The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week » Stomper.net

Publicity Tips—Traditional PR Fading Fast

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

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

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Traditional PR Fading Fast

2. 50+ Places to Promote Events

3. Twitter’s New Look

4. Seven Things Rich Authors Know

5. Carve a Pumpkin & Get on TV

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you agree with the findings?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don’t end up with them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Monica Piper

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

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

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

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

Great fodder for retweeting:

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

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

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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,
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Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips—How Topsy Can Help Your Blog

JStewart — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:27:30 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #496 March 16, 2010
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net/ (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. How Topsy Can Help Your Blog

2. Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Luck

3. What Publicity Superstars Know

4. When Your Links Won’t Open in Gmail

5. Marketing an Expert on Mold

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blogs…

=======================================
1. How Topsy Can Help Your Blog
======================================

When you see scads of people tweeting about your competitors and
their great blog posts, do you ever just sit there and wonder,
“How do they manage to attract so much attention?”

Stop wondering.

Head over to Topsy at http://www.topsy.com/. You can use this
search engine to do some competitive intelligence, and find out
fairly quickly exactly which of your competitors’ topics are
causing the buzz. Then, start writing about those topics
yourself, or pitching them to the media, so you can capitalize on
the market insights your competitors have identified or stumbled
onto.

There are several other ways to use this site:

When you search for something on Topsy, such as “health care
bill,” Topsy finds snippets of conversations on Twitter that
match what you’re looking for. It returns to you a list of things
people link on for that search term.

Topsy ranks its results based on how well they match your search
terms and–here’s the important part–the influence of the people
talking about them. Topsy has pages for every person it listens
to, and it lists the things each person has been talking about.

My friend, social media marketing expert Don Crowther, wrote a
great blog post about 5 ways to use Topsy to help your blog at
http://tinyurl.com/howtousetopsy

Use his tips and then, check out what Patsi Krakoff has to say
about “Time-saving Tips for Smart Business Blogging.” She covers
all the basics for beginning bloggers and shares lots of tips for
advanced bloggers, including 101 places to find content for your
blog. Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/businessblogger

=========================================
2. Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Luck
=========================================

When you send an email to your list of customers or contacts, it
isn’t unusual to learn that only 12 percent of the people who
receive it open it. Only 12 percent!

Compare that to the whopping 95 percent open rate that’s easy to
achieve when you send a text message to people’s mobile phones
telling them about a new product or service, or giving them a tip
that will solve a problem or make their lives easier.

Starting with a single blog post, a retail store in California
generated online publicity and made $20,000 in a mere three hours
last year by using a combination of a compelling offer, text
messages, email and social media. It didn’t pay a penny for
print, radio or Internet ads.

Here’s the kicker. The people who stood in a line that snaked
around the store even before the doors opened weren’t allowed in
unless they showed proof of the text message they received. All
others were turned away.

If you know how to incorporate mobile messaging into your
marketing campaign, and you’re in front of your prospects on
their mobile phones, your competitors who don’t have the first
clue how to do what you’re doing will be out of sight, out of
mind, and out of luck.

Download the quick case study of the success story above,
courtesy of StomperNet, and see the replay of last week’s webinar
from Dan Hollings, the guy who created the mobile marketing
campaign for “The Secret.”

http://tinyurl.com/out-of-luck

========================================
3. What Publicity Superstars Know
========================================

Jen Groover launched her career making Butler Handbags that
organize women’s essentials in little compartments inside each
purse, much like the utensils compartment inside your dishwasher.

In February and March this year, her media appearances include
stints on MSNBC’s “Your Business,” FOX Business’s “Happy Hour,”
the “Good Morning Colorado” radio show and ABC News. She appeared
on FOX Business’s “Your Questions Your Money,” “Washington
Business Tonight” on News Channel 8 in D.C., and Better TV.

Jen became a regularly featured lifestyle expert on the Fox News
Channel and the Early Show as well as scoring coverage in
hundreds of print media outlets including O the Oprah Magazine,
Redbook, US Weekly, Success and Entrepreneur, and then, used that
coverage to catapult her business to sales of over $10 million a
year.

One reason she landed so many media appearances is that she’s
able to tell a compelling story of how she refused to listen to
her friends, relatives and industry experts who pooh-poohed her
idea for a well-organized handbag.

But she does far more than just tell stories. On Thursday, you’ll
hear about the secrets that she and other media superstars know
about, like how to become a sought-after news source and guest on
radio and TV talk shows, even with no fancy credentials or
academic degrees.

The free 90-minute webinar titled “Discover the Secrets of the
Publicity Superstars,” hosted by Steve Harrison (I’m an
affiliate), will be broadcast at 2 and 7 p.m. on Thursday, March
18. If the times are inconvenient, recruit somebody to listen and
take notes for you. Register at
http://www.freepublicity.com/superstars/?10011

=====================================
4. When Your Links Won’t Open in Gmail
=====================================

If you’re sending emails to the media, bloggers and others who
use Gmail, but few people are responding, or they’re complaining
that the links won’t open, it’s because of a change Google made
recently.

For a URL to be a live link in Gmail, it cannot have a capital
letter after “http://” without using “www.”

That means links like http://PublicityHound.com aren’t live. But
http://publicityhound.com/ is.

Read more about it, and watch the video that explains it all, at
Alex Mandossian’s blog at http://ow.ly/1lq20

Now that you know how to configure your links, learn how to send
great email or telephone pitches. Raleigh Pinskey shows you “How
to Create the Perfect 30-Second Pitch.” She is the MASTER of
pitches, and she shares her secrets. Learn more at
http://tinyurl.com/30secondpitch.

======================================
5. Marketing an Expert on Mold
======================================

This week, 10 Publicity Hounds have tips for Susan Murphy of
Pleasant Ridge, MI on how to promote her client, Connie Morbach,
an expert on mold.

From Julie Gabrielli:

“Join the U.S. Green Building Council and get active in your
local chapter. They usually have ongoing monthly programs, so you
could do a session on mold. They also have a huge, yearly
conference (15,000 to 20,000 people), and you could submit a
proposal as a speaker.”

From Doreen Overstreet:

“Not sure who your target audience is, but I bet the National
Apartment Association’s publication (and others like it) would be
interested in using her as a resource or running any of her
articles. Many in the industry are interested in learning more
about this subject–and preventing it.”

From Don Power:

“Your client could talk about how to safely remove small amounts
of mold encountered in the upcoming spring cleaning ritual.
Millions of people do this every spring and it is almost
guaranteed you will encounter some mold (but not enough to call
in a professional removal company). Therefore, there is a real
need to know how to remove small amounts of mold safely and your
client could address that!”

The Publicity Hound says:

Connie should refer to herself everywhere as a “mold expert.”
This should appear on the title bar of the home page of her
website, in her bio, in press releases, in the mini-bios she
writes at the social media sites–everywhere she has info about
her background. And she should buy a profile in “Expertclick: The
Online Yearbook of Experts” at
http://www.Expertclick.com/Referral/PublicityHound (I’m an
affiliate).

Read all the responses to this week’s “Help This Hound” question
http://ow.ly/1g9z9

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

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

This week’s question is from me:

Almost every Tuesday, without fail, during the last decade, my
readers and I have been sharing our best tips in this newsletter.

If it’s Tuesday, and it’s Christmas, the ezine arrives via email
on Christmas Day, and the other 51 Tuesdays of the year.

In just a few weeks, on April 16, I’ll publish Edition Number
500,and I’m looking for a clever promotion or contest that will
engage current readers, create a buzz on the social media sites,
and attract new subscribers.

Because I’m knee-deep in three other projects, I’m not even sure
I’ll have time to pull this off. But I’d be crazy not to ask my
Hounds for help.

What can I do to promote the newsletter, pull in new readers,
attract attention for the archived issues at
http://www.publicityarticles.net/, encourage people to submit
questions for Help this Hound, and make this a really fun
celebration?

Submit your best ideas to my blog at http://ow.ly/1mX4z and
retweet if you’re so inclined.

And then send your “Help this Hound” question to me at
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound.
I have only one left, and I’ll include it here next week.

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

In an upscale pet-supply store, a customer wanted to buy a red
sweater for her dog. The clerk suggested that she bring her dog
in for a proper fit.

“I can’t do that!” The owner said. “The sweater is a surprise!”

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

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

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

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

Consider retweeting these blog posts:

How engaging is your blog? 17 metrics to measure
http://ow.ly/1hbuK

Pros & cons of using Facebook, Twitter geo-location features
http://ow.ly/1hizB

How to generate publicity from Pi Day
http://ow.ly/1lrRS

————————————

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

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

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

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips—Grade Your LinkedIn Credibility

JStewart — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:03:33 +0000

           The Publicity Hound’s
              Tips of the Week
           Issue #469 Sept. 15, 2009
            Publisher: Joan Stewart
       mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
          http://www.PublicityHound.com
       http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.PublicityArticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Grade Your LinkedIn Credibility

2. Help Celebs Deal with Anger

3. Twitter: A Giant Garbage Dump?

4. Test-drive Stompernet for Free

5. Publicizing Zombie Stories

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

=====================================
1. Grade Your LinkedIn Credibility
=====================================

If you’re answering questions on LinkedIn to promote your
expertise, good for you.

But don’t make the mistake I’ve been making. At times, I’ve been
creating the impression that it’s all about me.

Yesterday, for example, I answered a question from somebody who
wanted to know how to use press releases to promote his
consulting services in anger management.

