Publicity tips/Where reporters shop for stories May 30, 2006

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #296 - May 30, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 17,566

=====================================
"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
Receive this ezine
direct to your desktop:
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/
=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The PublicityHound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe. Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

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

1. Where Reporters Shop for Stories

2. Double Your Media Placements

3. Avoiding Summer Injuries

4. Ask for a Fact Check

5. Promoting a Christian CD

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


==================================
1. Where Reporters Shop for Stories
==================================

When I worked as a newspaper reporter in Ohio in the seventies and eighties, I loved to eavesdrop during my lunch hour.

I'd go to a local restaurant with another reporter and order lunch. Then, instead of making idle chatter, we'd just sit there listening to the conversation in the next booth.

What we overheard resulted in a few raised eyebrows, but little else. And I can't remember when it ever led us on the hot pursuit of a story. But I was reminded about a reporter's insatiable love for gossip when I saw the list called "50 Places to Shop for Stories," written specifically for reporters, at the NewsCollege website at http://www.newscollege.ca/p18.htm

Smart Publicity Hounds will pay attention to this list. Notice, for example, that Number 22 is "Eavesdrop: Eavesdrop at the grocery store checkout. Eavesdrop at the coffee shop. Eavesdrop at the arena or sports field. Learn to listen to what people are talking about."

So be careful what you say and where you say it. A reporter could be listening.

Other things you can learn from this list:

Number 8: Church bulletins. "We have a staffer who routinely gets tips from church bulletins." The Publicity Hound thinks church bulletins are one of the most overlooked vehicles to announce your local news.

Number 25. Meeting minutes for government bodies such as city councils. Publicity Hounds often ask their city councils, school boards and mayors to issue a proclamation noting an upcoming event or honoring someone for a noteworthy accomplishment. When I covered a city council meeting, I usually included a line or two about each proclamation the council issued at the end of the story. This is just one more way to get your news before the public.

Number 32: The What Happens Next Factor. "Look at stories that have appeared in your paper in the past two weeks. Read them again. And then ask yourself: What happened next? If it hasn’t already been followed up, find out what’s happened." Reporters call these "follow-up stories" and they are a way for Publicity Hounds to generate more publicity. If a newspaper, TV station or magazine already has covered you, consider letting them know about the "follow up." What happened since they covered the original story?

Number 34: Weather, weather, weather. "From your local weather office, monthly stats are readily available on temperatures, snowfall, rainfall, etc. It’s no secret that readers love weather stories." It's also no secret that most reporters hate cover the weather. That's why publicity is practically yours for the taking whenever you call your newspaper and tell a reporter how that day's weather affects your product, service, cause or issue.

Number 50: Letters to the editor: "They offer additional viewpoints on subjects, possibly other angles for stories. The writers are also commonly Average Joe Citizens bringing to light an injustice, a complaint or opposition/approval of an impending decision by government." That's right. On slow news days, I frequently scanned the Letters to the Editor page in my own newspaper looking for story leads.

If you aren't writing letters to the editor, now is the time to start. Letters are powerful publicity tools because editors seldom edit them. So what you write is pretty much what you'll see in the newspaper. Ditto for opinion columns. "How to Use Newspaper & Magazine Editorial Pages" shows you how to use the editorial pages to generate Page 1 stories. It explains the two types of letters that editors print most frequently, and gives my 6 tips for writing letters to the editor. It's available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/5wh45


===============================
2. Double Your Media Placements
===============================

This is one of those no-brainer tips that sounds so obvious, yet few Publicity Hounds remember it.

If you want to double the number of your media placements, pitch not only stories but photos and graphics. With newspaper and magazine space at a premium, you sometimes stand a far greater chance of getting a photo published than a lengthy article.

"Especially with the digital cameras that are available today, making photos available to editors automatically DOUBLES the space you receive," says freelance writer writer Pat Luebke. Yet one of her pet peeves is people who want publicity but don't have photos available, or make photos available only "on request."

Here are some tips for generating publicity from photos:

--If you have a great idea for a photo, call the photo desk at your local daily or weekly newspaper. Photographers are under pressure to come up with great news and feature photos and they, too, have "slow news days" just like reporters do.

--Ask for a photo before your event. If your Rotary Club is hosting a pancake breakfast, how about asking the newspaper to shoot a photo of club members mixing pancake batter?

--Think weather. How does the weather affect attendance at an upcoming event? Or your company's sales? Here in the Midwest, snow rakes are popular during stowstorms so we can rake snow off our roof, and hardware stores that sell them are virtually guaranteed of getting publicity.

--Think kids and pets. TV crews love stories about kids and pets. Anytime you have a kid, or a pet, or both, your chances for TV coverage increase.

--Provide your own photos. Smaller publications that don't have photo staffs often rely on photos submitted by readers. Today's digital cameras make it easy to take good-quality photos.

--Don't forget information graphics. Maps, bar charts, pie charts and tables that compare statistics, and other information graphics, are often welcome by editors who need to fill odd-size holes on a page. Before you write a press release, ask youself, could we explain our news better with a graphic?


My ebook "How to Use Photos & Graphics in Your Publicity Campaign" includes more than 273 tips that will save you time and money and double the number of your media hits. It includes step-by-step directions on how to buy photo equipment, use it, and take and submit your own photos. You'll find an entire chapter on corporate publicity photos, plus helpful tips on how to use photos at your website and in your online media room so your site loads quickly and looks great. Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.publicityhound.com/publicityphotos.htm


==================================
3. Avoiding Summer Injuries
==================================

I spent seven hours on Memorial Day cleaning out my perennial gardens, dressed in shorts and a sleeveless shirt that left me with a sunburn so bad that it feels like my shoulders are on fire.

Silly me for forgetting to slather on the sunscreen. I'll bet some of you are also feeling the pain of summer injuries--whether it's an aching body from yardwork, or sprained muscles from sports injuries, or insect bites.

This is the perfect time of year to dole out free advice to people like me who need to be reminded of ways we can keep ourselves safe during the summer.

My personal favorite publicity tool is called the tip sheet: "6 tips on how to avoid sunburn" or "8 ways to stay safe on the golf course." These handy little sheets can be sent simultaneously to noncompeting publications. And unlike news releases, you can send tip sheets as often as you like. Editors love them because they fill odd-size holes on a page. And readers love them because they're chock full of free advice.


"Briefs, Fillers & Quizzes: How to Create Them and Why Editors Love Them" explains all about tip sheets and eight other kinds of briefs that the media will welcome. It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/d74h7


===============================
4. Ask for a Fact Check
===============================

When a print reporter interviews you for a story, never ask if it's OK to read the story before it's printed. That will label you as clueless.

How, then, can you ensure that the reporter will report the facts accurately?

You can never be 100 percent sure. But you can increase your odds by asking for a fact check. That means that after the story is written, the reporter calls you and recites the facts of the story.

If, for example, the story states that your company has 247 employees, you can keep the reporter from making an error by pointing out that the correct figure is 274.

Never hesitate to ask for a fact check. Some reporters, particularly new ones, won't know what this is. If they look puzzled, explain it this way:

"A fact check is a way for both of us to make sure the facts are accurate. It also will keep you from having to run a correction if something is wrong."

I guarantee that will get their attention. Reports hate having to write corrections because it calls attention to the fact that they goofed.

