The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week » PR

Publicity Tips—Let a Geek Help with PR

JStewart — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:45:09 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #591 Jan. 24, 2012
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. Let a Geek Help with PR

2. Membership Has Its Privileges

3. Make Your Book a Bestseller

4. Sponsoring a Contest on Flickr

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site

=====================================
1. Let a Geek Help with PR
=====================================

Nothing stalls a publicity campaign quicker than a niggling
little technology problem that, within minutes, turns into a
major disaster.

If you’re like me, you waste days of time and work yourself into
a lather trying to figure out how to do things like:

–Retrieve the press release that disappeared from your screen
after you’ve been working on it for an hour without saving it.

–Fix a problem in your online pressroom.

–Install the latest widget on your WordPress blog.

–Touch up a publicity photo. (I still can’t figure out
“layering” in Adobe Photoshop, and I’ve given up trying to
learn.)

–Trying to format an article at my website that was created in
Word, which always throws in screwy coding and creates a royal
mess.

And that’s just the simple stuff. Don’t get me started on editing
and publishing videos.

One of my resolutions for 2012 is hiring a team of techies, all
independent contractors, to help make my life easier. But I’m
never sure where to start looking and if they’re going to rip me
off. I have one local techie so far, and he’s great. But he’s not
always available when I need him.

Last week, I discovered Zach Swinehart’s ebook called “The Geek
Guidebook: How to Find Local Geeks to Solve Your Tech Problems
for Pennies on the Dollar.” He explains the five different types
of geeks and how each one can benefit you. He gives step-by-step
directions on four ways to find geeks and questions to ask them
before you hire them so you don’t get stuck with a loser.

The book includes an outline of how long it takes professionals
to do things, so you’ll know if your geek is slacking off. And
Swinehart even explains how to keep your information secure, so
your geek doesn’t compromise your security.

At $27, this is a steal. Read more about how to stop wasting time
trying to figure out this stuff by yourself.

http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=191035&AdID=
582342

Yes, I earn a commission for each book sold. But it’s pennies
compared to the amount you’ll save in lost time and aggravation
by getting these problems off your back and loading them onto the
shoulders of geeks who are a lot smarter than you and,
especially, me.

=================================
2. Membership Has Its Privileges
=================================

If you’ve written a compelling blog post that carries readers
straight through to the end, don’t let them click off of it
before letting them have more of you–for a price.

Consider moving them into a paid membership program where they
can read more about your topic, and discuss it with you and
others, in an exclusive “members only” forum.

How much to charge? That’s up to you.

But this is one way to turn your blog into a revenue-generator.
If you’re writing your fingers off each week and seeing little in
return, it’s time to stop treating your blog like a hobby and
start turning it into a business.

When I hosted the webinar “27 Ways to Monetize Your Blog” a few
weeks ago, I found four more ideas that I shared with the
Publicity Hounds who attended. The webinar resulted in more
questions than any other training program I’ve taught.

If you couldn’t attend, access the replay at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/howtomonetizeyourblog.htm

If you live near Milwaukee, WI, join me on Friday, Jan. 27, at
the Wisconsin Business Owners Lunch & Learn at 11:15 a.m. I’ll be
talking about the Top 10 ways to monetize your blog. I just
booked this yesterday and the details may not be posted yet. But
go ahead and register anyway at
http://www.meetup.com/wisconsin-business-owners/events/43777912/

======================================
3. Make Your Book a Bestseller
======================================

Blueprints. Formulas. Systems.

Find one that solves your problem, and the rest is easy.

Author Peggy McColl has created a system for getting her book to
the Amazon, Barnes & Noble and New York Times Bestseller lists.
It’s a five-step blueprint that any author can use to make a book
a bestseller at almost no cost. The method works for all types of
books, fiction or non-fiction, regardless of subject including
self-published, POD, ebooks, newly published or even those that
have been out for years.

She’ll explain it during a free webinar at 2 and 7 p.m. Eastern
Time on Thursday, Jan. 26, with my friend, Steve Harrison.

I’m promoting this webinar as a compensated affiliate, because
I’m tired of hearing sob stories from authors who’ve invested
years, and their life’s savings, trying to promote books without
a system or formula to help them.

=====================================
4. Sponsoring a Contest on Flickr
=====================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Chris Stephenson
of Madrid, Spain, who wants to know if it’s OK to use Flickr to
host a photo contest. He wants to ask people to submit photos of
a variety of airports, highways, bridges and all types of
buildings that his company is managing or building.

From Angela, who suggests he consider using a third-party
platform like Shortstack.com to promote the contest on Facebook:

“You have a beautiful advantage because you know the cities
you’ll be targeting. I’d suggest you connect with photography
clubs in those cities, universities that may have photography
programs, as well as the major businesses that lease space in
these buildings.”

From Christina Steder:

“You might want to look into holding the competition on
Pinterest. Although Pinterest is still invitation only, it’s easy
to get in and the people on the site are extremely active!”

