The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #588 Jan. 3, 2012
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Missing the Publicity Target

2. Embarrassing Online Pressrooms

3. Make Your Bio Fun

4. Twitter Resolutions

5. Promoting a Book Giveaway

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site

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

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

–Leveraging the power of social media, including blogs.

–Generating online publicity.

–Generating publicity in traditional media.

No surprises there.

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

Here’s a sample:

–”Social Media: What a time suck!”

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

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

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

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

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

So where do we go from here?

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

Stay tuned, and hang in there!

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

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

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

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

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

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

–An absence of links to social media profiles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Marcia Yudkin:

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

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

From Maria Mar:

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

From Shawn Hansen:

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

The Publicity Hound says:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #587 Dec. 27, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. No More Passwords

2. Best of 2011 Publicity Tips

3. Free Photos, Fast

4. Include Links on Twellow

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Photos of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site

=====================================
1. No More Passwords
=====================================

What makes you different from everyone else–your voice, your eyes,
etc.–will be used to safeguard your identity online and you’ll
never need passwords again.

That’s one of five predictions that IBM made last week, to signal
innovations it sees in 2012. Its annual predictions have been
covered by top-tier media outlets like Forbes magazine, FOX News,
The Washington Post and The New York Times, in addition to dozens
of techie blogs.

It isn’t too late to compile your top five predictions for next
year, or even just one prediction, and write a press release. Or
pitch it to your favorite blogger. You can even offer to write a
guest blog post.

Your predictions don’t have to be serious. They can be humorous and
off the wall.

Predictions are just one of thousands of ideas I give you in my
ebook, “How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound.” This is the Number
One all-around resource to get you through 2012 if you need help
promoting in traditional media and social media.

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

=====================================
2. Best of 2011 Publicity Tips
=====================================

If you know a small business owner who’s struggling with promotion,
a PR pro who’s running out of story ideas for her clients, or a
nonprofit that needs to ramp up its publicity, let them know about
my free ebook, “The Best of The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week
of 2011.”

It’s filled with 24 of the best tips from this newsletter the past
year.

The tips are divided into four categories:

–Traditional media

–Social media

–Online publicity

–Building your business and nonprofit

Go ahead. Regift the book by sending your friends, followers and
clients here:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9935

======================================
3. Free Photos, Fast
======================================

Need photos for your website, blog, online press room or marketing
materials, but can’t afford the stock photo services?

Thousands of free photos await you on Flickr at
http://www.Flickr.com, under the Creative Commons license. Problem
is, it can be a real pain navigating that site to find them.

Instead, use Compfight.com, a search engine that uncovers
Creative-Common-tagged freebies in the Flickr archives. There’s
even a search box so you can find what you’re looking for quickly.

But don’t just use them without crediting the photographers. Pay
attention to the terms of use for each photo.

Thanks to CopyBlogger.com for this tip.

For more tips, see “How to Use Photos & Graphics in Your Publicity
Campaign” at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicityphotos.htm

=====================================
4. Include Links on Twellow
=====================================

If you’re listed on Twellow, the giant Twitter yellow pages (and
you certainly should be), you can now display the links to your
other social networking profiles on your Twellow profile.

Log into Twellow and click on the “Settings” link. You can now
display links for Facebook, Delicious, Flickr, LinkedIn, and many
more. This is a great way for your friends and future Twitter
followers to see your social networking activity on the web.

Still not tweeting? It isn’t too late. If you’re confused by what
all the fuss is about, or if you’re on Twitter but can’t gain
traction, shorten your learning curve by watching the replay of a
webinar I hosted on “Twitter for Beginners: A Step-by-Step,
Can’t-Fail System for Experts and Influencers (and Those Who Want
to Be).”