Asking for a fact check is only one of 13 things you can do to make sure the story is fair and accurate. My "Special Report #1--Damage Control: How to Keep the Media from Making a Mess of Your Story" also includes three more things you can do after the damage is already done. Even veteran PR people don't take the time to follow all these tips. Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g


==================================
5. Promoting a Christian CD
==================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have advice for Jilleen Butler of Santa Ana, California. She asked for ideas on how to market a new CD project called "The Hymns Experience," an interactive modern-day musical journey into the history of America’s all-time favorite hymns. You can read more about it at http://www.jilleen.com/music.html


From Thom Reece:

"Write some compelling articles on the history of religious music and submit to the proper categories at http://www.religionarticlelibrary.com/ and http://www.writerspenarticledirectory.com/ Make sure you add a call to action in your bio/resource box and add your link in the full "http://" protocol."


From Teri Brown:

"I used to be a fan club president for an unknown country singer. She has an awesome voice but never quite made it because her label went bankrupt before they could promote her. But I did get her well-known on the Internet. I spent tons of time going to every country website I could find (and there are a LOT of them out there) requesting a link exchange via the webmasters. On our website I had a 'links' button and on it were at least 100 country links from the exchange. You have no idea how much traffic that brought to our website."


From Garth Gibson:

"Madonna is starting her 'Confessions' tour. Perhaps this could be a goldmine of free publicity for any Christian musician that ties them to an anti-hedonist movement exactly opposite of what Madonna represents.

"Not only is Madonna a target for this but she puts it right in your Christian face, daring you to challenge her mock of religion by naming her tour Confessions.

"I have no problem with it and plan to see her perform in Miami, but from a PR standpoint it seems like a perfect foil to go up against."


The Publicity Hound says: Bob Baker, a former music magazine editor, says musicians can generate fabulous publicity by posting news releases to a variety of music-oriented websites. He lists them all and gives dozens of other tips on the CD "Do-it-yourself PR Tips for Musicians, Songwriters & Bands on a Budget." It's also available as an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/lu9py

Read the entire responses at http://publicityhound.net/index.php/christian-recording-artist-needs-publicity-tips/


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

Marisa Menzel of Madison, Wisconsin writes:

"I'm a wedding planner and have recently started hosting monthly 'workshops' at a local bridal shop. Each month we ask one wedding professional to come in to talk about their trade.

"We tell the attendees the name of the business that the professional is from, but the main focus is informative, as opposed to selling. We then also have free wedding cake for people to eat while they are there and something free for them to take home. At the end of the event, the attendees can ask questions of the professional, myself, and the other brides there. It's kind of an open forum.

"Our problem is low attendance. Our current forms of advertising are sending out an email to approximately 2,500 brides, and then listing the event in one of the free weekly newspapers. But we aren't getting much response. How can we increase attendance?"


The Publicity Hound says: My Hounds are experts at coming up with ideas for fun, lively, entertaining events that really pull crowds, including the media. Hounds with ideas on how to attract all those brides-to-be in Madison can post them to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/index.php/wedding-planner-needs-creative-ideas-for-workshops/


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

A guy went to the vet and asked the vet to cut off his dog's tail.

"Why?" asked the vet.

"Well, my mother-in-law is visiting next month," the owner said, "and I want to eliminate any possible indication that she is welcome."


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

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


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

Why you should put your book on Google book search
http://publicityhound.net/index.php/why-you-should-put-your-book-on-google-book-search/

Technorati/Associated Press service a great deal for bloggers, newspaper readers
http://publicityhound.net/index.php/technoratiassociated-press-service-a-great-deal-for-bloggers-newspaper-readers/

Radio, TV talk shows need emergency guests
http://publicityhound.net/index.php/radio-tv-talk-shows-need-emergency-guests/

---------------------------------------------------------------
Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®


June 24: Naples, Florida

Public Relations Society of America, Sunshine Chapter District Conference,"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity," from 9-11:30 a.m., Ritz-Carlton. Register at http://www.prsagulfcoast.org


July 7: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"How to Use the Media to Promote Your Expertise and Get Thousands of Dollars in Free Publicity," Network SOHO, Radisson Hotel, 2303 N. Mayfair Road. Registration at 7:15, breakfast at 7:30, program from 8 to 9. $20. To register, mailto:nicole@corebusinessstaffing.com


***If you're in the National Speakers Association or the Public Relations Society of America--or another business, marketing or PR group--and you want details on how to bring in The Publicity Hound to do a fund-raiser for your chapter, or you want me to host a teleseminar customized just for your group, contact me atmailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry or call262-284-7451.


***Attention Meeting Planners: If you're booking speakers for winter, spring or summer conferences or events, keep me in mind--even if you have a last-minute cancellation. I deliver high-content, interactive programs that are lots of fun. Call 262-284-7451 or mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry for details.

PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your own print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," a free ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive free 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. You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® will never distribute your address to anyone.

Period.

Promise.

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

Publicity tips/Biggest TV pitching mistakes May 23, 2006

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #295 - May 23, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 17,369

=====================================
"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
Receive this ezine
direct to your desktop:
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/
=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter. Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

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

1. Biggest TV Pitching Mistakes

2. The Overdone Press Conference

3. Your Boring Bio

4. Media & Marketing Leads

5. Promoting a Wildlife Sanctuary

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...

==================================
1. Biggest TV Pitching Mistakes
==================================

Are you making these major mistakes when pitching TV talk shows?

--You're pitching a producer whose name you added to your Rolodex four years ago, but you haven't pitched her since then.

-- You're pitching the wrong producer at the show and don't know who's the correct one for your topic.

--You have no idea what kinds of segments a producer specializes in.

--You're pitching your book instead of your expertise.

--You're pitching only yourself. And you're reluctant to pitch other guests to appear on the same show because you don't want them to hog the spotlight.

--You're sending your entire media kit with all your marketing materials to the producer of a show like "Oprah" thinking that if she has a good selection of things to read, she’ll find what she needs and book you for a segment. (Fat chance she'll even open it.)

--You pitch shows you have never watched.

--You offer the same angle to everyone you're pitching.

--You include your resume with your pitch, which makes it look like you're job-hunting.

--You send blast-fax pitches to everyone because it's cheaper than snail-mail, and the pitches won't get caught in spam filters.

--When you make your follow-up calls, you ask, "Did you get my media kit?"
If you make any of those mistakes, no wonder you aren't getting interviews.
You must be thoroughly familiar with each show. You must know the names of the producers and which segments they specialize in. You must send succinct, compelling pitches and deliver them in the format in which the producers prefer, along with the correct marketing materials.

And you must make every single media outlet believe that your pitch was custom-made only for them.

I just got my hands on "Harrison's Guide to the Top National TV Talk and Interview Shows," and it's chock full of contact names and pitching tips for 259 of the top shows. The user-friendly guide lets you search for information by topic, or by program in alphabetical order. It also lets you know which producer is the best overall contact and includes lots of specific information on which kinds of guests these producers are looking for.

Steve Harrison is raising the price after 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 25. If you order your copy now at http://www.appearontoptvshows.com/special/?10011 you'll also gain admission to a special training teleconference called "Secrets for Getting Booked as a Guest on Top National TV Shows" and featuring a former NBC producer.

Also at that web page, you can get four f~ree complimentary listings from Steve's directory, including those for ABC's "20/20," CBS' "60 Minutes," "The 700 Club" and "CBS Weekend Evening News."

===============================
2. The Overdone Press Conference
===============================

The media hate press conferences.

