ll be taking your questions
and responding to your comments.

(Tune in to see if Don lets me wear my Publicity Hound T-shirt!)

=====================================
6. Best-seller Blueprint for Authors
=====================================

Want to find out how one author made her book an Amazon.com,
Barnes & Noble and New York Times Bestseller?

Join my friend, Steve Harrison, on Thursday, July 14, for a free
webinar (or telephone seminar) and discover the ingenious, yet
simple “best-seller blueprint” you can use to sell more books in
a week than most authors sell all year. I promote this webinar as
a compensated affiliate because I’ve heard from far too many
authors who are doing it the hard way.

You’ll hear from four authors who’ve used it to make their books
bestsellers and one who sold $184,256.00 of copies at zero cost!

To register go here now:
http://www.bestsellerblueprintcall.com/?10011

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

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

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

Answer: K9P

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

9 ways to use Flickr to promote your business
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8739

5 reasons why PR interns shouldn’t be pitching the media
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8854

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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
The Publicity Hound

Publicity Tips—33 Ways to Attract Facebook Fans

July 7th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #562 July 5, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. 33 Ways to Attract Facebook Fans

2. The Best Times to Tweet

3. Summer Story Ideas

4. Trigger Thousands of YouTube Views

5. Pitch “If You’re Going…” Tips

6. Hound Quote of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. 33 Ways to Attract Facebook Fans
=====================================

Have you used Facebook’s new Question feature yet?

If not, it’s time to start. Facebook expert Mari Smith says that
asking a question is powerful for these three reasons:

–Facebook gives a question significant weight when deciding
whether to show that content in somebody else’s news feed. You
want your content to show up in as many people’s news feeds as
possible.

–Questions engage your fans.

–Questions are also a handy way for you to find out what
problems and issues your fans are most concerned about, so you
can provide the answers and help them. Ask them what their Number
One question is about a certain topic. When you see all the
answers, you can then create a special report or White Paper. You
can host a free or paid teleseminar or webinar to answer the
questions. Or you can write a series of blog posts.

Asking questions was just one of 33 tips Mari shared during the
webinar I hosted with her on Wednesday.

After the 90-minute call, I reviewed the entire video replay and
compiled a handout listing all 33 ideas. I also created a list of
all websites she referred to during the call so you don’t have to
worry about taking good notes.

I’m using the list of 33 ideas as a checklist, and I’m
implementing all the tips one by one.

The handout, Mari’s slides, the MP3 audio and the video are
available for purchase here:

http://www.publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm

=====================================
2. The Best Times to Tweet
=====================================

The best time to tweet is around noon and 5 p.m. EST.

The best days to tweet are midweek or on the weekends.

The best time to post on Facebook is noon and 7 p.m. EST.

Sharing one post every two days will garner the most likes on
Facebook.

The Eastern and Central time zones represent almost 80 percent of
the U.S. population, so keep that in mind when timing your posts
on the social media sites. If you live on the West Coast, either
get up earlier, or use a program like HootSuite or Tweetdeck to
schedule your tweets to go out early the following day.

Those are five interesting statistics in a clever infographic
from KISSmetrics, using data from social media expert Dan
Zarrella.

Ragan’s PR Daily offers the entire infographic here:

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/8728.aspx

I get so many basic Twitter questions that I’ll be sponsoring a
webinar on Twitter for Beginners in a few weeks. Registration
details next week.

=====================================
3. Summer Story Ideas
=====================================

Here are six summer story ideas that journalists will love:

–The 5 most dangerous picnic foods. Chefs and caterers, invite
TV cameras into your kitchen to shoot you making one of the
culprits: potato salad.

–Is your company relaxing its dress code because of hot weather?
If so, what’s acceptable and what isn’t? And what about all those
tattoos that are suddenly in full view, now that the clothing is
skimpier?

–It isn’t too late to start pitching back-to-school stories.
Many newspapers publish special sections in August, and they
assign these stories early. What’s new at your school, college or
university?

–Higher gasoline prices mean many families aren’t traveling as
far as they once did for their summer vacation. What is your
resort or tourist attraction doing to encourage them to spend
money closer to home?