I explain how to use Twitter to establish your credibility,
influence your followers, share great content and attract the
types of people who need your expertise as well as your products
and services. Read more about what you’ll learn how to do
at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes
/twitterforbeginners.htm

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

This week’s “Help This Hound” question is from Anne Roos of South
Lake Tahoe, CA:

“I’m an author and I’ve received 40 free books from the publicist I
used last year, 20 copies each of “The Musician’s Guide to Brides:
How to Make Money Playing Weddings” and “The Brides Guide to
Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable.”

“They were copies supplied without cost from the publisher to be
sent out for review. Since I didn’t pay for them, I want to do a
giveaway.

“What’s the most effective way to do a contest/giveaway? Where do I
post it to get it noticed? Should it be a quiz with a question of
the day? Should it be some kind of silly trivia? I just don’t know
how to attract people to a little contest.

“Even when I had a big grand prize giveaway that I tried out about
a year ago, it garnered very little interest. I’d love ideas from
your Hounds on how to really attract attention with this.”

The Publicity Hound says: OK, Hounds, have at it. Help Anne
generate the most publicity possible for this book giveaway. Post
your best ideas to my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9991

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Meryl K. Evans of Plano, Texas for these
photos of the 10 Weirdest Dog Toys. My favorite is the red lips!
Go to http://www.oddee.com/item_97297.aspx

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

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

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

10 best Dog Tweets listed each week here
http://publicityhound.net/?p=10006

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #584 Dec. 6, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. OK, What’s Bugging You?

2. Attention Amazon Authors

3. Your Own Amazon URL

4. Twitter Tweekly

5. My Gift to You–It’s Almost Here

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. OK, What’s Bugging You?
=====================================

I can hear it in your voice when you call.

You sound frustrated.

At times, you sound lost, like you’re not quite sure where you’re
going with publicity and social media, and sometimes you’re
unsure that you’re even on the right road.

You’ve got success stories to share with other Publicity Hounds,
but they’re hit or miss.

During those weeks when you’re clicking on all cylinders, you
sometimes stall. And it’s usually so difficult to start back up.
So you plod along, all alone.

There’s a better way. I can help.

But to make sure I know exactly what you’re looking for, I need
your input. So I’m asking you to answer just a few quick
questions at http://www.PublicityHoundSurvey.com

To thank you for your time and input, I’ll give you a $25 gift
certificate good for any Publicity Hound product, as soon as you
finish the last question. Consider this your Deal of the Day.

Go here now: http://www.PublicityHoundSurvey.com

Oh, as an additional “thank you,” I’ll also enter you into a
drawing for one of three $50 Amazon gift cards. Now wouldn’t THAT
be a super-cool treat that would make your holiday shopping a
whole lot easier?

Just make sure you give me your email address, so I can contact
you if you win!

Here are the questions:

http://www.PublicityHoundSurvey.com

The quicker you finish, the quicker you can use your gift
certificate.

=====================================
2. Attention Amazon Authors
=====================================

With so many authors formatting their books for the Kindle, I
want to remind you about Amazon.com’s Author Central.

It’s a page on Amazon just for you, so you can tell them a little
about yourself, promote your expertise, and tell them about your
books. You can list your website addresses, too. But the links
aren’t live. That’s because–duh–Amazon wants you to stay on the
site and buy.

As soon as you sign up for Author Central, you can start adding
content to your page, even though it can take from three to five
days for the page to show up on the site.

You can learn all about Author Central at
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help

Warning: Authors write some of the dullest, most boring bios on
earth. Don’t you be one of them.

See “Special Report #46: Tips for Rewriting Your Boring Bio.” I
show you how to find great materials for your bio, share examples
of some of the best bios I’ve read, and explain how to
incorporate key events from your childhood that will make your
writing come alive. All for only $10. Order at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-
products/reports.html#SpecialReport46

======================================
3. Your Own Amazon URL
======================================

Thanks to Publicity Hounds Anne Roos (the Celtic harpist) and Bob
Baker (the indie music PR guy) for tipping us off to this new
Amazon feature that authors will love.

