Publicity tips/Don't Let Blog Content Confuse You Jan 6, 2009

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #432 Jan. 6, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 43,872

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
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Hound website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me
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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.

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

Still Time to Download 'Best of 2008' Ebook

More than 3,000 Publicity Hounds have claimed their copy of "The
Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week of 2008," the free
ebook that's my holiday gift to you. Lots of Hounds have tweeted
about it on Twitter, shared it on Facebook, and encouraged their
followers to claim their copy. It isn't too late to regift it.

Please use this link when sharing the book with your own readers,
followers and connections: http://tinyurl.com/Bestof2008Tips And if
you'd like to download the "Best of" books from previous years, you
can do so at http://tinyurl.com/bestofebooks

Thanks to all of my loyal Publicity Hounds for your continued
support. You make my job the best in the world.

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

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

1. Don't Let Blog Content Confuse You

2. How About a Little Good News?

3. How Could I be So Dumb?

4. Beware of this Twitter Scam

5. Promoting a Christmas Tree Accessory

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


=====================================
1. Don't Let Blog Content Confuse You
=====================================

If you're an expert, you'd better be cranking out lots of content in
these formats:

Blogs. Ezines. Twitter posts. Facebook notes. Articles at article
directory sites. Articles at your own website.

Yet some Publicity Hounds are easily confused about what kinds of
topics to write in which types of formats, particularly when writing
for their blogs.

Over the weekend, Publicity Hound Michele Nightengale, who
teaches bricks-and-mortar businesses how to market online, told
me she's going to start blogging. But she's confused about the
difference between content for her blog and content for articles at
her website.

"I can't seem to differentiate them in my mind," she said. "The
ideas for my articles page and my blog are identical. I can only
think to post my articles on my blog. How do you treat them
separately and without too much duplicate content?"

She's right. There's a lot of overlap. Here's how I differentiate the
two:

Articles posted at article directory sites like
http://www.EzineArticles.com generally focus on helping people solve
a particular problem. The structure of these articles can follow various
formats. But in general, they offer solutions to a problem. And
they're about 500-700 words. Examples:

--TV Publicity: 6 ways to find your way onto the local evening news

--Inflight magazines: 8 topics editors love to write about

--Hiring a publicist? Know the 4 ways they charge for their services

--Public service announcements have these 6 elements

Almost everything else, I told her, is fodder for a blog. Think of
blogging as journaling, or keeping a business diary. It usually
includes much more opinion than how-to articles do. And the
writing can be a little more personal and informal. You can use a
blog to:

--State an opinion on a topic.

--Comment on somebody else's blog post or article and link to it.

--Comment on something happening in the news.

--Offer a quiz for a reader.

--Present a question from a reader and then offer the answer.

--Present a case study.

--Disagree with somebody else's position on a topic, and explain
why.

--Discuss something in your personal life that relates to something
in your professional life.

--Review a book, home study course or other product you've
bought.

--Comment on a service you have used.

The ideas for blog content are endless. If you're still short on ideas,
create several Google Alerts at http://www.Google.com/alerts for
topics you want to blog about.

Google will then email you as often as you wish and let you know
what articles, videos, news stories and other content about those
topics appear online.

I'll address the topic of avoiding duplicate content in an upcoming
issue of this newsletter. But in general, you don't want to use
identical content at your website, blog and article directory sites.

If you're new to blogging, or if your current blog isn't generating the
traffic or sales you had hoped, you'll learn some quick tips from
Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad, during a
f~ree teleseminar from 4 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26. It's called
"Boost Your Biz with a Blog" and Denise and Patsi will explain how
they differentiate blog content from all the other kinds of content
they produce. You'll also learn about the biggest mistakes bloggers
make and how beginning bloggers can sabotage their own
success.

Register at http://www.blogsquadteleseminars.com/joan/


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

All those bad news stories about the economy that the media love
will soon turn into old news. And when the economy worsens this
year, as predicted, that old news will be downright depressing.

It's time to start thinking about a few good news ideas to pitch.
TV producer Shawne Duperon offers these ideas:

--Credit unions in four Midwestern states are generating fabulous
publicity in top-tier media outlets like USA Today by pledging $10
billion in loans to car buyers and teaming with General Motors to
offer special deals to boost car sales. You can read the USA Today
story at http://tinyurl.com/9lyes7

--How are retailers using tough times as an asset to sell products?
Some car companies launched new campaigns that guarantee if
you buy a car and lose your job within the year, you can return the
car. How effective will strategies like this be?

