Publicity Tips/No Bio? No Thanks Mar 24, 2009

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #443 March 24, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ Blog)

Circulation: 41,708

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

"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 that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you
can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the
newsletter.

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

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

It's Tuesday, and I'm Here to Stay:

Eight out of 10 Publicity Hounds who took my customer profile
survey want this newsletter to stay just as it is--delivered
every Tuesday instead of a sliced and diced version with tips
scattered throughout the week, like I was considering doing.

So Tuesday it is.

I've been publishing for eight and a half years and still going
strong--thanks to the helpful Hounds who share their success
stories, questions, publicity tips and, of course, dog jokes.

Next week, I'll announce the lucky winner of the Kindle 2.

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

1. No Bio? No Thanks

2. Meet Mr. Tweet

3. 10 Dead or Dying PR Tactics

4. Top Search Term: Craigslist

5. Where to Find Pro Bono PR Interns

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


=================================
1. No Bio? No Thanks
=================================

Almost two-thirds of the people who use Twitter don't have a bio
or a link listed on their profile, the 160-character description
just under their avatar.

So what's the big deal?

Does having a bio and website link in your Twitter profile really
make a difference in the number of followers you have?

Absolutely.

The Hubspot Internet Marketing Blog has crunched the numbers and
says that users with a bio have over eight times more followers,
on average, than users without a bio. Users with a link have over
7.5 times as many followers as users without.

Power users (Twitter users with high Twitter grades) are even
less likely to follow you if you don't have a bio and link.
Users with a bio have over 15.5 times more power followers than
those without a bio. Users with a link have over 22 times more
power followers than without.

You can check out all the findings at http://budurl.com/f52e

I didn't see anything about the quality of the profiles, but I'm
betting that the typical Twitter user who reads somebody else's
bio and sees nothing remotely interesting is gone in a flash
without ever clicking "Follow."

What a shame. Another potential follower--maybe even a customer--
lost forever. It doesn't have to be that way.

Social networking expert Nancy Marmolejo says your bio should
communicate immediately what you do, who your target audience is,
and how you can help people. Mix in some fun and people will
practically be begging to be part of your tribe.

During a teleseminar last month, Nancy gave tips galore on how to
customize your bios for different social networking sites so you
turn visitors into clicks and clicks into customers. "Can Your
Social Networking Profile Pass the 10-Second Test?" is available
as a CD, MP3 or electronic transcript that you can read as soon
as your order is approved.

Read more about how to get started writing a sizzling bio that
really pulls 'em in and makes 'em want to stay at
http://budurl.com/xcqh


=================================
2. Meet Mr.Tweet
=================================

Here's a way to build followers quickly on Twitter without
resorting to those obnoxious black-hat tricks that some of the
slimy Internet marketers are using--and even selling.

Meet Mr. Tweet, your new best friend, at http://mrtweet.net/

He's your personal networking agent who helps you expand your
network. To do that, he helps you regularly:

--Find relevant followers by recommending you to them.

--Discover great people relevant to your current needs.

--Improve your Twitter usage via useful statistics.

Just go to the website and click on the blue bar that says
"Follow Mr. Tweet." Since I started using him last week, I've
gained several hundred followers.

Now then, if you want to know the tactics that underhanded
Twitterers are using to add thousands of followers every day,
read blogger Chris Cree's step-by-step instructions--and his
warning--at http://budurl.com/gametwitter

I wouldn't stoop that low and prefer, instead, the five steps of
Twitter success: Follow. Reply. Retweet. Share. Repeat.


Warren Whitlock says that retweeting other people's tweets is
one of the best ways to encourage them to retweet yours--
especially if you're planning to introduce a new product or
service or you're launching a book, and you want the world to
know.

The power of retweeting was one of dozens of tips he shared
during the teleseminar on "How to Use Twitter to Amass an Army of
Followers, Customers & Valuable Contacts--and Promote." It's
available as electronic transcripts and your choice of CDs or
MP3s.

Read more about other ways to build your Twitter tribe and win
their loyalty at http://budurl.com/la38


===========================================
3. 10 Dead or Dying PR Tactics
===========================================

If you work in PR, you might be discouraged to learn that you're
spending the better part of your day on what Steve Mullen
identifies as "10 Dead or Dying PR Tactics."

He's a social media PR blogger who stirred up a controversy
recently with his list:

--Newspaper-based media relations strategy

--Deskside reporter meetings

--Media packets

--Video news releases

--Audio news releases

--Media Map

--Blast faxing

--Mailed newsletters

--Bacon's Media Guides

--Mailed reporter pitches

You can read his reasons, at http://budurl.com/mn5s

I agree with most of his choices except for mailed newsletters.
With postage skyrocketing, fewer businesses are using them.

That means top-quality newsletters packed with helpful content
can really attract attention.