–With the construction industry still in a slump, many smaller
construction companies are settling for smaller “handy man”
projects in their own communities. If you’re one of the
construction people taking smaller jobs, let the media know.
Great visuals!

–5 ways to avoid the emergency room. Summer means hospital
emergency rooms fill up quickly with people suffering from heat
stroke, bug bites and ear infections brought on by swimming. Your
hospital or clinic can offer tips on how to know when you can
treat common ailments at home, and when to come to the emergency
room.

TV producer Shawne Duperon teamed up with me to present the
teleseminar “103 Sizzling Story Ideas from July through
December.” It includes a handout with all the ideas that we
invite you to steal. Great for when you’re short on ideas. Read
more about what we discussed at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/JulyIdeas.htm

======================================
4. Trigger Thousands of YouTube Views
======================================

Two minutes.

That’s all it takes to dramatically boost your social media
traffic and sales.

Sound unbelievable? I thought so too, until I saw this video:
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/vid4/a342/

Don Crowther, one of my social media teachers, has done it again.
This time, he’s pulled back the curtain on how to generate
thousands of likes and tweets that share your content, gets
dozens of websites to share your content, and pushes your site to
the first page of Google and Bing, with just a few minutes
effort.

I’ll never look at social media the same again.

This video shows you a unique strategy that will trigger
thousands of YouTube video views by only slightly changing what
you’re already doing.

Get the YouTube Explosion Strategy now:
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/vid4/a342/

In 8 simple steps, you’ll be able to turn a trickle of traffic
into a wave you can ride all the way to the bank.

Getting hundreds of hits to your blog posts or videos within
hours, and thousands within a day, is easier and faster with this
strategy than you would’ve ever dreamed possible.

Watch the YouTube Explosion Strategy here:
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/vid4/a342/

=====================================
5. Pitch “If You’re Going…” Tips
=====================================

If you’re sponsoring an event this summer, and you’ve already
submitted it to all the online and offline event calendars,
here’s how to create one more publicity hit.

Submit a list of “If You’re Going…” tips.

For example, sponsors of outdoor festivals and other events such
as garden walks, concerts, bike races, parades and neighborhood
block parties can compile a list of helpful tips that people need
to know if attending your event:

–Do they need to bring their own bottled water?

–Will they find road construction delays? If so, can you suggest
a detour?

–Are children and dogs welcome?

–Should they bring their own repellant, lawn chairs or
flashlights?

–Are grills permitted?

You get the idea. You can also submit a map that helps people
locate your event. If you have photos from past years, include
those with your pitch.

Did you know there are more than 50 places online where you can
promote your special events? I listed them all, and gave lots of
tips on how to use them to generate publicity, when I hosted the
webinar, “50+ Places Online to Promote Your Live or Virtual
Events to Reach Your Target Market & Pull Sell-out Crowds.”

Stop relying only on the same old websites to promote your
events. Use my list of high-traffic sites to promote, and smaller
niche sites where you’ll find your ideal attendees, and you can
sell more tickets, fill more seats and pack ‘em in.

You can access the video replay, the handouts, the PowerPoint
slides and the audio here:

http://www.publicityhound.com/events.htm

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

This isn’t a joke, but it made me laugh.

Thanks to Publicity Hound Nancy Juetten for sharing on Facebook
this incredible story of how all dog owners in an apartment
complex in New Hampshire must now submit a sample of their dogs’
DNA, taken by rubbing a cotton swab around inside the animal’s
mouth, so the complex can identify dog owners who don’t clean up
after their pets:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/02/us/02dogs.html?_r=1

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

Review of e-readers: WSJ likes the Nook (Is your ebook ready?)
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8814

The Top 13 self-defeating practices on LinkedIn
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8793

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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
The Publicity Hound

« Previous Entries

Next Entries »

Free Subscription

Syndication

Search

Tags

Publicity Resources

Follow Joan On...

Tips of the Week

Kick-Butt Publicity

Need A Publicist?

Publicity Photos