--How are you making the most of the economic downturn in your
business? Are you investing more in marketing? If so, let the media
know.

--Are you in an industry or niche that, so far, has been unaffected?
Many Internet marketers, for example, particularly those who sell
training on how to build a business, are reporting increased sales,
and have the shopping cart statistics to prove it.


If you have little good news to report but you still want to pitch, let
Shawne and me help you. We brainstormed "116 WOW!
Story Ideas from January through June" when we teamed up for a
teleseminar for Publicity Hounds. We recorded it, and it's available
as a CD complete with a handout of all 116 ideas. You can
download the handout as soon as your order has been approved.

There's something for everybody, and you can borrow all of our
ideas, starting today, by going to http://tinyurl.com/6k7zk


========================================
3. How Could I be So Dumb?
========================================

If you've already made a list of the top five or six goals you want to
achieve this year in your business, make sure they're the types of
goals in which you can measure their success.

I have five goals for this year. Each one, if achieved, will help me
build my business by at least 15 percent. If I succeed at them all,
I'll double my business.

All five are recommended by Paul Lemberg, a business coach who
created the Formula 5 system, a package of videos, checklists,
worksheets and mastermind coaching groups that provide ongoing
support. I've been devouring all of it the last several weeks, and I
already have the wheels in motion to survey Publicity Hounds in the
next few weeks about what they want and need--a technique that
will shorten my learning curve even more.

Several times during the course, when Paul explained a great
strategy, I slapped my palm against my forehead and asked out
loud, "Why am I not doing this? How could I be so dumb????"

One of the most valuable tips I learned is that the onslaught of
emails I'm receiving from business people offering cut-rate prices on
their products and services is, for them, the quickest way to the
poor house. In fact, raising prices, even in a meltdown economy, is
one of the fastest ways to success.

Interested? If not, move onto the next item. If so, here are two ways
to learn more about each of the five Formula 5 elements:

--Watch the first of three Stompernet videos that explains more
about Formula 5 and offers startling results of what can happen
when you raise the price of an ebook by a paltry $7, from $47 to
$54: http://tinyurl.com/PaulLembergFormula5

--Get direct access to Paul during a f~ree teleseminar I'm hosting
with him from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, January 8.
He'll explain the five elements of Formula 5 in more detail, and you
can even email questions to us during the call.
Sign up at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/teleseminar/formulafive.htm

Don't miss this one. And for heaven's sake, don't fall into the trap of
lowering your prices without understanding the consequences.


===================================
4. Beware of this Twitter Scam
===================================

Are you receiving strange email messages from people referring
you to photos and other posts about you at Twitter.com?

I am. The messages are a scam.

Here's how it works. This particular scam sends out emails
resembling those you might receive from Twitter if you get email
notifications of your Direct Messages. The email says something
like, "Hey! Check out this funny blog about you..." and provides a
link. That link redirects to a site masquerading as the Twitter front
page. Look closely at the URL field. If it's different than Twitter's
URL at http://Twitter.com, leave the site immediately.

Do not enter your username or password. If you do, the scam
artists can use that information to send out direct messages on
your behalf which could trick your followers. Read this post at
Twitter's blog to find out what else you should do if this happens to
you:
http://blog.twitter.com/2009/01/gone-phishing.html


Not Twittering yet because the site is too confusing? Join the
crowd. Most of us who Twitter felt the same way when we started.

But don't give up on what has become one of the most powerful
communication and promotion tools for business. Learn in step-by-
step detail how to navigate the site, and how to adopt smart
strategies that will save you hours of time.

Twitter expert Warren Whitlock explained "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
MP3s or CDs. Read more about the power of Twitter at
http://tinyurl.com/3lbcaw


==========================================
5. Promoting a Christmas Tree Accessory
==========================================

This week, five Publicity Hounds have tips for Shannon Hein of Fort
Collins, Colorado, who needs ideas on how to promote "Branchies,"
a product that helps you hang heavy objects on your Christmas
tree.


From Shirley George Frazier:

"My suggestion is to 'branch out' to other reasons for people to buy
Branchies: Easter ornaments, gardening tools, every day uses, etc.

"If you only focus on Christmas buying reasons, you won't sell all
year long, and that's a disservice to a great product and customers
who'll benefit every day."