My vote for the one PR tactic I wish would make the list but it
refuses to go away: those ubiquitous ground-breaking, ribbon-
cutting, check-passing photos. Will somebody please slay these
ugly dinosaurs?

No self-respecting Publicity Hound would even THINK of resorting
to them, particularly those who hear PR guy Dan Collins' ideas
for cool media events and clever publicity stunts that attract
far more attention the cliche photos.

"Fun Alternatives to Boring Ground-breakings, Ribbon-cuttings &
Check-passings" is available as a CD or electronic transcript
that you can be reading as soon as your order is approved. Read
more about your clever options at http://budurl.com/9pyj


=======================================
4. Top Search Term: Craigslist
=======================================

For the first time in three years, searches for "Craigslist," the
world's largest classified ad bulletin board, surpassed
"MySpace."

Hitwise Intelligence says "Craigslist" searches increased 105
percent for the week ending March 14, compared with the same week
last year.

The economic downturn, it says, is responsible.

That's easy to understand. People are hunting for jobs, used
cars, gently used furniture and who knows what else.

All those extra eyeballs means this is the ideal time to use
Craigslist as part of your publicity campaign.

The Community category is my favorite for publicity. Its sub-
categories include activities, artists, groups, pets, events,
musicians, local news, politics, volunteers and classes.

The Services category includes "Small Biz Ads" and "Gigs" which
are idea for people looking for clients and customers.

But remember, you can only post to the Craigslist closest to
where you live. And you can't post the same message to more than
one category, or Craig can throw you off the list.

Nancy Mills, an expert on how to use Craigslist in all sorts of
clever and creative ways, says the writing style of a Craigslist
post should be very different than the standard press release.
She explained why when she was my guest during a teleseminar on
"How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool."

It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can
download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.
Read more about how to get started using Craigslist as one of
your most valuable publicity tools at
http://budurl.com/craigslistnumberone


========================================
5. Where to Find Pro Bono PR Interns
========================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Mitchell
Teplitsky of New York, NY, who is distributing a documentary film
himself. He is looking for suggestions on where he can find
interns or PR firms that do pro bono work.

From Kathy Magrino:

"Contact NY/NJ colleges and universities to promote and advertise
the internship opportunity."

From Bruce Jones:

"I don't know much about PR internships but I would make a
comment on the existing promotional videos. They don't say 'buy
me.' People need to be told what to do.

"YouTube can be a very effective way to promote your products. At
the end of the video, which maybe is a little too long, it should
tell people that to purchase or for more info, they should go to
http://www.soyandina.com

"The same thing on the other clips. Just having a web address
isn't enough. I have also found that different video hosting
platforms get very different results and audiences. Once the
video is done, put it up on 10 or more."


The Publicity Hound says:

Bruce is right. But posting on more than just a few of these
video sites can eat up your life because uploading takes such a
long time. Shave hundreds of hours off the task with Traffic
Geyser. With just one click, it uploads to dozens of sites. Learn
more about it at http://budurl.com/lpxg


Read all the responses to this week's "Help This Hound" question
http://tinyurl.com/cecogs


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


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

Linda Foirmichelli of Concord, NH and Jennifer Lawler of
Lawrence, KS write:

"We're both well-established writers who offer e-courses in our
areas of specialty. Linda offers a class for magazine writers on
how to break into magazines, starting April 13,and Jennifer
offers one for book authors on how to write a book proposal,
starting May 4.

"We both have been offering our e-courses for a few years and
have happy customers who can give testimonials and describe how
our courses offer results. However, we're finding it tougher and
tougher to get the word out about our e-courses.

"We both blog (Linda’s blog has more followers than Jennifer’s,
which she just started a few weeks ago). We both belong to
writers' groups and contribute to their online forums, but of
course if we're too sales-y in our approach, our posts get
deleted. We're on LinkedIn and Facebook. What are we missing?"


The Publicity Hound says:

You can pretty much kiss traditional media good-bye because both
classes are starting soon, and you'll miss many of the deadlines.
That leaves online publicity.

Hounds with quick tips for Jennifer and Susan can post them to my
blog at http://budurl.com/avpt

Here's my idea:

If you aren't Twittering yet, start today and link to tips at
your blogs or websites that tie into your courses. From the tips,
link to the registration pages. Use the search box at
http://search.twitter.com to search for freelancers, writers,
authors and anyone else who's an ideal candidate for the courses.
Follow them, retweet their tweets, and then send them a direct
message asking that they retweet one of your tweets that promotes
the tips.

Courses like these are ideal to promote on LinkedIn, too, but you
need a long lead time so you can plant the seed, so to speak, by
asking a question about a topic that ties into your course, and
then letting everyone who answers the question know about what
you're offering.