I wrote a detailed answer (see Item #2 below). Then, at the
bottom of the answer, where I could offer three links to websites
where he could learn more about press releases, I offered three
links to my own websites.

LinkedIn also gave me the chance to name other experts on press
releases. But I didn’t.

A few hours later, I realized my mistake when I read the
excellent article “7 Ways to Have Character (and Show It) on
LinkedIn” at http://budurl.com/5jd2

It was written by LinkedIn expert Scott Allen, who says it isn’t
all about me or you. It’s all about giving before we take, and
offering other resources and experts that can help our LinkedIn
connections solve problems that are bugging them.

I used his article to grade my own credibility on LinkedIn. As a
result, I’ll be doing three things differently:

–Writing recommendations for my LinkedIn connections without
being asked.

–Responding more quickly to requests for introductions.

–Referring people whose questions I answer to other websites and
experts.

Read Scott’s article, and grade your own credibility. Then read
more about what he taught during the teleseminar I hosted with
him on “How to Use LinkedIn to Promote Anything–Ethically and
Powerfully” at http://budurl.com/44×8

======================================
2. Help Celebs Deal with Anger
======================================

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, tennis champ Serena Williams and rapper
Kanye West have just handed you three fabulous opportunities to
piggyback your pitches onto big news events.

Anger management experts, etiquette consultants, therapists,
sports coaches and others should be tying their tips to the
recent problems experienced by Wilson’s “You lie!” outburst,
Williams’ potty mouth threat at the US Open, and West’s obnoxious
interruption onstage at the MTV Awards ceremony.

Some ideas worth pitching:

–When is “I’m sorry” enough?

–What constitutes an appropriate apology?

–Should politicians, sports stars and music celebs be held to a
higher level of behavior than the rest of us?

–What does their bad behavior teach us about anger management?

–When somebody loses their cool in public, what does it tell us
about their character?

See “Special Report #50: How to Piggyback onto Celebrity News to
Promote Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue” at
http://budurl.com/qat2

=======================================
3. Twitter: A Giant Garbage Dump?
=======================================

Are you so disgusted with the garbage that flows into your
Twitter feed, that you sometimes feel like you’re knee-deep in a
stinky, fly-infested landfill?

Some days, I am.

Most of the tweets I see tell me to download a free ebook. Or
register for a teleseminar. Or ask me if I want 10,000 more
Twitter followers in just a few weeks.

Those automated “thanks for following me” messages are so overtly
promotional that I dread reading them.

Other followers bore me with annoying chatter about what’s going
on in the coffee shop where they’re tweeting.

Some talk nonstop about humorous things their cute kids have
done. Others offer a steady stream of pithy quotes from
celebrities, experts and gurus.

A few lazy authors and speakers offer nothing more than one-
liners taken directly from their books or speeches.

But I plod on, slogging through the garbage, because
occasionally, I come across a little nugget–usually a helpful
tip or a link to a content-rich article–that makes it all
worthwhile.

All the topics I’ve mentioned above, including humor, are
perfectly acceptable on Twitter, and your followers may actually
welcome them. But knowing the right formula for the kinds of
things to tweet, and how often, separates the Twitter “must-
follows” from the Twitter “unfollows.”

My new business partner, Jeanne Hurlbert, an expert on social
media and surveys, has been collaborating with me the last five
months on a new learning tool that will give every Publicity
Hound who uses it their own customized formula for participating
in social media, not just Twitter. It’s for social media newbies
who haven’t dipped their toes into the water yet, and for
Publicity Hounds who are already using social media but don’t
know what they don’t know.

The process we’ve developed for customizing our training–
depending on your level of expertise, interests and hobbies–is
so specialized that we’ve even applied for a patent.

I’ll keep you posted as soon as we’re ready to launch. In the
meantime, follow both of us on Twitter at @PublicityHound and
@MySurveyExpert and watch what we’re tweeting. You’ll find
valuable clues about what we’ll be teaching.

========================================
4. Test-drive Stompernet for Free
========================================

Before Jeanne and I launch the social media learning tool
mentioned above, we need to solve a few knotty problems with how
we market and deliver it.

As a member of Stompernet, the world’s largest membership site
for Internet marketers, I took advantage of yesterday’s Faculty
Office Hour to present our questions to two top Internet
marketers.

Their feedback will keep us from making three major mistakes.
They also gave us several creative solutions we never would have
thought of on our own. The faculty calls, held four times a week,
are one of the most valuable benefits of a membership.

Several Publicity Hounds have joined Stompernet, based on my
recommendation. But many more have complained that the $800-a-
month membership is too expensive.

Stompernet has taken note of those complaints and revised their
membership structure. Next Tuesday, you’ll be able to join for as
little as $200 a month.

But don’t take my word for it. Test-drive Stompernet, and watch
seven days worth of webinars on topics like social media, search
engine optimization, article marketing, keyword research and
niche marketing. In all, you can get 40 pieces of content at no
charge–training courses, mega tutorials and free software.
There’s something for everybody.

Test-drive Stompernet at http://budurl.com/zqrs to get a taste of
what you’ll get when you join. And find out more about the 11
cool tools that come with a membership.

If you have any questions about this, feel free to email me at
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=StompernetQuestion

=================================
5. Publicizing Zombie Stories
=================================

This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips for Karma Bennett, a
publicist for Ulysses Press. Her company is publishing a
compilation of zombie stories, and she needs ideas on how to
publicize the book.

From Jena Zakany:

“Do what Universal Studios did when it first announced the
upcoming Harry Potter ‘theme park within a theme park,’–go to
the bloggers.” (Read my free article “Let Bloggers Create
Publicity for You” at http://budurl.com/s6xx )

From Ryan Mecum:

“There’s a book, The Living Dead, that sounds exactly like your
book, which did really well in sales. The author went to zombie
conventions and horror conventions to help promote it.”

From Bruce Jones:

“We are becoming such a video world, and YouTube is becoming so
powerful, that I would recommend reading excerpts from some of
the stories onto video and publishing them on line. At the end of
the video, send the viewer to a website for more information or
how they can buy the books. Also put the text in the description
area to attract Google.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Read all the responses to this Help This Hound question at
http://budurl.com/ujvz

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

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

Suzanne Wood of Raleigh, NC asks:

“I’m starting an after-school writing academy to help kids in
grades 8-12 improve their writing. Services include tutoring and
workshops on topics such as writing the college application
essay.

“I’m having trouble figuring out how best to market this academy,
because most parents rely on word-of-mouth recommendations for
tutoring and instruction, and I haven’t generated enough momentum
yet for that to be effective. Besides, I can’t afford advertising
yet.

“Can your Hounds offer some creative ideas for promoting my
classes?”

The Publicity Hound says:

Here’s my idea. Sponsor a writing contest for kids, and convince
a local merchant to donate a cool prize in exchange for a little
publicity. Ask kids to write an essay on a really fun topic.
Write a press release and submit it to your local newspapers.

I know my readers can come up with ideas better than that one.
How about it, Hounds? Help Suzanne fill her classes by posting
your best ideas to my blog at http://budurl.com/3f5n

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

Thanks to BL Ochman of New York, New York for this one:

I pulled into a crowded parking lot at the Pinecrest Plaza
Shopping Center and rolled down the car windows to make sure my
Labrador Retriever Pup had fresh air.

She was stretched full-out on the back seat and I wanted to
impress upon her that she must remain there. I walked to the curb
backward, pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically,
“Now you stay. Do you hear me? Stay! Stay!”

The driver of a nearby car gave me a strange look and said,”Why
don’t you just put it in park?”

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

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

————————————

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

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

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

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

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

Publicity Tips – Newspaper Closings? Ho-Hum

JStewart — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:44:17 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #442 March 17, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 41,750

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn’t subscribe, you
can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the
newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free
publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their
reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more
products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

***********************************************

Speakers: Hit the Continuing Education Market

Many of my friends who are professional speakers says it’s harder
than ever to get paying gigs because companies are trimming their
training budgets, and meeting planners are bringing in industry
experts who are often willing to waive their fees.

It’s time to tap into the lucrative market of continuing
education. Tom Antion is hosting a paid teleseminar called “CEU
Secrets Revealed: How to Sell Your Knowledge for Big Bucks in the
Continuing Education Market” at 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, March
19. His guest is Doug Bench, a former judge who retired from law
and started teaching continuing education classes for Florida
homebuilders. He’s bringing in over 7 figures in revenue each
year, and he’ll share all the ins and outs of selling your
knowledge as CEU credits both online and off.

If the time is inconvenient, sign up anyway because the first 200
registrants will get a copy of the CD.

Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/ako5×7

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

1. Newspaper Closings? Ho-Hum

2. Thanks for Taking My Survey

3. A Handy Twitter Formula

4. Backgrounders Educate Reporters

5. ‘Window Shopping’ for a Retirement Home

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

========================================
1. Newspaper Closings? Ho-Hum
========================================

Fewer than half of Americans surveyed by the Pew Research Center
say that losing their local newspaper would hurt civic life in
their community “a lot.”

Even fewer, one in three people, say they would personally miss
reading the local newspaper a lot if it were no longer available.

Those are among findings of the latest weekly News Interest
Index, conducted March 6-9 by the Pew Research Center for the
People & the Press.

The survey also shows that more people say they get local news
from local television stations than any other source. About two-
thirds (68 percent) say they regularly get local news from
television reports or television station websites, 48 percent say
they regularly get news from local newspapers in print or online,
34 percent say they get local news regularly from radio, and 31
percent say they get their local news, more generally, from the
Internet.

