July 28th, 2010 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #515 July 27, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. Five Killer Social Media Strategies
2. How to Get on Top TV Shows
3. Book Bloggers
4. Subject Lines That Scream “Open!”
5. Help This Hound
6. Hound Joke of the Week
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. Five Killer Social Media Strategies
=====================================
If you’ve been following the series of free videos that Don
Crowther has been sharing this past week, you’re already adopting
some of his killer strategies on how to make more money than
friends on the social media sites.
If you missed any of the videos, you can still access them here:
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/reverse/JoanStewart
Even if you don’t watch them all, I don’t want you to miss the
replay of a special webinar that Don did last week for Jeanne
Hurlbert, my business partner, and me. It’s at
http://www.mysocialmediarx.com/downloads/media/donc/ In it, Don
explains his strategies on exactly how often you should be
posting on sites like Twitter and Facebook, and the exact types
of content you should be sharing to make money, not just friends.
For example, if it’s more sales you want from these sites, stop
tweeting about what you had for lunch, what’s new in your pet’s
life, or the latest sob story about your aches and pains. Don
lays it out in step-by-step detail and shows you exactly how to
come across as trusting, competent, confident and helpful so
people will be practically begging to buy from you.
I also learned about a clever strategy that Don uses on LinkedIn.
He encourages other people to answer a question but it makes HIM,
not THEM, look like the expert.
He shared free Google tools that will make your social media
tasks so much easier and help you determine exactly which links
are bringing in leads and sales.
All of this free content is to promote his Social Profit Formula
product. To encourage you to buy it from me (I earn a
commission), I’m adding this bonus: $500 worth of my products or
consulting.
That’s in addition to bonuses he’s offering. They include:
–”How to Make a Living as a Social Media Consultant” (this is
the hottest job market and he explains in detail how to make a
living even with no previous Social Media knowledge. It includes
guidelines on how to price your services.
–”How to be a Super Affiliate using Social Media.” It’s a
complete step-by-step module that gives every detail on keeping
customers while sending them offer after offer that convert to
sales.
Bottom line: Don has a $5,000 guarantee he is offering if you
implement everything he teaches and still don’t recoup the cost
of the course.
Watch the webinar he did last week, and then decide if you’re
ready to take the next step:
http://www.mysocialmediarx.com/downloads/media/donc/
======================================
2. How to Get on Top TV Shows
======================================
Most people who dream of being on “Oprah” and other major TV talk
shows have no business being there.
Either their topic isn’t a good fit for the show, or they can’t
articulate a convincing pitch in 15 seconds or less. Yet they
continue to flood the producers with lousy pitches that label
them as pests.
On Thursday, July 29, Steve Harrison will host a teleseminar on
the three biggest tips you need to know to get onto major TV
shows. You’ll learn what NOT to send to producers, what NOT to
pitch to guest bookers, and mistakes you should never make, or
they’ll blackball you forever.
Then you’ll learn about the 3 big secrets for doing it the right
way. Read more about what you’ll learn and register for the call
at one of two times–2 or 7 Eastern Time
http://www.tvpublicityteleseminar.com/?10011
If you can’t make the call, recruit somebody to take notes for
you. (I’m a compensated affiliate.)
=====================================
3. Book Bloggers
=====================================
Thanks to Publicity Hound Regina Lundgren of Kennewick, Wash.,
for tipping us off to this long list of book bloggers that she
found in the Publisher’s Weekly ezine:
http://bookbloggerconvention.com/attendees/
Some of them discuss books. Many write book reviews.
The timing couldn’t be better, as more newspapers and magazines
are eliminating book review sections.
Check them out if you need to promote a book. And then add
bloggers to your list of targeted media. See “How to Create a
Media Plan” at http://www.publicityhound.com/mediaplan.htm
=====================================
4. Subject Lines That Scream “Open!”
=====================================
Here’s some really bad advice that the so-called PR experts
dispense: Your email pitches to journalists and bloggers should
be as short as possible. No more than three or four words.
Why is it bad advice? Because it forces people to make their
subject lines sound cute rather than informative.
Publicist Michelle Tennant, a master at booking her clients on
top-tier TV and radio shows, often uses as many words as
necessary in her subject lines so they scream, “Open me!”
And wow, do journalists ever open them!
During last week’s webinar on “How to Tie Your Pitch to Breaking
News and Make the Media Interview YOU,” Michelle dissected three
email pitches that scored publicity in major media outlets. All
three had the critical elements of an email pitch and made the
journalist’s job incredibly easy. You can adopt them for your own
use.
News is breaking all around you–and that’s the very best time to
pitch. I recorded the webinar and you can watch it at your
computer, or download it along with the MP3 file, the handouts
and Michelle’s sample pitches. Read more about what she taught at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/breakingnews.htm
======================================
5. Help This Hound
======================================
Cathy Berger of Roslyn, New York, writes:
I keep having to cancel events because I don’t have enough paid
registrations.
I have a live, hands-on “dress better” fashion company full of
classes. Most are $36 for 90 minutes of instruction, and
attendees can take individual courses whenever they are held, but
they must be physically near to New York City or Long
Island/Nassau County. You can learn more about it at
http://www.fashionsociete.com/
The “What’s Your Body Type? Now Dress For It” class, for
example, includes:
–Topics such as an analysis of your present style
–A real measurement of key body areas
–A professional determination of your true body type
–Techniques to create the illusion of a slimmer (or custom) look
–Slides showing ways to dress for it and how to create a
wardrobe for it
–How to use items already in your closet to pull your new look
off.
What are some quick and creative ways I can market the event
calendar and reach the right people—women who want or need to
look and dress their best?