That's because the person hosting the press conference treats them all like a herd of cattle--leading them into the same barn, feeding them from the same trough, and shooing them out of the barn at the same time, all with the identical story.

Even worse, the media often have to battle rush-hour traffic to attend your staged media event, then bolt back to the office to write the story on deadline.

You can host a press conference if you truly have major breaking news to report. But when I worked as a reporter, 99 percent of the press conferences I attended were a colossal waste of my precious time. So I made a mental note to never, ever attend a press conference called by those groups again.

I've attended press conferences where the person hosting it:

--Refused to tell the media beforehand what it was about.

--Stood at a podium and read a press release that they could have faxed to me.

--Refused to let the media ask questions.

--Treated the media like indentured servants by bossing them around.

--Announced complicated information but never bothered giving us support materials to help explain it.

--Leaked the story to a competing media outlet but made us drive to the news conference to get the same information.

The next time your boss tells you to call a press conference, tell the boss there's a much better way of letting the media know about your great story. Instead, host a media event--something that's fun and will really attract attention. And offer individual media outlets different angles, so they don't all leave with the same story.

PR pro Sandra Eggers has created compelling media events that have resulted in mountains of media coverage. She held a kids town hall meeting to announce what would have otherwise been a boring story the media would never have covered. She gave away 50,000 roses and carnations to announce a new trade association for florists. And she used hundreds of conch shells to publicize a lack of funding for special education in Michigan.

Hear how she did it by listening to the CD we recorded called "Creative Ideas for Boring Press Conferences." By the time you're finished listening to it, you'll be convinced that most press conferences are unnecessary and that properly staged media events are far more productive. Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes/alternativestoconferences.htm


==================================
3. Your Boring Bio
==================================

While listening to a media panel last week at Publishers Marketing Association University in Washington, D.C., I cringed when I heard national correspondent Dan Raviv of CBS Radio News talk about the one thing he pays attention to when someone pitches him.

He doesn't care about their book. He sometimes doesn't even care about the pitch. The one thing that's likely to catch his attention is their bio.

Why did I cringe? Because most bios that I read are more potent than sleeping pills. They list the names of every school someone ever attended, all the degrees they earned, and all of their professional designations. Authors and speakers, it seems, write the worst bios.

Right now, I want you to pull out your own bio and read it. Then ask yourself. "If I were a journalist, would I interview me?"

Chances are, you wouldn't. I wouldn't either. And most other journalists wouldn't.

The best bio reflects the personality of the writer. Great bios include fun little tidbits about people's hobbies, or their pets, or the one thing they want to accomplish before they die, or the best piece of advice they got from mom.

One of my favorite bios is actually an introduction for a speaker who is a veterinarian, and it morphs into a funny poem that has the audience howling with laughter before the speaker takes the microphone. I included that bio and eight of my other favorite bios in "Special Report #46: Tips for Rewriting Your Boring Bio." It includes tips on how to find great material for your bio and incorporate events from your childhood into it so people keep reading, and so journalists like Dan Aviv call you for an interview.

You can order it at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g


===============================
4. Media & Marketing Leads
===============================

--OverTime (OT) Magazine, the leading business and lifestyle guide for professional athletes, is looking for product pitches for its annual "Holiday Hot List," which reveals what athletes will be giving and receiving this holiday season. The gifts on the OT Holiday Hot List range from the affordable, to the elite and customizable, and include 10-12 gifts and stocking stuffers based on their uniqueness and specific appeal to athletes who might need a little help deciding what to buy their mom, dad, best buddies, or that special someone this year. Check it out at http://www.pbfn.org/pdfs/HolidayGiftGuide.pdf If you think you've got the right product for this elite demographic audience of more than 35,000 professional athletes and sports industry insiders, please send a brief introductory email outlining your product suggestion and its price to: Melissa Gillespie at mailto:mgillespie@ot-magazine.com No photos or image attachments, please. The magazine will ask for them if your product pitch passes the editorial screening. You can see an issue of OverTime at http://www.ot-online.com

--BlueStreak Publishing, which recently published the book, "Lifelong Looper--The Story of a Caddie Legend" by Cindy O’Krepki, is compiling short, heartwarming stories about golf, caddies, fathers or grandfathers for future books and is especially interested in ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Stories should be non-fiction, from 300-1,200 words. You may submit more than one story. Include an author's bio in 50 words or less. Send all submissions to mailto:bluestreakpublishing@comcast.net If your story is published, you'll be credited and your bio will be included. You will be paid upon publication, and payment will be determined at that time. If your story is chosen for a future book or any other projects, you will be notified and your permission to print it will be requested. However, if your story is not chosen, you will not receive a response due to the fact that there are future books for which it may be considered.

--The Byline Writers' Desk Calendar is looking for contributors for its 2008 calendar. If you're a writer who has been paid for your work, you're eligible to submit an entry. All genres and disciplines are welcome. See the submission guidelines at http://www.bylinescalendar.com/guidelines.php Thanks to Publicity Hound Roberta Beach Jacobson for this tip.

--You can win a year's subscription to The Gift List, the service that provides dozens of leads every year for media looking for products and service for its gift sections and features, if you come up with the winning tagline that The Gift List can use in its marketing. Owner Amy Bates-Stumpf says she's looking for a snappy, compelling tagline for her business at http://tinyurl.com/9es8y and she's short on ideas. I told her my Hounds can help. Keep it snappy and keep it short. My own tagline, for instance, is "Tips, tricks and tools for free publicity." Email your best idea to her at mailto:info@giftlistmedia.com?subject=Tagline


==================================
5. Promoting a Wildlife Sanctuary
==================================

This week, 13 Publicity Hounds have tips for Leanne Fielder of Melbourne, Australia. She needs ideas on how to promote the Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.


From Candy Tutt:

"Think big and contact 'Animal Planet' on the Discovery Network Channel. A feature on your webcams alone would be a winner for them!"


From Mary Kohnke:

"For donations, go to the groups that do the most to mess up the environment. Here in Florida, that includes the developers, their engineering firms, builders, etc. We pitch to them that helping us will make them seem at least a bit more like concerned citizens. This has been successful."


From Carol Ruddick:

"Partner with the local hotels, motels, lodges, campgrounds, etc. in the area. Offer them tickets for their guests at a discount. Let them market for you."


The Publicity Hound says:

The flora and the fauna are all affected by the weather, right? So contact the media whenever the weather--good or bad--affects the wildlife sanctuary. Piggybacking onto the weather is one of most frequently overlooked opportunities for publicity. See "Special Report #37: How to Tie Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue to the Weather" at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g


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

Jilleen Butler of Santa Ana, California writes:

"I am a Christian recording artist and speaker from Santa Ana, California. I recently released a new CD project called 'The Hymns Experience.' It's an interactive modern-day musical journey into the history of America's all-time favorite hymns. To listen to a few songs from the album, please visit http://www.jilleen.com/music.html What would you recommend that I do to help get publicity for the album in magazines, newspapers and on websites?" The Publicity Hound says: My Hounds have wonderful ideas on how to target niche markets and they can post them to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=615


I suggest you start visiting blogs that deal with religious music and post comments to them. If those bloggers know you exist, they'll check you out and perhaps even blog about you. Or start your own blog. Read Don Crowther's excellent ebook called "Blogging for Business" and start creating a buzz online. The search engines love blogs. And if yours is done correctly, it will be like a giant magnet that pulls traffic to your website. Order Don's book at http://tinyurl.com/7fjrk


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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Max Weiman of St. Louis, Missouri for this one:

A dog walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender figures dogs don’t know how much beer costs and charges him $20.