You can read more about the survey and see all the results at
http://tinyurl.com/agy3h3

Close on the heels of the survey results was yesterday’s
announcement by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that it’s stopping
the presses and experimenting with a web-only edition of the
paper. The 118,000-circulation daily is keeping only 20 of its
journalists to work on the online edition, and laying off 145
others.

An article in the Wall Street Journal says the smaller digital
edition will no longer be a catch-all of local and national news
and features. Instead, it will cover local events and publish
blogs and columns from staff, readers and prominent local
citizens. It also plans to link liberally to other news sources
in the Seattle area.

What does this mean for Publicity Hounds in Seattle? (If you live
elsewhere, pay attention. The same thing might happen to your
local daily newspaper.)

–Newspapers like the Post-Intelligence will be hungry for
content, including letters, opinion columns and even video.

–They might even start calling on “citizen journalists,”
including local bloggers, to report on news and events. No longer
will you have to genuflect before the media gatekeepers. Anyone
with a computer or a camera can report the news.

–Hounds no longer will be able to rely on their local
metropolitan paper for major publicity. Consider pitching your
local business journal, which is probably on more solid footing
than your local daily. And, of course, continue to pitch local TV
stations.

–If you’re not on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other social
networking sites where your target audience is gathering for much
of their news, start right now.

BL Ochman, a prolific blogger who creates social networking
campaigns for her corporate clients, says “the social media train
has left the station.” She was my guest during a recent
teleseminar on “How to do Social Networking, Run a Business &
Still Have a Life.”

It’s available as a CD, MP3 or an electronic transcript that you
can download and be reading as soon as your order has been
approved. Read more about how to chase after the train and hop
aboard at http://tinyurl.com/6kswbc

======================================
2. Thanks for Taking My Survey
======================================

If you want to know what your customers think of your products or
services, don’t sit around and guess. Ask them.

That’s what I did when I emailed the link to my Customer Profile
Survey to more than 50,000 Hounds this month.

The response was fabulous, and I learned that many of you who
took the survey are more patient that I’ll ever be.

We chose the vendor for this survey after a lot of research. But
the company dropped the ball and threw so many technology
roadblocks in your way that many of you bailed out before
completing it. Some of you were “frozen” on a particular page and
couldn’t move. Others couldn’t make it onto the thank-you page to
get the code for $40 off their choice of products.

Scott Buffaloe, one of my customer service managers from Serenity
VA Services, and Jeanne Hurlbert, my wonderful consultant who
helped me write the survey, personally contacted dozens of Hounds
who emailed and called for help. We think we’ve resolved all the
problems but we want to be 100 percent sure. Please email Scott
at mailto:scott@serenityva.com if you had trouble using the
coupon, or Jeanne at mailto:hurlbert@optinetresources.com if you
have questions about the survey.

Just when we thought all the glitches were solved, the vendor’s
entire system crashed one day last week. Miraculously, we have
retrieved all the survey results, and we’re in the process of
analyzing them.

Why am I telling you this? Because 94 percent of the people who
took the survey ranked my customer service 8, 9 or 10 on a scale
of 1 to 10.

Part of good customer service, I believe, is to explain problems
that occurred, why they occurred, and what I’ll do to make sure
they never happen again.

From time to time, I’ll be asking you to take much shorter
surveys but I promise you I will not use the same vendor. Survey
Monkey, another popular survey service, doesn’t quite fit our
needs. I’m curious about companies you recommend. If you survey
your customers regularly and you’ve found a great vendor, drop me
a line at mailto:jstewart@PublicityHound.com and let me know.

I’ll be sharing some of the survey results through press
releases. If you take surveys, or you’re thinking of taking them,
recycle the publicity over and over again. My ebook “How to be a
Kick-butt Publicity Hound” gives you hundreds of ideas on how to
generate buzz for whatever you’re promoting and gives you an
excellent bird’s-eye view of all your opportunities. The 2009
update includes seven new chapters on how to use social
media to promote.

Learn more about the book at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity/publicityhound.htm

===========================================
3. A Handy Twitter Formula
===========================================

Confused about what to tweet about on Twitter?

Do you hate those “what I ate for lunch” tweets and vow you’ll
never write them, but you can’t think of much else to say that
your followers would find interesting?

Here’s a helpful tip from Perry Belcher, who accumulated more
than 52,000 Twitter followers in only 128 days. At the Live7
event hosted by Stompernet, the Internet marketing membership
group earlier this month, Perry shared his formula for the
content of his tweets:

–30 percent: Tips that help make people’s lives better

–10 percent: Information that keeps them informed

–30 percent: Anything that makes people laugh (He says
http://www.Fark.com is a great site for humorous content)

–25 percent: Compliments and praise

–5 percent: What you’re doing

Have you been writing most of your tweets about what you’re
doing? If so, try this formula and see how much more quickly
people start following you.

Granted, this takes a little more time and discipline. But I’m
sure it’s the reason Perry has been able to attract such a huge
following so quickly. You can follow him on Twitter at
http://Twitter.com/perrybelcher and you can follow me at
http://twitter.com/PublicityHound

Yes, you can use Twitter to promote. But you have to do it much
more subtly than the way you promote in other venues. Twitter
expert Warren Whitlock gives you the step-by-step process on “How
to Use Twitter to Amass an Army of Followers, Customers &
Valuable Contacts–and Promote.” It’s available as an electronic
transcript and your choice of CDs or MP3s. Publicity Hounds raved
about the two teleseminars I hosted with him several months ago
because his advice helped shorten their Twitter learning curve.

Read more about how to use Twitter to promote at
http://tinyurl.com/3lbcaw

=======================================
4. Backgrounders Educate Reporters
=======================================

If a complicated story is about to break within your industry,
consider hosting a backgrounder, a one-on-one meeting with a
journalist and others who might cover it.

The March 16 issue of PRWeek magazine says backgrounders are
particularly helpful in the health industry, where stories about
new drugs, diseases and devices can be difficult for journalists
to understand. Backgrounders help educate reporters who aren’t
under the pressure of deadlines.

Radi Medical Systems, for example, invited a reporter from the
Wall Street Journal who wanted information about cardiology
procedures, to a hospital to watch a procedure and speak with
cardiologists.

AstraZeneca has been hosting media briefings on various cancer
topics the last few years.

Briefings also let companies control which reporters they speak
with and which spokespeople they provide.

You can also use briefings to educate the editorial boards of
newspapers because they’re the ones who decide the positions that
the newspaper will take on certain issues. Sometimes an hour-long
briefing with a group of editors can help you gain their support
for a cause or issue you’re promoting.

Afraid of meeting with a group of journalists? Don’t be.

During a teleseminar I hosted, I explained exactly how to contact
them, ask for a meeting of the editorial board, what to take with
you and what to say. “How to Use Newspaper & Magazine Editorial
Boards” is available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you
can download and be reading as soon as your order has been
approved.

Read more about editorial boards and backgrounders at
http://tinyurl.com/5wh45

========================================
5. Window Shopping for a Retirement Home
========================================

This week, 10 Publicity Hounds have tips for Keri Gerlach, the
marketing director of Clement Manor, a retirement community in
Greenfield, WI. She’s looking for ways to encourage families to
“window shop” now for long-term care for their aging parents.

From Barry Lebow:

“Look up http://www.seniorsrealestate.com which is the Senior
Real Estate Specialist website. It identifies Realtors who are
dedicated to working with Baby Boomers and their parents. Get a
list of members within, say, 50 miles of your location and invite
them for a special tour of your facilities. Work with the
Realtors who are in the field, create a program for them and
welcome their referrals. Make it easy for them to recommend you
by sponsoring a lunch, have a speaker on a subject relating to
seniors and real estate (will and trusts?). Keep them in the loop
and on your mailing list.”

From Patricia C. Vener:

“Keri, have you heard of Eons? It?s an online social media group
for people over, I think, 50 or so. You’d be surprised at how
many early Baby Boomers are pretty computer-savvy.

“You might also look into those health fairs that are often
sponsored by newspapers, Chambers of Commerce, and other health-
oriented businesses.

Finally, offer an open house affair with a dinner (or coffee and
dessert) and a presentation, kind of like what the vacation
share companies do.”

From Alan McBride:

“I worked for a radio station with a 55+ audience and we put on a
Seniors Expo. This involved all the retirement villages but it
would be just as easy to hold the event at yours. Invite funeral
parlous, local tour operators–in fact, anyone who provides a
service. Each person buys time on the radio over eight weeks and
gets a stall. Radio stations love you, providers love you. Even
invite Scouts and guides to generate goodwill to the elderly.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Keri, how about using the Milwaukee Craigslist regularly to
attract the attention of Baby Boomers and others? You can share
tips on how to choose a retirement community, create short videos
and offer the links on Craigslist, and even do video interviews
with some of your residents. Nancy Mills, an expert on how to use
Craigslist, was my guest during a teleseminar and she shared all
of her time-saving tips on how to take advantage of the world’s
giant classified ad bulletin board.

“How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool” is available
as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be
reading as soon as your order has been approved. Read more about
how to get started on Craigslist at http://tinyurl.com/geog2

The Publicity Hound says:

Read all the responses to this week’s “Help This Hound” question
http://tinyurl.com/bgep5b

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

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

Mitchell Teplitsky of New York, NY writes:

“I am self-distributing a documentary to the home video and
institutional markets.