The Publicity Hound says: Cathy, I encourage you to use social
media and Internet marketing to help solve people’s problems and
pull them to your live events, and also to create products for
women who don’t live in the New York area. Don Crowther’s
excellent series of social media videos at
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/reverse/JoanStewart that
I referred to in the lead item will show you how to do that.
Hounds with other ideas for Cathy can comment at my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6727
=====================================
6. Hound Joke of the Week
=====================================
“The dog is a yes-animal. Very popular with people who can’t
afford a yes man.” — Robertson Davies, Canadian author
DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.
BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
====================================
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
====================================
Consider retweeting:
How to write a guest post for my publicity blog
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6573
Get the monkey off your back using VAs, subcontractors
http://publicityhound.net/?p=6758
——————————————-
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
——————————————–
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
U.S.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737
»
June 1st, 2010 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #507 June 1, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.mobi/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net/ (Ezine Archives)
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. BP’s Fake Twitter Account
2. Publicize Your Social Media Successes
3. Cosmo’s Racy Headlines
4. Promoting Novelty Soaps
5. Help This Hound
6. Hound Joke of the Week
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
====================================
1. BP’s Fake Twitter Account
====================================
Here’s a tweet posted this morning from the Twitter account known
as @BPGlobalPR:
“Best part of the BP Memorial Day Picnic? The custom made oily
dunk tank! So far we’ve dunked 4 ducks, a dolphin, 2 otters and
@bpTerry!”
That’s just one of a steady stream of sarcastic tweets at a fake
BP PR account on Twitter that, as of this morning, has attracted
more than 97,000 followers at http://Twitter.com/BPGlobalPR
It’s also one more episode in the PR nightmare tied to the Gulf
oil spill.
What I find most bizarre is that Twitter hasn’t removed it and a
BP spokesperson says people have a right to lash out against the
company there.
Should BP fight to encourage Twitter to remove the fake account?
Go to my blog to see what I think, and then tell me if you think
I’m wrong. Go to
http://publicityhound.net/should-bp-pressure-twitter-to-remove-
the-fake-feed/
======================================
2. Publicize Your Social Media Successes
======================================
If you’re participating in social media and you’re seeing a
return on investment, use your success stories to generate
publicity.
Kim Duke, aka The Sales Diva, got a $7,000 keynote as a result of
Twitter.
Blogger Patsi Krakoff was surprised when a $600 project came her
way simply because somebody retweeted one of her tweets.
Freelance writer Angie Mangino got a $900 freelance writing
project only two weeks after she joined LinkedIn and signed up
for a group devoted to writers, publishers and authors. That’s
where she found the query from a publishing company that needed a
freelancer for a fast turn-around project.
Pitch success stories like these to your local TV stations,
newspapers, trade publications, industry newsletters and
bloggers. Turn them into items for your own newsletter, blog and
podcast.
If you’re not seeing social media ROI, you’re a great candidate
for the Social Media Fast-track Program that my business partner,
Jeanne Hurlbert, PhD and I will be teaching. Read about what
you’ll be able to do by the time you’re done with the program:
http://www.MySocialMediaRx.com/fast-track.htm
=====================================
3. Cosmo’s Racy Headlines
=====================================
Admit it.
You read the covers of those racy magazines when you’re waiting
in line at the supermarket check-out.
I do.
But not because I’m interested in the articles. I’m looking for
enticing headlines I can steal. When I see a headline I love,
I’ll remove one or two words in Cosmo’s headline and substitute
one or two of my own.
The very best magazine for this little exercise is, without a
doubt, Cosmopolitan, which you can find at
http://www.magazines.com/ Let’s say you’re a financial planner.
Here’s how you can steal a Cosmo headline and turn it into your
own.
Their headline: “Hot, healthy women share: The best thing I ever
did for my body”
Your headline: “Smart, savvy financial advisors share: The best
thing you can do to save for retirement”
I shared dozens more tips like that during the webinar “How to
REALLY Use Publicity as an Online Marketing Channel and ZIG When
Everyone Else is ZAGGING.” Regardless of what you’re selling,
you’ll trounce the competition when you start adopting killer
strategies that few other Publicity Hounds are using. Read more
about it at http://www.PublicityHound.com/onlinepublicitytips.htm
=====================================
4. Promoting Novelty Soaps
=====================================
This week, seven Publicity Hounds have tips for Cindy Tollen of
El Paso, Texas. She has created an array of novelty soaps that
resemble pies and pastry, and she needs advice on how to market
them on a limited budget.
From Laura Rolands:
“I think you could reach a large number of customers through
Twitter. The key is to build relationships first on Twitter, and
your followers will help you build sales. I recommend following
@TimeOutMom and @MomBizCoach. I would also recommend
participating in a weekly Twitter chat called #gno.”
From Karen Rosenzweig:
“You could have a lot of fun, and gain a ton of visibility, with
a Twitter contest. You create a short tweet asking people to
follow you AND retweet the message to be entered for a chance to
win one of your products. Let them know that everyone who follows
you by 6 p.m. that day will be entered in a drawing for one free
product. Then when you draw the winner, you can tweet that too,
getting additional visibility. And if it goes well, repeat that
once a week or so, until you have a robust group of followers.
It’s a fun product and you’ll have a great time getting the word
out!”
From Sharon Z:
“Seems like a natural cross-marketing opportunity with event
planners (think bridal and baby showers), women’s organizations
and florists. The fact that these items are so unique and
reasonably priced makes them a great giveaway item.”
The Publicity Hound says:
I can picture your lemon meringue pie soaps as favors at a
national convention of bakers.
Read all the responses to this week’s “Help This Hound” question
at
http://publicityhound.net/creator-of-novelty-soaps-needs-social-
media-marketing-advice/
Send your own Help this Hound question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound
and include your city and state.