From Dale W. Hutchings:

"I think your target market for these giant ornaments is not the
typical homeowner, but the commercial market. These massive
ornaments would look so much better on the giant trees that are
put up every year in city parks, government offices, large bank
lobbies, and shopping malls, among other venues. I would
recommend that you target the commercial market through a
holiday decorative contest."


From Barbara:

"For Christmas next year: send some to major consumer magazine
editors in June or so. If they like them, they may feature them in
the Christmas issues of their magazines. There are always articles
about gift giving and how to decorate for the holidays."


The Publicity Hound says:

Send a press release and generic photo showing garden tools used
as ornaments to gardening magazines. Send a press release and
photo showing heavy sports-related ornaments like football helmets
to sports magazines. Just change the ornaments in each photo to
match the needs of various niche audiences. Your goal is to make
every magazine editor say "Aha! this is PERFECT for our readers."

And don't forget to create videos that demonstrate how to trim a
tree with Branchies. Videographer John Easton shows you dozens
of ways to use quick videos to promote what you're selling. He
explained them all during the teleseminar on "9 Clever Ways to Use
Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or
Community." We recorded it and it's available as a CD, MP3, or
electronic transcript.


Read more about how to start using video at
http://tinyurl.com/5pbgzn


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


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

Publicity Hound Sheryl P. Kurland of Orlando, FL writes:

"With Valentine's Day just around the corner, which is a logical tie-
in to my product, I need some new, exciting, low-cost ideas prior to
the holiday to stimulate Valentine's Day book sales.

"I'm the author of the self-published Everlasting Matrimony:
Pearls Of Wisdom From Couples Married 50 Years Or More, an
elegant coffee-table book in which I interviewed 75 couples married
50+ years. The first run was published four years ago.
You can learn more about it at
http://www.everlastingmatrimony.com/. My background is
Marketing/PR, so I've done just about everything---all on my own
and on a shoestring budget.

"What can I do that I haven't already done to get big publicity a few
weeks before Valentine's Day, using Valentine's Day as the tie-in,
obviously, to significantly stimulate book sales? Shows like
"Today," "Good Morning America," etc., won't talk to me because
I'm self-published. Also, I am not interested in teleseminars,
teaching a course, or creating CDs to sell."


The Publicity Hound says:

I spoke with Sheryl and told her the long list her media successes
at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/832mpk is obviously missing social
networking.

She told me she's starting to Twitter. How about giving Sheryl some
quick tips on traditional media she might pursue, in addition to
some ideas on how to pull traffic from the social networking sites.
She doesn't yet have a Facebook profile but could create one fairly
quickly.

Also, we'd like to hear tips from self-published authors on how to
get onto the big morning TV talk shows. Eli Davidson, a member of
The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, is self-published, and she
appeared on the "Today" show, so I know it can be done.

Post your ideas to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/832mpk


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

"Dogs have no money. Isn't that amazing? They're broke their entire
lives. But they get through. You know why dogs have no money?
No pockets."

--Comedian Jerry Seinfeld


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

Write an unsolicited testimonial for additional publicity
http://tinyurl.com/7qlp2v


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

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:


Thursday, Jan. 8--Teleseminar

"Formula Five: 5 Ways to Double Your Business in 2009" with my
guest expert Paul Lemberg. From 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, he will
explain five ways every business person can double their business.
This is perfect for anyone who is frightened by all the gloom-and-
doom talk about the bad economy. This is a free teleseminar.
Register at
http://www.Publicityhound.com/teleseminar/formulafive.htm


Wednesday, Jan. 21--Teleseminar

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


Monday, Jan. 26--Teleseminar

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


March 6-10--Atlanta

I'll be at the Stompernet convention in Atlanta from Thursday until
Sunday. Let me know if you're attending and we'll have lunch.


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

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

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #430 Dec. 23, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)


Circulation: 44,446


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

"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 Holiday Gift to You:

More than 2,000 Publicity Hounds have already download my "Best
of the Publicity Hound's tips of the Week of 2008," the free ebook
that's my holiday gift to you. Lots of Hounds are tweeting about it
on Twitter and offering the book to their followers, too. Yes, I am
encouraging you to regift it.

You can claim your copy here. Please use this link when sharing the
book with your own readers, followers and connections:

http://tinyurl.com/Bestof2008Tips


Thanks to all of my loyal Publicity Hounds for your continued
support. May you have a safe and happy Christmas, Hanukkah,
Kwanzaa and New Year's.

*****************************************
================================

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

1. Holiday Weather Stories

2. No More Cardboard Checks

3. The Secret to Corporate Sponsorships

4. 6 Critical Elements of Video

5. How to Promote a Fine Art Exhibit

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...