“I do my own PR, but as one-man band, it’s too much. I’m thinking
of trying to find an intern or PR firm pro bono. The benefit:
They’ll get to work with and learn how to independently market a
film (few can do it well).

“The movie tells the story of two women raised in different
worlds–an immigrant folk dancer from the Andes, and a modern
dancer from Queens, NY–who return to Peru to reconnect with
roots and an astonishing world of traditional dance and
celebration. You can learn more about it at
http://www.soyandina.com/

“Do your Hounds have any suggestions on where I might look? Are
there any sources you can recommend to find people?”

The Publicity Hound says:

Many companies and nonprofits are looking for PR interns this
time of year, so you’ll be up against some stiff competition to
lure the right person.

My Hounds who have used interns will be able to offer some great
shortcuts. Hounds with tips for Mitchell can post them to my blog
at http://tinyurl.com/cecogs

But don’t just hire an intern then send them off on their own.
They need guidance, training and mentoring. I can help. My
teleseminar series on “How to Help Your Boss or Client with a
Publicity Campaign” is an in-depth course on how to do
publicity–perfect for summer interns, virtual assistants, or
anybody who works in a PR capacity and needs help understanding
fairly quickly the best ways to promote any product, service,
cause or issue.

It’s available as CDs, MP3s or electronic transcripts–all with
handouts. Read more about how to train your assistant at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/PHU_AssistantsCourse.htm

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

Dear God:

Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the
mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not ONE
named for a dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around?

We do love a nice ride! Would it be so hard to rename the
“Chrysler Eagle” the “Chrysler Beagle”?

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

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

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

==================================
8. And at My Blog…
==================================

Gardeners, USA Weekend wants photos of giant fruits, veggies
http://tinyurl.com/crkgkb

—————————————

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

Publicity Tips – Rate Cards are for Dummies

JStewart — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:43:22 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #441 March 10, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 42,004

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

******************************************

If You Missed Taking My Survey:

If you took my customer profile survey, a thousand thank-yous. So
many of you are using your $40 coupons to order products that
it’s gotten to the point where the post office clerks hate to see
my customer service people walk through the door.

If you tried to take the survey but the screen froze up or you
bailed out because of other technical glitches, you can try again
using this link. We’ve fixed the glitches and the survey will let
you pick up where you left off:
http://www.PublicityHound.com/customerprofilesurvey.htm

If you took it but still haven’t used your $40 coupon, you have
until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, March 13, to do so.

Problem taking the survey? Email Scott, my customer service
manager, at mailto:scott@serenityva.com

In the next few weeks, I’ll be digging into the data and your
comments to see what you like, what you don’t like, what you
want, and where I can improve.

Your support, suggestions, ideas and loyalty make my job the best
in the world. And for that, I’m grateful–and one doggone happy
Hound.

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

1. Rate Cards are for Dummies

2. Use Twitter Hash Tags for Publicity

3. Promote Social Networking Sites Offline

4. Another Oversized Check–Ugh!

5. How to Promote ‘Going Green’

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

========================================
1. Rate Cards are for Dummies
========================================

As newspapers march toward the graveyard, smart Publicity Hounds
see the parade as a golden opportunity to buy advertising at
dirt-cheap prices.

At Stompernet’s Internet marketing conference in Atlanta over
the weekend, publicity expert Don Crowther reminded us that rate
cards are for dummies. Never, ever pay the full ad rate listed on
the card.

“Always negotiate,” Don says.

Desperate newspapers will sometimes accept a rate far below
what’s on the card. Or they’ll make you pay the full rate but
give you two ads for the price of one.

Another way to save, Don says, is to buy remnant ads.

When newspapers or magazines have extra ad space at the last
minute because another advertiser has pulled out, they might let
you have it at bargain-basement prices. Don says he has bought
remnant ads in the New York Times for 10 percent the price on the
rate card.

If you’re buying a remnant ad, you’ll be expected to provide the
copy for it almost immediately, and you’ll also have no control
over where the ad is placed.

Don’s rate card tips work equally well for college newspapers
which, by the way, have a very loyal readership among an audience
that doesn’t read daily and weekly papers. Since the start of the
current school year, daily newspapers at several major colleges
have cut back their publication schedule to one edition a week–
usually on Friday–because of weak advertising.

Everybody wants publicity you don’t have to pay for. But when you
have to buy an ad in the traditional media, check out “Special
Report #48: Smart Tips for F~ree, Cheap and More Effective Ads.”
It give you lots of value advice for only $10. Read more about it
at http://tinyurl.com/dhe7r4

======================================
2. Use Twitter Hash Tags for Publicity
======================================

If you’re planning a special event like an industry convention or
a speaking engagement, even a teleseminar, invite the Twitter
community to buzz about it.

At the opening session, announce from the stage that audience
members who tweet about the event should use a hash tag, and then
tell them what it is.

A hash tag is the character # followed by a short word that
describes the event, or a particular topic, on Twitter.

For example, at the Stompernet Internet marketing event I
attended over the weekend, audience members were asked to mark
their tweets by typing “#Stompernet” within each one.

That makes it easy for other attendees, and even people who
didn’t attend the event, to go to Twitter’s search box at
http://search.Twitter.com and type in “#Stompernet” and find all
the tweets about the event.

You might be asking: Why would Stompernet want the rest of the
world to take advantage of information at an event that only
members and their guests can attend?

Here’s why:

–It creates interest in their membership site. I guarantee that
if you search for all the “#Stompernet” tweets and read them, you
will find at least three tips you can start using today to
increase your bottom line. Membership is currently closed, but if
you go to http://tinyurl.com/a6j4pw and give them your email
address, they’ll notify you when it opens.

–Of the 500+ people who attended the Stompernet event, many
tweeted about it. Each of those people has an army of followers.
Some of those followers might think the tips are so valuable that
they’re worth “retweeting,” thereby exposing millions more people
to Stompernet.

–No more whining that “The Daily Tattler didn’t cover our event,
boo-hoo.” By using hashtags, you turn your entire audience into
journalists and let THEM report on the event for you. Often,
their reach on Twitter will be far greater than the reach of many
top-tier media outlets like CNN and the New York Times. Plus,
those tweets live online forever, just waiting for the search
engines to find them.

There are lots more ways to use hash tags for publicity. Tell us
how you use them by adding comments to my blog post at
http://tinyurl.com/cjr3ot

===========================================
3. Promote Social Networking Sites Offline
===========================================

Don’t get so caught up tweeting on Twitter, uploading videos to
YouTube and finding friends on Facebook that you forget to let
the offline world know where they can find you at these sites.

The next time I order business cards, I’m adding this to the back
of the card:

Follow me on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/PublicityHound

Connect with me on LinkedIn at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound

Be my friend on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joan_Stewart/541605146

You can also add your “how to find me” social networking
information to printed brochures, paper and plastic bags,
receipts, invoices, catalogs, calendars, books, print
newsletters, stationery, postcards, handouts, product packaging,
annual reports, print media kit, CD and DVD labels, notepads and
print advertising.

I’m also adding those phrases to the bottom center of every page
at my website, along with all my other contact information.

Social networking leaving you overwhelmed? Join the crowd. Learn
time-saving tricks and tools on “How to do Social Networking, Run
a Business & Still Have a Life.” BL Ochman, a giant in social
networking circles, explained how during the teleseminar I hosted
with her a few months ago.

It’s available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can
download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.
Read more about her tips at http://tinyurl.com/6kswbc

===================================
4. Another Oversized Check—Ugh!
===================================

If I see one more oversized cardboard check in a local newspaper
or on TV or at somebody’s website…I’ll…I’ll…

I’m not sure what I’ll do, but it won’t be pretty.

Please stop planning those schmaltzy check-passing ceremonies,
shooting photos of oversized checks and then offering the photos
to the media.

And while you’re at it, no more boring ribbon-cutting events with
those giant cardboard scissors. You can do better.

As for ground-breaking ceremonies, nobody is breaking much ground
these days for new construction projects. But if you do, please
don’t subject your audience to the equally monotonous
groundbreaking ceremony. You know the kind—a dozen suits in
hard hats, all lined up from left to right, each one posing with
a foot on the spade.

Need I say more?

Dan Collins has created dozens of fun, exciting events that
really generate buzz for Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Md.
He explains how you can take his own ideas and apply them to
whatever you’re promoting. “Fun Alternatives to Boring Ground-
breakings, Ribbon-cuttings and Check-passings” is available as a
CD or electronic transcript.

Read more about how to banish these cliche events forever, even
if your boss insists that you “do what you’re told,” at
http://tinyurl.com/7cl6z

====================================
5. How to Promote ‘Going Green’
====================================

This week, six Publicity Hounds have tips for Colleen Schmid of
Heathrow, Fla. on how she can promote her consulting business
that shows homeowners and companies how to “go green.” She asked
for ideas on how she can tie in to Earth Day on April 22.

From Joel Prunty:

“Being green is a popular story line already. How about twisting
it into a St. Patrick’s Day story? That way, you don’t have to
compete with all the other green Earth Day stuff.”

From Jeff Rutherford:

“Many politicians from the right and the left are seeing the
wisdom in going green. Why not try to coordinate with a local
politician–you’ll go through their home, accompanied by a
reporter from a local TV station or newspaper, of course, and
discuss all the ways that they could improve their homes to go
green.

“If you get turned down by local politicians, what about other
local community leaders?”

From Meryl K. Evans:

“How about using Twitter to provide one green tip per day,
building up to the big reveal on Earth Day? After all, one tip
per day is doable for families and doesn’t overwhelm them. With
each tip, they’ll think, ‘Oh, is that all it takes? I can do
that.’