======================================
5. Help This Hound
======================================
Anne Graham of Vancouver, British Columbia writes:
“I’ve developed a great toolkit for business leaders, with 33
specific techniques they can use to lead their firms out of the
recession. It’s called ‘Recession Proof and Recovery Ready: The
91 Day Business Tune-up Toolkit.’
“It’s a 314-page physical product, stuffed full of every
instruction, checklist, etc. that they’ll need to understand and
implement each of the 33 ideas. It’s designed to be implemented
by a small team, so the product is actually a set of 10 binders
(one for each team member), plus a DVD virtual seminar.
“I’m about to do a launch with a wonderful Online Launch Manager
handling my tweets, blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, SEO, article
marketing, the whole nine yards. But I’d love to hear some
creative ideas from fellow Hounds on how THEY would reach an
audience of motivated business leaders in their city or town. I
have a compelling free ebook called Powerful Pricing Strategies:
10 High Impact, Low Risk Ways to Increase Prices…Even During
the Recession, Even Before the Recovery, at
http://www.recessionproofandrecoveryready.com/. It’s available to
hounds and those motivated business leaders I’m looking for. All
I need now is a stampede of traffic!
“Can your Hounds help?”
The Publicity Hound says:
The topic of how to raise prices during a recession is fabulous.
Let’s put my Hounds to work figuring out how to leverage it. If
you have a great idea for Anne, post it to my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/consultant-needs-help-launching-new-
product-for-business-leaders/
=====================================
6. Hound Video Joke of the Week
=====================================
“Scratch a dog and you’ll find a permanent job.” – Franklin P.
Jones
DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.
BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
====================================
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
====================================
Consider retweeting:
Should BP pressure Twitter to remove the fake feed?
http://publicityhound.net/should-bp-pressure-twitter-to-remove-
the-fake-feed/
How a guest blogger pitched me and made me say “yes”
http://publicityhound.net/how-a-guest-blogger-pitched-me-and-
made-me-say-yes/
————————————
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
—————————————
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
U.S.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737
»
January 12th, 2010 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #487 Jan. 12, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityHound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.PublicityArticles.net (Ezine Archives)
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. The Missing Marketing Tool
2. Ban This Cliche
3. How to Attract PR Clients
4. Promoting a Book for Associations
5. Help This Hound
6. Hound Joke of the Week
7. And at My Blogs…
======================================
1. The Missing Marketing Tool
======================================
At a small networking breakfast I attended last week, I met five
people who were either job-hunting or were there to talk about
their businesses.
They brought their resumes, engaging personalities, impressive
marketing materials and succinct elevator pitches and shared them
with our table of 10.
But all five were missing a critical marketing tool that could
have landed them a job or set them apart from their competitors.
Not one of them had a blog. For more than an hour, the
conversation centered on how each of them can reach their target
audiences.
By the end of the breakfast, I lost it.
“Everyone at this table should be blogging!” I yelled. With nine
pairs of eyes riveted on me, I explained:
–A blog establishes your credibility and expertise.
–It’s like a giant magnet that pulls in traffic.
–It can impress visitors and turn them into buyers.
–Many of your competitors are blogging.
–Unlike Twitter, you can use your blog to discuss topics in-
depth.
–You can engage visitors and carry on a conversation with them
in the comments section.
–A blog can give you a huge online presence, even if you can’t
afford a website.
–It can help you gain more traction than publicity in
traditional media because, unlike most media people, bloggers
love to link to each other. Get in front of just one influential
blogger and you can be all over the Internet within minutes.
Finally, they got it.
If you’re already blogging, good for you! If you aren’t, it’s not
too late to start.
Blogging expert Patsi Krakoff will be my guest during a
teleseminar on “Time-saving Tips for Smart Business Blogging” at
4 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Everyone who registers
will receive the MP3 recording and a handout that includes 77
ideas for finding blog content, and several simple formulas on
how to write blog posts quickly and easily.
Register at http://budurl.com/smartbusinessblogs and then start a
list of questions for Patsi.
======================================
2. Ban This Cliche
======================================
You can’t listen to a TV newscast without hearing somebody wrap
up their commentary with the tired phrase “at the end of the
day.”
Watch the talking heads shows on Sunday morning and you can’t
escape it. Even the sportscasters and meteorologists are using
it.
It’s showing up in blog posts, media pitches, press releases,
press kits, emails and how-to articles. Just for the heck of it,
I went to http://search.twitter.com and typed “at the end of the
day” into the search box. It’s even showing up in tweets!
When I critique articles and pitches for people in my mentor
program, I’m on the hunt for cliches and other mistakes that
dilute writing. If you need your own writing coach, find out if
you’re a good candidate for the program at
http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html
For smaller projects, I do telephone consulting at $300 an hour
and can help you brainstorm pitches, create a press kit, develop
a social media strategy, find joint venture partners, critique
your website and create an impressive presence online, one step
at a time. Email JStewart@PublicityHound.com with several times
you’re available.
===================================
3. How to Attract PR Clients
===================================
If you work in the PR industry and you’re fishing for new
clients, here’s a clever way to hook ‘em.
Choose a company that you’d love to have as a client. Then keep
your eyes open for coverage their competitors are receiving. When
you see a story written about a competitor, print it or clip it,
and send it along with a short note to one of the key decision-
makers at the company. The note can say something like, “Thought
you’d be interested in this.” Sign the note and include your
business card.
Do it again, then again. After you’ve sent two or three articles
to the same person, follow up with a phone call. I’m betting that
you’ll receive a return phone call, and maybe even a contract.
A Publicity Hound shared that tip during the teleseminar I hosted
titled “24 Ways to Attract Clients to Your PR Practice.” PR pro
Marcia Yudkin joined me in discussing 24 ways to bring more
business through the door. We’ve both used many of the ideas
ourselves, and we both have found two ideas that work
particularly well.