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

1. Holiday Weather Stories

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

Here's an almost guaranteed way to make it onto TV, into your local
newspaper, or onto a drive-time radio show during the holidays.

Comment on how the weather is affecting you during Christmas and
New Year's.

Here in Wisconsin, we're being pounded with up to a foot more of
snow in the next 24 hours--on top of the foot of snow that's
already on the ground.

Up and down the middle of the U.S., watches and advisories for
snow and freezing rain are already in effect from the Upper Midwest
and Great Lakes southward to northern Texas.

O'Hare and Midway airports in Chicago are a mess. In Maine, ski
areas are kicking into overdrive following the state's first major
snow storm of the winter season.

Here are some ways to get publicity for your product, service,
cause or issue during the holidays, when news departments are on
the lookout for anybody who can tie into the weather.

--Home improvement and hardware stores that sell salt, snow rakes
and snow blowers should let news departments know if they still
have these products in stock. Any other time of year, you'd have to
buy expensive advertising. This time of year, it's called free
publicity because it's part of a major news story.

--How is the bad weather affecting nonprofits like the Salvation
Army's red kettle bell ringers? Or the local food pantry's ability to
get food to the needy?

--Hospitals and clinics, are you seeing more patients who have
fallen on the ice or suffered from frostbite?

--Veterinarians, how can we keep our four-legged hounds safe
while walking them in bitter-cold weather? Or should we keep them
indoors?

--Chiropractors, are more people throwing out their backs and
shoulders from shoveling snow?

--Garden centers and nurseries, can you offer tips on how to
provide seed and water for the birds?

--Therapists, how can people in cold-weather states like Wisconsin
where I live, keep their sanity during a treacherous winter?

--Companies, are you letting workers go home early? Or are you the
type of business that needs to schedule additional employees during
bad weather?

Even if the weather is great in your neck of the woods, your local
news departments will still be reporting on it.

The media HATE making cold calls to search for these kinds of
sources who can round out the obligatory weather stories. So start
pitching NOW, when everyone else is shopping, wrapping, cooking,
salting and shoveling.

"Special Report #37: How to Tie Your Product, Service, Cause or
Issue to the Weather" offers many more ideas on how to piggyback
onto weather stories 365 days a year. Only $10 Order at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html


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

2. No More Cardboard Checks

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

If you're raising money this holiday season for a worthy cause,
promise me you'll also make this New Year's resolution.

You will NOT publicize the donation by asking the media to cover a
"check passing," in which two people pose, one on each side of an
oversized cardboard check.

You've seen a million of these obnoxious check-passing photos, and
they all look alike. Instead, think of creative ways to generate
publicity for your donation. Here are three ideas:

--If you're raising money for a food pantry, invite the TV cameras
and newspaper photographers to join you when you unload dozens
of boxes of food from a truck into the pantry or warehouse.

--Buying toys for needy kids? Invite the media to accompany your
volunteers on a shopping trip.

--If your company is foregoing the annual Christmas party and,
instead, donating money to a worthy cause like a local homeless
shelter, go one step further. Ask employees to donate small bottles
of shampoo and mouthwash, similar to the ones hotels provide, and
invite the media to shoot them packing the samples into gift bags.


The teleseminar "Fun Alternatives to Boring Ground-breakings,
Ribbon-cuttings and Check-passings" provides lots of great ideas
that will help you generate mountains of publicity instead of falling
back on the same old cliche photos. It's available as a CD or an
electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon
as your order has been approved.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/7cl6z


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

3. The Secret to Corporate Sponsorships

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

One of the most frequent questions I receive from Publicity Hounds
is "How do I get a corporate sponsor to pay for my (fill in the
blank)?"

Too often, people go fishing for corporate sponsors by sending blast
emails and form letters to any old company they think might have
some extra money to throw around. Then they wonder why they
receive no replies.

That's the wrong approach.

You must find a company that's a perfect fit with the audiences
you already have in place. Even speakers, authors and experts who
have very niched topics are in a perfect position to find corporate
sponsors--if the people who are already in your target market want
or need the products or services that company provides.

Brendon Burchard, an author and speaker, has figured out some
really ingenious ways to land corporate and non-profit promotional
sponsorships and use them to fund his marketing efforts.

In less than 18 months, he has:

--Had a major PR firm representing him and getting him booked on
ABC World News, National Public Radio, Oprah & Friends, and 63
major radio stations.