From The Publicity Hound:

“Chris, I did a quick Google search and found this post, which
explains that Flickr makes photo contests easier. You can find it
at
http://rising.blackstar.com/flickr-makes-photo-contests-
easier.html

“I’m not sure when it was written or whether Flickr’s terms of
service have changed. Try contacting the PR department at HP and,
also, someone from the Angkor Photography Festival. Also, you can
post your question at Quora.com where experts on almost any topic
are standing by, ready to help.”

Read all the responses at http://publicityhound.net/?p=10230

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

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

Gina Elise of Redlands, CA, writes:

“I am the founder of Pin-ups for Vets, a non-profit organization
that supports hospitalized veterans and deployed service members.
We’re using hundreds of volunteer hours to keep the organization
operating.

“Our biggest challenge has been to get the word out there to the
rest of the U.S. about our small organization with the big heart.
We produce World War II-style pin-up calendars that raise money
for hospitalized veterans. We use the money to buy rehabilitation
equipment to help our veterans in their physical, occupational
and cognitive therapy sessions.

“As the 1940’s-style calendar girl in the Pin-Ups for Vets
calendar, I have made thousands of personal bedside visits to ill
and injured vets in VA and military hospitals across the U.S. and
overseas to present the donated calendar gifts from my
supporters. You can visit our website at
http://www.PinUpsForVets.com.

“Can your Publicity Hounds give us some ideas on how to spread
the word about what we’re doing so we can sell more calendars and
help more injured vets?”

The Publicity Hound says:

Gina, what a great service you’re providing to our wounded
warriors! I know my Hounds will jump in and help with this.
Hounds, post your best ideas in the comments section at my blog
at http://publicityhound.net/?p=10243

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

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Dan Janal of Shorewood, MN, for the GoD
and DoG video by Wendy J. Francisco, which has been viewed by
more than 3.1 million people at YouTube. I watched it three times
and can’t get the tune–or the message–out of my head. Dog
lovers, don’t miss this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoY&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…
======================================

Rethinking the press release:
A content marketing & SEO view of a proven tool
http://publicityhound.net/?p=10084

——————————————-

Read my publicity tips 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—Missing the Publicity Target

JStewart — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:07:58 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #588 Jan. 3, 2012
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. Missing the Publicity Target

2. Embarrassing Online Pressrooms

3. Make Your Bio Fun

4. Twitter Resolutions

5. Promoting a Book Giveaway

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site

=====================================
1. Missing the Publicity Target
=====================================

Here are the top three problems Publicity Hounds are facing, in
order, based on the 298 people who completed my survey in
December:

–Leveraging the power of social media, including blogs.

–Generating online publicity.

–Generating publicity in traditional media.

No surprises there.

But I was shocked to see the number of people who mentioned in
their comments that they either don’t know how to find their
target audience or, once they’ve found it, they don’t know how to
create a compelling message that brings results. Dozens of
Publicity Hounds also complained that they’re overwhelmed with
all the work and don’t understand how to focus their energies on
the things that really matter.

Here’s a sample:

–”Social Media: What a time suck!”

–”Engaging with the right audience and finding ways to measure
success.”

–”Creating a list of all the places that would be appropriate
for my client’s publicity. How to go about creating that list.”

–”How do I get momentum and people wanting to follow me and like
my Facebook page and download my promo video?”

I also found a disturbing number of comments from Publicity
Hounds who were frustrated that their press releases aren’t
resulting in major publicity.

Hint: Press releases seldom generate major publicity, so don’t
waste your time. You need to create targeted pitches for targeted
media outlets. Use press releases primarily to pull traffic to
your website or blog, or as back-up information for journalists
who have already responded to your pitches.

So where do we go from here?

I’ve studied the results and I have some ideas on how to help you
simplify your life, save time, and reach the right audiences with
the right message. I’m creating a video right now that addresses
some of your major concerns, and it will be ready next week.

Stay tuned, and hang in there!

=====================================
2. Embarrassing Online Pressrooms
=====================================

If your online pressroom looks anything like mine did yesterday,
it’s time to drag out the dust mask, the Shop-Vac® and maybe even
a garbage dumpster.

I found so much outdated information and ancient publicity photos
in the pressroom at my website that I almost didn’t recognize
myself! And then it dawned on me that the current photo at my
blog is several years old and needs to be replaced.

If you go to your pressroom right now, I bet you’ll find lots of
embarrassing things like:

–Old photos that look nothing like the way you look now.

–Old phone numbers, email addresses and even fax numbers that
have been disconnected.

–An absence of links to social media profiles.

–No references to things like your blog or ezine. Remember that
many of your website visitors aren’t necessarily entering your
site from your homepage but from dozens of internal pages.

–Old logos, taglines and other marketing materials that are out
of date.

–Dusty bios, with no references to recent awards, major media
hits, new books you’ve written or other bragging rights.

Read my entire blog post on this topic at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=10025 and then update your
pressroom.

======================================
3. Make Your Bio Fun
======================================

What’s the most memorable sentence in your bio, the one thing
people comment on most often?