They can for you, too. Read more about what we discussed and
download the entire list of 24 ideas that you can be reading
within minutes while you’re waiting for the CD to arrive. It’s
also available as an electronic transcript. Read more about what
it includes at http://budurl.com/morePRclients
====================================
4. Promoting a Book for Associations
====================================
This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Linda Alexander of
Pitman, NJ, who wants advice on how to market a book. It helps
new members on association boards understand their new roles and
learn the skills and competencies they need to be a successful
board member.
From Leslie Sturgeon:
“Contact the American Society of Association Executives and try
to sell to the association itself for them to resell. Or check
out http://www.asaecenter.org and contact association management
companies and association executives directly.”
From Mary Callen:
“Send a sample copy, or sample pages by email if you’re on a
budget, to the executive director of every association you
mention. Work your way into newsletters for groups of association
managers with the free sample offer. If it’s truly a valuable
resource, they’ll jump at the chance to purchase and distribute a
book to each new member of their boards of directors. A few
copies to pass between newbies can be used and reused.”
From Mitch Carnell:
“Get leading community volunteers from several states or
nationally known volunteer leaders to write and publish reviews
in local and national publications. For example: the CEO of a
United Way, president of the Boy Scouts, chairman of a food bank.
Try for name and organization recognition. Some universities have
courses dealing with the not-for-profit world. I taught a
graduate course on the subject for many years. Contact the
professors.”
The Publicity Hound says:
How about pitching influential bloggers who write for nonprofits?
One of the best is Nancy Schwartz and her Getting Attention blog
at http://www.gettingattention.org/ See my article “Let Bloggers
Create Publicity for You” at http://budurl.com/49dw.
Read all the responses to this week?s “Help This Hound question”
at http://budurl.com/mentoringthestars
Send your own Help this Hound question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound
and include your city and state or province.
===================================
5. Help This Hound
===================================
From Bonnie Stuempfig of Waukesha, WI:
“I wrote a book, Heavenly Connections, a soft-cover spiral-bound
book, and hoped to sell it mostly at my church and other area
churches, but there seems to be a ho-hum attitude despite the
fact that I’m already a published writer and the stories are
uplifting and entertaining.
“They include 24 God-based contributions from other church
members and me, along with a few poems and four pages of color
photos.
“My plan was to donate a good portion of the proceeds to the
church, but now I’m thinking it would be best to just bypass the
church and pitch it to bookstores and gift shops.
“I’m working on getting a website and am doing nothing with
social media. I should have done all this earlier but have put
more than two years into this book and wanted it printed by
Christmas. Now, I can concentrate on the marketing but don’t
know where to start.
“Thanks for any help your Hounds can give.?
The Publicity Hound says:
The most difficult part of your task will be to promote the book
without a website. Let’s see what ideas my Hounds have. Hounds,
you can share them at my blog at http://budurl.com/religiousbook
=================================
6. Hound Joke of the Week
=================================
“I know that dogs are pack animals, but it is difficult to
imagine a pack of standard poodles…and if there was such a
thing as a pack of standard poodles, where would they rove to?
Bloomingdale’s?
–Yvonne Clifford, American actress
==================================
7. And at My Blogs…
==================================
Starting this week, I’ll be including on this list blog posts
I’ve written at MySocialMediaSolution.com, the blog I share with
Jeanne Hurlbert, my new business partner. The second post below
is from that blog.
3 business blogging tips to save time–even if you hate writing
http://budurl.com/bizbloggingtips
30 PR experts you should follow on Twitter
http://budurl.com/twitterprexperts
Social media boosts book marketing guru’s Alexa rankings
http://budurl.com/kremeralexaranking
————————————
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy. Read my privacy policy at
http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
»
September 11th, 2009 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #468 Sept. 8, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net/ (Ezine Archives)
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. Use Trade Associations
2. Ditch the Shovels, Scissors & Checks
3. Sell 120,000 Books with One Phone Call
4. Marketing an Indie Movie
5. Help This Hound
6. Hound Joke of the Week
=====================================
1. Use Trade Associations
=====================================
If you aren’t using trade associations in your publicity
campaign, you’re missing a valuable tool that can save you time
and help you flex your promotional muscle.
Here’s how:
–If you belong to a particular trade association, let their PR
department know that you welcome calls from reporters. Often, if
the media need sources in a particular industry and they don’t
know who to call, they call the trade association and ask for
names of members.
–Sending a direct mail piece? You can often buy lists of names
from trade associations.
–If you’re a speaker, and you want to be hired to speak before
audiences in a particular industry, contact the editor of that
association’s newsletter or trade magazine and start submitting
articles. Months later, when you call the meeting planner, you
can refer to the articles you’ve written–proof that you’re not a
novice to the industry. I’ve written many articles for the
Society for Marketing Professional Services magazine and PR
Tactics, published by the Public Relations Society of America.
Both have led to numerous speaking engagements.
–Writing an opinion column and looking for ammunition to support
your position? If so, find out which trade associations support
your cause. Trade groups are among the most ardent lobbyists.
–If you need statistics to incorporate into your story pitches,
or for letters to the editor or articles you’re writing, you can
find them by calling trade associations or visiting their
websites or blogs.
Need a quick, handy template for a how-to article? I’ve included
one in the handouts that come with the CD or electronic
transcript on “How to Write a How-to Article.” Learn more about
it at http://budurl.com/s6r2
=======================================
2. Ditch the Shovels, Scissors & Checks
=======================================
I saw it again this week, another one of those ghastly ground-
breaking photos.
You know what it looks like, because you’ve seen hundreds of
them. Four guys wearing business suits and hard hats are
posing, each with their foot on a shovel, looking very
uncomfortable and out of place.