--Had companies like Coca-Cola, Wachovia, Yahoo, Toyota, Sony
Pictures and other leading Fortune 500s and leading non-profits
offer to buy up to 50,000 copies of his self-published book every
year,

--Had those same companies make it possible for him to get
$500,000 in advances for his next book,

--Gotten fat speaking fees for 65 speaking engagements,

--Received testimonials from their CEOs.

--Had those same companies send emails to 100,000+ of their
customers or volunteers promoting his book, cause or business,

--Gotten at least 5 million impressions from visitors sent to his
website by those companies.

That's because his topic meshes PERFECTLY with what those
companies sell.

To discover how you can use his methods to promote your own
book, product or business, you're invited to a free telephone
seminar on Tuesday, December 30, hosted by Steve Harrison. It's a
repeat of a teleseminar he had several weeks ago that sold out,
and Publicity Hounds have begged him to repeat it. You can sign up
at http://www.SponsorshipTrainingTeleseminar.com/?10011

Here's just some of what you'll learn on next Tuesday's call:

* What to do step-by-step to get a major company to sponsor your
national promotional tour and pay for everything!

* Why the current economic downturn means more big companies
and non-profits sponsoring authors, speakers and entrepreneurs--
even if they're not famous.

* A website you can use to find potential sponsors and promotional
partners.

* The "secret phrase" which gets big nonprofit organizations to
endorse your book and promote it to their members.

* The title of the BEST person to contact with your proposal and
why you should never send one done with Microsoft Word.

* The Number One fatal mistake to avoid making when trying to
land a deal a sponsorship deal with a Fortune 500 company.

* How to write a short proposal that gets huge companies to
sponsor you--even if you're an unknown, self-published author
(HINT: there are five elements and he'll reveal all five on the call.)

Again, to sign up for next Tuesday's call, go here now:

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


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

4. 6 Critical Elements of a Video

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

When you're creating video for the video-sharing sites like YouTube,
be sure your video includes six critical elements:

--The title. This is normally located above the video and it's
searchable. The first words of your title should be the most
important keywords of your video. Instead of "6 Powerful Tips for
TV Publicity," my video would say "TV Publicity--6 Powerful Tips."

--The description. This tells viewers what the video is about and it
should include keywords. Write two descriptions--one of less than
200 characters and one of more than 200 characters because some
video sites take only short descriptions.

--Tags, or keywords. When you upload a video, they ask you for
the title, the description and the tags. Don't go overboard repeating
the same keywords you put in the title and description.

Think about other keywords that might apply. Also, you can put
common misspellings in these tags.

--When you shoot your video, refer to your keywords in the video
and make them part of your script. Also mention your website by
name. here's a website called EveryZing.com. It has the capability
of listening to your words in a video and turning them into text and
making the text searchable. It will probably be awhile before
everybody starts using EveryZing, but your videos will be ready if
you mention your keywords and website in them.

--An open and closing slide, both of which should include your
website URL to make it easy for viewers to find you.

--A watermark. This usually appears at the bottom of the video.

It can include your URL, or the name of your company or your brand.

Viewers can see it the entire time they are watching your video.

These tips are excerpted from the chapter "Tom's How-to Video
Guide," a new addition to the 2008-2009 version of my ebook "How
to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound," which I co-wrote with Tom
Antion. He gives you step-by-step instructions on how to shoot and
produce video that pulls a ton of traffic to your website.

The updated version of the ebook also includes chapters on
MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and social bookmarking.

The ebook is one of my most popular products, sort of a one-stop-
shop on how to generate thousands of dollars in online and offline
publicity. Read more about what it includes at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity/publicityhound.htm


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

5. How to Promote a Fine Art Exhibit

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

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Kendra Hinzmann of
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the director for a fine art exhibit space within
an upscale retirement community. Kendra is looking for ideas on how
to do a second round of promotion for the show because it didn't
pull the crowds she had hoped for during its first showing.


From Sarah Adams:

"I, too, own an upscale gallery, and unfortunately, I think your
show may have become a two-fold victim of a poor economy and a
tough time of year, depending upon what day in November you
scheduled.

"I suggest trying after the New Year. I tend to promote a "Last
Chance" private invitation to everyone, including those that did
show up. Be sure to include a link to your press release and
newspaper/magazine review of the show, quotes from the artist on
the opening. They will feel like they really missed a great event, and
are more likely to show up for the last week of the show!"


