January 23rd, 2012 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #590 Jan. 17, 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. Sick of Your Blog? Sell It
2. Know When Reporters Need You
3. Media Lead
4. Ideas for a Quirky Facebook Page
5. Help This Hound
6. Hound Video of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site
=====================================
1. Sick of Your Blog? Sell It
=====================================
Maybe you’re weary from grinding out content for your blog
several times a week.
Or maybe you’re just tired of your topic.
If you’ve gotten some decent traffic, the time might be right to
sell your blog.
Who’d buy it? One of your competitors, perhaps.
But before smart buyers will part with their money, they’ll want
to know things like how much traffic it gets, sources of revenue,
the number of incoming links, its ranking on Technorati and
Alexa, the number of posts or articles, the number of comments,
sponsors and advertisers, publicity the blog has received, how
often you post, and how many people write for it.
Selling your blog is one of 27 ways you can make money from it,
and I explained them all during a webinar I hosted on Saturday.
But you can’t make REAL money unless you have significant traffic
and revenue.
Beginners who are already providing solid content can use many of
the tips I shared. Others are for more advanced bloggers who have
built a brand and a solid reputation.
Actually, I came up with a list of 31 ways to make money from
your blog, so you get the last four as a little bonus. If you
missed the live webinar, you can access the video and audio
replays and the PowerPoint slides I used. (If you participated,
you should have received my email with the link to the download
page.)
Participants asked more questions on this webinar than any other
I’ve hosted. Learn more about how to monetize your blog and also
get the inside scoop on my new program called “Blog with the Dog”
at
http://www.PublicityHound.com/publicity-
products/marketingtapes/howtomonetizeyourblog.htm
PR People: Coaching your clients on how to make money from their
blogs is a fabulous value-added service you can provide.
=================================
2. Know When Reporters Need You
=================================
The absolute easiest time to get publicity is when a journalist
or producer has already decided they’re doing a story on your
subject and are actively seeking people like you to interview.
But they don’t have time to track down the perfect source. So
they submit a lead, or query, to Reporter Connection, a service
that forwards all the leads to you, for free.
If a lead is a perfect fit, you contact the journalist or
broadcaster on your own, make a short pitch explaining why you’re
a good source, and hope they call. I’ve been interviewed myself
after responding to several Reporter Connection leads.
But there’s no guarantee. Still, publicists and do-it-yourself PR
types would be crazy not to subscribe to this free service. If
you have an assistant, let her cull through all the leads for
you. If she finds one that’s perfect for you, you respond.
Their service is completely free, though they have other
publicity-related products and services you can buy (and I may
get a commission if you do).
Go here now to get their free daily media leads:
https://m164.infusionsoft.com/go/RC/A10011/
======================================
3. Media Lead
======================================
Here are two media leads I received from the same reporter.
A columnist who writes about relationships for a top-tier media
outlet (you or your PR clients will want to get into this one)
wants to develop relationships with people who do research on
psychology or relationships, particularly psychologists or
academics.
“One of my frustrations in my column is that I don’t often hear
about the research early,” the columnist says.
Respond by sending an email to aceb5@aol.com.
This same journalist is looking for sources for an article on
nagging. Does your spouse or significant other nag you? Or do you
nag your S.O.? She’s exploring the topic (with humor) and looking
for people who have personal stories about how nagging has driven
them nuts–or how they have solved the problem. If you and your
S.O. are willing to be interviewed–using your names–please
email her as soon as possible, with details and contact info, at
aceb5@aol.com.
What do you do when it’s time to pitch other journalists? You
follow a formula I created. As a newspaper editor, I accepted and
rejected thousands of story ideas spanning a 22-year career, and
this is the Number One most effective way to pitch. Read more
about “A Simple 5-Part Formula for Delivering the Perfect Media
Pitch & Hitting it Out of the Park” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/pitchingformula.htm
=====================================
4. Ideas for Quirky Facebook Page
=====================================
This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Diane Kline of
St. Louis, MO, co-author of QuirkOut! Crazy Things Women do to
Stay Sane, a blog and a weekly newspaper column in the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch. She is trying to increase her Facebook “likes” on
the page and wants to encourage women to post their QuirkOut!
moments there.
Publicity Hound Ileana Kane offered these ideas:
–Create a really cool contest for the “quirkiest” laugh-out-loud
QuirkOut! moment. To win the contest they have to “like” your
page.
–Have EVERY one you know twitter about the contest and send them
to your Facebook page.
–With all of the submissions, create a really cool “quirky” book
(or booklet) with some fun and delightful illustrations.
–Write a press release about your contest while educating them
on the new trend with women letting their “Quirkouts” out (it
must have a great psychological positive effect) and you will be
the TREND setters).
The Publicity Hound says:
Read all the responses at http://publicityhound.net/?p=10134
Send your own question to mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com and
include your city and state.
======================================
5. Help This Hound
======================================
Chris Stephenson of Madrid, Spain, asks:
“I’d really like to use Flickr to host a competition. I’d ask
people to submit photos of a variety of airports, highways,
bridges and all types of buildings that the company I work for
has or is currently managing or constructing.
“Potentially, I could offer a prize of photo equipment to attract
interest. It’s unclear whether Flickr would perceive this as
commercial use because I don’t plan to sell anything, but rather,
generate community and interest in the company.
“I’m also looking for any other suggestions your Publicity Hounds
might offer on how to promote this.”
The Publicity Hound says:
I’m not familiar with Flickr’s Terms of Service, Chris, but I’ll
bet many Publicity Hounds are. Hounds, can you help clarify this?
Post your comment, and any other ideas for promotion, to my blog
at http://publicityhound.net/?p=10230
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 Ann Dekorsi of Glendale, WI, for this
video of a dog that looks spellbound while a little boy eats a
sandwich nearby. Then watch what happens.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/dog-steals-sandwich-video.html
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…
======================================
Relationships columnist needs tips on psychology research
http://publicityhound.net/?p=10224
Dog Tweets: 10 content marketing tips for 2012
http://publicityhound.net/?p=10214
——————————————-
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other)
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
——————————————–
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
=======================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
»
August 25th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #569 Aug. 23, 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 Follow Up a Pitch
2. Reader’s Digest Wants Your Story
3. How Not to Walk Off the Set
4. Tips for Pitching Local TV News
5. Help This Hound
6. Hound Video of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. How to Follow Up a Pitch
=====================================
In the old days, a decade ago, PR experts advised that after
pitching a journalist, you should follow up seven times before
you give up and move on.
No more.
Today, smart Publicity Hounds also spend their time doing things
they didn’t have to worry about back then: managing their
Facebook pages, bookmarking, tweeting, sharing industry news on
LinkedIn, blogging, and commenting at other people’s blogs. It’s
impractical and next to impossible to do all that and follow up a
pitch seven times.
When I presented last week’s webinar on “A Simple 5-Step Formula
for Delivering the Perfect Media Pitch & Hitting It Out of the
Park,” I recommended you follow up three or four times.
But when you do, don’t call and say, “Hi, I’m calling to follow
up on….”
It’s better to say, “I sent you information on…” and then offer
something else. That could be a photo opportunity, a graphic, an
additional source or two, or statistics for a sidebar. Sometimes
that extra little nugget will tip the scales in your favor and
encourage the journalist to say “yes.”
One Publicity Hound who attended the webinar already has gotten a
“yes” from two reporters, after using my 5-step formula. Learn
how to access the video replay, handouts and other materials at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/pitchingformula.htm
=====================================
2. Reader’s Digest Wants Your Story
=====================================
Can you write your autobiography in 150 words or less, and
include advice or a life lesson?