These photos belong in the same category with the photos of
oversized cardboard checks being passed from one person to
another, or the ribbon-cutting photos that feature a 3-foot
pair of cardboard scissors.
C’mon, Hounds. You can do better than that.
Instead of passing an oversized check, how about asking the local
newspaper to photograph kids playing on the playground equipment
that your fund-raiser made possible? Instead of a ribbon-cutting
for your candy store, plan a fun chocolate-tasting.
Promise yourself that from now on, you will never assign, allow,
take or request one of those horrible ground-breaking, ribbon-
cutting or check-passing photos?
Instead, think creatively about how to promote a donation, the
opening of a new business, or a new construction project.
If you’re coming up dry, Dan Collins can help. He’s the
creative media relations director at Mercy Medical Center in
Baltimore. I interviewed him during a teleseminar a few
years ago on “Fun Alternatives to Boring Ground-breakings,
Ribbon-cuttings & Check-passings.” Lean more about it at
http://tinyurl.com/7cl6z
========================================
3. Sell 120,000 Books with One Phone Call
========================================
Dr. Neil Baum tried lots of ways to promote and distribute his
book, Marketing Your Clinical Practice.
But most of them didn’t work, and he ended up frustrated.
Then, he thought that perhaps a big pharmaceutical company might
want to buy his book in mass quantity and give it away to doctors
as a gift. Pharmaceutical companies have very strict regulations
on what they’re allowed to give to doctors. But giving them
educational products wasn’t a problem.
So Dr. Baum contacted Bayer, the aspirin company, and asked if
they’d like to give his book away to their customer doctors as a
way of showing appreciation for their patronage. Within a week,
Bayer bought more than 120,000 copies and sent it to doctors
throughout the U.S. Today, his book is on the shelf of
virtually every medical clinic in the U.S.
And it all happened from just one phone call.
These kinds of deals happen all the time. But few authors
understand the step-by-step process of how to make that happen.
Matthew Bennett, a self-published author who’s relatively unknown
to the general public, has had even greater success than Dr.
Baum. He 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 telephone seminar on Thursday, Sept. 10,
to hear Steve Harrison interview Matthew about his proven methods
and system for selling tons of books. Register at
http://www.freepublicity.com/mattbennett/?10011
=================================
4. Marketing an Indie Movie
=================================
This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips for Maria Antonia, of
New York, N.Y. on how to market the movie “Under Jakob’s Ladder.
Set in the Soviet Union in 1941, it’s based on a true story about
a man who was thrown into prison for praying at a funeral.
From Janine Libbey:
Nia Vardalos (of ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ fame) used Twitter to
promote a new movie recently. She tweeted details about it and
also included a link to the trailer in her Twitter profile. To
see what she did, follow her on twitter:
http://www.Twitter.com/NiaVardalos.
From Jackie O’Neal:
You may want to consider starting a social networking site
related to the film on Ning.com. It’s free and you can blog about
the film, add videos, invite others to the site, but best of all,
use the “Share” feature to promote on multiple social networking
sites with just a click.
From Maggy Whitehouse:
“Jakob’s Ladder is one of the diagrams used by Kabbalists
worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of people are aware of it as a
symbol. Assuming that there is a Jewish character in the movie
(the man who prayed?) and if there is any mystical aspect, then
it can be spread around the world on Kabbalistic email lists (I
have one) and promoted that way on Facebook, etc.
The Publicity Hound says:
Jackie O’Neal also suggested using Animoto, the cool program that
turns still photos into videos. Animoto just introduced a new
feature that now allows users to insert video clips, too. I raved
about Animoto and suggested ways you can use it to produce fast,
snazzy videos–even if you have no technical abilities. Read more
about Animoto at http://budurl.com/mqmu or go over to their
website and take a free test drive at http://www.budurl.com/zlye
Send your own Help this Hound question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound
and include your city, state or province.
===============================
5. Help This Hound
===============================
Karma Bennett, a publicist for Ulysses Press, asks:
“My company is publishing a compilation of zombie stories. It
will be a direct-to-trade-paperback, so I can’t get reviews in
the leading periodicals that review fiction since it isn’t coming
out in hardback.
“Some, but not all, of the stories have never been printed
before. The editor is not local and, although the compilation
does include some of fiction?s biggest names–Steven King, Clive
Barker, Harlan Ellison, H.P. Lovecraft, Richard Matheson,
Christopher Fowler, Robert E. Howard and Joe Hill–I don’t think
they will be responsive to interview queries.
“We are only just starting to venture into releasing fiction and
I’m not sure how to go about this. I can’t get reviews. I can’t
get interviews. But the topic is zombies, which are so popular
now because of movies like World War Z, 28 Days Later, the film
version of Pride & Prejudice, and Zombies.
“Can your Hounds suggest ideas for publicity?’
The Publicity Hound says:
The popularity of all those zombie movies is a huge plus, and it
will make it easier for my Hounds to suggest ideas for publicity.
If you have a great idea for Karma, share it at my blog at
http://budurl.com/ujvz
===============================
6. Hound Joke of the Week
===============================
Thanks to Darlene Arden, of Framingham, Mass., for this one:
A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town he
planned to visit on his vacation. He asked if it would be OK if
he brought his well-groomed and well-behaved dog. The hotel owner
sent him this immediate reply:
“I’ve been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time,
I’ve never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or
pictures off the walls. I’ve never had to evict a dog in the
middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I’ve
never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is
welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you’re
welcome to stay here, too.”
DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.
BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
————————————
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy. Read my privacy policy at
http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
USA
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737
»
June 2nd, 2009 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #453 June 2, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.PublicityArticles.net (Ezine Archives)
Circulation: 39,854
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/
==========================================
===============================
In This Issue
===============================
1. Grab Your Facebook Vanity URL
2. Publicize on Bank Marquees
3. Email Subject Lines
4. Link Your Plaxo, Facebook Accounts
5. How to Promote Tips Booklets
6. Help This Hound
7. Hound Quote of the Week
8. And at My Blog…
=====================================
1. Grab Your Facebook Vanity URL
=====================================
Starting this week, Facebook users will be able to claim their
own vanity URLs.
The Techcrunch blog broke the story and says it isn’t sure
whether Facebook will charge users for this, but the rush to
claim a name will begin within a few days.
I’m mentioning it here because if you’re on Facebook, keep your
eyes open for an announcement and grab your name pronto!
Even if you’re not using Facebook, it would be worth it to go
there now and create an account. You don’t want to be kicking
yourself six months from now if you decide that you need to be
active on this site and discover that somebody already has your
name.
Vanity URLs have only been available to celebrities, or to
Facebook users who spend a wad of dough on advertising or have a
special business relationship with Facebook.
They’re a long-awaited improvement that will make it so much
easier for people to remember their friends’ URLs. Instead of
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joan-Stewart/541605146, my URL
would look something like this:
http://www.facebook.com/Joan-Stewart (This is not a real URL so
don’t expect it to go anywhere.)
But only if I claim it in time. Delay this task by just a few
hours and the name could be gone forever. That would be Big
Mistake Number 1.
Christine Buffaloe, of Serenity Virtual Assistant Services, who
creates and manages Facebook accounts for her clients, has
identified 11 more Big Mistakes which she’ll discuss when she’s
my guest on a teleseminar at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday,
June 4.
“11 Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on Facebook” is expected
to be sold out. Everyone who signs up receives a copy of the MP3
recording.
Register at http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar.htm
=====================================
2. Publicize on Bank Marquees
=====================================
When my garden club sponsored its annual plant sale a few weeks
ago, we asked customers at the check-out counter how they heard
about the sale.
We were surprised that several people read about it on the
scrolling marquee outside a local bank.
Add these marquees to your publicity campaign because they
provide great exposure, particularly on busy streets. Banks see
this is a valuable community service.
In the rush to cover all the bases online, don’t forget about
these other tried-and-true offline publicity tools that can be
just as effective if you’re publicizing something local:
–Flyers on bulletin boards in the supermarket lobby or at the
check-out counter
–Church bulletins
–Local newsletters
–Local shoppers, those weekly publications that are mostly paid
ads
–Flyers at colleges and universities
–Bumper stickers
–Banners and signs
–Statement stuffers
–Door hangers
–Posters
–Calendar listings on local cable TV channels
–Flyers at colleges and universities
–Flyers in company cafeterias
You’ll find thousands more ideas in my ebook “How to be a Kick-
butt Publicity Hound,” a one-stop shop for everything you need to
know to create a publicity campaign for any product, service,
cause or issue. The 2009 update has six new chapters on social
media.
Read more about what you’ll learn at http://budurl.com/wvtn
========================================
3. Email Subject Lines
========================================
When you email a pitch or press release to the media, you have
one or two seconds to catch their attention with your subject
line.
Publicist Michelle Tennant, of Wasabi Publicity, sometimes flags
the media by using these phrases in her subject line, just before
the actual headline:
–Last-minute:
–Look:
–Media alert:
–Local:
It works. Michelle, one of the first graduates of The Publicity
Hound Mentor Program, has an outstanding track record of scoring
major media hits for her clients in top-tier media outlets.
Earlier this year, she got a client onto “Dr. Phil” the first day
they started working together. Learn how she did it, and listen
to the dozens of other publicity tips we shared when we were
guests recently on Voice of America’s “PRInsider” radio show with
Maureen Kedes.
The show is 60 minutes and covers a variety of topics, including
the importance of piggybacking onto celebrity news, pitching
traditional vs. new media, how to write headlines for your
pitches, and several of Michelle’s other client success stories.
Listen at http://budurl.com/l8jt
Read about my mentor program, in which I serve as your personal
writing coach, at
http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html
========================================
4. Link Your Plaxo, Facebook Accounts
========================================
Want an easy way to share your Facebook items with your friends
on Plaxo?
Plaxo now lets you post your items once and share them on both
sites. Of course, you control exactly what you share with whom.
Plus, Plaxo will honor your Facebook friendships on its site, if
you wish.
When you link your Plaxo and Facebook accounts, you can:
–Share your Facebook photos, links and videos with the
connections you choose on Plaxo.
–Sync your status updates between the two services.
–Automatically connect with your Facebook friends who use Plaxo.
–Share messages, links or reviews you post on Plaxo with your
friends on Facebook.
Connect your accounts at http://www.plaxo.com/settings/facebook
Sites like Plaxo can cut hours off the task of social networking.
BL Ochman, a social media expert and a prolific blogger,
discussed many more during the teleseminar, “How to do Social
Networking, Run a Business & Still Have a Life.” Learn more about
what we discussed at http://budurl.com/7gck
========================================
5. How to Promote Tips Booklets
========================================
This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Hugo Tschudin of
River Vale, N.J. He wants to find licensees and publicity for
his tips booklet, “Wake Up to Abundant Energy.”
From Greg Pincus:
“I think Twitter would be a great place to build up a following
of folks who could spread the word about the booklet and website.
To do this, I think many of the tips would need to be tweeted.”
From Sonia Singh:
“How about going after the alternative medicine segment? You
could reach out to naturopaths, Reiki healers, massage
therapists, etc. and reach a whole new market–those who are
looking for alternative solutions to health issues, like
fatigue!”