This has to be done very carefully, however. Scott Allen, one of
the foremost experts on LinkedIn, laid out an entire campaign he
designed for a friend on how she could promote something she was
sponsoring. His ideas started drawing immediate response within
48 hours.

He outlines the entire campaign in step-by-step detail and gives
you your own timeline on exactly what to do on LinkedIn, and
when, if you want to promote something. Read more about "How to
Use LinkedIn to Promote Anything--Ethically & Powerfully" at
http://budurl.com/fft3


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

Cat's motto: "No matter what you've done wrong, always try to
make it look like the dog did it." -- Unknown


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...
==================================

4 ways I censor myself in social media circles
http://budurl.com/rxmk


Pitching Hispanic radio? Tie your pitch to the geographic area
http://budurl.com/ntns


Want your own radio show? Discover how on Thursday
http://budurl.com/cxkw


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

Where to See & Hear The Publicity Hound:


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

Friend me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joan_Stewart/541605146

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


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Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
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If you like these tips please pass them on to your friends,
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Privacy Statement:

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

Publicity Tips/Newspaper Closings? Ho-Hum Mar 17, 2009

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

Circulation: 41,750

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.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 that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you
can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the
newsletter.

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

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

Speakers: Hit the Continuing Education Market

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

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

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

Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/ako5x7

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

1. Newspaper Closings? Ho-Hum

2. Thanks for Taking My Survey

3. A Handy Twitter Formula

4. Backgrounders Educate Reporters

5. 'Window Shopping' for a Retirement Home

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


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

Confused about what to tweet about on Twitter?

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

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

--30 percent: Tips that help make people's lives better

--10 percent: Information that keeps them informed

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

--25 percent: Compliments and praise

--5 percent: What you're doing

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

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


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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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


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

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


From Barry Lebow:

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


From Patricia C. Vener:

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

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

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


From Alan McBride:

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


The Publicity Hound says:

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

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


The Publicity Hound says:

Read all the responses to this week's "Help This Hound" question
http://tinyurl.com/bgep5b


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


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

Mitchell Teplitsky of New York, NY writes:

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

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

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

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


The Publicity Hound says:

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

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


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

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


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

Dear God:

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

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


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

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

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


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

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


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


Permission to Reprint:

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

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet "89 Reasons to Send a 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? respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy. Read my privacy policy at
http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

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

Publicity Tips/Rate Cards are for Dummies Mar 10, 2009

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

Circulation: 42,004

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.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 that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you
can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the
newsletter.

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

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

If You Missed Taking My Survey:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Rate Cards are for Dummies

2. Use Twitter Hash Tags for Publicity

3. Promote Social Networking Sites Offline

4. Another Oversized Check--Ugh!

5. How to Promote 'Going Green'

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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

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

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

"Always negotiate," Don says.

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's why:

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

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

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


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


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

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

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


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

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

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


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

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


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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Need I say more?


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

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


====================================
5. How to Promote 'Going Green'
====================================

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


From Joel Prunty:

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


From Jeff Rutherford:

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

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


From Meryl K. Evans:

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

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


The Publicity Hound says:

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

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

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


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


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

Keri Gerlach of Greenfield, WI writes:

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

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

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


The Publicity Hound says:

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


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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:



March 16--Teleseminar on Internet Marketing

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


PERMISSION TO REPRINT:

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

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet "89 Reasons to Send a 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® respects your privacy and has a strict anti-
spam policy. Read my privacy policy at
http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

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

Publicity Tips/How About a Little Good News? Mar 3, 2009

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

Circulation: 42,341

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.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 that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can
unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the
newsletter.

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

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

My Survey is Being Emailed Now:

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

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

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

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

1. How About a Little Good News?

2. It's Square Root Day

3. 3 Teleseminars to Help You

4. The Advantage of Freelancers

5. Ugly Patio Furniture

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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

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

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

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

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

"What does that mean to Publicity Hounds?

Pitch good news stories:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

--"Media Star Power: How To Become a Celebrity and a Media
Darling All at the Same Time," with Tom Antion and Judy Jernudd.
Judy is a former Los Angeles talk show host who has interviewed
presidents, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Selleck, Tom Cruise, Regis
Philbin, Larry King, Barbara Walters and hundreds of other
superstars. At 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, March 5. This is a
paid teleseminar. Register at http://tinyurl.com/ako5x7


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


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


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

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

How many freelancers are you trying to court this year?

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


From Tonya:

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


From Hendry Lee:

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

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


The Publicity Hound says:

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


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


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

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


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

Colleen Schmid of Heathrow, Fla. writes:

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

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

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


The Publicity Hound says:

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


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

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


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


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

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


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8. And at My Blog...
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Hiring a VA to book speaking gigs sends a bad message
http://tinyurl.com/akmxfv


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WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:

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


March 16--Teleseminar on Internet Marketing

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


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

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