If you don’t have one, it’s time for a rewrite. Also consider
rewriting the one- or two-sentence author blurb that’s at the end
of articles you write.

Here are a few fun blurbs that caught my eye recently:

–Jason Whitlock writes about the sports world from absolutely
every angle, including angles other writers can’t imagine or
muster the courage to address. His columns are humorous, thought-
provoking, agenda free, honest and unpredictable. (He writes for
FOXSports.com.)

–Naomi Dunford is the woman Brian Clark lovingly refers to as a
marketing genius and Tourette’s survivor. She is the author of
IttyBiz and co-author of How To Launch The **** Out Of Your
Ebook. Her alleged potty-mouth is prominent in the former and
virtually non-existent in the latter.

–Michelle Pierce is the editor-in-chief (and word ninja) for
Aqua Vita Creative, and she is very picky about spelling,
grammar, and punctuation. She would like to remind the entire
Internet that there is no “a” in “definitely.”

Want lots more examples, including complete bios that really
command attention? See “Special Report #46: Tips for Rewriting
Your Boring Bio” at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html

=====================================
4. Twitter Resolutions
=====================================

Here are three things to consider doing differently on Twitter
this year so that you tweet smarter and more efficiently:

–Rewrite your best tweets and post them at different times
throughout the day. Don’t let your followers miss a terrific
article or video you’re linking to, just because they weren’t
reading their feed at the exact time your tweet showed up.

–Don’t tweet identical information you’re also sharing on
Facebook and Twitter. You can share the same article, but rewrite
it for each of the three sites. These sites are all very
different, and people who follow you on all three sites don’t
want to keep seeing duplicate content.

–Every few weeks, go to your Twitter profile and click on
“Listed” in the upper right corner. You’ll see the names of all
the lists that others have created and where you appear. It’s a
fascinating glimpse into how others view you. Let’s say you’re a
book marketing expert, but you don’t see any lists named “book
marketing” or “book marketers.” That tells you something is
wrong, and you need to start sharing more content on your topic.

Read two more resolutions at my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=10039

======================================
5. Promoting a Book Giveaway
======================================

This week, five Publicity Hounds have tips for Anne Roos of South
Lake Tahoe, CA, an author looking for ideas for a “giveaway”
contest for her two books, “The Musician’s Guide to Brides: How
to Make Money Playing Weddings” and “The Brides Guide to
Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable.”

From Marcia Yudkin:

“You’ll get the biggest bang for your giveaway copies if you
contact popular blogs for 1) Musicians (the type who do wedding
gigs) and 2) Brides. Offer each blog one or two free copies to
give away. Let them decide how best to run the giveaway as
they’re likely to know their audience quite well.

“Give them each a short one-paragraph description of the book
they can use in the giveaway.”

From Maria Mar:

“How about doing a blog book tour? If you have a book to publish,
this is the best route. But you can adapt this to other goals and
offers. Network with other bloggers who already do contests for
your market and topic. Offer them a prize for a contest. Find one
blogger for each of the books you have available or offer several
books to a handful of bloggers with high traffic. Everyone wins.”

From Shawn Hansen:

“Are you a member of a writing group? If not, get involved! These
organizations are great ways to network as well as to find out
where and when local signing events are happening. Give a book or
two away in drawings that require folks to fill out their name
and email address. Instant mailing list! If you don’t know where
to begin, look into the California Writers Club, Sacramento
Branch. It’s a bit far from Tahoe, but I live about 20 minutes
west of you, and I am an active member of that organization.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Read all the responses to this “Help This Hound” question at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9991

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

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

“You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give
you a look that says, ‘My God, you’re right! I never would’ve
thought of that!’” — Dave Barry

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

Have an online pressroom you can be proud of–update it!
http://publicityhound.net/?p=10025

5 Twitter resolutions that will help you tweet smarter
http://publicityhound.net/?p=10039

Nice year-end gift for clients, and more tweets
(Top tweets from last week)
http://publicityhound.net/?p=10015

——————————————-

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

JStewart — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:35:58 +0000

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—What You Must Know About Google +

JStewart — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:30:14 +0000

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—Cool Tool for Local Publicity

JStewart — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:10:29 +0000

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

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Cool Tool for Local Publicity

2. Answer Your Damn Phone

3. A Facebook “Welcome” Page

4. Pitching Tips from Journalists

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

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

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

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

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

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

You’ll find three main types of news:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And, yes, I answer my own phone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heather John of Los Angeles, Calif., writes:

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

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

The Publicity Hound says:

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

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

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

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

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

Guilty!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips—How to Make Facebook Easier

JStewart — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:20:53 +0000

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

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. How to Make Facebook Easier

2. 31 Definitions of PR

3. LinkedIn: Perpetual Leads Machine

4. Use Sizzling Statistics

5. Free Twitter Bird Icons

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

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

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

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

Several reasons:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fascinating reading.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This perfect dog specimen finishes the course in record time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips—How to Use QR Codes for PR

JStewart — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:41:03 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #530 Nov. 9, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
http://www.MysocialMediaSolution.com/blog

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. How to Use QR Codes for PR

2. Before You Speak on Cruise Ships…

3. Fun, Free Photo Tool

4. Promoting Garden Club Lectures

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. How to Use QR Codes for PR
=====================================

At first glance, it looks like a crossword puzzle that’s about
twice as big as a postage stamp.