"We don’t have many dogs in here," the bartender says.

The dog answers, "At these prices, I’m not coming back either."

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

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

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

Pre-nup agreements between PR people, clients
http://publicityhound.net/?p=604

Tips for pitching cosmetic surgery stories
http://publicityhound.net/?p=613

10 tips for pitching the trade press
http://publicityhound.net/?p=608

The kinds of authors 'Diane Rehm Show' wants
http://publicityhound.net/?p=612

POP STAR! wants items for teens, tweens
http://publicityhound.net/?p=614

---------------------------------------------------------------

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®

June 24: Naples, Florida

Public Relations Society of America, Sunshine Chapter District Conference,"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast and OnlinePublicity," from 9-11:30 a.m., Ritz-Carlton. Register athttp://www.prsagulfcoast.org


July 7: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"How to Use the Media to Promote Your Expertise and Get Thousands of Dollars in Free Publicity," Network SOHO, Radisson Hotel, 2303 N. Mayfair Road. Registration at 7:15, breakfast at 7:30, program from 8 to 9. $20. To register, mailto:nicole@corebusinessstaffing.com

***If you're in the National Speakers Association or the Public Relations Society of America--or another business, marketing or PR group--and you want details on how to bring in The Publicity Hound to do a fund-raiser for your chapter, or you want me to host a teleseminar customized just for your group, contact me at mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry or call262-284-7451.

***Attention Meeting Planners: If you're booking speakers for winter, spring or summer conferences or events, keep me in mind--even if you havea last-minute cancellation. I deliver high-content, interactive programsthat are lots of fun. Call 262-284-7451 ormailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry for details.

PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your own print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," a free ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribeat http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive free 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. You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® will never distribute your address to anyone.

Period.

Promise.

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

Publicity tips/Pre-nups for publicists May 16, 2006

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #294 - May 16, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 17,095

=====================================
"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
Receive this ezine
direct to your desktop:
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/
=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.
Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

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

1. Pre-nups for Publicists

2. Follow Instructions

3. What's Wrong with 'American Idol'

4. Never Give Up

5. Publishing a Tips Booklet

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


==================================
1. Pre-nups for Publicists
==================================

I wish every publicist or PR person would sign a pre-nuptual agreement with their client before signing the actual contract.

The pre-nup would make it clear that the publicist has ultimate control over things like the exact wording of pitches to the media, or the length and wording of press releases. It would result in a lot fewer broken relationships.

Based on what I've seen when working with publicists the last several years, including a few in The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, too many of them let their clients boss them around. They're afraid to say anything when the client is wrong. Yet they're willing to put their sterling reputation on the line and risk making fools of themselves in front of their media contacts.

Why does this happen? Because too many PR people, I believe, are so thankful to get the work that they feel beholden to their clients. So they jump every time the clients snap their fingers.

Here are some of the mistakes I've seen PR people make:

--They write a short, compelling pitch that, later, the client waters down and orders them not to change. The pitch, instead of catching the media's attention, simply massages the client's ego. The PR person does as told, and looks foolish.

--They write a long, rambling press release that includes the obligatory B.S. quote from a client high in the release. The quote adds nothing, and makes the client sound pompous and self-promotional.

--They let the client badger them into turning down invitations to appear in top-tier media, after the publicist has worked tirelessly to secure the placement. Clients sometimes tell the publicist at the beginning of a publicity campaign that they want national publicity. Then for whatever reason, they suddenly get cold feet when a paper like USA Today or a program like "Dateline" calls. Rather than convince the client to get media-trained, the publicists cave in, then end up with a 100-pound resentment.

--They make pests out of themselves following up with the media after sending a routine press release. When I worked as an editor, I sometimes got calls from PR people who said: "I hate to bother you, but my boss is insisting I make this phone call. Can you tell me if you got our release and do you know when it will be printed?" If you make calls like that, you probably have no idea how ridiculous you sound. To make matters worse, the media person to whom you are speaking is making a mental note that you're a real pain to deal with.

Many of you can probably add to this list. If you have an effective way of telling clients before you sign a contract with them that you won't put your good reputation on the line and that it's your job as a publicist to protect them from doing stupid things that will hurt them, please share your tips with other Hounds.

Do you actually write language like this into the contract? Or is your agreement verbal? Does such language do any good? Post your responses to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=604 I'll share the best tips with you next week.

If you're a PR person looking for new clients, but you're not sure how to find them, Macia Yudkin and I have 24 ideas that will get you more business than you can handle. Our CD or electronic transcript called "24 Ways to Attract Clients to Your PR Practice" includes the two very best ways that Marcia and I have found clients.

Our tips also include what to do if you only want local clients, or Internet strategies you can adopt if you want clients on the other side of the globe. You can download the transcript and be reading it as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes/24_ways.htm


===============================
2. Follow Instructions
===============================

How would you like to stand in a reporter's shoes for just one day and see the kinds of pitches they get?

That's what publicist Michelle Tennant got to do for one day last week, and the results weren't pretty.

Michelle, a partner with Wasabi Publicity in North Carolina, posted three media leads to this newsletter last week. All were from her close media contacts, including those at the Wall Street Journal and Glamour magazine. She asked Hounds for leads that she could then pass along to her media contacts--leads that could generate publicity for the Hounds and, in the process, make her look good to the journalists.

Michelle received about 75 leads. She called me the next day to tell me she was aghast to see how few people bothered to follow directions. Some of you delivered blatant promotions for your products or services, instead of offering things like your experts, or trends you're noticing.

"So many people were so far off the mark that now I see why the media complain," Michelle said.

Several pitches even included misspelled words.

"It's 'You're welcome' rather than 'your welcome,'" she said. "I can't tell you how many Hounds made that mistake. The media are exceptionally literate, and if you can't spell, you should have someone in your office read over your emails before you hit send. The desk dictionary I own is well-worn, and http://www.dictionary.com/ is in my Internet Explorer favorites."

She also said several Hounds included links with typos, or those that led to error messages.

Puzzled about how to turn a pitch about a product or service into a short pitch that grabs the media's attention? Raleigh Pinskey, a PR pro who pitches better than anyone I know, teaches you how to do it in less than 15 seconds, and sometimes even 8 seconds. The teleseminar I conducted with her called "How to Create the 30-second Pitch" features Raleigh listening to pitches from several people on the line, then tearing apart their pitches and reconstructing them. The CD or electronic transcript will help you cut through the clutter and get to the meat of the pitch--the part that will really make the media pay attention. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/knx96


==================================
3. What's Wrong with 'American Idol'
==================================

Thanks to "The Marketing Minute," Marcia Yudkin's excellent tip of the week, for mentioning how my friend Bob Baker got fabulous publicity for stirring up controversy that ties in to "American Idol," the most popular prime-time show on TV.

Marcia says:

"Bob Baker and three colleagues in the music business collaborated on a release titled 'What's Wrong with American Idol?' criticizing the popular U.S. talent show for misleading aspiring musicians and the public about what it takes to succeed in music. Baker's reward for stirring up controversy: five radio interviews that highlighted his status as an expert on careers in music."