“Then put all the tips in one blog post or article to distribute
in its entirety on Earth Day.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Colleen, how about pitching your story on March 20, the first day
of spring? Demonstrate how people can go green while doing their
spring cleaning. Many local TV stations have those morning
news/feature shows that would welcome this story. Check out TV
producer Shawne Duperon’s tips on “How to Get on the Local TV
News Tomorrow.” It’s available as a CD or electronic transcript
you can be reading as soon as your order is approved.

Read more about what you’ll learn at http://tinyurl.com/4zpuz

Read all the answers to last week’s Help This Hound question at
http://tinyurl.com/besbzg

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

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

Keri Gerlach of Greenfield, WI writes:

“I’m the marketing director for Clement Manor, a retirement
community at http://www.ClementManor.com

“My biggest challenge is a limited budget and limited resources
targeting long-term care and assisted living. Not many folks are
out there touring facilities until they have to, and given the
economy, most are waiting even longer to sell their homes.

“More specifically, I’d like ideas on how to encourage families
to ‘window shop’ now so that when the time comes for their
parents, they’ve done their homework and have an idea about what
facility they might choose. The sons and daughters we are seeing
are in their mid-60s.”

The Publicity Hound says:

OK, so where do people in their mid-60s hang out? How about it,
Hounds? How should Keri be directing her marketing efforts? Any
niche social networking sites for over-50 people in Wisconsin?
Share your best ideas at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/bgep5b

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

Buy a dog a toy and it will play with it forever. Buy a cat a
present and it will play with the wrapper for 10 minutes.

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

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

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

==================================
8. And at My Blog…
==================================

How to use Twitter hash tags for promotion, publicity
http://tinyurl.com/cjr3ot

—————————————

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:

March 16–Teleseminar on Internet Marketing

I’ll be Marilee Tolen’s guest from 8 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time for
her teleseminar series “Introduction to Internet Marketing” for
nurses, healers, coaches and holistic professional solopreneurs.
If this is your niche, and you’re tired of running after the next
client, this is the training session for you. It starts Feb. 23.
Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/dl3xhm

PERMISSION TO REPRINT:

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

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

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

PRIVACY STATEMENT:

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

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

Publicity Tips – How About a Little Good News?

JStewart — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:42:14 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #440
March 3, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 42,341

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you
told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn’t subscribe, you can
unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the
newsletter.

******************************************

My Survey is Being Emailed Now:

During the next several days, you’ll receive my Customer Profile
Survey. Complete it, and you’ll get $40 off of any products or
services I sell, by March 13. Your name will also be entered in a
drawing for a Kindle 2, the new wireless reading device that
Amazon sells for $359. If the winner doesn’t want the Kindle,
I’ll send an Amazon gift certificate for that amount.

We’re already tabulating responses, and the results are
illuminating. I’ll share them with you in a few weeks once all
the surveys are tabulated.

If you’ve already completed yours, thank you! Your honest
feedback will help me improve this newsletter and every other
aspect of doing business with me.

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

1. How About a Little Good News?

2. It’s Square Root Day

3. 3 Teleseminars to Help You

4. The Advantage of Freelancers

5. Ugly Patio Furniture

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

====================================
1. How About a Little Good News?
====================================

You and I aren’t the only ones sick of bad news.

TV news producers are sick of it too. That’s what my friend, TV
producer Shawne Duperon, told me a few days ago. We were talking
about the demise of the Rocky Mountain News, one of Colorado’s
two biggest daily newspapers.

“Are things as bad in the TV industry as they are at newspapers?
“I asked her.

“It’s not even the same conversation,” she said. “Everything is
fine. But TV people are sick of all the gloom and doom.

“What does that mean to Publicity Hounds?

Pitch good news stories:

–My local newspaper had a story on Page 1 yesterday about how a
little small-town bank, where the bosses commute to work on foot,
is doing just fine, thank you, while bigger financial
institutions are grabbing bail-outs right and left. That bank
might never have received front-page publicity in a boom economy.
But today, it’s the exception to the rule.

–Has your family found creative ways to skirt high grocery
bills? Are you and the kids cooking more instead of eating out
and, in the process, learning more about each other? If so, pitch
lifestyle reporters, bloggers, and explain your own story at your
blog.

–My friend opened The Chocolate Chisel, a gourmet chocolate shop
in my town of Port Washington, Wisconsin a few weeks ago. When I
asked her if she had second thoughts about opening in this
economy, she said no. While creating her business plan with her
partner, they researched the history of chocolate and learned
that it’s one product that does well during bad times. People
might not be able to afford a $300 day at the spa, but a $10
sample pack of gourmet chocolates makes the world right again. I
told her that’s a terrific angle she ought to pitch.

–Moore Oil Company in Milwaukee has its own economic stimulus
plan. President Scott Haag is offering employees $2,000 if they
buy a new car, or $1,000 for a used car. “It’s just a gift.
There’s no there’s no payback,” he said. “It’s tough out there,
and a little positive news today goes a long way.

“Indeed. That story made it onto the local ABC station’s news last
night.What good news story can you pitch? If you’re having trouble
identifying it, you can learn all their inside secrets about what
TV stations want. Shawne Duperon was my guest during a
teleseminar on “How to Get on the Local TV News Tomorrow.” We
recorded it and it’s available as a CD or an electronic
transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your
order has been approved.

Read more about how to get your story onto TV at
http://tinyurl.com/4zpuz

Learn three more ideas on how to piggyback your story idea onto
the economy by joining my “Friends of The Publicity Hound”
Facebook group at http://tinyurl.com/bawp2z

In the next day or two, I’ll email the group with more ideas on
how to piggyback your story ideas onto the economy.

====================================
2. It’s Square Root Day
====================================

Today is Square Root Day, a holiday celebrated on dates where the
day and the month are both the square root of the last two digits
in the current year.

For example, the last square root day was March 3, 2009 (3-3-09),
and the next square root day will be April 4, 2016 (4-4-16). The
final square root day of the century will occur on September 9,
2081 (9-9-81). Square root days fall on the same nine dates each
century.

Ron Gordon, a Redwood City, California high school teacher, first
created the day for 9-9-81. He’s the official PR person and sends
press releases to media outlets around the world.

There’s even a Facebook group devoted to Square Root Day at
http://tinyurl.com/d7gz39 and it has more than 2,600 members.
Many of them have written wall posts that explain how they’re
celebrating.

For all you foodies, one suggested way of celebrating the holiday
is by eating square radishes, or other root vegetables cut into
shapes with square cross sections.

If you think this is silly, check out the mountains of publicity
Square Root Day has received throughout the world:
http://tinyurl.com/ak4hjs

Now quite smirking. Go over to Chase’s Calendar of Events at
http://www.Chases.com and create your own holiday, or your own
day, week or month of the year by clicking on “Submit an Entry”
on the left side of the screen. You have until April 15 to submit
an entry for the 2010 printed edition.

Once you’ve created your day, use it as a springboard to pitch to
the media. When Dan Janal interviewed me about how to pitch, I
explained all the ways sources caught my attention with their
pitches when I worked as a newspaper editor. I shared them all in
the recording “Secrets of Perfect Pitching.”

It’s available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can
download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.
Read more about how to pitch the right way at
http://tinyurl.com/s3tyx

===================================
3. 3 Teleseminars to Help You
===================================

–”Media Star Power: How To Become a Celebrity and a Media
Darling All at the Same Time,” with Tom Antion and Judy Jernudd.
Judy is a former Los Angeles talk show host who has interviewed
presidents, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Selleck, Tom Cruise, Regis
Philbin, Larry King, Barbara Walters and hundreds of other
superstars. At 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, March 5. This is a
paid teleseminar. Register at http://tinyurl.com/ako5×7

–”Best-seller Blueprint–How To Make Your Book An Almost Instant
Best-seller and Sell Tons of Copies Even if You’re A Marketing
Novice,” with Steve Harrison, Randy Gilbert and Peggy McColl. At
2 or 7 Eastern on Thursday, March 5. Register for this
complimentary call at http://tinyurl.com/ccdbb7

–”How to Create Your own Strong Economy This Year with Online
Information Marketing,” with Alexandria Brown, The Ezine Queen,
on Thursday, March 5. Learn 5 ways to recession-proof your
business. Register for this complimentary call at
http://tinyurl.com/bnh627

=====================================
4. The Advantage of Freelancers
=====================================

How many freelance writers have you built relationships with this
past year?

How many freelancers are you trying to court this year?

Publicity Hound Pam Lontos of PR/PR at http://www.prpr.net says
getting to know freelancers has paid off big.

Her company pitched one if its clients, Dr. Kenneth Christian, a
psychologist and author of “Your Own Worst Enemy,” to a writer at
Self Magazine a few years ago.

The writer, a freelancer, was going to interview Dr. Christian,
but the magazine decided to kill the story. The writer also wrote
for Parade magazine and decided to write the whole story for
Parade around Dr. Christian’s new book. In fact, she needed more
sources so she ended up using another one of PR/PR’s clients, Dr.
Pamela Brill, author of “The Winner’s Way.” The story skyrocketed
the ranking for both authors’ books on Amazon.

Dr. Christian’s new book jumped from 35,000 to 35. Dr. Brill’s
book, which was available pre-sale, jumped to 300 before it was
even released.”