From Robyn Davis Sekula:

"The last week of December, your community is likely to be filled
with a lot of visitors who are sick of being locked inside with their
relatives and want something to do that can include the whole
family. I'd try to find a way to market to that audience-- 'here's
something great to do that's inexpensive and fun (especially if it is
free).' The first two weeks of January are also dead times in the
media world. That's another good time to try to drive in some
business.

"Ask the TV folks if you can come on and talk about the show and
bring a piece of art with you that last week of December or first
week of January. Or, if they'll do a live shot from the gallery, tie it
to the economy. We're all looking for inexpensive things to do with
our families, etc."


From Shel Horowitz:



Develop local contacts on Twitter and Facebook and send a string
of interest-building notices there.


The Publicity Hound says:

Since we're getting another foot of snow, call the local newspaper
and TV stations and suggest a story about fun things happening in
the community for winter-weary Cheeseheads. Mention your own
art show and a few more events you know about. If you pitch this
as a "series" of fun things to do instead of a story only about your
art show, they might be more inclined to cover it.


Read all the responses to this week’s Help This Hound question
http://tinyurl.com/6eafms


Send your own Help this Hound question to:

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


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

6. Help This Hound

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

Nancy Wurtzel of Thousand Oaks, California writes:

"I have a client who is interested in writing a book on brain health,
targeted to Baby Boomers. My idea is to take the book in an
entirely different direction so it will stand out from the dozens of
other books that have already been published on this subject.

"We need a ghost writer to help us refine the book concept, write a
great outline and a dynamite pitch letter to publishers.

"I can provide direction, and the physician I work with is bright,
funny and reasonable. He can supply all medical information and
research that will be needed--he simply does not have the time to
pen the book word-for-word.

"Can your Hounds explain the best way for us to find a ghost-
writer who's a good fit for this topic? Any tips and resources they
could provide would be greatly appreciated."


The Publicity Hound says:

Many writers, authors and publishers read this newsletter, and I
know they'll be able to help you. Hounds with suggestions for Nancy
on how to find a ghostwriter can post them to my blog at
http://tinyurl.com/994lwl


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

7. Hound Joke of the Week

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

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


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


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


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


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

8. And at My Blog...

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

How to sell how-to reports without a website, shopping cart, or
hassles
http://tinyurl.com/9dbv7p


EzineArticles.com adds 17 new niche-market categories
http://tinyurl.com/5c44gm


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


WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:


Wednesday, Jan. 21--Teleseminar

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


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/Use LinkedIn to Snoop and Promote July 8, 2008

The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week
Issue #406 July 8, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/(Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 48,218

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

"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.

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

How to use LinkedIn to Promote Anything--Ethically & Powerfully

Are you accumulating dozens, maybe even hundreds, of contacts on
LinkedIn, and then not sure what to do with all those names?

Social networking expert Scott Allen knows. And he'll walk you
step-by-step through the entire process of how to use all those
names to promote whatever you're selling. Join us for two 70-
minute teleseminars on a topic every serious business person must
know.

See Item #1 below.

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

1. Use LinkedIn to Snoop and Promote

2. How to Become a Paid Speaker

3. Stricter Product Placement Rules

4. When Journalists say "No Thanks"

5. Musicians, Artists: Provide Commentary

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Video of the Week

8. And at My Blog...

=======================================
1. Use LinkedIn to Snoop and Promote
=======================================

In the old days, spying on your business competitors was next to
impossible without hiring a private investigator.

These days, however, social networking sites are an open door to
snoop on the competition quickly and easily. But be forewarned
that you might not like what you find.

Take LinkedIn, the popular business networking site, for
instance. If you're spying on somebody who works for a competing
company and is working hard to position herself as an expert in
your field, one of the first places to look is at LinkedIn.com,
the business networking site. Type her name into LinkedIn's
search box near the top of the screen. If your competitor has a
profile on LinkedIn, you'll be able to learn all kinds of
interesting tidbits about her.

Now scroll down a little and look for the sub-head that says
"Questions & Answers." You can see at a glance her areas of
expertise. You might also find something called "best answers"
which refers to the number of times she has provided an answer to
a question asked by another LinkedIn user and those users have
flagged her answer as a "best answer."

You can also see exactly how many questions she has posted to the
LinkedIn community, and how many people answered them and started
building a relationship with her.

How many best answers did she provide in each area of expertise
on her bulleted list? How many does your LinkedIn profile say
you provided?