If so, you should enter “Your Life…The Reader’s Digest
Version,” a campaign on the magazine’s Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/ReadersDigest
Grand prize is $25,000 and lots of exposure. The winning entry
will be printed in the magazine (circulation 17 million).
Jane Lynch, of the TV hit show “Glee,” is spokesperson for the
campaign and submitted the first entry.
After you write yours, you can encourage your friends to vote for
it. The page is a little clunky, and you can’t see all the
entries. But you can search for them by name or topic.
Share a lesson, simple advice, funny moment, or a story about
your life. You can also upload a photo or video.
If you’d rather skip this and spend your time acquiring more
Facebook fans, use the helpful handout I compiled on “33 Ways to
Find Facebook Fans, Provide Sterling Content & Keep Them Coming
Back for More.” It comes with the video replay, MP3 and other
bonuses from the webinar I hosted with Mari Smith recently. she’s
the world’s Number 1 Facebook expert.
Read more about what you’ll be able to do at
http://www.publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm
======================================
3. How Not to Walk Off the Set
======================================
Former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell blew it big time
when she walked off the set of CNN last week while being
interviewed by Piers Morgan.
He asked her opinion on gay marriage. But she said she wanted to
talk instead about her new book. From there, things got really
ugly.
Here’s an entertaining video compiled by CNN reporter Jeanne Moos
on how not to walk off the set of an interview.
http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/19/in-wake-of-the-walk-
off-how-not-to-walk-out-of-an-interview/?hpt=pm_mid
=====================================
4. Tips for Pitching Local TV News
=====================================
The local TV newscast that typically pulls the biggest audience
is at 10 or 11 p.m. on Sunday.
I can’t remember where I heard that statistic, but it’s true in
my house. I never watch the local TV news during the week. But I
always watch it on Sunday night, mostly because I want to see the
weather forecast for the coming week.
Feature stories abound on Sunday night because there’s so little
hard news to report. If you’re pitching local TV, try to figure
out an angle that ties into the coming week. Can you tie into the
changing of the seasons? The weather? An upcoming holiday?
Are you the local angle to a national story that will be in the
news during that week? Is your company or nonprofit doing
something that week that’s newsworthy?
Shawne Duperon, a TV producer, knows all the inside tips on how
to catch the attention of local TV news producers. She shared
them all during the teleseminar “How to Get on the Local TV News
Tomorrow.” Read about what she discussed and how you can access
the audio replay or the downloadable transcript, at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/getinthenews.htm
=====================================
5. Help This Hound
=====================================
This week, five Publicity Hounds responded to Dr. Karen Hoving’s
question about whether she should continue to use social media to
market her psychology practice in Aurora, Colo.
From Kevin Green:
“Trust. It’s important for your business. Blogs can be used to
show you know your stuff and are likable, which leads to trust.
Ask for newsletter sign-ups at your blog.”
From Mary Jane Hurley Brant:
“Write articles on topics that you’re an expert in, and then post
on Facebook, LinkedIn and everywhere you can think of. Articles
addressing important topics today drive traffic and it’s
different than a blog. Submitting our articles to credible sites
as Ezinearticles.com (to name one great place) is always helpful
especially when one becomes recognized as an expert.”
From Bruce Bair:
“Twitter is helpful for letting followers know your schedule and
to get them to come to your main site.
“Facebook is a place you can get a following. Be sure you have a
landing page there and that you have content only available
there. Create some video on the problems of prominent people in
the news: Mel Gibson, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears.”
The Publicity Hound says:
Read all the responses to this “Help This Hound” question 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 Video of the Week
======================================
You think dogs can’t spell? Watch this German Short-hair Pointer
listen intently for its owner to drop the clue that signifies
good times ahead. Bogie, my German Short-hair, tilts her head to
the side, just like this one does, when I’m talking to her. Too
cute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m78V6ub4ao&feature=related
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…
======================================
3 ways to customize a pitch to journalists and get a “yes!”
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9216
——————————————-
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
——————————————–
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
=======================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
»
August 5th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #566 Aug. 2, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. The Most Powerful Twitter Strategy
2. It’s Fair Time; Start Pitching
3. Webinar on Webinars Replay Link
4. Correcting Corrections
5. Help This Hound
6. Hound Photos of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
***********************************
ADVERTISEMENT:
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newspapers, television, radio and the Internet from Wisconsin
News Tracker.com.
http://www.wisconsinnewstracker.com
Want your ad here? Read how:
http://publicityhound.net/the-publicity-hounds-tips-of-the-week-
now-accepts-ads/
***********************************
=====================================
1. The Most Powerful Twitter Strategy
=====================================
Here’s the best way to attract thousands of raving fans on
Twitter if you’re using it primarily for business:
–Provide a steady stream of useful content that helps your
followers solve their problems. That includes links to other
people’s content such as articles and blog posts. Twitter is all
about your followers. It shouldn’t be all about you.
–Link to infographics, photos and videos that explain
complicated topics and offer how-to information.
–Humor your followers occasionally with pithy one-liners,
particularly those about your industry. I tweet about “Dumb
Headlines” like this one: “Stiff opposition expected to
casketless funeral plan.”
–Answer questions when people ask. Don’t tell them “It’s on Page
44 of my book.”
–Be one of the first in your industry to share breaking news.
–Keep promotion to an absolute minimum. Push your Twitter
followers to your blog, where you should also be sharing helpful
content, but where you can promote all you wish.
Use these guidelines, and your followers will retweet your
content. Their followers will retweet it too, and so on.
Don’t fret if you’re still not on Twitter, or if your tweets
aren’t gaining traction.
I’m hosting a webinar on “Twitter for Beginners: A Step-by-Step,
Can’t-Fail System for Experts and Influencers (and Those Who Want
to Be).” It’s at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Aug. 4.
This webinar is perfect for Publicity Hounds who manage their own
Twitter accounts and for PR people who are training clients on
how to manage theirs. Read about what you’ll be able to do after
the webinar:
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/twitterforbeginners.htm
=====================================
2. It’s Fair Time; Start Pitching
=====================================
This is the month for state and county fairs. The media love
story ideas like these:
–If you’re an expert on household budgets, invite a reporter to
accompany you and your family and see the fair on the cheap. What
food and entertainment can be had for next to nothing? Where can
people find coupons for the fair?
–At the Wisconsin State Fair, beer on a stick and butter on a
stick are among the new foods being featured this year.
Nutritionists and cookbook authors can pitch a story on “State
fair food that can kill you.” Suggest healthy options offered by
fair vendors.
–The merchants building is filled with businesses hawking car
polish, knives, cookware, mops and massage machines. If you have
a booth, pitch a story on what you’re doing differently this year
to try to get fair-goers to part with their credit cards. Free
samples? Contests? Free bottled water?
–Doctors, hospitals and clinics: Offer tips on how fair-goers
can survive the heat.
–Floral shop owners: Pitch a story on how to keep fresh-cut
flowers looking their best for a week, even in the heat. Lots of
gardeners are competing for blue ribbons. Even those who aren’t
going to the fair will love this story.
–Chiropractors: What midway rides are the most dangerous for the
spine and back?
What happens if you pitch, but no one responds? Should you follow
up? Of course. But do it the right way. Jill Lublin shows you
how. See “Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News
Release or a Story Pitch” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/failprooffollowup.htm
======================================
3. Webinar on Webinars Replay Link
======================================
Publicity Hounds’ tails were wagging during the webinar I hosted
last week with Daniel Hall on “Step-by-Step Insider Secrets To
Producing Highly-Profitable Webinars.”