Be helpful and give the media more story ideas and resources
than they ask for,” Pam says. “You never know which small town
newspaper writer also writes for a major media outlet.”

“Special Report #40:42 Publicity Tips for Authors and Small
Publishers” shows you how to target niche markets, position
yourself as an expert and pull the media and others to your
website. Only $10, and you can download it as soon as your order
has been approved. Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g

====================================
5. Ugly Patio Furniture
====================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Jill Cranford of
Livermore, Colo., on how to publicize her “Ugly Patio Furniture”competition at http://tinyurl.com/auhj8e

From Tonya:

“I am a huge fan of design, especially green design and I have a
Google reader full of design blogs. I would recommend that Jill
put together a little blurb about the competition along with some
photos of her products, and submit them to different design
blogs. I have a bunch of them in a list if she’d like to email
me, but she can go to Google and type in ‘design blog’ and she
will find a ton of them.”

From Hendry Lee:

“These competitions are all over the place within Twitter. Zappos
has done it successfully, as well as solopreneurs.

“Nothing allows you to interact with your target market more
directly than Twitter. With the power of retweets, your info
can go viral. Not to mention that it makes a good case study for
many bloggers to write about, increasing your publicity even
more.”

The Publicity Hound says:

I love those ideas. Twitter expert Warren Whitlock shows you “How
to Use Twitter to Amass an Army of Followers, Customers &
Valuable Contacts–and Promote.” My teleseminar series with him
is available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can
download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.

Read more about all the ways you can use Twitter at
http://tinyurl.com/3lbcaw

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

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

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

Colleen Schmid of Heathrow, Fla. writes:

“I’ve recently started a new business teaching families how to
start going green in their homes. I go through their homes and,
room by room, show them what things they can be doing to save on
power and water bills as well as removing toxins. I will also
begin showing small businesses how to do the same.

“Earth Day is on April 22, and I’m trying to come up with a big
idea to get media attention for my business. It’s so critical
that we all become aware of what we’re are doing to harm our
environment, waste precious resources and pollute. It’s also
important to show people how living green saves them money and
takes care of our Earth.

“Can your Hounds thing of some powerful ways for me to tie my
business into Earth Day for some publicity?” Her website is at
http://green-colleen.com

The Publicity Hound says:

Some media people say they’re suspicious about green pitches
which seem to be everywhere. So my Hounds need to come up with
some really clever angles for you, Colleen. Hounds with tips for
Colleen can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/besbzg

==================================
7. Hound Quote of the Week
==================================

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.- Andy Rooney.

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

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

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

===================================
8. And at My Blog…
===================================

Hiring a VA to book speaking gigs sends a bad message
http://tinyurl.com/akmxfv

—————————————

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:

March 6-8–Atlanta, Ga.
I’ll be at the Stompernet Live 7 event. If you’re going, let’s
meet for coffee.

March 16–Teleseminar on Internet Marketing

PERMISSION TO REPRINT:

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

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

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

PRIVACY STATEMENT:

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

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

Publicity Tips – Grand Slam Giveaway

JStewart — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:40:00 +0000

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

Circulation: 42,573

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop

http://www.publicityarticles.net/archive/

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

******************************************

Complete My Survey, Get a $30 Coupon & Chance to Win a
Kindle:

I’ll be sending 500 readers of this newsletter, chosen randomly,
my customer satisfaction survey as soon as it’s ready later this
week. If you complete it, you’ll get a $30 coupon good for any
products or services I sell, and your name will be entered in a
drawing for a Kindle 2, the new wireless reading device that
Amazon sells for $359.

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

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

1. Grand Slam Giveaway

2. Don’t Ask to Review an Article

3. How to Recycle Publicity

4. 2 Events for Hounds

5. Promoting a Farmer’s Market

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Was I wrong to ask? Yes or no?”

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

Here’s what I told her:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–I tweeted about it at Twitter.

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

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

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

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

–I’m writing about it here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From LisaMarie Dias:

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

From Michael Carr:

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

From Tara Bright:

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

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

The Publicity Hound says:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lori Feldman of St. Louis, Mo. writes:

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

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

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

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

The Publicity Hound says:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

===================================
8. And at My Blog…
===================================

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

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

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

—————————————

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:

March 6-8–Atlanta, Ga.

I’ll be at the Stompernet Live 7 event. If you’re going, let’s
meet for coffee.

March 16–Teleseminar on Internet Marketing

PERMISSION TO REPRINT:

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

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

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

PRIVACY STATEMENT:

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

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

Publicity Tips – Put Your Pet in the White House

JStewart — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:33:58 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #434 Jan. 20, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 43,628

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

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

1. Put Your Pet in the White House

2. The Real Power of Your Press Release

3. Formula Five is Live

4. Still Not Blogging?

5. Promoting Sensitivity Training

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Video of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

===================================
1. Put Your Pet in the White House
===================================

When the party’s over tonight, you just know that Malia and Sasha
will start pestering mom and dad for that puppy.

How about giving the First Family a taste of what the White House
will look like if they choose a pet just like yours? Heck, let’s
make your pet the Official Obama Pet–right now!

Head over to Pawfun.com, a new custom photo T-shirt site for pet
lovers and participate in the Obama spoof that lets you super-
impose a photo of your pet, and then send it as an e-card.

That’s what I did this morning. You can see Bogie, my German
Shorthaired Pointer, peeking out from under the president’s
outstretched arm, to the left of the photo, at
http://www.pawfun.com/ecards/?c=210

While you’re at the site, how about ordering a T-shirt that shows
your pet with its new owners?

Talk about perfect timing. Social media expert BL Ochman and her
partner, Caimin Jones, launched the site late Saturday night.
Since then, eager pet lovers have sent the e-cards more than
4,500 times.

Create your own card at http://www.pawfun.com/promo/

“While there’s no shortage of T-shirt sites, our goal is to make
ours more fun than the rest,” BL said. “And we’ve picked a niche
we’ll go deep into instead of trying to be all things to all
people. That’s because the Internet, and increasingly the world,
is a niche-or-be-niched place these days.”

She and her partner will be using all the social media tools on
Pawfun.com that they’re always trying to get their Fortune 500
clients to try–but now they’re the client.

What an incredibly clever tie-in to today’s world event. BL
always keeps me posted on what she’s doing, and I’ll share her
success stories with social networking, and anybody else’s, here.
(Hint: Send me your success stories.)

BL, by the way, presented a content-rich teleseminar a few months
ago on “How to do Social Networking, Run a Business & Still Have
a Life.” If you follow her on Twitter at @whatsnext, you’d swear
she spends all her waking hours tweeting. But launching a
business eats up hours upon hours, so BL has had to create
shortcuts for keeping Twitter and the other social networking
sites in which she participates within her control–so they don’t
control her.

You can order the electronic transcript or MP3 audio of our
teleseminar and download them as soon as your order has been
approved, or you can choose the CD. Read more about how to save
time and your sanity during social networking at
http://tinyurl.com/a6guxq

=======================================
2. The Real Power of Your Press Release
=======================================

How much power do you really have to promote your product,
service, cause or issue with the lowly press release?

If you’re hoping to generate a major story in the traditional
media, not much. That’s because journalists despise them and
delete nine out of 10 press releases. A big story usually
requires a customized pitch, not a one-size-fits-all press
release.

If you’re hoping to catch the attention of bloggers, consumers
and those on the social media landscape, quite a bit. But only if
you throw most of the old press release writing rules out the
window.

For example, in the old days, we absolutely could NOT write a
press release that smacked of promotion or it would repel
journalists. Today, however, smart Publicity Hounds use the press
release to give away information and tips, and then link to what
they’re promoting at their websites–not with just one link high
in the release but with several links throughout.

That tactic means you can completely bypass traditional media and
go straight to the decision-makers who will find your release, if
you’ve written it correctly, when Googling.

If you’re new to releases, or you’ve been writing them for years,
sign up for my free email tutorial “89 Ways to Write Powerful
Press Releases.” It’s an intensive 12-week course delivered by
email. Stick with it right to end and it will be like you’ve
earned a master’s degree in writing and distributing releases.
You’ll know more about the topic than most professional PR
people.

I’m honored that the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary under the
Department of Homeland Security is using the course to train its
communications officers at the grassroots level through an online
training site. Deputy Chief Tom Nunes of the Public Affairs
Department says they’re even creating quizzes for students as
part of the course. Cool!

Haven’t taken the tutorial yet? Sign up at
http://tinyurl.com/pressreleasetutorial or buy the entire course
in a handy ebook for only $27. You can read the long, long list
of glowing testimonials from happy Hounds who loved it and are
already generating fabulous publicity as a result.

========================================
3. Formula Five is Live
========================================

For the last several weeks, I’ve been raving about “Formula
Five,” the business building program that’s perfect for any
business, regardless of what you’re selling.

Now, the wait is over.

The shopping cart opened yesterday for “Formula Five.” It was
created by Paul Lemberg, who shared dozens of take-away tips
during the teleseminar with him that I hosted for several hundred
Publicity Hounds on Jan. 8.

You can pick up your copy of Formula Five here:
http://tinyurl.com/PaulLembergFormulaFive

Because the package includes ongoing support, there are limited
spots in the program.

Business owners just like you have already earned tens of
thousands of dollars only using 1/20th of Formula Five. Today,
you can be one of the first to get the whole enchilada so you
can start doubling your business this year.

Even if Formula Five isn’t within your budget right now, at
least check out the package of videos on the page, take good
notes and start tweaking your business to make more money
starting today.