From Christine Buffaloe:
“I know of someone that could help you tremendously. You can find
Paulette Ensign at http://tinyurl.com/qqtpo2 Learn from someone
who has been well paid for publishing more than 1 million of her
‘business cards’ (tips booklets). She shows her consulting
clients how to publish and market them, too.”
The Publicity Hound says:
Read all the responses to this week’s “Help This Hound” question
at http://budurl.com/femn
Send your own “Help This Hound” question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and
include your city and state.
===============================
6. Help This Hound
===============================
Nancy L. Jerominski, of SeaTac, Wash., writes:
“I’m a holistic lifestyle coach who has pitched a variety of
story ideas, including ‘maddening menopausal symptoms stopped
without meds’ and ’stop doing crunches for flatter abs.’
“I actually HAVE pitched Oprah several times with no results.
There are lots of miserable menopausal women, and I can help
every one of them, just by tweaking what they eat.
“I write a regular wellness column for the local neighborhood
papers and have traded my services for ad space, but have yet to
enjoy any kind of real influx of new blood into my client base.
I’m on Facebook and am trying to figure out Twitter.
“After a fair amount of media exposure, I seem stuck. Suggestions
from your Hounds?”
The Publicity Hound says:
You seem to be in a crowded field, Nancy. But even so, there
should be enough menopausal women, or anyone else who needs to
get fit, to keep you busy for months. Hounds with ideas on how
Nancy can pump up her fitness practice can post them to my blog
at http://budurl.com/w66e
As for Twitter, stop struggling! Twitter expert Warren Whitlock
explains “How to Use Twitter to Amass an Army of Followers,
Customers & Valuable Contacts–and Promote.” Read more about the
teleseminar I hosted with him at http://budurl.com/bupu
================================
7. Hound Quote of the Week
================================
An elderly lady sat on her front porch reflecting on her long
life, when a Fairy Godmother suddenly appeared and offered to
fulfill three wishes for her.
“First, I’d like to be rich.”
Poof! The Fairy Godmother turned her rocking chair into solid
gold.
“And I wouldn’t mind being a young and beautiful princess.”
Poof! The Fairy Godmother turned the old woman into an exquisite
young princess, with a priceless crown of jewels.
“Could you possibly turn my wonderful dog into a handsome
prince?”
Poof! There, in front, stood the most handsome young man anyone
had ever seen.
As he came toward her, her knees weakened. He bent down, brushing
his lips across her ear as he whispered, “I bet you’re sorry you
had me neutered.”
DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.
BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
================================
8. And at My Blog…
================================
Your media pitch isn’t dead until you hear the word ‘no’
http://budurl.com/96pn
Publicity ops for DIY weddings, coaches and franchises
http://budurl.com/mrc4
————————————
Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Friend me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joan_Stewart/541605146
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound® respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy. Read my privacy policy at
http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound®
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
USA
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737
»
May 12th, 2009 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #450 May 12, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.PublicityArticles.net (Ezine Archives)
Circulation: 40,609
==========================================
“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 Way to Create Fun Video
2. 7 Deadly SEO Mistakes
3. ‘World’s Best Job’ PR Stunt
4. Dump That Default Avatar
5. How to Reach Doctors, Attorneys
6. Help This Hound
7. Hound Quote of the Week
8. And at My Blog…
=====================================
1. Lazy Way to Create Fun Video
=====================================
Producing video has never been my idea of fun.
I have almost no technical abilities. I sometimes find video so
confusing that it eats up hours of precious time.
Talking head videos require me to fix my hair, wear make-up, put
on something that looks half decent, and clean my office.
During post-production, I hate tinkering with a video’s
resolution, frame rates and bit rates so it looks crisp.
If you’re like me, you’ll fall in love with Animoto, a
subscription service that lets you create TV-quality videos from
photos you’ve taken yourself, or from stock photos you’ve
purchased.
You can even add text. When you’re done, add a musical
accompaniment, or let Animoto choose one for you and–voila!–you
have a really cool video you can use in a publicity campaign and
share on the social media sites.
I created a two-and-a-half-minute video yesterday in less than
an hour, from start to finish, to promote my local garden club’s
plant sale. You can learn more about Animoto and see the video at
my blog at http://budurl.com/p3hs
Here are six ways Publicity Hounds can use Animoto videos:
–Authors, promote a new book.
–Speakers, create a video showing you at various presentations–
and the audience applauding and laughing.
–Nonprofits, appeal for volunteers or donations. And visit my
blog to learn how you can apply for a complimentary account.
–Artists ,you can create a video showing your artwork in various
stages of completion, or show a collage of different works.
–PR people, publicists and virtual assistants, add this to your
line-up of services. Your clients will think you belong in
Hollywood.
–Business owners, create a video demonstrating how to use your
products or services.
Share your Animoto video links with other Hounds in the comments
section at http://budurl.com/p3hs
=================================
2. 7 Deadly SEO Mistakes
=================================
If bringing more traffic to your website isn’t very important,
skip this item.
Stompernet, the Internet marketing membership association, has
identified seven deadly mistakes that people are making when
optimizing their web pages for the search engines.
Here’s Mistake #1: Badly written page titles.
On Windows, the page title is on the blue bar at the top of the
screen. I see this mistake all the time, and it’s one of the
first things I mention when I do telephone consultations with
clients.
My nominations for the worst page titles:
–”Home”
–”Welcome to my website”
–The name of your company
–Your name
–Your tagline or motto
Missing from all of the above are keywords that people would type
into the search engines if they didn’t know you but were looking
for the kind of information, products or services you provide.
The fix is fairly simple, but only if you know what you’re doing.
Full instructions, including the maximum length of each page
title, is in the f*ree report “7 Deadly SEO Mistakes.”
I’m a StomperNet member and give them my enthusiastic “two paws
up” endorsement.