It’s a QR code, short for quick response. And it can be one of
the most valuable tools in your PR arsenal.

QR codes, similar to bar codes that appear on packaged products,
are used widely in Japan but are becoming a popular way for
marketers to catch the attention of busy consumers. You can find
them on everything from buses to business cards.

Mobile phones that have barcode scanning applications installed
can “read” the code, which can have URLs and other information
embedded. Within seconds, a visitor can arrive at your website to
learn more about a product or service.

Here are six ways to use QR codes in a PR campaign:

–Lead reporters to your online pressroom.

–Point consumers to a press release.

–Authors, use it to lead people to reviews for your books.

–Speakers, send people who are considering hiring you to a short
video demo.

–Restaurants, print the code on your menus and let diners read
about the specials of the day so they don’t have to wait for the
waiter to explain them.

–Nonprofits, use QR codes to send visitors to a donations page.

(More tips at my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=7338)

I’ll tell you where to get QR codes and how to use them during my
webinar “60+ Places Offline to Promote Your Product, Service,
Cause, Issue or Event to Build the Buzz and Encourage Others to
Promote for You.” It’s at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Nov.
23. The first 20 people who register get the free bonus handout
“13 Ways to Involve Journalists and Bloggers in Whatever You’re
Promoting.”

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

======================================
2. Before You Speak on Cruise Ships…
======================================

If you’re a new speaker, don’t even think about speaking aboard
cruise ships until you’ve bombed on dry land, learned from your
mistakes and honed your speaking skills.

Then, and only then, are you ready to start promoting yourself to
the cruise lines. (Princess and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, by
the way, are recommended for newer speakers.)

If you’re beyond a beginner, start promoting yourself NOW,
because enrichment coordinators are reviewing marketing materials
from speakers who want to be booked for cruises in 2011.

But don’t just dive in if you don’t know the step-by-step process
on how to sell yourself. This is very different than marketing to
meeting planners, and you don’t want the decision makers to brand
you as an amateur.

Listen to the replay of the webinar I hosted on Friday with
Daniel Hall. It’s “Speakers Cruise Free: The Opportunity to Trade
Your Talents for Luxury Cruises,” and you can watch it at
http://www.speakerscruisefree.com/SCFJoan.html

Warning: This video is a little more than three hours long. It
will only be available until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, Nov.
11. Go there right now and watch it, or enlist someone to watch
it for you and take notes. Because the webinar is divided into
several smaller videos, it’s easy to jump around from one topic
to the next and watch it in chunks.

Daniel’s special offer at the end of the video is good only until
11:59 p.m. Eastern on Thursday.

You snooze, you lose.

=====================================
3. Fun, Free Photo Tool
=====================================

I found a very cool website where you can insert photos of
yourself into other photos and create your own custom
illustrations that really attract attention.

It’s PhotoFunia.com at http://www.PhotoFunia.com

Insert your photo onto a billboard, turn it into a painting, or
plaster it onto a big sign outside a sidewalk cafe, like I did.

Read more about how to use it, and see the photo I created at my
blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=7352

=====================================
4. Promoting Garden Club Lectures
======================================

This week, 24 Publicity Hounds have names for my garden club’s
winter lecture series.

From Linda Swisher:

“Pot & Grass: A Gardening Seminar”

From Patricia Daeley:

“I’m struck by how most of the things folks will be learning will
have to be envisioned for spring and summer, rather than
immediately put to use. Something about imagining your garden:
‘Grow Your Mind, Grow Your Garden. Learn It Now, Grow It Later’”

From Sharon Z:

“Put Petal to the Mettle: Expand Your Horticultural Horizons With
a Garden Variety of Earth-shattering Ideas”

The Publicity Hound says:

Hounds, you came through in, uh, spades. Thanks so much for all
your suggestions. I’ll take these to my garden club meeting later
in the month and let you know who wins the $50 gift certificate.

Read all the responses to this week?s “Help This Hound” question
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7272

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

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

This week?s “Help This Hound” question is from McKenna Donovan of
Asheville, N.C.:

“I’m the founder and executive director of To Write Well, which
offers a wide variety of writing courses online.

“Typically, the market includes professionals (journalists,
lawyers, corporate communications officers), who need to improve
their voice and style; and hobbyists, who are seeking higher-
level skills in genre writing and poetry. My faculty offers
courses on fiction, non-fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry.

“My infrastructure is in place, but while it would be easy to
blame the economy, it’s more accurate to say I’m missing an
essential promotion ingredient. I use Facebook, including
Facebook ads. I have an active blog that automatically tweets,
and I have run promotional courses (for free) to select writers
to gain word-of-mouth. And yet the seats remain empty.