You can read Bob's manifesto at http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/american-idol-wrong.html

Bob, by the way, is one of the foremost experts on publicity for musicians. As the former editor of a music magazine, he knows how to break out of the garage band rut by using some clever publicity strategies. He detailed them all during an interview I conducted with him recently called "Do-it-Yourself PR Tips for Songwriters, Musicians & Bands on a Budget." Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/mqsug

You can subscribe to Marcia's newsletter at http://yudkin.com/marketing.htm


===============================
4. Never Give Up
===============================

You're always hearing me harp about how you have to remember which journalists you pitched months after you pitched them.

John Jordan of Principor Communications says it's sometimes even years. In March 2004, his firm pitched Marianne Szymanski of the popular ToyTips.com website and asked if she'd be interested in interviewing Donna Boone, an expert on swim safety, for any upcoming stories on the same topic.

John heard nothing. Then out of the blue, on May 3 this month--more than two years later--Marianne sends this email:

"I'm working on a story relating to swimming. Is Donna Boone still available to interview?"

So stop complaining that reporters are ignoring you. When I worked as a reporter, I often tucked pitch letters, notes about interesting people to interview and other items into my "slow news day" file, then retrieved the information months later.

Stay alert and expect the unexpected.

You can, of course, follow up with the reporter if you don't hear a response to your initial pitch. But make sure you're following up correctly or you'll blow it. "Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or a Story Pitch" tells you how to follow up, when to follow up, and how many times to follow up. The advice comes directly from the journalists who Jill Lublin interviewed. The recording of this teleseminar is available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can download and be reading in a few minutes. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/bmyn7


==================================
5. Publishing a Tips Booklet
==================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Joyce Restaino of Newfoundland, New Jersey.

She wants to publish a spiral-bound informational tips booklet for the corporate world with the tentative title "Get Going Now: 50 Tips to Show You How." She wants to know how to generate buzz for the booklet.

From Molly Cook:

"If people are paying, they’ll want substance. Re the title, this is not particularly interesting, but could work for a give-away. If you’re selling it, it’s got to have pizzazz and distinguish it from all that other material you mention. And then be sure that what’s on the inside is also some new and not just a rehash of motivational posters featuring eagles and mountains and quotes by Thoreau or Emerson or sports figures."


From Paulette Ensign:

"Your concern about getting publicity in the crowded field of motivation can be remedied by selling your booklets in bulk rather than one at a time. That means contacting corporations, associations, and publications for them to buy large quantities to use as a promotional tool for their own product, service, or cause. Once you are selling those very large quantities, your concern about getting publicity will become very ‘back seat.’ You’ll be reaching the end-users you want to reach through the distribution of the large-volume buyers."


From Shel Horowitz:

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the title is deadly, sorry, Show me how to what? To get going? Get going to do what? You didn’t ask enough 'so what' questions and so ended up with something bland whose only virtue is a not-very-memorable rhyme. You have only a few seconds to get someone’s attention, and this title will not do the job."
Read all the responses at my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=600


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

Leanne Fielder of Melbourne, Australia writes:

"I work for the Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. For over 35 years, volunteers and a skeleton staff have transformed 71 acres of degraded land into a rich and diverse area full of rare and unique flora and fauna that have not been seen in the greater Melbourne area since Europeans arrived over 200 years ago. "Many 'standards' now used across the world, such as the 'natural treatment' of urban stormwater runoff, was pioneered at the Sanctuary. Many of the undergrad students who were volunteers are now leaders in the environmental field. We have infrared cameras in nesting boxes streaming live to the web 24/7. Most Australian birds and mammals are nocturnal and the webcam allows us to 'spy' on birds and animals keeping warm in winter, raising their young in spring and just hanging around.

"I have become stuck for ideas and need to get paying customers in the gate and also we need sponsors. We have many dedicated volunteers and a 'Friends' group that works hard to raise money. I have worked my previous customers database, sent press releases and use the local press but I can't get it into the big time. Can your Hounds help with ideas?"

Their website is at http://www.melbournewildlife.com.au/


The Publicity Hound says: You bet! I love the part about the webcam. Hounds with ideas on how Leanne can spread the word about her critters can post ideas to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=609


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

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

--Monica Piper, 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/


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

Ladies Home Journal editor offers pitching tips
http://publicityhound.net/?p=605

Wall Street Journal changes health reporters
http://publicityhound.net/?p=606

Radio talk show guests have two more items
to add to their pre-show checklist
http://publicityhound.net/?p=607

Horticulture magazine wants
product info for holiday gift guide
http://publicityhound.net/?p=611

---------------------------------------------------------------

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®

May 17: Washington, D.C.

PMA University, Washington D.C. Convention Center. Robin Bartlett and I will present "Advanced Website Tricks to Pull More Traffic and Sell, Sell, Sell," 8:30-10:00 a.m. Sponsored by Publishers Marketing Association. Register at http://www.pma-online.org/pmau2005/1.cfm

May 18: Washington, D.C.

PMA University, Washington, D.C. Convention Center. Penny Sansevieri and I will present "How to Turn Your Ezine into a Cash Machine." Sponsored by Publishers Marketing Association. 8:30-10:15 a.m. Register at http://www.pma-online.org/pmau2005/1.cfm

June 24: Naples, Florida

Public Relations Society of America, Sunshine Chapter District Conference, "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity," from 9-11:30 a.m., Ritz-Carlton. Register at http://www.prsagulfcoast.org

July 7: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"How to Use the Media to Promote Your Expertise and Get Thousands of Dollars in Free Publicity," Network SOHO, Radisson Hotel, 2303 N. Mayfair Road. Registration at 7:15, breakfast at 7:30, program from 8 to 9. $20. To register, mailto:nicole@corebusinessstaffing.com

***If you're in the National Speakers Association or the Public Relations Society of America--or another business, marketing or PR group--and you want details on how to bring in The Publicity Hound to do a fund-raiser for your chapter, or you want me to host a teleseminar customized just for your group, contact me at mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry or call 262-284-7451.

***Attention Meeting Planners: If you're booking speakers for winter, spring or summer conferences or events, keep me in mind--even if you have a last-minute cancellation. I deliver high-content, interactive programs that are lots of fun. Call 262-284-7451 or mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry for details.

PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your own print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," a free ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive free 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.

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

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® will never distribute your address to anyone.

Period.

Promise.
=======================================================
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

Publicity tips/Know your bragging rights May 9, 2006

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #293 - May 9, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 16,759

=====================================
"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop:
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/
=====================================

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

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

**************************************************
Last call for Washington, D.C.:

By Friday, I need an accurate head count on how many people will be joining me on May 16 for my half-day seminar called "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast & Online Publicity." So far, this is the only week when I'm speaking in Washington, D.C. this year. We're going to have a blast. Promise. Register at http://tinyurl.com/h9p9m or call 262-284-7451.

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

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

1. Know Your Bragging Rights

2. Oven Timers & Door Bells

3. My Gift to You

4. Media Leads

5. Promote a Yoga DVD

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...
==================================
1. Know Your Bragging Rights
==================================

Don't tell me you can't get any publicity because all the reporters who you've pitched are ignoring you.

Boo-hoo.

That's all the sympathy you'll get from me. I'd rather spend my time telling you about Dick Stangl, a former client who claimed 7 column inches in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel yesterday to brag big-time about his 86-year-old company, a distributor for the power transmission industry.

Here's what he did. He read an op-ed column last week called "Milwaukee: Where are all the jobs?" Knowing Dick like I do, he probably got ticked. Then he fired off a column of his own.

"We currently have openings in all areas of our business at all of our locations in Wisconsin and Illinois," he wrote. "We believe our company is a great place to work--we pay well, provide excellent benefits and are willing to train. We have very little turnover, which indicates Weimer is a good employer."