If you sell books on Amazon and you’ve already created a page for
yourself using Amazon’s Author Central (see item above), you can
now have a customized web address or your profile.

A simple URL makes it a lot easier to share the link on your
Facebook page, in a tweet, in your email signature, and on
marketing materials.

You’re limited to only one URL but you can use any combination of
letters, numbers, dashes, periods and underscores.

You’ll find detailed instructions on how to claim it at
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help?ie=UTF8&topicID=
200799660

=====================================
4. Twitter Tweekly
=====================================

I love the way art marketing expert Alyson Stanfield updates her
blog readers on all the content they’ve been missing if they
don’t read her Twitter feed.

Every Friday, she publishes a post titled “Twitter Tweekly.” It’s
a simple list of her favorite tweets from that week, with links.

I’ve started doing that, too, though I wouldn’t dare steal her
fun title. The list reminds my readers who subscribe to the RSS
feed that they need to follow me on Twitter. It also flags
readers who might have found out about me for the first time by
coming to my blog through one of the search engines.

You can see Alyson’s latest Twitter Tweekly here:
http://www.artbizblog.com/2011/12/tweekly-19.html

Here’s mine:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9838

Notice how the blog promotes Twitter and this newsletter promotes
the blog. If you have a blog and an ezine, there are dozens of
ways you can use them to cross-promote. The blog pulls in
traffic. Once you can capture the reader’s email address, you can
use it to push out your message with an ezine.

That pull-push cycle is an incredibly powerful marketing tool.
Don Crowther explained all the ways you should be using them in
tandem when he was my guest during the teleseminar “How to use
Blogs & Ezines Together to Grow Your Business.” Read more about
it at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/blogs_and_ezines.htm

======================================
5. My Gift to You–It’s Almost Here
======================================

How would you like to be able to help your clients, boss and
friends with publicity, and look like a hero when they show up on
the front page of the local business journal or on TV?

Give them my free ebook, “The Best of the Publicity Hound’s Tips
of the Week of 2011.” It’s chock full of more than two dozen
publicity and social media tips that will have their tails
wagging.

Each year, I comb through every item in this newsletter, pluck
out the 24 or more that received the greatest response from
readers, and compile them into an ebook that makes a valuable
holiday gift for Publicity Hounds on your list.

The book will be ready for you on Tuesday, Dec. 20, and you’ll
read about it here. Stay tuned…

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

Dread trimming the tree this year?

You’ll find some inspiration in this video, courtesy of Publicity
Hound Kathleen Mahan of San Juan Capistrano, CA. Watch how these
clever four-legged Hounds trim their own tree. One even climbs up
on a ladder. If they can do it, we two-legged Hounds can do it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUtPKbMwnRo

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

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

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

How to piggyback PR onto top consumer trends for 2012
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9846

Fast Company tips and other tweets from this past week
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9838

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #583 Nov. 29, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Create a Top 10 List

2. Cyber Monday Sale Ends Tonight

3. Powerful Twitter Tip

4. Attract Kindle & Nook Readers

5. Promote a Microsoft Office Book

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Create a Top 10 List
=====================================

Give your publicity campaign a big push at the end of the year by
creating a “Top 10″ list that ties into your topic or area of
expertise.

The media and bloggers love these lists.

They can be controversial, thought-provoking, educational or just
plain fun. Your list can be the “best of” or “worst of” whatever
topic you choose for either 2011 or 2012.

Examples:

–The Top 10 Website Mistakes People are STILL Making in 2011

–The Top 10 PR Blunders of 2011

–The Top 10 Social Media Time-Savers of 2011

–The Top 10 Careers for 2012

–The Top 10 Best Cities for Families in 2012

–The Top 10 Worst Cities for Singles in 2012

When you’ve created your list, write a press release. Offer to
write a guest blog post. Include it on your Facebook page and tag
other pages that would be interested. Tweet it. And Share it on
LinkedIn.

Your list doesn’t even have to be in text format. It can include
photos only and you can turn it into a slideshow.