Why? Because Daniel told us what webinar company to use. He gave
us specific instructions on exactly what to put on our PowerPoint
slides, word for word. And he showed us how to “close the deal”
at the end. If you want to use free webinars to sell a product or
service, don’t miss the replay:
http://www.realfastwebinars.com/joanwebinar.html
Even if your webinar participants don’t buy anything from you,
they’ll still love you for providing high content.
The replay link is live only until Sunday. Then it’s paid access
only.
Even if you don’t take up Daniel on his offer, which also ends
Sunday night, you’ll want to get your hands on this formula.
http://www.realfastwebinars.com/joanwebinar.html
I bought his product. Once I’ve studied all of it, I’ll be
inviting you to free webinars on a variety of publicity and
social media topics, and they’ll be very different than the ones
you are use to seeing.
=====================================
4. Correcting Corrections
=====================================
One of the mistakes that will send you to the dog house without
your dinner is contacting a media outlet or a blogger about bad
information you provided to them, asking for a correction, and
then screwing up the information in the correction.
So it looks like no dinner tonight for this Hound. In last week’s
newsletter, I wrote a correction for an item that appeared here
the week before about basketball star Dwyane Wade of the Miami
Heat. But in the correction, I misspelled his name. Another
alert Hound caught my error.
With my tail between my legs, I’m slinking off to my dog house.
And no treats for a week!
What’s that? You say you don’t ask for corrections? Big mistake!
Find out why by reading my article “How to Ask for a Correction”:
http://publicityhound.com/pics/free_publicity/Articles/ask_for_a_
correction.html
=====================================
5. Help This Hound
=====================================
Publicity Hound Juliet Hartley of St. Petersburg, Fla., writes:
“I’ve been sending a lot of pitches to different magazines about
my chic handmade hair accessories at http://www.BowAllure.com,
but I just don’t hear anything back from them. It’s very
frustrating.
“I’m attaching a copy of a pitch I sent to a few magazines and
would love to hear your input. I’ve contacted a couple of
reputable publicists but I just cannot afford to pay for their
services at this moment.
“The magazines I’m trying to send pitches to are very hard to
reach, like Parents magazine or Pregnancy and Newborn magazine.
They don’t give you the email address of the editor.”
The Publicity Hound says: As soon as I read Juliet’s pitch, which
I’ve posted at my blog, I spotted a problem instantly. There are
others. Let’s see if you can find them, get Juliet back on track
and make some suggestions on how she can pitch a story about hair
accessories. Or should she?
Post your comments to my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9030
======================================
6. Hound Photos of the Week
======================================
Thanks to Publicity Hound Meryl K. Evans of Plano, Texas, for
this funny photo collection of dogs shaking off water:
http://www.petapixel.com/2011/07/28/portraits-of-dogs-as-they-
shake-off-water/
DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.
BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
Http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
======================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
======================================
5 things they never tell Twitter newbies, but should
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9015
Muck Rack lists 140+ journalists on Google+
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9043
——————————————-
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
——————————————–
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
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
»
July 19th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #564 July 19, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. TV Interview Emergencies
2. Why So Many Tweets?
3. Piggyback onto Twitter
4. NYT Writers on Quora
5. Help People Share Your Content
6. Hound Joke of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. TV Interview Emergencies
=====================================
It’s 7 a.m., and you’re scheduled to be at the local TV station
for a talk show interview in three hours.
You pull your favorite silk suit from the closet, remove it from
the dry cleaning bag and put on the slacks.
Horrors! They’ve shrunk.
Now what?
If you were prepared, and you’d tried on the outfit yesterday,
you wouldn’t be in this predicament.
But don’t feel bad. I had my own emergency last week shortly
before I was to appear on a live webcast in San Diego, hosted by
Don Crowther, the creator of the Social Profit Formula 2.0 social
media course I took and highly recommend.
Just before I was to leave for the recording studio, I noticed my
tube of liquid lipstick cracked, or the top came loose. And I had
to deal with a gooey mess that stained my fingers bright pink and
caused unnecessary delays and frayed nerves.
That made me think about other emergencies that pop up before and
during TV interviews, like freeway accidents that back up traffic
and make you late for your appearance. Or questions from the
interviewer that you don’t know how to answer. Or a hair stylist
who cancels your appointment the morning of the interview because
she’s ill.
Read my blog post, and be prepared:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8866
=====================================
2. Why So Many Tweets?
=====================================
Don Crowther, who hosted the webcast I mentioned above,
recommends that Publicity Hounds who use Twitter to promote their
expertise send up to 20 tweets per day.
Why so many? Doesn’t that brand you as a pest?
Not if you’re sharing terrific content. During last night’s
coaching call for people who have registered for his Social
Profit Formula course, he explained that when people log into
their Twitter accounts, they see the most recent tweets at the
top of their feed. Those are the tweets that catch people’s
attention first.
If yours is among them, and readers click on a link you’ve
shared, they might end up at your website or blog or a helpful
article you’ve written that will position you as an expert. Or
they’ll click on a link to someone else’s content-rich article,
and you’ll look like a hero.
Last week, during the launch of Don’s Social Profit Formula 2.0
course, lots of people missed out because they were on vacation
or had to wait for payday, or whatever.
Don has reopened registration for the course (which I’m taking).
I love the coaching calls because I can ask questions. And his
constantly updated material keeps me abreast of the many social
media changes on sites like Facebook and YouTube. I share only a
few tidbits from his course here.
Is the entire course right for you? Only if you want to be far
ahead of your peers and equipped with time-saving tools and smart
strategies that will make you money, not just friends and
followers. Find out how:
https://btconsulting.infusionsoft.com/go/spfopen/a342/
His next coaching call is Monday, July 25. I hope you can join
us.
======================================
3. Piggyback onto Twitter
======================================
Thanks to Publicity Hound Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of The
Frugal Book Promoter, who tipped me off to this clever way that
KFC piggybacked off a tweet to create great publicity.
KFC paid attention to one of Wade Dwyane’s tweets asking if
anyone was hiring after the NBA lockout.
Dwyane, who plays for the Miami Heat basketball team, used to
work for KFC, so they offered him his old job back. If he’d lead
a team filling KFC buckets fast (instead of NBA baskets), they’d
donate $250,000 to charity.
Here’s the link to read more:
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2011-07-11/kfc-offers-
dwyane-wade-a-job-during-lockout?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-
n%7Cdl10%7Csec1_lnk3%7C218968.
If you don’t have $250,000 to spend on a similar campaign, that’s
OK.
“You just need to keep your marketing bonnet on so that when the
opportunity arises, you will be there,” Carolyn says.
To subscribe to her excellent ezine, Sharing with Writers, send a
SUBSCRIBE message to HoJoNews@aol.com.
=====================================
4. NYT Writers on Quora
=====================================
Three writers for The New York Times will be on Quora today, and
the next two Tuesdays, answering questions related to their new
books. They are:
–Financial writer Diana Henriques
–Business columnist Gretchen Morgenson
–Deputy national editor Adam Bryant
If you’re a smarT Publicity Hound who wants to get in front of
them, you won’t be pitching. Instead, you’ll be asking questions
related to the writers’ expertise. And you’ll be paying attention
to the answers, which might provide fodder for weaving into your
next pitch.