His point was that there are plenty of jobs, but that parents aren't steering their children in the right direction. Instead, they're letting their kids drop out of high school, or graduate from expensive private colleges and take off a few years to go rock climbing. As a result, Dick says, there aren't enough young potential employees for frustrated, needy employers like him.

The newspaper would have let him brag about this company in a "Help Wanted" classified ad section. But that would have cost him a bundle. Instead, he spotted a great opportunity to respond to an earlier column--and brag for f*ree.

Dick understands his bragging rights. You should too.

So pay attention to things like letters to the editor and opinion columns. If you disagree with one, and the topic lends itself to you weaving in favorable information about your company or organization, do it. But just don't gild the lilly.

PR pro Robert Smith of Rockford, Illinois listened to my CD on "How to Use Newspaper & Magazine Editorial Pages," then wrote a letter to the editor that was printed in Fortune magazine.

"They even asked permission to include my letter in a promotional package going to tens of thousands of prospects who don't subscribe to their magazine," he said.

Learn more great secrets like that one on the CD. It's also available as an electronic transcript. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/5wh45

===============================
2. Oven Timers & Door Bells
===============================

I just got off the phone with Pam Johnson, who interviewed me for one hour on Hot Talk 1510 AM Radio in Kansas City about how small business people can generate free publicity.

I called in about 5 minutes before the hour, as instructed, then listened to the commercials that aired before the start of the hour-long show. Suddenly, I heard the timer on my microwave oven beeping. I had set it earlier this morning to alert me to when I was supposed to call in.

Luckily, I was able to slip away for 15 seconds, run to the microwave, turn off the timer and get back on the line with plenty of time to spare.

But that wasn't the only thing I forgot to do. I didn't post my "Please don't knock or ring the doorbell" sign on the front door. About halfway through the show, the UPS guy started banging on the door and rang the doorbell twice.

These things always happen in threes. I never disabled call-waiting on my phone. Twice during the call, as I was explaining an important point, I heard a beep in my ear. And listeners probably heard a split second of silence--twice--and knew I had calls coming in.

Don't make the same mistakes I did. Create a checklist of things to do before a radio talk show.

It should include:

--Post sign at the front door

--Turn off all timers, alarms and beepers

--Disable call-waiting

--Silence the ring on the fax machine

--Turn cell phones to vibrate, or off

--Put the dog outside or out of earshot

--Take a deep breath and smile!

You especially don't want to make these dumb mistakes when you're on national radio talk shows. Alex Carroll shows you how to get onto the biggest shows that are looking for informative, entertaining and controversial guests experts. "How to Get Booked on Big Radio Shows in the Top 20 Markets" is available as a CD or electronic transcript. It walks you through the 4 ways to get booked, the 8 essential elements of giving a great show and the 5 ways your press releases to the radio stations should look different than the standard press releases you write. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/p24yq

==================================
3. My Gift to You
==================================

If you're new to this newsletter, and you're wondering about all the good stuff you've missed from past issues, or if you're a longtime loyal Hound and you need a refresher course, I have a f*ree gift for you, to thank you for doing business with me.

It's my new ebook called "The Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week from 2005," a compilation of 24 tips that evoked the greatest response from readers. You can still use many of these tips in your 2006 media campaign. You can download the ebook at http://tinyurl.com/lpran and pass this link along to your own clients and customers. You can even put this link in your own ezine or blog. Your customes will love you for it.

To find back issues of this newsletter from 2006, visit the archives at http://www.PublicityHound.com/tipsoftheweek


===============================
4. Media Leads
===============================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Michelle Tennant, a publicist and graduate of The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, for passing along these three great media leads. She has agreed to intercept queries for the journalists, both of whom are her personal media contacts, so they aren't inundated. So send your responses to Michelle at the email addresses below.

--A writer for Glamour magazine is writing a story on how to cure your bad mood in five words or less and still needs examples of pick-me-up phrases. These can be phrases you repeat to yourself in times of stress, or simple things in life that cheer you. Submit your phrase along with your full name, age, city/state, email, phone and URL. (Some good examples: "Deep breath. This will pass." "Costco--it fixes anything." "Bombay Sapphire Martini, extra olives.") Mailto:Michelle@PublicityResults.com?subject=Glamour

--Michelle also has a Wall Street Journal contact who needs cutting-edge family news and trends, and she just signed on some clients who are also top experts for family news, including one who is a regular on the "Today" show. Michelle says she has numerous conversations on family-related topics with the media. "Any tidbits I can give my sources will make me look that much better," she says. And they just might get you some publicity. Mailto:Michelle@PublicityResults.com?subject=FamilyTrends

--Michelle has another media contact who wants to hear from people who have funny or annoying stories about emailing their own babies' pictures to friends or relatives. Mailto:Michelle@PublicityResults.com?subject=BabyPictures

Note: Several readers have complained that two recent media leads submitted by radio talk show hosts were actually veiled attempts to find guests who would be willing to pay to be on their shows. If you're a TV or radio talk show host trying to "sell" a spot on your show, don't even think of asking me to pester my Hounds with your sales pitch. Media leads are only for Hounds who do not have to pay for print, broadcast or online coverage.

==================================
5. Promoting a Yoga DVD
==================================

This week, 12 Publicity Hounds have tips for Heidi Kindberg Goss of Los Angeles, California. She has a unique DVD that teaches yoga to moms who have just given birth and she wants ideas on how to promote it.


From Michael Gloekler:

"See if you can team up with Enfamil or Similac to get a coupon dropped in the 'free stuff for new mommies' bag that every woman receives in the hospital after giving birth."


From Raechelle Cline:

"Tie your product to an emerging issue that we are dealing with socially. In this case, you might try relating your product to the growing problem of childhood obesity. Position your product as a teaching tool for children by finding an expert that will state that creating a habit or appreciation for exercise among children starts with having that habit demonstrated by the parent."

From Lorie Parker Matejowsky: "I’m the mom of a 15-month-old and 3-year-old and my first thought after reading about Yoga Ma Baby Ga was that I had to forward the information to all of my friends with babies. An important target market for you is the new-mommie, playgroup grapevine! Post information about your video on the mommy meet-up virtual community message board at http://www.meetup.com/), which hosts playgroups all across the U.S. Don’t forget to post to Craigslist at http://www.craigslist.org/ especially in the kids and babies section of the "For Sale" category.

The Publicity Hound says: Craigslist is a powerful publicity tool for anybody promoting a product, service, cause or issue. You can target dozens of cities and countries, and in most cases you pay nothing to post. But posting can be confusing. Nancy Mills, an expert on how to post to Craigslist, offers lots of time-saving shortcuts and helpful strategies on "How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool." It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/jxpkq

Read all the responses at my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=592


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

Joyce Restaino of Newfoundland, New Jersey writes:

"I hope your Publicity Hounds can come up with some ideas to help generate publicity for a motivational tips booklet I have coauthored with a corporate trainer. We envision a spiral bound book with a good-quality cover. We should have more information about the number of pages in a few weeks. "Perhaps Hounds can even help us with the title, although our tentative title is 'Get Going Now: 50 Tips to Show You How.' We interviewed a number of experts who are quoted in the tips book--and the feedback from a dozen or so people who have reviewed it has been positive. "However, with so much motivational material on the market, the challenge is generating buzz and getting noticed."