By the way, I’m compiling my annual “Best of The Publicity
Hound’s Tips of the Week of 2011,” my annual gift to you. Feel
free to regift it to your friends, followers and fans. It will be
ready by mid-December.

If you missed any books from the past six years, you can find
them at http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/free.html

=====================================
2. Cyber Monday Sale Ends Tonight
=====================================

You blew the doors off the doghouse during my Black Friday sale
over the weekend.

But several Publicity Hounds who took a long weekend off missed
it, and they asked if I’d extend it through Cyber Monday.

I did. And I’m giving you and other ezine readers one more extra
day to grab a big 40 percent discount for any products you order
from my website at http://www.PublicityHound.com. The discount
goes away at 11:59 p.m. tonight.

If you’ve been eyeing my video replays of webinars, or CDs,
ebooks or special reports, claim them now at
http://www.PublicityHound.com. To get the discount, type the word
“black” into the coupon box, hit “apply,” and check out.

======================================
3. Powerful Twitter Tip
======================================

Thanks to Amy Porterfield, a social media strategist, for this
powerful tip about how to drive more traffic and leads from
Twitter to your website.

Twitter now lets you add a second URL to your profile.

In addition to linking to her website, Amy links to an opt-in
page where people can give her their email address in exchange
for a replay of a Facebook webinar.

You can watch her short video here to see how she does it:
http://www.amyporterfield.com/2011/11/how-to-get-more-leads-on-
twitter/

The secret to Twitter is writing tweets that encourage people to
do what you want them to do: click on a link and opt in to a
freebie, or hit “Reply,” or retweet your message, or watch a
video.

If you’re already tweeting but you don’t understand how to gain
traction, check out “Twitter for Beginners: A Step-by-Step,
Can’t-Fail System for Experts and Influencers (and Those Who Want
to Be).” It’s a replay of a webinar I hosted several months ago
in which I demonstrate how to use Twitter to establish your
credibility, influence your followers, share great content and
attract the types of people who need your products and services.

Take advantage of the 40 percent discount until 11:59 p.m.
tonight at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/twitterforbeginners.htm

=====================================
4. Attract Kindle & Nook Readers
=====================================

One of my goals for next year is offering most of my special
reports, ebooks and transcripts available to Publicity Hounds who
want to read them on the Nook and Kindle.

You should, too. If you don’t have any information products yet,
you can create them fairly quickly.

Ebook sales grew 177 percent last year. Amazon now sells 143
ebooks for every 100 hardcover books they sell, and that includes
hardcovers not available in ebook format.
Barnes & Noble, which sells the Nook, now accounts for at least
20 percent of ebook sales.

You can take an existing hard cover book and convert it to an
ebook. Or, create your ebook from scratch.

If you don’t have time to do it yourself, outsource the work to a
virtual assistant or one of the many subcontractors on sites like
ODesk.com and Elance.com.

During two free webinars I hosted this year, guest expert Daniel
Hall gave step-by-directions on how to format books for the
Kindle and Nook, or create them from scratch.

You can access the free video replay about the Nook at
http://realfastbook.com/joannook.html

Access the free video replay for the Kindle at
http://www.realfastbook.com/joanweb.html

======================================
5. Promote a Microsoft Office Book
======================================

This week, six Publicity Hounds have tips for Karin Rex of
Lansdale, Pa., who needs tips on how to publicize her book,
“Microsoft Office 2010 Demystified.”

From Cheryl Pickett:

“This book sounds like a good one to try to sell in bulk. If
there are any local business supply stores or even computer
service shops left near you (as opposed to Office Max), see if
you can partner on a live event. They would sponsor and purchase
a book for everyone who attends. You could speak on a specific
skill and highlight the fact that the store sells the software
etc.”