“In my site trial, I had students from India, Switzerland,
Australia and China. The site is designed asynchronously, so all
students have access based on their schedules, but interaction is
kept moving along on a daily basis.

“What am I doing wrong?”

The Publicity Hound says:

Lots of writers and authors read this newsletter and I know
they’ll be among the many Hounds who are willing to help you,
McKenna. How about it, Hounds? Post your best ideas to my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7362

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Shriley Lichti of Waterloo, Ontario,
Canada for making me laugh and laugh and laugh while watching
this video of a high-strung dog going about its daily chores,
from sunrise to sunset. Can you imagine the hours of training it
took to make this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RRjqkUAs8k

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

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

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

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

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

Here are posts from the last seven days:

9 ways to use QR codes for PR, publicity & marketing
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7338

So I’m in Fast Company this month? Big deal
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7326

Use hyperlinks in press releases: Here are 19 ideas
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7243

Need a publicist? Ask jobless journalists + 16 other tips
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7293

Meet 2 speakers who cruise free in exchange for speaking
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7314

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips—LinkedIn Adds Recommendations

JStewart — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:27:25 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #529 Nov. 2, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
http://www.MysocialMediaSolution.com/blog

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. LinkedIn Adds Recommendations

2. 60+ Places to Promote Offline

3. Speak on Cruise Ships

4. Promote a Bistro/Wine Bar

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Quote of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. LinkedIn Adds Recommendations
=====================================

Starting this week, LinkedIn is offering its more than 80 million
members a chance to recommend other companies’ products and
services on Company Pages, under the Products tab.

Initially, LinkedIn users can offer recommendations for only 40
large companies like Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Dell, JetBlue,
AT&T, Citibank and Volkswagen. But LinkedIn will expand the
feature to include all companies and small businesses during the
next week.

Every Publicity Hound should be paying attention to this.

Each time a LinkedIn member endorses your products or services,
their recommendation becomes visible to all of their connections
and could spread virally. When you promote and curate these
recommendations, you have some of the most credible, authentic
endorsements of your products on your Company Page?s Product tab.

You can read about LinkedIn’s new review feature at its blog at
http://blog.linkedin.com/2010/11/01/linkedin-company-pages/

From what I can see so far, this doesn’t allow users to actually
write anything like they can when they’re writing a personal
recommendation on LinkedIn. All they can do is recommend a
product or service. When they do, their photo shows up next to a
checkmark and the phrase “I recommend this product,” and they get
a link back to their own LinkedIn profile.

If your company doesn’t have its own page on LinkedIn, create one
right now. Go to Companies > Find Companies > Add a Company.

Online reviews are becoming increasingly important. How should
you respond to a bad review on other websites? What steps can you
take to decrease the chances of a bad review appearing? And what
can you do to make it easier for your own customers to post
glowing reviews about your great products and services?

Tom Antion tackled this topic during his teleseminar, “Reputation
Management: How to Build and Protect a Great Reputation Online.”

His strategy is simple. Create a huge and positive profile for
yourself at high-traffic, authoritative sites so that when
someone posts something negative about you, the good information
comes up higher in the organic search listings. I never heard of
a lot of the sites he found, but I’m busy creating my own
profiles there.

What would you rather do, manage your own reputation or let
others, including your competitors, manage it for you? Learn more
about Tom’s strategy at http://tinyurl.com/2eyyljb

======================================
2. 60+ Places to Promote Offline
======================================

My recent webinar, “50+ Places Online to Promote Your Live &
Virtual Events to Reach Your Target Market & Pull Sell-out
Crowds,” was such a hit, that many Publicity Hounds who
registered for it have been asking for a follow-up session on how
to promote offline.

Let’s do it! I’ve scoured my file cabinet, hard drive, handouts
from my workshops, back issues of my newsletter and my blog, and
I’ve come up with more than 60 places offline to promote not only
your events, but your product, service, cause or issue. Many of
them are free.

I’m hosting the webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 3 p.m. Eastern
Time. The first 20 registrants will receive a free copy of my
cheat sheet, “13 Ways to Involve Journalists and Bloggers in
Whatever You’re Promoting.” Example: Don’t ask a local blogger to
write about your cooking classes for kids. Invite her to bring
her own child and participate.

Sign up for “60+ Places Offline to Promote Your Product, Service,
Cause, Issue or Event to Build the Buzz and Encourage Others to
Promote for You” at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/promoteoffline.htm. Also, let me
know about offline tactics you use to promote, and send a photo
if you can. I can work the idea into my presentation and create
even more publicity for you!

=====================================
3. Speak on Cruise Ships
=====================================

Right now, as you’re reading this, program coordinators for
luxury cruise lines all over the world are reviewing the
materials they’ve received from speakers who want to get booked
to speak on next year’s cruises.

There’s still time for you to submit your materials and take
advantage of the greatest gig on the seven seas.

Here’s how it works.