The Publicity Hound says: Paulette Ensign, the Tips Booklet Queen who frequently posts ideas here, will be loaded with advice on how to identify a niche and publish the most inexpensive booklets with the highest profit margins. How about it Paulette and other Hounds who have published how-to material? Post your ideas to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=600
Her website is packed with home study courses, tips and all kinds of great educational tools for anyone who wants to publish an informational tips booklet. Visit http://tinyurl.com/gnpj7


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

My dog chewed the tongue on one of my new, very expensive running shoes. I hoped to save my investment, so I took the shoes to a shoe repair shop. I placed them on the counter and told the man, "My dog got hold of this."

The repairman picked up the shoe, looked it over, and placed it back down on the counter.

"Well, what do you recommend?" I asked.

He looked at me and replied, "Give your dog the other shoe."

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

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

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

Book promotion tips
from Raleigh Pinskey
http://publicityhound.net/?p=597

Airline magazines rely
on freelancers--so pitch them
http://publicityhound.net/?p=596

Tips booklets:Perfect marketing tool
in a crowded market
http://publicityhound.net/?p=598

8 mega-trends worth pigggybacking onto
http://publicityhound.net/?p=599

---------------------------------------------------------------

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®:

May 16: Washington, D.C.

I'll be hosting a half-day public seminar called "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast & Online Publicity." Read all about it at http://www.Publicityhound.com/washingtondc.htm


May 17: Washington, D.C.

PMA University, Washington D.C. Convention Center. Robin Bartlett and I will present "Advanced Website Tricks to Pull More Traffic and Sell, Sell, Sell," 8:30-10:00 a.m. Sponsored by Publishers Marketing Association. Register at http://www.pma-online.org/pmau2005/1.cfm


May 18: Washington, D.C.

PMA University, Washington, D.C. Convention Center. Penny Sansevieri and I will present "How to Turn Your Ezine into a Cash Machine." Sponsored by Publishers Marketing Association. 8:30-10:15 a.m. Register at http://www.pma-online.org/pmau2005/1.cfm


June 24: Naples, Florida

Public Relations Society of America, Sunshine Chapter District Conference, "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity," from 9-11:30 a.m., Ritz-Carlton. Registration details pending.


July 7: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"How to Use the Media to Promote Your Expertise and Get Thousands of Dollars in Free Publicity," Network SOHO, Radisson Hotel, 2303 N. Mayfair Road. Registration at 7:15, breakfast at 7:30, program from 8 to 9. $20. To register, mailto:nicole@corebusinessstaffing.com

***If you're in the National Speakers Association or the Public Relations Society of America--or another business, marketing or PR group--and you want details on how to bring in The Publicity Hound to do a fund-raiser for your chapter, or you want me to host a teleseminar customized just for your group, contact me at mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry or call 262-284-7451.

***Attention Meeting Planners: If you're booking speakers for winter, spring or summer conferences or events, keep me in mind--even if you have a last-minute cancellation. I deliver high-content, interactive programs that are lots of fun. Call 262-284-7451 or mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry for details.

PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your own print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," a free ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive free 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.

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

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® will never distribute your address to anyone.

Period.

Promise.

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

Publicity tips/Write a White Paper May 2, 2006

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #292 - May 2, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 16,383

=====================================
"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
Receive this ezine
direct to your desktop:
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/
=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.
Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.
**************************************************

Attention Washington, D.C. and Baltimore Hounds:

Seats are filling up fast for my May 16 half-day seminar called "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast & Online Publicity." Because this event is at the City Club, seats are limited. Sorry, but when they're gone, they're gone. Register at http://tinyurl.com/h9p9m or call 262-284-7451. So far, this is the only week when I'm speaking in Washington, D.C. this year. If you want a poster for this workshop to hang in your company, chamber offices, etc., email me at mailto:jstewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=Poster

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

1. Write a White Paper

2. Another Ground-breaking Photo

3. How to Become an Expert

4. Compelling Blog Comments

5. Promote a Restaurant Event

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...

==================================
1. Write a White Paper
==================================

What? Write a White Paper?

A long, boring treatise that lands like a thud when you plop it on your desk? A thick report stuffed with pie charts, bar charts, graphs and industry lingo?

Just the sound of it can trigger nightmares about your days writing high school term papers.
Why would you want to write one of THOSE?

You wouldn't. But here are three reasons why you'd want spend a day or two cranking out a short, well-written White Paper that the media will gobble up:

--They're a powerful way to generate publicity, particularly for a new product.

--You can offer a White Paper as a free download. This is a sneaky tactic if you're appearing on a TV talk show and you want to use the appearance to pull viewers to your website. You can't just say "go to my website." But you can tell them to go to your website and download a free White Paper on a topic they're passionate about.

--Hounds who are job-hunting can use a White Paper to get through the door at companies where they're dying to work.

A White Paper is your company’s statement about how a problem should be solved. So if you sell any kind of complex or technical product or service, or if you have an elegant solution to a challenging problem, a well-written, well-publicized White Paper can be a key link in your sales, marketing and public relations strategy.

But it shouldn't be long, boring, complicated or packed with industry jargon. You don't have to spend months or even weeks writing it.

Here's how it works. You pick a topic, preferably a problem that people in your target audience are experiencing, then you offer information on how to solve the problem.

Perry Marshall, a former engineer who has written dozens of short White Papers, says there's a good reason to offer problem-solving information instead of a straight sales pitch.

"Because nobody who bought a drill ever wanted a drill," he said. "They wanted a hole. Therefore, if you sell drills, you should advertise information about making holes, not about drills."

If you want to, you can interview industry executives about your topic and quote them in the White Paper, then return to their companies again to hand-deliver the paper in which they are quoted. Who knows? A few months later, you might be returning for a job interview. Perry, one of my coaches, has an excellent 5-day email course on how to publish and publicize White Papers. It's f*ree, and you can sign up for it at http://tinyurl.com/hvgoz


===============================
2. Another Ground-breaking Photo
===============================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Shelly Cohen of Seattle, Washington for sending this link about the groundbreaking at the Freedom Tower at ground zero in New York City.

Click on the link below, then click on the photo that's on the left side of the page to see the photo close-up:

http://tinyurl.com/p3383

"This might make it clear to folks what it takes to make a groundbreaking truly newsworthy," Shelly writes, tongue-in-cheek. "At least I don't see any photos of Mayor Bloomberg with a shovel in hand."

Indeed, you don't. But a photo of a bunch of stuffed suits standing near a podium is still boring. I don't care where it was taken.

The next time your company breaks ground for something, don't think you can get away with this kind of photo just because it was in the New York Times.

Your ground-breaking isn't as newsworthy as this one. But it's still, unfortunately, boring.

I'm on a campaign to banish photos like these forever. "Fun Alternatives to Boring Ground-breakings, Ribbon-cuttings and Check-passings" presents a compelling argument on why you're tarnishing your reputation by asking the media to cover these cliche events. PR pro Dan Collins and I present dozens of great ideas on things you can do to catch the media's attention without resorting to these schlocky photos. It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/hjhqr

==================================
3. How to Become an Expert
==================================

When I present my publicity workshops all over the U.S. and Canada and start to talk about the topic of expertise, I usually see a look of horror on the faces of a few Publicity Hounds in the audience. Then a hand goes up.

"I'd never dream of calling myself an expert," somebody laments.