From Janine Gregor:

“Promote the book in a tongue-in-cheek way, by saying, ‘Think you
know all there is to know about Office 2010?’ or ‘Are you really
sure you’re using all of Office 2010 to its full potential?’ or
‘Test Yourself. Pass our Office 2010 quiz for bragging rights.’
And then, offer a fun quiz on a sales page (directed from your
third party social media sites), which allows people to purchase
the book directly from that page.”

From Ileana Kane:

“Create a whole list of vertical markets when you do your
brainstorming. Shoot for a list of 30…Sponsorships are a great
way to go because there are many companies that have budgets to
buy books ‘by the truckload.’ Once you get your vertical markets,
it will be simple to create lists of sponsors that you can go
to.”

The Publicity Hound says:

Read all the responses to last week’s “Help This Hound” question
at http://publicityhound.net/?p=9806

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

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Jacqueline Simonds of Reno, NV, for
these eight videos that show sheer joy, yelps of delight and lots
of tail-wagging as these four-legged hounds welcome home their
owners from Iran and Afghanistan. (This’ll cheer you up if you’re
having a really bad day.)

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/40324

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

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

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

7 reasons to embrace nasty comments at your blog
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9783

Cool PR finds and other tweets from this past week
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9820

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

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

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Your Twitter Reputation Score

2. A Nonprofit’s Ideal Donor

3. Cool Tool for Getting onto CNN

4. Don’t Solicit Reviews on Yelp

5. For Authors, Speakers, Experts

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Use it. It’s powerful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #574 Sept. 27, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. Your Lawyer’s Bad Advice

2. Ghost-tweeter Runs Amok

3. If You Can’t Get Reprint Rights

4. This Idiom Drives People Nuts

5. See You in Arizona

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

=====================================
1. Your Lawyer’s Bad Advice
=====================================

While you’re at lunch today, a reporter leaves you a voicemail
message telling you that one of your customers has filed a
lawsuit against you for shoddy business practices. The reporter
has called because he wants a comment.

You know nothing about the lawsuit. Your first inclination may be
to call your lawyer.

Clarence Jones, a media trainer and former award-winning
investigative reporter, is betting that your lawyer’s advice will
be wrong.

In almost every instance, Jones says, the lawyer will tell you
not to comment, which is the same as screaming, “I’m guilty!”

Think about it. You’ve reaad dozens of news stories about
companies being sued, and the CEO or company attorney says, “We
can’t comment on this because it’s in litigation.”

Your attorney’s Number One job is to cover your butt in a court
of law. Problem is, most attorneys don’t know anything about
covering your butt in the court of public opinion.

By the time a lawsuit winds its way through the courts, and you
win, your reputation could be tarnished and your business in
ruins.

Jones says your company–and even you, if you’re a sole
proprietor–must know how to respond in bad-news situations so
you can put your best foot forward and take control of the story.
If you find yourself in a PR crisis, weigh your lawyer’s advice
along with the advice of others such as a good crisis counselor.

Jones was my guest during the teleseminar I hosted called “In a
Media Crisis, Your Lawyer Will be Wrong” and offered lots of
advice on exactly how to respond during bad-news stories. Read
more about how to access the recording at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/yourlawyerwillbewrong.htm

=====================================
2. Ghost-tweeter Runs Amok
=====================================

Too busy to write your own tweets?

Lots of people are, so they hire ghostwriters to tweet for them.

That’s what Internet marketing strategist Mark Davidson did. In
fact, he hired an entire team of ghost-tweeters. But when he
fired one of them, he made the mistake of failing to change his
Twitter password.

Take a look at what happened next at
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-ghostwriter-
blues_b14044

It’s a good idea to change your passwords on social media sites
every few months, and not just when something like this happens.

If you aren’t tweeting yet, don’t let this scare you. A Twitter
feed that shares helpful advice and solutions to your readers’
problems is a powerful way to position yourself as an expert.