Read more about the Q&A session here:
http://www.quora.com/Jim-Schachter/Quora-Office-Hours-Reporters-
Columnists-from-The-New-York-Times-Will-Answer-Questions-the-
Next-Three
=====================================
5. Help People Share Your Content
=====================================
If you’re publishing dozens of Facebook and LinkedIn status
updates, and mountains of tweets, but nobody is sharing your
content, you’re wasting precious time.
Here are five ways to encourage other people to share your
content:
http://mashable.com/2011/07/12/encourage-social-sharing/
Facebook expert Mari Smith has even more ideas, and she shared
them all during the webinar I hosted with her recently on “33
Ways to Attract Facebook Fans, Provide Sterling Content and Keep
Them Coming Back for More.” Some are very easy and will require
just a little tweaking.
The video replay includes a checklist I compiled after the
webinar. Use it as a cheat sheet, along with Mari’s slides. Learn
more about how to multiply the number of fan page Likes:
http://www.publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm
======================================
6. Hound Joke of the Week
======================================
Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a
sled through snow.
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…
======================================
Appearing on TV? Plan for these 7 emergencies
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8866
7 phrases journalists hate hearing when you pitch
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8869
——————————————-
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
——————————————–
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
=======================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
»
May 13th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #554 May 10, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. Your 30-Second Bumper Sticker
2. Work with Me One on One
3. YouTube Video Secrets
4. Fast Track for Authors, Speakers, Experts
5. Marketing Tips for a Moose Lodge
6. Hound Video of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. Your 30-Second Bumper Sticker
=====================================
If you’re on LinkedIn, many people only see what Wayne Brietbarth
calls “your 30-second bumper sticker.”
That includes your name, your photo and the 120 characters that
comprise your headline.
My headline is “#1 Publicity Expert on Google. President, The
Publicity Hound. Call me & ask how I can help you with PR.”
I thought that was pretty clever when I wrote it. But when I host
a webinar on May 19 and have Wayne back for 75 minutes of
LinkedIn training, I fear he’ll rip my headline to shreds because
it breaks one of his cardinal rules. It isn’t filled with the
types of keywords people would search for on LinkedIn if they
wanted someone with my expertise.
Your headline and profile are your most important aspects of
LinkedIn–the determining factors that help someone decide,
instantly, if they want to do business with you. If your profile
is vanilla and boring, readers will move onto someone else who’s
more interesting. But if it gives the reader a clear
understanding of exactly what you do, you could get the order.
The first webinar I hosted with Wayne, back in March, got rave
reviews.
Many participants asked for a follow-up session and more training
on three topics we didn’t have time to discuss in depth:
Profiles, Groups and Company Pages.
Groups are where you can meet people for the first time, dazzle
them with your expertise, and start relationships, even if they
aren’t connected to you. Company pages are like giant free
billboards for your products and services–a place where happy
customers can post rave reviews for everyone else to see.
This time, Wayne will address those topics in depth. He’ll
critique your LinkedIn headline if there’s time. And one lucky
person who registers will receive a free, private 20-minute
LinkedIn critique from Wayne after the call.
This webinar will sell out fast, so grab your seat now. Go here
to find out what else we’ll be discussing, and register today so
you don’t get closed out:
http://www.Publicityhound.com/linkedinpowerformulapart2.htm
======================================
2. Work with Me One on One
======================================
If you’re frustrated by the social media time suck, or confused
about how to get a journalist’s attention, help is on the way.
The new class of Publicity Hounds in my Mentor Program will begin
their training on Monday, May 16, with an emphasis on how to
dovetail traditional and social media for publicity. I’ll be
teaching how to write for the web, how to repurpose content in
multiple formats, and beginning and advanced strategies for
blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, photo-sharing sites, and
niche social media sites.
Here’s the best part.
You’ll participate in training along with others in the program,
but you’ll have unlimited access to me so we can work together,
one on one, on exactly what you need. If you’re a beginner, we’ll
start at the beginning. If you’re more advanced, we’ll cover
material some of the others won’t understand.
I will also serve as your personal writing coach and review
anything you write: social media profiles, tweets, Facebook
status updates, press releases, pitches to journalists, and copy
in your press kit.
Because of numerous requests, I’ve decided to do something I’ve
never done before. I’ve set up a handy payment plan for you if
you can’t afford the 6-month or one-year registration fee up
front. You can now pay in four installments.
I invest heavily in my own Internet marketing, social media and
public relations training. I’m either working with my own coach
or mentor, or I’m taking advanced courses or attending seminars
so I can stay on top of what’s new. Plus, I always under-promise
and over-deliver. Just ask anyone who’s attended one of my
teleseminars or webinars, or used me as a mentor.
Read more about how we can work together, and don’t miss our
first mentor program teleseminar on Monday, May 16, when I
discuss how to create a strategy for Twitter:
http://www.PublicityHound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html
Confused about whether this program is right for you? Call me at
262-284-7451 and let’s see if we’re a good fit.
=====================================
3. YouTube Video Secrets
=====================================
Nothing beats video when it comes to capturing one of the top
slots on Google search results.
With just one video on YouTube, you can rank higher than one of
your competitors who has been online for years, but is relying on
nothing more than a few articles here and there to pull traffic.
Video can also be an integral part of a publicity campaign. Colin
Martin, who edits my videos, says most people do it backwards.
They create the video. When they’re ready to upload it to
YouTube, they hurriedly tag the video with whatever keywords pop
into their brains. They write descriptions carelessly, and create
titles haphazardly.
And then they wonder why the video isn’t pulling the kind of
traffic they had hoped.
Colin says you should do it the other way around. Research
keywords first, and then create the video. That’s one of his
YouTube secrets.
Colin, who also manages the video production for Tom Antion, my
Internet marketing mentor, will share many more YouTube secrets
when he joins Marc Bullard for a free webinar for Publicity
Hounds from 8 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 18.
Read more about what you’ll learn how to do after taking 60
minutes of free training with these video wizards during the
webinar “YouTube Super Secrets: Getting Views, Subscribers and
Branding Your Business” at http://tinyurl.com/62ajq65
============================================
4. Fast Track for Authors, Speakers, Experts
============================================
A job search expert was able to stand out from all the other job
experts and sell 10,000 books in three weeks.
The author of “Skinny Bitch” made her book a New York Times Best
Seller, with over 2 million copies in print.
One smart Publicity Hound wrote an enticing subject line that
forced a producer from the “Today” show to call.
Another Publicity Hound had a super story to pitch but no clue
about who to contact at his local TV stations. Within a matter of
hours, one of the local news crews was interviewing him.
How did they do it?
By being timely, acting quickly, and doing things that lots of
other Media Mutts aren’t doing.
Steve Harrison will discuss them all, and more, during a free
teleseminar on Thursday, May 12.
“Fast-Track Strategies for Becoming a Well-Known, Well-Paid
Author, Speaker or Expert In Your Field” will be offered at your
choice of 2 or 7 p.m. Eastern. I promote this as a compensated
affiliate, because I see so many authors, speakers and experts
doing it the hard way.
Register at http://www.freepublicity.com/fasttrack/?10011
======================================
5. Marketing Tips for a Moose Lodge
======================================
This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips for Don Luepnitz of
Norwalk, CA, on how his Moose Lodge can use traditional and
social media to attract more members and visitors. The lodge
website is at http://www.norwalkmoose.org/
From Marcia Yudkin:
“Let’s start with your signage, as shown in the photo. It’s
uninformative and uninviting.
“It doesn’t indicate what you offer and doesn’t convey the facts
that non-members are welcome and that kids are allowed. Talk to
your local sign shop for ideas on how to add those messages
inexpensively–for example, through colorful banners.”