If somebody came to LinkedIn looking to do business with somebody
in your industry and they compared your profiles, who would they
be more inclined to view as the expert? You or her? If her
LinkedIn profile shows far more expertise than yours does, who do
you think would get the new business?

If the answer is her, she has done an outstanding job promoting
herself on LinkedIn.

But wait! She has only 148 connections. You have 589. Doesn't
that count for something?

Not necessarily. What I've described so far is what social
networking expert Scott Allen says is a good example of how fewer
but better connections can give your competitor the edge. It can
also mean new contracts for her, new joint venture partners, and
lots of new introductions to top decision-makers on LinkedIn.

Next week, during two 70-minute teleseminars, Scott will explain
"How to Use LinkedIn to Promote Anything--Ethically and
Powerfully." Everyone who registers will receive the MP3 audio
and the electronic transcript afterward, so if you can't make the
live call, that's OK, you can study the information later. I've
already sold more than half of the 100 seats available, and I
don't know of any other product like this one on the market.
Because most people sign up within a day or two of the event, I'm
expecting this one to be sold out.

Learn how to start using LinkedIn today to snoop, promote and
stand miles above your competitors at
http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar/linkedin.htm


=======================================
2. How to Become a Paid Speaker
=======================================

If you're trying to become an expert in your field, one of the
things you should be doing is speaking to audiences about your
topic.

Speakers can:

- -Earn an additional source of revenue from speaking fees.

- -Sell products from the back of the room.

- -Generate far more publicity than if they didn't speak to
audiences.

- -Leave the event with dozens and sometimes hundreds of email
addresses, and then market to those audience members who have
given you permission to do so.

- -Catch the attention of journalists.

- -Catch the attention of bloggers who need content and expert
sources.

- -Be invited to submit content for other people's books, simply
because they speak on the topic.

- -Be invited to submit articles for industry-specific trade
journals, newspaper and magazine editorial pages, and online
article directories.

Yes, the world is glutted with speakers, many of whom are
struggling to make a name for themselves. So you'll be competing
with them all, even the ones who speak for free.

This Thursday, my friends Steve Harrison and James Malinchak will
team up to present a free teleseminar on "What You Need To Know
To Make $2,500.00 a Day (or More) As a Public Speaker Without
Being Famous!"

James, who has made a 7-figure income for himself on the college
speaking circuit, will explain how you can find companies and
organizations that already have a budget to pay speakers like you
quite handsomely, even if you're not famous or well-known in your
field.

He'll explain why you should never accept less than $2,500.00 to
give a speech--even if you're a complete unknown with an
"ordinary topic," and what to do to get it easily. He'll list
the five critical steps for landing paid speaking gigs when you
don't have a lot of time to market yourself.

The teleseminar is being presented at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and
again at 7 Eastern. Seating is limited, so sign up right now at
http://www.SpeakerTrainingTeleseminar.com/?10011


===========================================
3. Stricter Product Placement Rules
===========================================

Thanks to digital video recorders like TiVo, we don't have to sit
through all those annoying commercials anymore.

That's why companies are clamoring to get their products placed
onto the sets of TV shows.

Hewlett-Packard put its computers in the U.S. production of The
Office, for instance, and cast members on The Sopranos could be
seen frequently drinking Tropicana orange juice and eating Honey-
Combs cereal.

Now, the FCC is considering whether it should create a stricter
set of rules for product placement. Current rules call for
disclosure only at the end of a show. But the rules might change
so that viewers can be notified of product placements as soon as
they come into view.

The agency has asked commissioners for their opinion on the
stricter rules, but a vote hasn't been scheduled. There's no
indication whether the rules would apply to paid placements or
unpaid placements.

Unpaid placements can be just as lucrative for companies.
Production companies need things like bottled water and even bug
spray while they're shooting. If you donate those products for
use on the set, they sometimes will stay there, even during
shooting, and show up during the program or movie.

Amy Bates Stumpf says you have to jump through a lot of hoops to
make that happen. But if you know who to contact and how to
pitch your products, millions of people can see them. Amy was my
guest during a telephone seminar last year on whom to pitch,
when, and how to work with them.

"Product Placement: How to Get Your Consumer Product onto the
Sets of Movies & TV Shows" 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 what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/6gdevz


=====================================
4. When Journalists Say "No Thanks"
=====================================

What do you do when you pitch a journalist about an event you'll
be sponsoring or participating in, and the journalist isn't
interested?