I recently hosted the webinar “Twitter for Beginners: A Step-by-
Step, Can’t-Fail System for Experts and Influencers (and Those
Who Want to Be).” It walks you through all the steps on how to
use Twitter to establish your credibility, influence your
followers, share great content, and attract the types of people
who need your expertise as well as your products and services.
Find out how to access the video replay at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/twitterforbeginners.htm

======================================
3. If You Can’t Get Reprint Rights
======================================

After a newspaper or magazine publishes a story about you, and
you’re on a publicity high, nothing can bring you crashing down
quicker than discovering that you can’t reprint the story unless
you pay the media outlet several thousand dollars for reprint
rights.

As ad revenue and circulation decline at many publications, more
print media–especially big newspapers and magazines–are
demanding hefty reprint fees.

The best way around this problem is to buy as many copies of the
publication as you can afford, as soon as it’s printed. Don’t
wait several months and discover that the company can sell you
only three copies of the magazine that featured a cover story
about you.

These articles are powerful PR tools that you can tuck inside a
presentation folder when offering a proposal to a client. They
can be used as leave-behinds after meeting with someone who you
want to impress. You can mount the article onto a plaque and hang
it in your lobby.

These are the kinds of valuable tips you’ll find in my ebook,
“How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound,” a one-stop shop on how
to generate print and online publicity using traditional and
social media. The ebook includes a handy glossary that defines
media terms you might find confusing. Read more about what’s in
the book here at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity/publicityhound.htm

=====================================
4. This Idiom Drives People Nuts
=====================================

Do you go bonkers like I do when you hear “At the end of the
day…” from a talking head on TV?

That tired, worn out idiom that people think is so very hip is
starting to pop up in writing, too.

Don’t use “at the end of the day” when you’re talking to the
media, or they’ll pounce on it and use it in a direct quote or in
a five-second sound bite.

Speakers, don’t utter it from the platform.

Authors, you can do better than that.

Let me analyze your writing and show you how to improve it. I
serve as the personal writing coach for people in my mentor
program and review their press releases, bios, articles, blog
posts, tweets, status updates and more.

Learn more about the program, and if you qualify, at
http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html

=====================================
5. See You in Arizona
=====================================

I’ll be in Mesa, AZ, Oct. 20-22, attending Don Crowther’s Social
Profit Live conference on social media and Internet marketing.

If you’d like face-to-face consulting time with me, even if
you’re not attending the conference, let me know and let’s put it
on the calendar. I’ll be at the Phoenix Marriott Mesa.

Just hit “Reply” and let me know your schedule.

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Kathleen Mahan of San Juan Capistrano,
CA, for sharing this precious 13-second video that shows what a
dog does when it gets cold at
http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2011/07/what-a-dog-does-when-its-cold/

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

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

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

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

13 press release topics when there’s nothing newsworthy
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9451

Pitching Mistake: Calling the media via your assistant
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9436

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #566 Aug. 2, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. The Most Powerful Twitter Strategy

2. It’s Fair Time; Start Pitching

3. Webinar on Webinars Replay Link

4. Correcting Corrections

5. Help This Hound

6. Hound Photos of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

***********************************
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newspapers, television, radio and the Internet from Wisconsin
News Tracker.com.
http://www.wisconsinnewstracker.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #565 July 26, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. A Cheap Website You Can Be Proud of

2. Twitter Tips for Beginners

3. It’s Time to Pitch Food Stories

4. Webinar on How to Host Webinars

5. Publicity Summit Registration

6. Hound Video of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

8. Correction

=====================================
1. A Cheap Website You Can be Proud of
=====================================

Gone are the days, thankfully, when you no longer have to pay a
web design company $6,000 for an attractive website.

Or $3,000. Or even $1,000.

Tom Antion, one of my Internet marketing mentors, goes berserk
when he hears from Publicity Hounds and others who have been
taken to the cleaners by web design companies that charge a
fortune. I do, too.

That’s why I listened to a free webinar Tom hosted on Saturday on
“How to Create Websites the Search Engines Love for Less Than 20
Bucks.”