Claim your course here:
http://budurl.com/37uz
===================================
3. ‘World’s Best Job’ PR Stunt
===================================
If you’re in charge of promoting a destination right now, while a
worldwide recession is putting travel plans on hold, there’s
nothing like a PR stunt to catch people’s attention.
Tourism Queensland, in charge of promoting Australia, dreamed up
the “World’s Best Job” contest in which people competed for the
job of caretaker of picture-perfect Hamilton Island, on
Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef.
The winner, 34-year-old Ben Southall, a charity fundraiser from
Petersfield, Hampshire, must live alone on the island for six
months and then report back to the world via blogs, a photo
diary, video updates and interviews.
More than 34,000 people applied for the job that pays $150,000
and comes with a three-bedroom beach home, a swimming pool and
golf cart.
The job description requires the winner “to explore the islands
of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel, make friends with the
locals and generally enjoy the tropical Queensland climate and
lifestyle.”
Thanks to Publicity Hound Gary Knowles of Madison, Wis. for
sharing this one.
This promotion was all over the social media sites, a reminder
that if you’re not including these sites in your publicity
campaigns, you’re missing reaching millions of people.
“How to do Social Networking, Run a Business & Still Have a Life”
explains how to get started, how to save time, sites where you
must have a presence, and tips for letting people know, like and
trust you BEFORE you promote. Learn more at
http://budurl.com/g6j6
========================================
4. Dump That Default Avatar
========================================
I mentioned this a few weeks ago but it’s worth repeating,
because many of you are making this mistake.
No reputable Publicity Hound would even THINK of commenting at a
blog or participating in social media without creating a
universal avatar that automatically displays their photo as they
go from site to site.
Create your own at http://www.Gravatar.com by first signing up
for an account. You can upload your smiling photo, which is far
better than those cartoon-character-like icons, or your company
logo, or a dumb photo of a landscape.
At my blog at http://www.PublicityHound.net, a small percentage
of people who comment have gravatars. Those who don’t have them
end up with my default avatar next to their comment. It looks
like a gray pawn on a chess board. What a missed opportunity to
display your smiling face in front of thousands of people!
After you’ve created your avatar, make sure your profile is as
good as it can be. Almost every profile I read can be improved.
Social networking expert Nancy Marmolejo explained what the ideal
profiles include, during the teleseminar I recorded with her,
with step-by-step instructions on how to dress up yours. It’s
called “Can Your Social Networking Profile Pass the 10-Second
Test?” and you can read more about it at http://budurl.com/ru5e
=====================================
5. How to Reach Doctors, Attorneys
=====================================
This week, five Publicity Hounds have tips for Karen Carnabucci
of Racine, Wis. who’s looking for ideas on how to draw
professionals, like doctors and attorneys, to her training
programs, individual consultations and in-service programs
dealing with psychodrama. She has a blog at
http://midwestpsychodrama.blogspot.com.
From Marilynn O’Leary:
“It’s important that you tie your offering to an outcome that is
on their mind. Lead with a tangible result and compel them to
take some action such as joining your list. And then, educate
them on your work.”
From Gail Sideman:
“I would create a separate blog/blogs that speaks directly to
these two audiences (physicians and attorneys). Share thoughts
and tips in posts and, at the end of those, post links to
information about your training programs.”
From Sophie Wajsman:
“Why not contact organisors responsible for finding guest
speakers at major conferences for doctors or lawyers? You might
offer to perform a small role play based on a real life topical
situation (you could easily find something appropriate through
your local or national media).”
The Publicity Hound says:
Using a social networking directory like Ning, at
http://Ning.com, look for niche social networking sites for
doctors and attorneys. I did a search for doctors and found 282
social networking sites for docs! Not all will fit your target
audience, but this is a good place to start. Hand-pick a half
dozen of the best sites and spend some time at the discussion
boards.
Read all the answers to this “Help This Hound” question
http://tinyurl.com/d2fndd
Send your own Help this Hound question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and
include your city and state.
===============================
6. Help This Hound
===============================
Karren Jeske, APR of Milwaukee, Wis. writes:
“My friend is an emerging fine artist in the Washington, D.C.
area.
“He was recently featured in Elan magazine, a publication that
showcases talented North Virginia artists. The magazine included
a photograph of one of his paintings on the magazine cover and
included photos of six more inside.
“What are some creative ways that my friend could leverage this
fantastic publicity? He has a few solo shows coming up in the
next few months.”
The Publicity Hound says:
I have three ideas.
–As I explained in item Number One above, Animoto lets you
create videos from your pictures and images and puts them to
music. It’s a fast, easy way for artists to create videos from
their artwork. People can’t steal the images. Ask the magazine
for permission to include the cover within the video. Then create
a video and upload it to the video-sharing sites with relevant
tags. Learn more about Animoto at http://budurl.com/zlye
–Tell your friend to follow Publicity Hound Alyson Stanfield, an
art marketing coach, at http://www.artbizcoach.com/
–The 2009 smARTist Telesummit, hosted by art marketing expert
Arianne Goodwin, is now available as a product. Alyson and I
presented separate sessions, and we were joined by an amazing
line-up of art experts who gave hundreds of tips on how to turn
an art hobby into a career. You can read more about it at
http://budurl.com/ew6c
Hounds with other great ideas can post them to my blog at
http://budurl.com/5mx4
================================
7. Hound Quote of the Week
================================
A groaner, but kind of cute:
What do you get when you cross a chili pepper, a steam shovel and
a chihuahua?
Hot diggity dog!
DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.
BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
================================
8. And at My Blog…
================================
Promote anything by creating quick videos with Animoto
http://budurl.com/p3hs
————————————
Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Friend me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joan_Stewart/541605146
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound® respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy. Read my privacy policy at
http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound®
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
USA
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737
»