P.S. This is a no-brainer. Just hope your competitors haven’t
heard about it.

=======================================
4. Still Not Blogging?
=======================================

Attention bloggers, or those who are just creating a blog.

Learn proven tips on how to drive thousands more visitors to your
blog, sell your products and services there, and write compelling
posts that build a loyal customer following and position you as
an expert.

Here’s the best part. You don’t have to be a techie.

Join me as I interview Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The
Blog Squad, during a free teleseminar called “Boost Your Biz with
a Blog” from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Jan. 26.
Register at http://www.blogsquadteleseminars.com/joan/

==========================================
5. Promoting Sensitivity Training
==========================================

This week, five Publicity Hounds have tips for Pegine Echevarria
of Jacksonville, FL, who is launching a licensed training program
called “White Guys Are Diverse Too!” She is looking for ideas to
capture the interest of corporate and government chief diversity
officers.

From Candy Tutt:

“In all honesty, I would recommend changing the title of the
project. While it is catchy, it will be perceived as separatist
and off-putting to many people. Our society still tends to tip
the scales in favor of “white guys” and the program title
perpetuates a feeling of cultural superiority.

“If, in your experience white guys tend to walk out of D&I
programs thinking they are excluded and not valued for the unique
individualized impact that they bring, perhaps the D&I sessions
are not geared to reaching the very people at whom they are
aimed.”

From Kevin Gaydosh:

“Constant portrayals by the news media and popular culture as
Walter Kowalskis or Archie Bunkers displays a prejudice–yes,
prejudice–that is perhaps the biggest fear/largest turn-off that
the target audience has with much diversity training.

“Also, I’m not in HR, but an earlier Hound might be correct in
suggesting a name change. While an arresting, attention-getting
and (to some) a cute/funny title, it’s doubtful that many Fortune
500 companies are going to post that seminar up on their Intranet
or in the employee break rooms precisely because of the title.

“Perhaps it would be best if you pitched your program under a new
(PC) moniker but touted it as being better than the competition
because you do pay particular attention to this often
‘overlooked, under appreciated’ group.”

From Dal Jeanis:

“You might want to contact companies, especially minority-owned
companies, that do diversity (or cultural sensitivity) training.
Provide each company with two f~ree copies of your book. If they
add your book in as, say, one-third of a course, then you’re
golden.

“One current events hook you can use to promote your mix is the
following: With Obama’s success, pre-existing diversity programs
are going to need major retooling. Are they needed at all?
Diversity trainers say yes, some pundits say no, and Pegine
Echevarria says no, but they need to address all the
consistencies of diversity.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Pegine, how about going over to LinkedIn and using the question
and answer feature to generate some additional feedback and
exposure for your training? I wouldn’t post the identical
question you asked in Help This Hound, but there are lots of
other things you could ask about.

Scott Allen, a LinkedIn expert, says the Q&A feature is a
fabulous way collect information and let the world know what
you’re doing. But you have to use it correctly. He explained how
during the teleseminar I hosted with him on “How to Use LinkedIn
to Promote Anything–Ethically & Powerfully.”

It’s available as electronic transcripts and your choice of MP3
audios or CDs. Read more about what you’ll learn at
http://tinyurl.com/5zvzyd

Read all the responses to this week’s Help This Hound question
at http://tinyurl.com/829jv3

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

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

Beth Stafford of Concord, N.C. writes:

“I am an artist working in collaboration with my dog to produce
some of the wildest, most colorful and joyous abstract art
around.

“Our label is ‘PiCassieO,’ combining her name (Cassie) with an
artist name (obviously) who represents the human half of the team
(me). We have a store at CafePress which opened in July. It is
so far non-profit, even though the merchandise is really great!

“I have been attempting to promote it on my own website and
through our blog, but am spending too much time on nonproductive
promotion and not enough on the art. I need a few quick, simple
tips to get the ball rolling.

“Warning: My budget is ‘thread’ instead of ’shoestring,’ and I’m
a disaster at social networking on the web. Help!”

The Publicity Hound says:

To quote BL Ochman, mentioned in item Number One above, the
social networking train has already left the station. If you’re
not onboard now, you’ll get eaten alive by your competitors who
are. I highly suggest you read the transcript or listen to the
audio recording of the teleseminar I conducted with BL on “How to
do Social Networking, Run a Business & Still Have a Life” at
http://tinyurl.com/a6guxq

But that’s not all you can do. Hounds with great ideas for Beth
can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/7jqucq

==================================
7. Hound Video of the Week
==================================

Save this video to watch on one of those Days from Hell when you
need a pick-me-up or something to make you smile.

It’s a CBS report from a few weeks ago on the Animal Odd Couple–
an 8,700-pound elephant named Tarra and her best friend, Bella
the dog.

http://tinyurl.com/8v2bza

Thanks to Publicity Hound Kim Condrin for sending it.

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

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

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

===================================
8. And at My Blog…
===================================

Let’s meet at Stompernet event March 5-8 in Atlanta
http://tinyurl.com/94vmvn

How Twitter can help you fix your toilet
http://tinyurl.com/8lcjvt

————————————–

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:

Wednesday, Jan. 21–Teleseminar

Join me for the third annual smARTist telesummit where
photographers, jewelers, potters, painters, metalworkers,
woodworkers and other artists will learn all the secrets for
growing their art business. I’m presenting a session on how to
use social networking, from 2 to 2:45 Eastern Time on Wednesday,
Jan. 21. Sorry, but registration is closed. You’ll have to wait
until Ariane Goodwin offers the training as a product.

Monday, Jan. 26–Teleseminar

“Boost Your Biz with a Blog,” from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern on Monday,
Jan. 26. Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad,
will explain how to draw more traffic and boost more sales from a
blog. You’ll also learn about the biggest mistakes bloggers make
and how they sabotage their own success. Register at
http://www.blogsquadteleseminars.com/joan/

PERMISSION TO REPRINT:

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

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

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

PRIVACY STATEMENT:

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

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

Publicity Tips – It’s Not About You

JStewart — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:32:17 +0000

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #433 Jan. 14, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 43,767

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity
Hound website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me
that you want to subscribe. If you didn’t subscribe, you can
unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free
publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation,
position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products
and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

******************************************

Teleseminar: Build a Better Blog

Attention bloggers, or those who are just creating a blog. Learn
proven tips on how to drive thousands more visitors to your blog,
sell your products and services there, and write compelling posts
that build a loyal customer following and position you as an expert.

Here’s the best part. You don’t have to be a techie. Join me as I
interview Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad,
during a free teleseminar called “Boost Your Biz with a Blog”
from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Jan. 26. Register at
http://www.blogsquadteleseminars.com/joan/

*****************************************

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

1. It’s Not About You

2. The Power of Surveys

3. Sell Books by the Truckload

4. Create Your Own Holiday

5. Promoting a Book on Marriage

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog…

===================================
1. It’s Not About You
===================================

Trusting the wrong doctor almost killed motivational speaker
Edward Leigh of Cleveland, Ohio.

In 1997, at age 39, Edward started having abdominal pains. His
doctor prescribed Pepto-Bismol. The doctor then performed a
sigmoidoscopy, which came back normal.

During the next two and a half years, his condition worsened and
included nausea, dizziness and rectal bleeding. His doctor
recommended that Edward continue with over-the-counter
medication.

When his symptoms became so severe that he collapsed on the
bathroom floor, he sought help from another doctor who ordered a
colonoscopy. The diagnosis: Stage III Colon Cancer.

The initial test he had, a sigmoidoscopy, is a partial colon exam
that views only the left portion of the colon. The complete colon
exam, the colonoscopy, found his right-sided tumor.

After his surgery and chemotherapy, Edward joined the Colon
Cancer Alliance and later joined a colon cancer listserv via the
Association of Cancer Online Resources.

In March 2000, when “Today” show host Katie Couric was creating
her series called “Confronting Colon Cancer” following the death of
her husband from that disease, Katie’s producer contacted the
Colon Cancer Alliance seeking people who had been diagnosed
and survived.

Edward stepped forward.

“The producer interviewed me, checked back with Katie who was
the decision maker, and she said ‘Bring him to New York.’ A week
later, we did the taping and I was part of Katie’s week-long series
that won a Peabody Award.”

From there, the publicity snowballed to include:

–An appearance on “Mystery Diagnosis” on the Discovery Health
Channel which is now being repeated on the Learning Channel.

–An interview with Montel Williams in March last year. You can see
it at http://tinyurl.com/9xsvy3

–Numerous requests for speaking engagements and consulting for
the health care industry. Today, Edward teaches doctors how to
communicate better with their patients. He also helps patients
become their own health care advocates.

He said he uses many of the tips he reads in this newsletter to
pitch media large and small. Even though he has a compelling
story to tell, he follows his own advice when pitching.

“Don’t be focused on your own agenda. You have to be focused on
your topic and the media outlet’s audience when you’re talking to a
producer. It’s not all about you. If you make it all about you, that’s a
death sentence as far as the media is concerned.”

Ditto when the cameras are rolling. TV talk show host Connie
Dieken, who also hails from Cleveland, says that if you’re bombing
on the air, producers will cut the interview short and hustle you out
of the studio–pronto–before you can do any more damage.

But why take that chance?

Know exactly how to endear yourself to the host and the producers
and get invited back. Connie explained how when she was my
guest during a teleseminar on “How to be a TV Talk Show Host’s
Dream Date.” It’s available as a CD or an electronic transcript that
you can download and be reading as soon as your order has been
approved.