That's because most people don't understand that expertise doesn't have only one definition. It has several. And expertise isn't only about what you know. It's also about what you do. Experts teach classes, write books and White Papers, obtain certification in their industry, have mentor programs and serve as expert witnesses, among other things.

If you want publicity, you'll generate a lot more if you become an expert in any topic, then offer your expertise to the media. I'll explain exactly how to do that during a 90-minute teleseminar at 8:30 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 3. Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, a.k.a. The Blog Squad, will pick my brain about the topic of expertise and publicity. Not surprisingly, this is part of their "Conversation with Experts" series, and there's no charge to participate.

Sign up at http://www.conversationswithexperts.com/

***Note to experts: If you missed last week's teleseminar with James Malinchak on how to get onto the college speaking circuit, don't worry. We recorded it. You can sign up to access the replay line http://tinyurl.com/fs56k (If you signed up within the last 3 weeks, you don't have to do so again.)

I was amazed when James ticked off the 21 topics that are most in demand by college faculty and staff members who hire speakers. I'll bet many of you Hounds have topics that would be a perfect fit speaking on college campuses.

===============================
4. Compelling Blog Comments
===============================

One of the best ways to position yourself as an expert, draw traffic to your website, and maybe even make it easy for journalists to find you, is to post comments at other people's blogs, particuly blogs that have a high page ranking.

You can rant. You can disagree with the blogger. But you can't make your comments sound like a free commercial.

BL Ochman, one of my favorite bloggers who writes about online PR, came up with her own checklist of things that Publicity Hounds must know if they're posting comments to other people's websites.

"Since blogs are archived online, anything you write in a comment will be there until forever," she says. "So think before you write and edit, edit, edit before you hit 'submit.'"

She says, for instance, that in order for you to get the benefit of posting comments, you should link back to your own website. And since you're doing that, it would be silly to try to post a comment anonymously.

The rest of her tips are in an article she wrote for the May/June issue of The Publicity Hound newsletter. It also includes articles on a five-step process for optimizing your press releases so they're found by consumers as well as journalists, how a Bulldog Kissing Booth got fabulous publicity for a dog show; what you need besides expertise to be a credible source on TV; a new women's magazine, where to find email addresses of Wall Street Journal reporters; a website that wants articles on parenting, families and relationships; 6 tips for working with freelance writers; where to post a writing, editing or research project for freelancers; how to know how many other websites link to yours; how to pitch "Dateline;" and seasonal story ideas for May and June. All for $10.

Order at http://tinyurl.com/eresv


==================================
5. Promoting a Restaurant Event
==================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Tamara Remedios of Matawan, New Jersey. She wants advice on how to promote Hudson Restaurant Week in northern New Jersey and exactly how to invite the media. It's a 10-day dining promotion with meals at fine restaurants for a reduced price.

From Shel Horowitz:

"Write up a very strong press release that *the food bank* will send out for you (ask them first, of course). This would focus on your commitment to their humanitarian mission, etc. etc., and how delighted they are to have you as a sponsor. The release should also mention all the participating dignitaries and their role."

From Miriam Silverberg:

"I would call first. I’m always afraid if I just send something blindly it will get lost or wind up in the circular file. You don’t have to send a handwritten note, a press release or email would do fine. If you want more publicity, why not take advantage of the nice weather and have chefs with their white hats handing out free tastes?"

From Garth Gibson:

"Maybe to juice it up even more, invite some famous native sons and daughters from northern Jersey to attend the event. Sign autographs for a donation. How about inviting the families of soldiers in Iraq that live in the northern Jersey area."

Read all the responses at http://publicityhound.net/?p=581

The Publicity Hound says: I'm a former food columnist and I have lot of ideas on how to promote events like these. They're all explained on the CD "Publicity Tips for Restaurants, Chefs & Foodies." It comes with the entire list of 51 story ideas you can download, read and be devouring as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/clr26


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

Heidi Kindberg Goss of Los Angeles, California writes:

"'Yoga Ma Baby Ga' is a unique DVD. Our original picture-in-picture format provides a complete 55-minute yoga routine in the lower corner of the screen at the same time that engaging images for a baby fill the rest of the screen. How can I get this across in writing?

"Everyone who sees it at http://www.downdogproductions.com/DVDcover.html 'gets it' and loves it, but it's hard to grab the attention of those that just hear 'another yoga DVD' and tune out. I think this format will revolutionize the way moms can get back into shape at home, with their babies by their sides. But in order to do that, we need to be out there! I've sent press releases, done a local news guest segment, gotten reviews, created an interactive website, have product placed in a few specialty stores, done expos, etc. But I need that Big Thing. What am I missing? What's one huge thing that might put us on the map? Please help, Hounds."

The Publicity Hound says:

And help they will. Post your ideas large and small to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=592


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

Thanks to Elaine Grassbaugh of Columbus, Ohio for forwarding the Dog Dictionary. I'll be excerpting various definitions from the dictionary here from time to time. Here's the first one:

Leash: A strap that attaches to your collar, enabling you to lead your owner where you want him or her to go. Make sure that you are waiting patiently with leash in mouth when your owner comes home from work. This immediately makes your owner feel guilty and the walk is lengthened by a good 10 minutes.

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

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

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

Dole wilts by not responding
to 'Dateline' story on bagged lettuce
http://publicityhound.net/?p=589

Media lead from real estate columnist
http://publicityhound.net/?p=591

Gossip columnists tell what happens
when celebrity publicist say 'no comment'
http://publicityhound.net/?p=550

Unmetered bandwith among
new AudioAcrobat features
http://publicityhound.net/?p=590

---------------------------------------------------------------
Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®:

May 16: Washington, D.C.

I'll be hosting a half-day public seminar called "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast & Online Publicity." Read all about it at http://www.Publicityhound.com/washingtondc.htm


May 17: Washington, D.C.

PMA University, Washington D.C. Convention Center. Robin Bartlett and I will present "Advanced Website Tricks to Pull More Traffic and Sell, Sell, Sell," 8:30-10:00 a.m. Sponsored by Publishers Marketing Association. Register at http://www.pma-online.org/pmau2005/1.cfm

May 18: Washington, D.C.

PMA University, Washington, D.C. Convention Center. Penny Sansevieri and I will present "How to Turn Your Ezine into a Cash Machine." Sponsored by Publishers Marketing Association. 8:30-10:15 a.m. Register at http://www.pma-online.org/pmau2005/1.cfm


June 24: Naples, Florida

Public Relations Society of America, Sunshine Chapter District Conference, "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity," from 9-11:30 a.m., Ritz-Carlton. Registration details pending.


July 7: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"How to Use the Media to Promote Your Expertise and Get Thousands of Dollars in Free Publicity," Network SOHO, Radisson Hotel, 2303 N. Mayfair Road. Registration at 7:15, breakfast at 7:30, program from 8 to 9. $20. To register, mailto:nicole@corebusinessstaffing.com

***If you're in the National Speakers Association or the Public Relations Society of America--or another business, marketing or PR group--and you want details on how to bring in The Publicity Hound to do a fund-raiser for your chapter, or you want me to host a teleseminar customized just for your group, contact me at mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry or call 262-284-7451.

***Attention Meeting Planners: If you're booking speakers for winter, spring or summer conferences or events, keep me in mind--even if you have a last-minute cancellation. I deliver high-content, interactive programs that are lots of fun. Call 262-284-7451 or mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry for details.

PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your own print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," a free ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive free 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.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® will never distribute your address to anyone. Period. Promise.
=======================================================
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