Tom advocates using the free WordPress blogging platform to build
your website. Your biggest expense is hosting.

You can still have an impressive online pressroom and a
collection of helpful articles and videos that promote your
expertise.

If you want to break free of your expensive web designer, watch
the free video replay here, and take lots of good notes because
Tom gives you step-by-step instructions:

http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=43188&u=

http://www.kickstartvideo.com/evp/cheapwebsites/

=====================================
2. Twitter Tips for Beginners
=====================================

If you aren’t among the more than 20 million people on Twitter,
you may feel like you’re late to the party.

That’s OK. There’s no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed that
you don’t understand what all the fuss is about.

Twitter, I’ve discovered, is one of the best and quickest ways to
build a huge following of people who are hungry for what’s in
your brain.

But one of the biggest Twitter myths is that the person with the
most followers wins.

If only a minuscule percentage of my more than 20,000 followers
care about the information I share, but a majority of your 300
followers can hardly wait for you to tweet, you could be more
successful than I’ve been.

So what makes an irresistable tweet?

Content-rich articles, videos and infographics. I throw in an
occasional funny headline or a pithy one-liner just to keep
things interesting. And I have 4 or 5 formulas for writing tweets
that tease my readers and almost force them to click on the links
I’m sharing.

I don’t write about what I ate for lunch, what time I woke up, or
what the peoplewatching is like when I’m at the coffee shop. That
just adds to the noise and is of no help to the people who follow
me to learn about publicity tips.

But that’s only a small part of my strategy.

Many Publicity Hounds still aren’t tweeting because they aren’t
sure where to start, and they’ve heard that it can be a huge
time-suck. I’m hosting a webinar next week on “Twitter for
Beginners: A Step-by-Step, Can’t-Fail System for Experts and
Influencers (and Those Who Want to Be).” It’s at 3 p.m. Eastern
Time on Thursday, Aug. 4.

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

======================================
3. It’s Time to Pitch Food Stories
======================================

These are the stories the media love this time of year:

–Odd-shaped garden veggies that look like real people.

–Key lime pie on a stick, chicken-fried bacon and other unusual
foods at state and county fairs.

–Healthy, ice-cold treats you can make and keep in the freezer,
to enjoy on sweltering hot days.

And the record 51 containers of basil pesto that my friend, Ann
Dekorsi, and I made over the weekend. It’s an annual ritual in
which we pour, measure, whirl and taste-test basil, walnuts,
olive oil, cheese and plenty of garlic which we turn into
luscious, fattening sauce that’s as good right from the food
processor bowl as it is on pasta.

Our recipe, and lots of tips we’ve learned over the years, are at
my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=8981

=====================================
4. Webinar on How to Host Webinars
=====================================

Here’s another tool to add to your PR or marketing campaign: free
webinars.

–Use them to show customers how to use a product or service.

–Offer them to people who might want to join your coaching or
mentoring program.

–Surprise your followers and devote an entire webinar to
answering their questions on any topic.

–Use them as an enticement to sell just about any product or
service, but only after you’ve delivered a high-content program
that helps your audience solve a problem.

My friend, Daniel Hall, has been my guest on three free webinars
during the last few years, and Publicity Hounds always rave about
how much material he offers.

We’re doing it again from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on
Wednesday, July 27. But this time, Daniel will show you his
step-by-step formula on how to host free webinars, just like he
does.

Join us for “Step-by-Step Insider Secrets to Producing Highly-
Profitable Webinars.”

Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/395111240
and come with lots of questions. Daniel will answer them all.

=====================================
5. Publicity Summit Registration
=====================================

The National Publicity Summit, where you can meet journalists and
broadcasters from top national TV shows and leading newspapers
and magazines, is accepting applications starting at 3:30 p.m.
Eastern Time tomorrow–Wednesday, July 27.

The summit, hosted by Steve Harrison, will be held Oct. 12-15 in
New York City.