From Patty Newbold:
“Have a web page about darts, so anyone searching for darts in
Norwalk or surrounding towns sees the page and can tell when the
public is welcome there for darts, what it costs to be able to
play there all the time, and whether there are any tournaments or
lessons for darts players.
“Do something similar for bingo, the kids’ room, the bar, the
dinners, the breakfasts–and be sure it’s clear on each page when
the public is welcome, what it costs to be a member, and where to
join. Add a page for charities and kids’ sports teams that want
the lodge’s help, too.
From Scott Anthony:
“My first idea was to cross-promote. As a sponsor of sports
teams, you probably treat the players to pizza or ice cream after
games. On occasion, why not ask the restaurant owner to
distribute flyers for your events in exchange for the business
you send his way (pick a busy restaurant).”
The Publicity Hound says:
These are all great suggestions. I offered lots more when I
hosted the webinar “60+ Places Offline to Promote Your Product,
Service, Cause, Issue or Event to Build the Buzz & Encourage
Others to Promote for You.” Learn more about all the publicity
tools that are right at your fingertips at
http://www.publicityhound.com/promoteoffline.htm
Read all the responses to this week’s “Help This Hound” question
at http://publicityhound.net/?p=8351
Send your own “Help this Hound” question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and
include your city and state.
======================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
======================================
Thanks to Dan Poynter of Santa Barbara, CA, for tipping us off to
this video of a talking dog. It racked up more than 12 million
views on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw
======================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
======================================
10 Magic Phrases Journalists and Bloggers LOVE
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8368
YouTube secrets push your video to top of search results
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8395
——————————————-
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
——————————————–
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
=======================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
P.O. Box 437
Port Washington, WI 53074-0437
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451
»
May 4th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #553 May 3, 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. Twice as Many Facebook Fans
2. Energize Your Boring Bio
3. Sample PR/Marketing Contracts
4. Your Sneaky LinkedIn Profile
5. Help This Hound
6. Hound Video of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. Twice as Many Facebook Fans
=====================================
Convince twice the number of people who land on your Facebook
page to click the “Like” button. Create a Welcome page.
Research shows that Welcome pages convert twice as many visitors
into fans compared to pages where visitors land on the Wall.
I hired CustomFanPageDesigns.com to create a Welcome page. I also
did something else I should have done long ago.
I created a new Facebook page to reflect “The Publicity Hound”
brand. The old page, called “Publicity and public relations tips,
ideas and strategies,” doesn’t include my brand because I was
going after keywords, instead. I realized my mistake too late.
Facebook doesn’t let you change the name of a page.
Now, I’m trying to convince my more than 3,200 fans to Like my
new page. I want you to, too. And here’s what I’m offering.
I posted a really helpful tip this morning about a creative item
you can add to your online media room or press kit. It will
encourage journalists and bloggers to write about you. It will
give them lots of fodder and fun facts for articles and blog
posts. PR people, your clients will LOVE this idea. Like my new
page, look for the photo of chef Emeril Lagasse, read all about
it, and leave a comment:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound
======================================
2. Energize Your Boring Bio
======================================
When you’re adding the cool item I mentioned above to your
publicity materials, how about sprucing up the boring bio in your
press kit, the much shorter author resource box at the end of
your articles and guest blog posts, and even your Twitter bio?
Here are three examples of bios I like:
At the end of a guest blog written by Allison Boyer:
“When Allison’s not blogging for the BlogWorld blog (say that
three times fast), she runs After Graduation, a career advice and
motivation site.”
Pia Mara Finkell’s bio on Twitter (notice all the keywords):
“Work and play in wine and food, but randomly become obsessed
with beer, bourbon, pie, dogs, the Yanks, running, lacrosse and
anything that makes me laugh.”
Paragraph at the end of the bio for Gabe Benveniste, founder of
SonicLiving, a concert tracking tool and social network:
“Gabe competed in the 2003 World Beard and Mustache Championship,
where his prodigious chops propelled him to sixth place (out of
six) in the first-ever sideburn contest. His work has been
featured in Playboy, MTV and Wired.”
You’ll find lots more examples in my “Special Report #46: Tips
for Rewriting Your Boring Bio,” a steal at only $10:
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-
products/reports.html#SpecialReport46
=====================================
3. Sample PR/Marketing Contracts
=====================================
If you’re setting up shop as a PR or marketing consultant, and
you’ve got your first client, one of the most perplexing problems
is obtaining sample contracts, or writing a contract from
scratch.
But what if you don’t have the start-up money to consult with a
lawyer? Problem solved.
Kellye Crane, of Solor PR Pro, and Jenny Schmitt of Cloudspark,
wrote the free, 30-page ebook called Get It In Writing, The
Communication Consultant’s Guide to Contracts. They’re not even
asking for your email address.
This is the most comprehensive free book I’ve seen on this topic,
and consultants who work in any area of communications will save
themselves weeks of research. The authors advise that you
eventually talk to an attorney when using a contract, but if
you’re short on cash, this book will at least get you started.
I also recommend this ebook for anyone who needs a publicist or
PR agency, and wants to see what sample contracts look like. Find
out how to access the book in the post at my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8326
=====================================
4. Your Sneaky LinkedIn Profile
=====================================
Certain LinkedIn “gurus” have been teaching a sneaky little trick
on how to capture first-place listings on LinkedIn when somebody
is searching for a business person with your expertise.
They tell you to stuff keywords and keyword phrases into your
profile, to the point where it’s obnoxious.
When LinkedIn finally wakes up and realizes what’s happening, it
might slap down the offenders in the rankings, much like Google
does when it finds people trying to game the system. Or it might
simply disable the account. If you have one of these sneaky
profiles, don’t let this happen to you.
Even worse, these profiles look disingenuous and unethical.
LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth says visitors who read your
keyword-stuffed profile will know in an instant what you’re
trying to do and they might wonder, “If this person is trying to
trick LinkedIn, who else are they trying to trick?”
Publicity Hounds flooded Wayne and me with compliments after the
webinar I hosted with him in March. They asked me to bring him
back for another webinar on how-to tips for LinkedIn profiles,
Groups and advanced search.
Mark your calendars for 3 to 4:15 Eastern Time on Thursday, May
19, and register for the webinar when you get this newsletter
next week. If you can’t attend live, you can download the video
replay.
what else do you want Wayne to teach about LinkedIn. Hit “reply”
and tell me what else we should include.
If you missed the first webinar with him, it’s not too late to
start applying what he taught. Access the video replay and the
killer handouts for “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” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/linkedinpowerformula.htm
======================================
5. Help This Hound
======================================
Don Luepnitz of Norwalk, CA, writes:
“I am with the Norwalk, CA, Moose Lodge, and we can sure use some
help getting the word out and trying to get new people to come
down and or join.
“We offer dinners, breakfast, bingo, darts, full bar, a kids
room, and have fundraisers for ourselves and other charities. We
also sponsor kids’ sports teams, and we have a Facebook Fan Page
at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Norwalk-CA-Moose-Family-
Center-1739/219549031389577
“How can we use traditional and social media to attract more
members and visitors?”