You furnish the cruise lines three or four 1-hour lectures on
subjects you love, from business topics like leadership and time
management to fun topics like how to perform simple magic tricks
or cook up a gourmet meal on a tight budget.

In exchange for your lectures, you get a free cruise for yourself
and a companion. Since the lectures are usually scheduled on sea
days, you’ll have every port day totally free to explore.

Swarms of speakers apply for these coveted slots. But most of
them make several critical mistakes that kick them out of the
running.

Daniel Hall, who has more connections with cruise line program
coordinators than anyone else on the planet, will be my guest
expert during a free webinar at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday,
Nov. 5.

I know Fridays are bad, but I didn’t want to wait until next week
because program coordinators are hiring speakers NOW. You can
register for the webinar at
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/132750273

======================================
4. Promoting a Bistro/Wine Bar
======================================

This week, 14 Publicity Hounds have tips for Timothy Nishimoto,
owner of Vino Paradiso Wine Bar & Bistro in Portland, Ore., on
how to market his restaurant. He’s having a hard time convincing
local restaurant reviewers to write about it.

From Michael Carr:

“Since your establishment is a well-regarded wine bar, start
there. Develop monthly wine pairing dinners. Invite Oregon (and
Washington) based wine makers to participate, and reach out to
bloggers who write about food, wine and regional travel. Roll
out your seasonal menu and alert the media. Include the usual
outlets, but don’t forget the business press and media focused on
hospitality, wine and food.

“If you’re a member of the Portland Convention & Visitors Bureau,
see if they have a program for visiting journalists. If so, offer
to provide hospitality to travel journalists. Don’t forget to
reach out to the concierges at hotels in town. Host them for
coffee and make sure you keep them up to date with what’s
happening at the restaurant.”

From Etc. Communications:

“You’re missing a huge potential clientele in Boomers, singles
and couples. If you designate a night as Boomer Night, you’d be
surprised at how quickly you would get covered by media!”

From Janet Thaeler:

“Host a bloggers event. Find someone who has hosted successful
ones in your area and who reaches the type of people you want to
reach. It may be that there’s a good mix of design bloggers, food
bloggers and mom bloggers.”

The Publicity Hound says:

I was bowled over by the responses to this question! Read all of
them at http://publicityhound.net/?p=7232

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

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

This week’s “Help this Hound” question is from me and my fellow
members of the Port Washington Garden Club in Port Washington,
Wisconsin:

We’re sponsoring our first-ever daylong lecture series on Feb.
26, and we’re looking for a catchy title that will really build
the buzz and draw a huge crowd.

Guest experts from within and outside the club will be speaking
on topics that include tips for gardening with your pet, how to
incorporate native plants and dramatic grasses into your garden,
unusual plants for shade gardens, how to create a kitchen garden,
and how to create a worm farm for richer soil. The event will
give local gardeners something to do in the dead of winter in
Wisconsin.

So far, the working title is “Throw off the Winter Blues with a
Day of Gardening.” Can you do better than that?

I’m offering a $50 gift certificate for Publicity Hound products
to the person who suggests a title we end up using.

Post your best ideas to my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7272

======================================
6. Hound Quote of the Week
======================================

“No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation
as the dog does.” — Christopher Morley

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

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

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

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

Here are posts from the last seven days:

Use hyperlinks in press releases: Here are 19 ideas:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7243

Here’s a handy checklist for writing press releases
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7259

Speakers & hobbyists: Get booked on cruise ships
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7266

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips—Lots of Sample Press Releases

JStewart — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 23:21:44 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #527 Oct. 12, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
http://www.MysocialMediaSolution.com/blog

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Lots of Sample Press Releases

2. Promote Events These 5 Ways

3. Virtual Assistants Can Do PR

4. Win Lunch with Jack Canfield

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Lots of Sample Press Releases
=====================================

If you struggle figuring out how to write press releases, why
reinvent the wheel?

Mickie Kennedy is giving away a free ebook of 75 sample press
releases to give you ideas on all the different ways you can
write your own releases (a $49 value). Download it at
http://www.ereleases.com/ph

You’ll find 35 industry-specific press releases, 40 occasion-
specific releases, tips for formatting and getting your press
release noticed, and ticklers that will help you generate ideas
for your own press releases.

If you see a release format that you like, make note of it, and
use it as a template the next time you need to write one.

He’s also giving you two free ebooks on how to use Facebook and
Twitter. Download them here: http://www.ereleases.com/ph

======================================
2. Promote Events These 5 Ways
======================================

Here are five types of websites you should be targeting when
you’re promoting a live or virtual event:

–Location-based social networks like http://www.FourSquare.com
and http://www.Yelp.com where thousands of people search daily
for fun, interesting or educational things to do in their cities
or neighborhoods.

–Social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, where you can
create events, and invite your connections, followers and fans to
attend.

–Niche sites like Haunted House Magazine at
http://www.hauntedhousemagazine.com/myaccount/new_sign_up.cfm
which offers free calendar listings for haunted houses, corn
mazes, hayrides and other Halloween and autumn events.

–Websites for your local convention & visitors bureau, state
department of economic development and other government bodies
that specialize in promoting tourism. Many of these websites will
then distribute your event listing to several smaller calendar
sites.

–Websites for traditional media outlets. Shrinking newspapers,
for example, usually don’t have room for all the news, so they
have event listings at their websites. Remember, too, that many
people have canceled their subscriptions because they can get
most of the same information online. If you aren’t reaching those
people with your event promotion, you’re leaving money on the
table.

You won’t believe the incredibly cool websites I found while
doing research for my webinar, “50+ Places Online to Promote Your
Live & Virtual Events to Reach Your Target Market and Pull Sell-
out Crowds.” It’s from 3 to 4:15 p.m. Eastern, and if the time is
inconvenient, sign up anyway because you’ll get the video replay
link and the handouts.

I’ve been inundated with registrations since last week because
Publicity Hounds everywhere are looking for ways to fill seats
during a time when everybody is pinching pennies.

=====================================
3. Virtual Assistants Can Do PR
=====================================

Never ask a virtual assistant to call a media outlet or blogger
and pitch a story idea about you. That sends the message: “You’re
not important enough for her to make the call, so she sent me.”

But I assign my virtual assistant all types of PR-related tasks:

–Uploading press releases to distribution sites. (Experts, did
you get your free Press Room Page yet and free news release
distribution from Expertclick at
http://www.ExpertClick.com/Discount/PublicityHound?)

–Updating media databases.

–Doing research you can use to write articles, blog posts, tips
sheets and other content.

–Proofreading.

–Monitoring your social media accounts and telling you when you
need to spend time at those sites replying to comments and
questions.

A virtual assistant is an independent contractor who works
remotely. Even though she might live 2,000 miles from you,
today’s technology makes that a moot issue.

Read my free article on other PR tasks that virtual assistants
can do:
http://www.publicityhound.com/free_publicity/Articles/Virtual_Ass
istants_Publicity_Training.html

======================================
4. Win Lunch with Jack Canfield
======================================

Would you like to have lunch with Jack Canfield, and pick his
brain about your own book or project?

Jack was featured in the movie “The Secret” and co-created the
“Chicken Soup for the Soul” series, which has sold over 115
million books.

In fact, at one point he had seven books on the New York Times
Best Seller List simultaneously–a world record.

My friend, Steve Harrison, is offering a free 90-minute telephone
seminar with Jack this Thursday, Oct. 14. I’m a compensated
affiliate.

Go here now to register for the call and you’ll be entered into a
drawing to have lunch with Jack and Steve and a maximum of three
other people.

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

Even if you don’t win the lunch, this is a call you won’t want to
miss. You’ll hear about Jack’s journey from inner city public
school teacher to best-selling author and speaker, how he and co-
creator Mark Victor Hansen kept going when “Chicken Soup” was
rejected by 144 publishers, and savvy advice on what to do if you
find yourself reluctant to aggressively market your work.

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

Dr. Stephanie Buehler of Orange County, Calif., writes:

“I am a psychologist and sex therapist who is publishing the book
Sex, Love, & Mental Illness: A Couple’s Guide to Staying
Connected. It’s geared toward couples in which one (or both)
partners has a mental health problem, and toward the therapists
and others who may help them.

“It discusses how a spectrum of problems affect sexuality,
including side effects of medication–and ways couples can work
together to overcome them. The problems include depression,
bipolar disorder, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, ADD,
substance dependence, and Asperger’s Syndrome, among others.

“The book offers examples of struggles couples have faced and
provides pragmatic activities including sensual touching and
mindfulness.

“I’m looking for ideas on how to market to specific niches like
psychotherapists and pastoral counselors who may want to buy my
book and use the info with their clients. Hounds, can you help?”

The Publicity Hound says:

They sure can! They’ll give you a bunch of great ideas for
reaching your target market and building buzz for your book.
Hounds, don’t prove me wrong. Share your best ideas for Dr.
Stephanie at my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/how-can-an-author-reach-therapists-
pastoral-counselors/

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

Maybe you’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places. A dog
will treat you better than anyone you’ll meet at happy hour.
Trust me. I’ve been to happy hour.

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

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

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

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

Here are posts from the last seven days:

This blog now part of Bulldog Reporter’s ‘Dog blogs
http://publicityhound.net/this-blog-now-part-of-bulldog-
reporters-dog-blogs/

Make event promotion/PR easy: 27 questions spark ideas
http://publicityhound.net/make-event-promotionpr-easy-27-
questions-spark-ideas/

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips—Traditional PR Fading Fast

JStewart — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:39:30 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #526 Oct. 5, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
http://www.MysocialMediaSolution.com/blog

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Traditional PR Fading Fast

2. 50+ Places to Promote Events

3. Twitter’s New Look

4. Seven Things Rich Authors Know

5. Carve a Pumpkin & Get on TV

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Traditional PR Fading Fast
=====================================

If the increasing use of social media keeps building, social
media will overtake traditional media as a PR tool within two
years.