Only 100 Publicity Hounds will be accepted at this event, which
lets you pitch journalists directly. Having a face-to-face
meeting with an editor or producer dramatically increases the
chances they’ll write about you–or put you on their show.

After attending the summit:

–Gary Cora became a regular on Fox News Channel.

–Connie Bennett got coverage in Time magazine.

–Ron & Lisa Beres appeared on the Today Show. So did Linda
Franklin as well as Dave Farrow.

Mark Amtower and Rory Cohen each landed a full-page story in
Entrepreneur (and Rory also scored The View!).

Apply for the National Publicity Summit here:

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

I’m an affiliate who earns a commission from products and
services you buy from the Harrisons.

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Colleen Robinson of Everett, WA, for
this video of Dozer the dog that unintentionally ran a half-
marathon.

“I love the story, but I also love how his ‘mom’ took that event
and turned it into a bigger money-maker for the cancer fund-
raiser,” Colleen said.

http://www.ummsfoundation.org/dozer

More than 2,300 people have Liked his Facebook page!

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

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

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

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

Need more guest blog posts? Say so in “About Me”
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8968

Presto! 51 containers of delicious pesto
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8981

Free webinar July 27 on how to host webinars
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8977

5 best places to answer questions & promote your expertise
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8899

=====================================
8. Correction
=====================================

In last week’s newsletter, I transposed the first and last names
of basketball star Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat. Thanks to
Publicity Hound Lorie McClory, a proofreader, for the catch.

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #564 July 19, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. TV Interview Emergencies

2. Why So Many Tweets?

3. Piggyback onto Twitter

4. NYT Writers on Quora

5. Help People Share Your Content

6. Hound Joke of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

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

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

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

Horrors! They’ve shrunk.

Now what?

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

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

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

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

Read my blog post, and be prepared:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s the link to read more:

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Financial writer Diana Henriques

–Business columnist Gretchen Morgenson

–Deputy national editor Adam Bryant

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

Read more about the Q&A session here:

http://www.quora.com/Jim-Schachter/Quora-Office-Hours-Reporters-
Columnists-from-The-New-York-Times-Will-Answer-Questions-the-
Next-Three

=====================================
5. Help People Share Your Content
=====================================

If you’re publishing dozens of Facebook and LinkedIn status
updates, and mountains of tweets, but nobody is sharing your
content, you’re wasting precious time.

Here are five ways to encourage other people to share your
content:

http://mashable.com/2011/07/12/encourage-social-sharing/

Facebook expert Mari Smith has even more ideas, and she shared
them all during the webinar I hosted with her recently on “33
Ways to Attract Facebook Fans, Provide Sterling Content and Keep
Them Coming Back for More.” Some are very easy and will require
just a little tweaking.

The video replay includes a checklist I compiled after the
webinar. Use it as a cheat sheet, along with Mari’s slides. Learn
more about how to multiply the number of fan page Likes:
http://www.publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm

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

Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a
sled through snow.

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

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

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

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

Appearing on TV? Plan for these 7 emergencies
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8866

7 phrases journalists hate hearing when you pitch
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8869

——————————————-

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

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

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

——————————————–

Permission to Reprint:

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

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

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

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

Privacy Statement:

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

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

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

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

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

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

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

1. 33 Ways to Attract Facebook Fans

2. The Best Times to Tweet

3. Summer Story Ideas

4. Trigger Thousands of YouTube Views

5. Pitch “If You’re Going…” Tips

6. Hound Quote of the Week

7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…

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

Have you used Facebook’s new Question feature yet?

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

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

–Questions engage your fans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ragan’s PR Daily offers the entire infographic here:

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

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

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

Here are six summer story ideas that journalists will love:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two minutes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Do they need to bring their own bottled water?

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

–Are children and dogs welcome?

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

–Are grills permitted?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

——————————————-

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http://www.facebook.com/publicityhound

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

——————————————–

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Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
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=======================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound