Publicity tips/How to Bury Bad News May 7, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #398 May 7, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 47,121

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"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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An Alternative to Pitching:

If you're one of the millions of frustrated Publicity Hounds whose pitches to the media have gone absolutely nowhere, keep reading.

Publicity Hound John Easton, who you have read about many times in this newsletter, has an alternative to pitching that will turn you into a media darling in your own community and attract a worldwide audience. It's video. And it will help put you miles ahead of your competitors who are too lazy or reluctant to learn it.

If you don't want to be bothered with video, then go ahead and stand in line behind all the millions of other people who are pitching.

But don't say I didn't warn you. See Item #2 below.

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In This Issue
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1. How to Bury Bad News

2. How Alpha Dogs Use Video

3. Explain How to Pamper Mom

4. For Internet Marketers Only

5. How to Promote an Organizing Service

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. At My Blog...


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1. How to Bury Bad News
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It could be a lawsuit against your company.

Or a health department violation against your restaurant.

Or a post at somebody's blog, written by a rabble-rouser who wants to drag your name through the mud and destroy your business.

If it's bad news and it's online, it could live online forever. Anybody who uses the search engines to research companies can find it. That is, unless you know how to bury it.

Enter Glen Selig who writes and distributes press releases for his clients to bury or "push down" the bad news on the organic search list. That's the list that appears on the left side of the screen when you type a keyword or keyword phrase into a search engine like Google.

"You still need something newsworthy to disseminate, but then it's about strategy and technique," says Glen of http://www.pressreleasepros.com

I'd go one step further and say you don't even need something newsworthy to write about. Let's say you sell jewelry. Three years ago, a consumer group incorrectly accused you of selling fake gems. Their accusations appeared online and kept popping up in the search engines when people typed certain keyword phrases related to gems.

Here's how you could bury it:

- -Write and distribute a press release about your new money-back guarantee.

- -Then write and distribute another release about how to buy gems.

- -And then another on what to do if people love wearing jewelry, but are allergic to certain types of metal.

- -And then another on the most popular types of gems.

- -And then another on what to look for when buying gems.

Get the idea?

You aren't writing these releases for journalists. You're writing them for consumers. If journalists find them, that's great. But the whole point of the exercise is to bury the bad news. Google and the other search engines usually give higher ranking to fresher information. The more press releases you distribute over time, the lower the bad news drops on the list.

"I help large and small companies use this secret weapon all the time," says Selig. "And it works like a charm."

He distributes his press releases through PRNewsChannel at http://www.prnewschannel.com,which sends press releases to search engines like Google, Google News, Ask.com, Yahoo and MSN.

You can hire someone like Glen to write and distribute press releases for you. Or you can do it yourself with help from my free email tutorial called "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases." Sign up for the tutorial or buy the entire 12-week course in a handy ebook for only $27.

Learn more at http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/art.htm


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2. How Alpha Dogs Use Video
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In the world of four-legged dogs, "alpha dog" is the title bestowed upon the most dominant dog in the pack.

Certain privileges accompany that title, such as having first pick of food, female and resting place.

In the world of two-legged Hounds, an Alpha Hound is someone who dominates the competition by using strategies and tactics so clever that once the competition gets wind of it, they don't know how to begin playing catch-up.

Videographer John Easton says video is one of the most powerful ways to become the Alpha Hound of your industry or community. Last week, my jaw dropped as he was explaining some of the many ways he's using video to become a media darling in Charlotte, North Carolina where his video company is located.

For example, without even being asked, John attends public events sponsored by local newspapers and shoots video there. Then he turns over the edited video to the media outlets for use at their websites.

Journalists are word people. Many of them find video production very difficult. So they love John who does it for them. They remember him. And reporters call on him for background, commentary and story ideas when writing stories.

John says you don't need to be a videographer to do what he does. "This can be a huge opportunity for anybody who can turn around this kind of content quickly," he says.

If you don't want to get your hands dirty, John knows where to find inexpensive people who can help you forge these valuable relationships.

He will be my guest during a teleseminar at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 21, called "9 Clever Ways to Use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or Community." Everything he will share will be very different than the tips Mike Stewart passed along during the teleseminar he did with me several weeks ago. If you missed that one, you can listen to it at http://JoanandMikeStewart.com

Read more about the secrets John will discuss and how you can sign up. I'll be offering this as a CD, MP3 file or electronic transcript afterward. So if you can't make the live event, you can order the product later.

Register at http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar.htm


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3. Explain How to Pamper Mom
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When I turned on the TV yesterday, I saw a Milwaukee chef demonstrating how kids can whip up a gourmet breakfast for mom on Mother's Day, without having to use a knife.

It was an omelet, and he showed how to cut the cooked bacon with a scissors. The feature was part of the morning news segment and a perfect story leading up to Sunday.

What a clever idea, I thought. Why can't you do something similar?

- -A day spa can demonstrate how to give mom a foot massage.

- -A florist can show kids how to make a pretty arrangement of daffodils, tulips and other spring flowers in a simple vase.

- -A house cleaning company can provide tips on how kids can give mom a very special Mother's Day gift: a clean house.

I know you can think of more ideas. Once you've come up with one, pitch it to the local TV stations. But know how to find the right person in the newsroom who has the power to assign the story and get it onto the news.

Shawne Duperon explains how on "How to Get onto the Local TV News Tomorrow," one of my most popular products. Shawne explains how TV newsrooms operate, how to track down the "Queen Bee" of the newsroom, and ways to make your pitch so enticing that the Queen immediately assigns your story to a reporter.

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

Read more about what you'll learn at http://publicityhound.net/localtvnews


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4. For Internet Marketers Only
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If you do business of any type on the Internet, you'll want to see the new Going Natural 3.0 video released by Stompernet.

This video isn't for everybody--only for those who sell online, or want to. If you've bought pay-per-click advertising in the past and didn't do as well as you expected, or if your eyes popped out of your head like mine did the first time I launched a pay-per-click campaign, this video is must-viewing.

You'll learn how an Internet marketer's website got dumped by Google--that's half his traffic, half his sales and half his business. With help from a smart friend, he went on to have his best six months ever, without a homepage listing in Google.

Do yourself a favor and give them your name and email address so you can stay in touch with them and see more videos like this one and the cool video on social media marketing earlier this year.

I was so bowled over by the social media marketing course I just completed through Stompernet that I joined Stompernet's membership program. I'm devouring what they're teaching, and taking advantage of the one-hour telephone calls with a different faculty member Monday through Thursday, plus private coaching. They're reopening membership, but only for a few days. So act now.

Take a look at the video: http://www.stompernet.net/jvp/aw.aspx?B=44&A=332


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5. How to Promote an Organizing Service
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This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips on how professional organizer Debbie Jordan Kravitz of York, PA can market her virtual organizing and consultation programs.

From Bonnie Lowe:

"How about a series of funny YouTube videos?

"They don't have to be professional or expensive...You could show some funny consequences of being unorganized, and then end each video with a push to your website landing page that markets your service. Funny videos get lots of hits, and the good ones go viral. The potential return is huge."


From Biana Babinsky:

"Since you already identified your target market, how about going where they are? Chances are, they are hanging out at social networking sites!

"Join a few social networking sites, and start networking and participating in groups your target market participates in. This way, you'll meet more people in your target market AND your target market will get exposed to your knowledge and expertise.

"I also recommend a free gift that you can give away in exchange for a subscription for your newsletter."


From Leah Ingram:

"As a writer and blogger who focuses on green topics, I would write about your service if you could provide a green angle--assuming that getting organized offers environmental benefits. Not only could you pitch me but the other green blogs like Treehugger, or producers of the slew of green shows coming out on Planet Green, DIY Network and HGTV."


The Publicity Hound says:

Debbie, sponsor a contest and have people create videos showing them with their messy desks, offices, bedrooms, kitchens or cars. Then award a cool prize. I'll bet some of these videos would even go viral.


Read all the responses to this Help This Hound question at http://publicityhound.net/professionalorganizer


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


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6. Help This Hound
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Milan Stevanovich of Detroit, Michigan writes:

"Michigan just passed a 40 percent rebate to companies filming movies and TV programs in the state. If you use Michigan companies and labor, you get a 40 percent instant rebate after production---big savings for number-crunching entertainment financiers.

"For the last three weeks, my associates and I have schmoozed a dozen Hollywood actors, producers, and those in charge of locating properties for shoots.

"My client owns 100 buildings in Detroit and eventually will have the lion's share of any studios built on his properties. Recently, production companies have been coming to us looking for investors for productions. The laws here make it incredibly competitive because of the rebates.

"How do we take advantage of this window of opportunity to be the epicenter of everything Hollywood in Michigan? How do we best get the word out that my associates are one degree of separation from the best locations, investors, suppliers and vendors at the epicenter of this new burgeoning industry in our great state?"

The Publicity Hound says:

OK, sharp Hounds. If you've been paying attention the last few weeks, you'll be able to come up with some powerful ways for Milan and his company to promote their state. I can think of three ways right now. Let's see how many you can think of. Post your best ideas to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/michigan


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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"I like driving around with my two dogs, especially on the freeways. I make them wear little hats so I can use the car-pool lanes."

- -Monica Piper, author


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

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

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


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8. At My Blog...
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Video tour of your website will impress journalists, others
http://publicityhound.net/videotour


Artists, photographers: Comment on Miley Cyrus photo
http://publicityhound.net/mileycyrus


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Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound


May 21: Teleseminar on Video

Learn "9 Clever Ways to use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or Community" with guest expert John Easton, a videographer and media darling in Charlotte, NC. Register at http://www.Publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm


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 list "89 Reasons to Send a News Release."

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

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