The website is at http://www.norwalkmoose.org
The Publicity Hound says:
Put a Facebook button that leads to your fan page on your
website. Also, start submitting items about your events to
Patch.com, the uber-local website. There’s a Patch for
Cerritos/Artesia and that might be close enough to you for them
to accept your news items. Also see “12 More Ways to Avoid Missed
Opportunities with the New & Improved Facebook” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/facebook12ways.htm
Hounds, what ideas do you have for Don? Post them to my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8351
======================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
======================================
Here’s a silly YouTube video of Romeo the Pug playing piano:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFAy84Pesb0
======================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
======================================
Sample PR contracts included in free ebook
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8326
——————————————-
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
——————————————–
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
P.O. Box 437
Port Washington, WI 53074-0437
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451
»
April 13th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #550 April 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. Journalists’ Trick Questions
2. Cross-promote on Social Media
3. Don’t Upgrade on LinkedIn
4. For Non-fiction Authors Only
5. Help This Hound
6. Hound Photos of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. Journalists’ Trick Questions
=====================================
Let’s see how savvy you are when it comes to interviewing with
journalists.
Which of the following would you consider a trick question:
A. “What’s your annual revenue?”
B. “I know you feel uncomfortable commenting on that topic, but
how about telling me off the record?”
C. “What’s the worst business mistake you’ve ever made, and what
have you learned from it?”
Take a minute and actually write your answer on a piece of paper.
A, B or C, or any combination of the above?
As a former journalist, I’ve asked those three questions many
times.
Now, go to my blog to find out whether you’re correct:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8208
======================================
2. Cross-promote on Social Media
======================================
Now that you’re on a variety of social media sites, do your
friends, followers and fans know where to find you on other
sites?
Let’s say that after searching online for information, they end
up on one of your YouTube videos. Do you have a YouTube channel
that explains where they can find you on LinkedIn and Facebook?
Linking to the channel is easy. But, too often, we forget to
link from it. On my YouTube channel, I include links to several
social media sites from the sub-head that says, “About Me”:
http://www.youtube.com/publicityhound
I’m also revisiting my Google profile and adding links to social
media sites, like Quora, that I’ve added in the last few months.
Those are only two of 13 ways I cross-promote on the social media
sites. Read about the other 11 at my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8176
=====================================
3. Don’t Upgrade on LinkedIn
=====================================
In some LinkedIn groups, members are discussing whether it’s
worth it to upgrade to the paid version of LinkedIn.
The concensus is that unless you’re a recruiter, or you’re using
the site for a very active job search, it isn’t worth it to pay.
LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth says LinkedIn has enough other
features, like the ability to ask for an introduction, that let
you do just about anything other than having direct access to
more people.
When he was my guest on a webinar last month, he demonstrated
several ways to use the Advanced Search feature to find sales
leads within minutes. And he explained what to do with those
leads once you have them.
Regardless of your industry, if you’re not using Advanced Search,
you’re leaving money on the table. Learn more about what Wayne
taught, and how you can access the video replay and all the
materials we covered during the webinar at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/linkedinpowerformula.htm
=====================================
4. For Non-fiction Authors Only
=====================================
Have you ever wondered why some authors make a fortune while so
many others with equally good books always seem to struggle
financially?
Would you like to make a whole lot more from your own non-fiction
book(s), without a lot of work or expense?
After working with 9,300+ authors over the last 20 years, Steve
Harrison knows that rich authors simply do seven key things
differently than poor authors.
Some are very famous bestsellers, like the creators of the
Chicken Soup for the Soul series and Rich Dad Poor Dad.
Others are happily not so famous but quietly raking in high six-
figure and even seven-figure annual incomes without ever being on
Oprah or hitting any bestseller list.
To learn what rich authors know that poor authors don’t, join
Steve for a free 75-minute telephone seminar this Thursday, April
14, at your choice of two times: 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. Eastern.
There’s no cost to participate in the call, except for your
normal long distance charges. I’m a compensated affiliate.
Register here:
http://www.freepublicity.com/richauthorsecrets/?10011
======================================
5. Help This Hound
======================================
Matthew Bivens of Gainesville, FL, writes:
“I work at a startup company called Fracture at
http://www.FractureMe.com, which gives people an innovative way
to print, mount and display their personal photographs. Send us a
photo and we’ll print it on a pane of shatter-proof glass.
“We’ve been in business a little over a year, and we’ve received
press from various news and media outlets (both local and
national), and our product has been pretty well received. For
example, a TechCrunch blog post back in October 2010 drove in
hundreds of orders in a matter of hours–a huge leap from the 10
to 20 orders per day we were seeing at the time.
“We’ve had other media coverage here and there, but we have yet
to see real sustained growth. All of our focus is currently on
sales and marketing, and we’d love any advice you or your readers
can give as to different cost-effective strategies a startup can
use to gain exposure and spread the word.”
The Publicity Hound says:
Hounds, keep this in mind for all your dog photos, too!
Take a minute and post your best marketing ideas for Matthew at
my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=8200
======================================
6. Hound Photos of the Week
======================================
Thanks to Publicity Hound Meryl K. Evans of Plano, Texas, for
tipping us off to this journal of 16 photos of authors and their
dogs. They were taken by Jill Krementz, who says these top dogs
“over the years have wagged their tails into my photographs…and
into my heart.”
http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/205235
======================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
======================================
13 ways to cross-promote on social media sites
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8176
Beware of journalists’ trick questions during an interview
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8208
——————————————-
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
——————————————–
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
U.S.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737
»
March 21st, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #545 March 15, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityarticles.net/feed/rss/
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. How to Make Facebook Easier
2. 31 Definitions of PR
3. LinkedIn: Perpetual Leads Machine
4. Use Sizzling Statistics
5. Free Twitter Bird Icons
6. Hound Joke of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. How to Make Facebook Easier
=====================================
If you’re like me, you want to throw your coffee cup through the
computer monitor when you can’t figure out how to do something on
Facebook.
Why do more than 200 million people use that site, then, if it’s
so darn complicated?
Several reasons:
–Many kids, who grew up with computers and practically live on
Facebook, are patient enough to figure out all the nuances.
–Many users have Facebook accounts, but they aren’t really
active on the site because it’s too confusing. So that 200
million figure is a bit deceiving.
–Business owners, like me, use Facebook primarily for business
because we know a lot of people in our target markets are there.
We also understand the value of creating fan pages and using a
powerful “welcome” page that encourages visitors to give us their
email addresses.
That’s worth putting up with all the aggravating changes that
Facebook makes every six months or so.
The most recent batch of changes, introduced last month, offers
opportunities galore for businesses, nonprofits and government
agencies to solidify their brand.
But some of the changes are more important than others. And
trying to understand all of them at the same time can make you
crazy.
My virtual assistant, Christine Buffaloe, who manages Facebook
accounts for many of her clients, is joining me this afternoon
for a webinar on “12 More Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on
the New & Improved Facebook.” It’s at 4 p.m. Eastern Time and we
have a few seats left.
We’ll explain only what we think you need to know so you aren’t
overwhelmed, and we’ll tell you about the two things you should
no longer be doing with Facebook.
You may have heard lots of people buzzing about another new
Facebook feature. But we aren’t using it, and we’ll explain why.
You’ll learn about a new tool we discovered that will help you
find other people’s fan pages where you can post helpful content
to their walls, talk directly to their thousands of fans, and get
a link back to your own fan page–without spamming.
Register here, even if the time is inconvenient for you, because
I’m recording it, and I’ll send you the replay link and all the
handouts:
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/facebook12ways.htm
======================================
2. 31 Definitions of PR
======================================
Here’s one of my favorite explanations of the difference between
public relations, marketing, promotion and advertising:
“If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying
‘Circus Coming to the Fairgrounds Saturday,’ that’s advertising.
If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into
town, that’s promotion. If the elephant walks through the
mayor’s flowerbed, that’s publicity. And if you get the mayor to
laugh about it, that’s public relations.”
Now that you know what public relations is, how do PR people
explain what they do?
You’ll find 31 definitions of PR at Heidi Cohen’s blog at
http://heidicohen.com/public-relations-definition/
Fascinating reading.
=====================================
3. LinkedIn: Perpetual Leads Machine
=====================================
Few social media sites will keep working for you 24/7, even when
you’re asleep.
But LinkedIn will. Let’s say you’re looking for journalists who
live within a 100-mile radius of Chicago.
You plug in the details of what you’re looking for and click.
After you review the results, you can save your search.
Here’s the best part: You can tell LinkedIn to send you an email
weekly or monthly to notify you if a new journalist who meets
your search criteria has been found in your network (including
Levels 1, 2 and 3 and Groups.) You can keep up to three searches
in a free account.
It’s a perpetual leads generator. LinkedIn expert Wayne
Breitbarth recommends getting on the phone as soon as you see
that someone new has become part of your network. Set up a
meeting. It could be a home run.
Read more about what Wayne taught recently during my webinar,
“Your LinkedIn Power Formula: How to Make Killer Contacts, Pull
Crowds to Events, be a Star in Your Industry & Track Down Leads
Like a Bloodhound.”
I recorded the webinar and you can download the video replay, the
MP3 and all the handouts at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/linkedinpowerformula.htm
=====================================
4. Use Sizzling Statistics
=====================================
The next time you write a press release or a pitch, think of a
clever way you can introduce sizzling statistics to really
attract attention.
Brad Phillips uses them all the time. He publishes the Mr. Media
Training Blog, which offers daily media and presentation training
tips. And he wrote a super guest blog post for me with five
examples of how to make boring numbers come alive.
For example, percentages, he says, are a drag on your copy.
“Instead of proclaiming that your plant’s new energy efficient
manufacturing equipment will cut your company’s carbon footprint
by 35 percent, tell your audience what that means. Does your new
efficiency mean that you will save 20,000 barrels of oil this
year? Say so!”
Read the other four tips and leave a comment about how you used
statistics. Go to http://publicityhound.net/?p=7994
======================================
5. Free Twitter Bird Icons
======================================
Looking for some attractive Twitter icons to place at your blog
or website or use on your marketing materials?
You can download an entire set of six incredibly cute birds, some
with their “Follow Me” and “Tweet About Us” signs. Kudos to Gopal
Raju of Convax Solutions for offering these under Creative
Commons, which means you can freely use them for your private and
commercial projects, including software, online service,
templates and themes.
Smart Publicity Hounds can also use them in online media rooms
and press kits.
Grab ‘em now at
http://www.productivedreams.com/free-twitter-bird-icon-set/
======================================
6. Hound Joke of the Week
======================================
A police dog responds to an ad for work with the FBI.
“Well,” says the personnel director, “you’ll have to meet some
strict requirements. First, you must type at least 60 words per
minute.”
Sitting down at the computer, the dog types 80 words per minute.
“Also,” says the director, “you must pass a physical and complete
the obstacle course.”
This perfect dog specimen finishes the course in record time.
“There’s one last requirement,” the director continues. “You must
be bilingual.”
With confidence, the dog looks up at him and says, “Meow!”
DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.
BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
Http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
=====================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
====================================
How to Promote Events on Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8006
Why statistics can be your greatest PR ally–or enemy
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7994
——————————————-
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
——————————————–
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
U.S.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737
»
March 9th, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #545 March 8, 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. Don’t Fight Facebook
2. LinkedIn Sleuthing
3. Wanted: Milk Mustache Stars
4. Publicity Hound Charlie Sheen
5. What’s Your Klout Score?
6. Hound Video of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. Don’t Fight Facebook
=====================================
Just when I start feeling comfortable with the latest round of
changes to Facebook, along comes another series of new features
that throw me into a tailspin.
For example, I voluntarily converted to the new format rather
than waiting until later this month when everyone will be forced
to convert. But that places an ugly photo ribbon right at the top
of my fan page.
That’s prime real estate, darn it!
Most of the photo ribbons I’ve seen on other people’s pages
include a series of five unrelated photos that show fan page
owners posing with people they’ve met at events. The photos are
usually poorly cropped, too dark, or so small that people looking
at the page can’t identify who’s in the photo.
Nor do they care.
But I’ve figured out a way to manipulate that photo ribbon so I
use it to promote my business and bring visitors to my website,
blog, Twitter profile and even product pages–without being
obnoxious.
You can check it out by going to
http://www.Facebook.com/publicitytips
While you’re there, click on the Like button at the top of the
page. Then click on each of the five photos and see what happens.
Knowing how to use the photo ribbon to help your visitors and to
promote–and understanding what you can do with all the other new
Facebook features–will give you incredible power that you never
knew you had.
Three years ago, when I hosted the webinar “11 Ways to Avoid
Missed Opportunities on Facebook,” Christine Buffaloe, my virtual
assistant, walked participants through Facebook and demonstrated
how to use the site to attract friends and fans, join the
conversation, find your target audience and make people love you.
But that was three years ago. So much has changed on Facebook
that some of the strategies we recommended back then can actually
waste hours of your precious time due to the numerous changes on
Facebook.
I’ve fielded so many questions about Facebook’s new look and
navigation that Chris and I are hosting a webinar at 4 p.m.
Eastern Time on Tuesday, March 15. It’s called “12 More Ways to
Avoid Missed Opportunities on the New & Improved Facebook.”
If you participated three years ago, or you’re confused by any
aspect of Facebook, you owe it to yourself to take this crash
course to learn about the new tools and how to use them to
promote your expertise.
We’re even going to be sharing a cool new tool I 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. LinkedIn Sleuthing
======================================
Last week, I explained how LinkedIn’s Advanced Search Feature
serves as your own Lt. Columbo and helps you track down important
people with whom you want to connect.
But here’s the best part.
Advanced Search can deliver to you a long list of purchasing
managers, event planners, journalists, bloggers, publishers, or
other business people in almost any industry who you’d like to
meet–within just a few seconds.
Let’s say you need only names of people with a certain job title,
in a certain state, and within a 50-mile radius of a certain zip
code. Lt. Columbo can deliver that, too.
Once you see the list of results, then what do you do? One answer
is to choose someone from that list who’s a second- or third-
level connection, and then look for people who are connected to
you and to them. Ask the mutual connection to introduce you.
But what if you have no mutual connections? And what if the list
includes someone identified only by first name and last initial?
Then what do you do?
Wayne Breitbarth, who was the expert guest last week on 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,” shared a sneaky little trick
that can let you penetrate even big companies and go directly to
the decision-maker you need even if you aren’t connected to them
yet on LinkedIn.
I recorded the webinar and you get download the video replay, the
MP3 and all the handouts at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/linkedinpowerformula.htm
=====================================
3. Wanted: Milk Mustache Stars
=====================================
If you know a wholesome teen-age girl who would be the perfect
spokesperson to promote milk, tell her that she could one of the
next stars of the “got milk?” ads–complete with the signature
milk mustache.
Seventeen magazine is looking for nine teen-agers for its
campaign.
Joining these kinds of contests, by the way, is great training
for publicity puppies who might want to become full-fledged
Publicity Hounds when they grow up.
Send your publicity pups to my blog to learn more about this:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7956
=====================================
4. Publicity Hound Charlie Sheen
=====================================
Ideas for piggybacking your story idea onto the Charlie Sheen
drama:
–Parenting experts, how would you advise the parents of the two
goddesses living with Charlie? Should mom or dad try to talk some
sense into their daughters, or is it beyond too late? (I often
ask myself, where are these girls’ mothers?)
–Addiction experts, what’s your advice to alcoholics or drug
addicts who might think they “aren’t as bad as Charlie”?
–Teachers, how are impressionable kids responding to the
publicity stunts? And what are you telling them?
–Write an article on “5 Things Charlie Sheen Can Teach You About
(fill in the blank)”
Can’t think of an idea that ties into Charlie? How about stealing
an idea from “116 WOW Story Ideas from January through June” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/JanIdeas.htm
======================================
5. What’s Your Klout Score?
======================================
Klout is quickly becoming one of the most popular tools for
measuring your influence online and in social media circles.
Go to http://www.Klout.com. Type your Twitter handle into the
box and hit “View.”
Now, go through the same process for your competitors and see how
your score compares to theirs.
Your score will fluctuate a little from one day to the next, so
return periodically and check it.
Today, my score is 60 and I’m working like crazy to improve it.
======================================
6. Hound Video of the Week
======================================
This video, about three and a half minutes, has had more than 2
million views on YouTube. It features an exercise instructor who
looks like a poodle and her obedient students–a pack of poodles
that look like the exercise instructor.
Is this an optical illusion? How do think they made this look so
lifelike? It starts slow, but stay with it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdX_OBUeHb4
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…
====================================
Girls, you could be the next Milk Mustache star
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7956
Publicity Hounds are still posting dozens of comments to my piece
on whether to accept a journalist’s invitation for an email
interview:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7900
——————————————-
Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
——————————————–
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the
Week” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include
the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website or you told me you want to subscribe.
Privacy Statement:
The Publicity Hound respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy at http://www.Publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm
================================================
Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
U.S.
Phone: 262-284-7451
Fax: 262-284-1737
»
March 2nd, 2011 by JStewart in Publicity Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #543 March 1, 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. LinkedIn: Your Own Lt. Columbo
2. More Facebook & Twitter Followers
3. Email Interviews with Reporters
4. For Authors & Publishers Only
5. Promoting a BBQ Restaurant
6. Hound Quote of the Week
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. LinkedIn: Your Own Lt. Columbo
=====================================
Stop waiting for your ideal customers and clients to invite you
to connect with them on LinkedIn.
Go find them.
LinkedIn’s Advanced Search feature is like having your own Lt.
Columbo right at your fingertips.
And it could very well be the most powerful feature on the
world’s largest business networking site. If you know how to
search correctly, your efforts just might lead you to a company
that’s looking for what you’re selling.
Wayne Breitbarth, who sells office furniture in Milwaukee, told
me two amazing stories about the power of Advanced Search.
His company used it to track down a Milwaukee company that needs
to buy a truckload of office furniture. One thing led to another,
and now Wayne’s company is vying with one other vendor for the
contract, thanks to LinkedIn.
In another instance, one of Wayne’s friends who sells promotional
items was trying to get into a sizable company in the Madison
area for years but direct mail and phone calls proved futile.
Using LinkedIn’s Advanced Search function, Wayne was able to
track down the correct department that was looking for vendors.
But who within that department was the right person to contact?
Advanced Search to the rescue once again. He found the right
person, and his friend was able to submit a bid for a $1 million
contract.
Wayne has become such an expert on LinkedIn, that he’ll be
speaking at Inc. magazine’s Growco conference in Las Vegas in
April.
He’s also agreed to demonstrate how to use Advanced Search, and
many other LinkedIn features, when he’s my guest during a webinar
at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, March 3.
It’s called “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.” His handouts include 12 ways
to use LinkedIn to promote live or virtual events.
Learn more about the webinar, how to register, and what else
you’ll learn, at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/linkedinpowerformula.htm
======================================
2. More Facebook & Twitter Followers
======================================
During Thursday’s LinkedIn webinar, I’m going to share a trick I
discovered last week on my own.
It started with a wild idea on how I can use LinkedIn to attract
more Twitter followers and Facebook fans.
It worked like a charm. I saw a nice little bump in the number of
people who are now following me on both of those sites.
Here’s the best part. I’ve figured out a way to make sure this
task doesn’t take more than about 10 seconds of my time each when
I use it.
I ran it by Wayne Breitbarth and he loved it!
You will too. But I’m sharing it only with people who sign up for
the webinar.
Register here:
http://www.Publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/linkedinpowerformula.htm
=====================================
3. Email Interviews with Reporters
=====================================
The blog post I wrote yesterday on whether to accept invitations
from journalists who want to interview you by email resulted in
more comments to my blog than I can ever remember.
Would you allow a reporter, editor or freelancer to send you a
list of questions, then include your email responses in an
article, without every talking to the interviewer on the phone?
Take a minute and really think about your answer.
Then go to my blog and see if your decision is the right one:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7900
Tell me in the comments section if you think I’m wrong.
=====================================
4. For Authors & Publishers Only
=====================================
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, tomorrow, March 2, for a free
webinar (or telephone seminar) and discover the ingenious, yet
simple “bestseller blueprint” you can use to sell more books in a
week than most authors sell all year.
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
I’m promoting this call as a compensated affiliate because I get
a glut of phone calls from authors who can’t park in their
garages that are filled with cardboard boxes of books they can’t
unload.
======================================
5. Promoting a BBQ Restaurant
======================================
This week, eight Publicity Hounds have advice for Michael Smith
of Philadelphia. Michael’s brother owns a BBQ restaurant for
take-out and delivery only and needs ideas on how to market it to
people in the Philadelphia area. The motto, emblazoned on T-
shirts and the menus, is “Dig the Pig!”
From Debbie Gioquindo:
“Claim your business on FourSquare and offer some promotions with
the badges. Also create a Facebook page, and post promotions and
specials daily. You can even target clientele in your small
target area. Follow that with a Twitter account to begin to
create relationships with the neighborhood.”
From Dale Hutchings:
“Sponsor a contest to name the pig.”
From Ron Wood:
“Send your discount offer to the editors of (local) publications.
I was an editor for a long time and was always looking for a way
to help my readers.”
The Publicity Hound says:
Here are my two ideas. First, make sure local Harley Owners
Groups (HOGS) know about the “Name the Pig” contest.
Then, get your restaurant onto Yelp. It’s a review site, where
people post reviews of local restaurants, bars, nightclubs, etc.
Don’t solicit good reviews because that’s against Yelp’s Terms of
Service. Rather, let customers know you’re on Yelp. Put “See us
on Yelp” on receipts, flyers, signs near the cash register, etc.
Yelp is one of “50+ Places Online to Promote Your Live or Virtual
Events to Reach Your Target Market & Pull Sell-out Crowds.” It’s
a video recording of a wildly popular webinar I hosted a few
months ago that packed the virtual house. Learn more about it at
http://www.publicityhound.com/events.htm
======================================
6. Hound Quote of the Week
======================================
I talk to him when I’m lonesome like,
and I’m sure he understands.
When he looks at me so attentively,
and gently licks my hands
Then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes,
but I never say naught thereat.
For the good Lord knows I can buy more clothes,
but never a friend like that.”
–Author W. Dayton Wedgefarth
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…
====================================
Authors, the media don’t care about your books
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7886
Use LinkedIn to attract more fans on Twitter, Facebook
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7895
Email interview with journalists? Yes or no?
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7900
——————————————-
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
——————————————–
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Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
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================================================
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
»