Read more about what you’ll learn at http://tinyurl.com/3z7ut

Edward, by the way, says he’ll be glad to answer colon questions
from Publicity Hounds if you contact him at
mailto:Edward@EdwardLeigh.com

===================================
2. The Power of Surveys
===================================

If knowledge is power, then surveys are like a giant jackhammer in
your marketing toolbox.

You can take a fun, controversial or timely survey and report results
to the media and to consumers.

Or, you can do what I’m doing and survey your customers to see
what else they need from you that you’re not currently providing.
That survey should be ready for you in a few weeks, and I’ll even
reward you with some cool stuff to encourage you to complete it.

Business consultant Paul Lemberg says too many business
owners are obsessed with chasing down new leads when they
should be spending some of that time also figuring out how to sell
more products and services to their existing customers. That’s one
of his five formulas for any business that wants to double its
business this year: sell more stuff to the same people.

During last week’s teleseminar on “5 Ways to Double Your
Business in 2009,” Paul explained that you don’t need an elaborate
survey like the one I’m creating. Instead, one phone call to just one
customer can result in valuable information that can lead to new
products and services.

In fact, he suggests just one short question and he tells you
exactly how to word it. About 200 people joined us on last week’s
call and heard Paul’s other valuable advice on how to raise prices in
a meltdown economy, one task to do at the beginning of every day
that will make your business soar, and a really clever way to reward
your customers for bringing you new leads, without breaking the
bank.

You can read more about his tips and listen to the replay at my
blog at http://tinyurl.com/9fzrq9

Paul’s Formula Five series of videos and checklists will be available
soon from Stompernet at http://tinyurl.com/a6j4pw where you’ll find
an entire series of videos on this program, and dozens of take-away
tips you can start using today.

========================================
3. Sell Books by the Truckload
========================================

Too many authors try to sell books the hard way. They look for
10,000 customers so they can sell 10,000 books.

It’s sometimes a lot easier to sell all those books–or even 100,000
books–to only one customer.

How? By searching for companies that typically buy books in mass
quantity and give them away as free “premium incentives” to
encourage people to buy their products. Many of these same
companies:

–Give away the books as thank-you gifts to people who buy other
products and services.

–Use the book to thank members or subscribers who renew.

–Rely on the book to help train their employees.

Matthew Bennett has used this simple strategy as an unknown,
self-published author to sell more than 5 million books.

He has written books on health, pets, fitness and inspiration and
then sold them in quantity to companies like Disney, Reebok,
NBC, Abbot Labs, Pfizer, US Healthplans and Subway.

Steve Harrison is hosting a free one-hour teleseminar with Matthew
on Thursday, Jan. 15, at your choice of two times. If you cannot
make either call, find someone who can listen and take notes for
you.

Matthew will share his tips on how he sold more than 80,000
copies of an inspirational book in just one phone conversation.
He’ll also explain how you can tie in with major charities like the
March of Dimes and the American Heart Association to sell
truckloads of books and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for
charity. You’ll also learn the three things you absolutely must arm
yourself with before ever pitching your book.

Like most free teleseminars, Steve is hoping that after you listen to
the call, you’ll buy their consulting services to learn how to do this
in detail. So just sit back, relax and listen.

Click here to continue reading about what you’ll learn and to sign
up: http://www.freepublicity.com/mattbennett/?10011

=======================================
4. Create Your Own Holiday
=======================================

If you haven’t created your own holiday, or your own day, week or
month of the year, you’re missing out on the chance to generate
tons of print, broadcast and online publicity.

Take a look at some of the cool holidays that members of the
National Speakers Association have created. I found this list in the
current issue of NSA’s Speaker magazine:

–Steve Hughes created “Be Kind to Lawyers Day” the second
Tuesday in April.

–Laura Stack created “National Leave the Office Earlier Day” on
June 2 to promote her book, Leave the Office Earlier. It coincides
with her birthday. Problem is, so many media outlets want to
interview her that she ends up working 12 hours on her birthday just
to accommodate them all.

–Publicity Hound Michelle Nichols created a wildly successful
nationwide campaign to promote National Hug Your Kids Day, the
third Monday in July. She convinced Clear Channel Outdoor to
donate 135 digital billboards, eight Gannett newspapers to run
“Citymoms.com” contests, and three Major League baseball teams
to announce it on their Jumbotrons.

–Publicity Hound Carol Copeland has christened June as Student
Safety Month.

–Marilee Driscoll has designated October Long-Term Care Planning
Month.

What are you waiting for? Now, it’s your turn.

If you’re on LinkedIn, you can use that popular social networking
site to actually promote your holiday, just like Michelle Nichols did.
Scott Allen, an expert on LinkedIn, critiqued Michelle’s LinkedIn
campaign and made several suggestions which she used.
They resulted in instant feedback from the LinkedIn community
within only 48 hours.

Scott explained her campaign when he was my guest during a
teleseminar on “How to Use LinkedIn to Promote Anything–
Ethically & Powerfully.” It’s available as electronic transcripts and
your choice of MP3s or CDs. Read more about how to launch a
publicity campaign on the world’s largest business networking site
at http://tinyurl.com/5zvzyd

==========================================
5. Promoting a Book on Marriage
==========================================

This week, 11 Publicity Hounds have tips for Sheryl P. Kurland of
Orlando, FL, author of Everlasting Matrimony: Pearls of Wisdom
from Couples Married 50 Years or More. She needs new ideas to
stimulate sales of the book in time for Valentine’s Day.

From Lisa Lockwood:

“Announce your book in a press release on PR Web. I’m self-
published and landed a spot on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch
just by announcing that I was launching my book tour.”

From Cheryl Pickett:

“I suggest you check out the book The Daughter-in-Law Rules at
http://www.thedilrules.com. Author Sally Shields lists some of the
publicity success she’s had with her self-published book, and you
share a similar audience. I also know she’d be willing to share more
help if you contacted her.”

From Bonnie Lowe:

“Can you jump on the ‘bad economy’ bandwagon? Are there any
stories in your book that might show readers how to be romantic
without spending much money? Could you do a press release on
‘How to spend less on your Valentine without looking cheap’ or
something like that, and tie it into your book?”

The Publicity Hound says:

Sheryl, if you could round up a few couples who would be willing to
be interviewed, this would make a great segment for National Public
Radio. Go to the NPR site at http://www.npr.org and use the search
box at the top of the screen to search for words like “marriage” and
“matrimony” and see what you find. You can listen to many of the
shows in the archives before you pitch the producers.

But before you do, follow Lissa Warren’s tips on how to navigate the
NPR labyrinth because it can get confusing. Lissa, a book
publicist, has successfully pitched dozens of her clients to NPR,
and she shared all her secrets during a teleseminar I conducted
with her on “How to Get Booked on National Public Radio.”

It’s available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can
download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.

Read more about what you need to get onto NPR at
http://tinyurl.com/ayms6

Read all the responses to this week’s Help This Hound question
http://tinyurl.com/832mpk

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

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

Pegine Echevarria of Jacksonville, Fla. writes:

“I am launching a licensed training program called ‘White Guys Are
Diverse Too!’

“I want to capture the interest of corporate and government chief
diversity offers, chief learning officers and senior leadership of large
corporations who can purchase this program to spread the word to
their employees.

“The topic is controversial. In large organizations, Diversity and
Inclusion (D&I) programs are part of everyone’s training.
However, white guys tend to walk out of D&I programs thinking they
are excluded and not valued for the unique individualized impact
that they bring.

“‘White Guys Are Diverse Too!’ celebrates the diversity among white
guys, the value they bring to their organizations and teams along
with how managers can engage, motivate and inspire their white
male team members.

“I need ideas, help to get the word out that ‘White Guys are Diverse
Too!’ The website at http://www.WhiteGuysAreDiverse.com
offers a no-obligation special report. Can you give me some no
cost/low cost ideas?

P.S. I’ve spent my life savings on this product. It has to reach the
masses.

The Publicity Hound says:

See the fabulous movie “Gran Torino” in which Clint Eastwood
plays the racist Walt Kowalski, a tough, gruff, crotchety old man
who hates everybody who isn’t white–or at least thinks he does.

Start writing press releases and articles and using the social
networking sites to write about “What Would Walt Kowalski Do?”
and then tie it into your training. Piggybacking off celebrities and
red-hot movies (this one is a contender for several Oscars) is a
fabulous way to pull in traffic from the search engines.

My “Special Report #50: How to Piggyback onto Celebrity News to
Promote Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue” gives you lots
more ideas. Only $10. Order at http://tinyurl.com/gy6bd

Hounds with other ideas for Pegine can post them to my blog at
http://tinyurl.com/829jv3

==================================
7. Hound Quote of the Week
==================================

“I know that dogs are pack animals, but it is difficult to imagine a
pack of standard poodles…and if there was such a thing as a pack
of standard poodles, where would they rove to?
Bloomingdale’s?

–Yvonne Clifford, American actress

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

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

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

===================================
8. And at My Blog…
===================================

Why lowering your prices can ruin your business
http://tinyurl.com/9fzrq9

————————————–

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:

Wednesday, Jan. 21–Teleseminar

Join me for the third annual smARTist telesummit where
photographers, jewelers, potters, painters, metalworkers,
woodworkers and other artists will learn all the secrets for growing
their art business. I’m presenting a session on how to use social
networking, from 2 to 2:45 Eastern Time on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
Register for the telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/5axy3x

Monday, Jan. 26–Teleseminar

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