That’s one of the findings of a recent survey by
StevensGouldPincus, merger and management consultants to the
communications industry.

Currently, the total percentage of work devoted by communications
consulting firms to social media as opposed to traditional media
is 30 percent overall. Next year, the percentage will increase to
an average of 42 percent, with firms over $3 million in revenue
increasing to 46 percent.

“If this trend persists,” said managing partner Art Stevens,
“within the next two years, social media will replace traditional
media as PR/PA?s primary tool for reaching client audiences with
news and information. When you consider that traditional media
have been the bedrock of professional PR/PA practice for more
than 100 years, the implications are profound.”

You can read more about the survey and request a copy at
http://www.gspm.org/820_Social-Media-Will-Overtake-Traditional-
Media-as-PR-Tool-in-Next-Two-Years

Do you agree with the findings?

Tell me in my own quick survey that will take you less than a
minute to complete at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5KQTX52 and,
if you wish, comment. I’ll report on the findings next week.

======================================
2. 50+ Places to Promote Your Events
======================================

When it’s time to promote a live or viral event, do you rely on
the same old websites to spread the word?

Posting on Craigslist, Facebook and LinkedIn is a no-brainer. But
if you aren’t doing much more than that, you could be missing the
smaller niche websites where you can target your ideal attendees
like a laser beam.

For example, did you know that more than 25,000 musicians have
used the free account at http://www.ArtistData.com to promote
more than 4.9 million shows, events and other news across
MySpace, Twitter, Facebook and other websites that reach their
niche audiences? You can submit information about a gig and it
will automatically post your music-related calendar listing to
more than 25 sites. That’s a lot of eyeballs reading about you.

But that’s just for musicians. Major websites and niche sites
abound for businesses, tourist attractions, authors, speakers,
experts, nonprofits, sports events and more.

Join me from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Oct. 19, for
the webinar “50+ Places Online to Promote Your Live & Virtual
Events to Reach Your Target Market and Pull Sell-out Crowds.” The
first 20 people who sign up get my handy checklist of all the
sites I mention during the webinar, plus a long list of offline
places to promote events.

=====================================
3. Twitter’s New Look
=====================================

If you’ve heard a lot of buzz about Twitter’s new look, and
you’re confused about what’s new, or if the new changes haven’t
taken effect yet on your profile, watch this helpful video. It’s
the best one I found that explains the new changes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9xh_N_pzNE

If you’re still stumped about how to profit from Twitter and
really build a following, stop tweeting a series of free
commercials. Instead, you should be promoting your expertise by
sharing helpful advice and promoting others. Warren Whitlock
explains how he does it in the two-part teleseminar recording
“How to Use Twitter to Amass an Army of Followers, Customers &
Valuable Contacts–and Promote,” available as CDs, MP3s and
electronic transcripts.

======================================
4. Seven Things Rich Authors Know
======================================

Last week, I talked my cousin out of her hair-brained idea of
publishing a book of poetry.

She has $10,000, her life’s savings, to spend producing and
publicizing it.

If my cousin followed through on her plan, she’d be a dirt-poor
author. First, most poetry books are duds. Second, she isn’t
interested in producing any spin-off products or services from
the book.

Unfortunately, authors who publish really impressive books with
compelling content have the same attitude. They, too, belong in
the dirt-poor category.

Don’t end up with them.

Join Steve Harrison for a free teleseminar on Thursday, Oct. 7,
when he shows you “How to Achieve A Lot More Success As An Author
By Discovering The Seven Things Rich Authors Know That Poor
Authors Don’t.” Sign up for slots at 2 or 7 p.m. Eastern. Even
though the call is free, I promote it as a compensated affiliate
because I know too many authors whose dreams of selling their own
book are deflated by the cold, hard reality of the cut-throat
publishing business.

======================================
5. Carve a Pumpkin & Get on TV
======================================

If you want to make it onto the local TV news, here’s an idea for
companies and nonprofits everywhere.

Host a pumpkin-carving contest and ask your employees to
participate. Nothing new about that idea, but here’s the kicker
that just might bring the TV cameras to your doorstep.

Tell the TV station that someone from your company will carve the
TV station’s call letters into a pumpkin, so they can show it as
part of the news clip. You can also ask if someone at the station
will choose a winner during the actual competition, when
employees can carve whatever they wish into their pumpkins.

This is a schmaltzy idea, but TV producer Shawne Duperon says it
works and, right now, the timing is perfect. Shawne was my guest
during the teleseminar on “How to Get onto the Local TV News
Tomorrow,” available as a CD or electronic transcript. Read more
about the other smart, sneaky and clever ways to find your way
onto your local TV news at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/getinthenews.htm

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

“I like driving around with my two dogs, especially on the
freeways. I make them wear little hats so I can use the car-pool
lanes.”

–Monica Piper

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

Great fodder for retweeting:

How to work with a PR firm: 15 do’s and 8 don’ts
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7109

Free, colorful data charts for your website, blog
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7097

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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