Do you move on to the next name on your media resource list and
hope somebody take the bait?

If so, you've skipped an important step. You should be making
notes in your media plan about whether the media outlet you're
contacting accepts online video. If you aren't sure, ask.

Many do, even newspapers and magazine which traditionally have
been interested in stories only for print. They're hungry for
user-generated video for their websites. And when you provide
it, sometimes the most amazing things happen.

When you shoot, say, a two-minute video about an event you've
sponsored--one they weren't interested in covering--that video
could end up not only at their website, but on TV.

It happed to John Easton when he wanted local TV stations to
cover a story about an Australian production company filming a
segment at his son's school. Nobody was interested. So he shot
video himself and provided it to local media and TV stations.
Those same TV stations ended up airing it. Local newspapers also
posted the video at their websites. Even the school district,
which didn't shoot its own video, used it!

You don't need a fancy camera or skills as a videographer.
During a teleseminar I conducted with him several months ago on
"9 Clever Ways to Use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your
Industry or Community," John said an inexpensive Flip Video
camera can do the trick.

The recording 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 what you'll learn at
http://tinyurl.com/5pbgzn


========================================
5. Musicians, Artists: Provide Commentary
========================================

Musicians and artists frequently email me, asking how they can
promote on a shoestring budget.

One of my tips is to provide commentary about breaking news
events in their industry.

A perfect example occurred last Tuesday when singer Rene Marie
was asked to sing the National Anthem before Denver Mayor John
Hickenlooper's annual State of the City address.

Instead, she surprised everyone and sang "Lift Ev'ry Voice and
Sing," which is also known as the "black national anthem." It
raised a huge stink, and Denver's politicians criticized her on
local and national TV and radio shows. Bloggers threw more
gasoline on the fire.

This would have been an excellent chance for musicians to
generate some local publicity by calling their local TV stations
and offering a comment about whether the criticism was justified.
This controversy broke just three days before the Fourth of July.

Artists, if you keep your eyes and ears open, you'll find lots of
opportunities like this one for you, too. Examples:

- -When somebody criticizes public art for being in poor taste.

- -When taxpayers object to funding any type of public art.

- -When artists stage publicity stunts to call attention to their
artwork.

Remember, the media love controversy. And local media love
providing "the local angle" to national stories.

Musicians, learn dozens more publicity tips on how to promote. I
interviewed music publicity expert Bob Baker who explained "Do-
it-Yourself PR Tips for Songwriters, Musicians & Bands on a
Budget" at http://tinyurl.com/mqsug

Artists, learn "How Artists Can Sell More Artwork through Online
& Offline Publicity," an interview Ariane Goodwin did with me.
It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can
download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/yvewm8


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

Last week, Michelle Suter of Frisco, Texas submitted a Help This
Hound question, but I failed to give the link where Hounds can
post answers. So I'm including the question again this week.
You can respond at http://tinyurl.com/6jb7z5

"Our company, Administaff, is a professional employer
organization that serves as a full-time human resources
department for small and medium-sized businesses.

"We have had a great deal of national marketing, yet my best
clients are small business owners in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
who have from seven to 50 employees. How do I take our "big" PR
and marketing message and localize it so my prospects get our
message in a way they can relate to?

"I feel as though they don't understand that 'Small Business is
Good for America, and Administaff is Good for Small Business.'"

Their website is at http://www.administaff.com


The Publicity Hound says:

Post your best ideas for Michelle at http://tinyurl.com/6jb7z5

Here's my idea. You need to find your way into the Dallas
Business Journal which, I'll bet, lots of local business people
read. Landing a story, or even an opinion column, in this paper
will really put your business in the spotlight. Get your hands
on a copy of their editorial calendar and check to see which
topics they'll be writing about that are a perfect fit with the
type of information you can offer as an expert source.

I interviewed Paul Furiga, former editor of The Pittsburgh
Business Times, and got him to share his best tips on how local
businesses can form strong relationships with business journal
staff and give them the kinds of stories they love. We recorded
"How to Use Business Journals to Tell Your Story" 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 what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/q4rf7


And speaking of errors, I made another one last week. I stated
here that Friday, July 13, is "Dress Up Like a Cow Day,"
sponsored by Chik-fil-A restaurants which will give a free meal
to anyone who enters the restaurant dressed like a cow. It's
actually Friday, July 11.


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

I love this short video which proves that many dog owners do,
indeed, look like their dogs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=642qxehEcGg


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

Add social media links to your EzineArticles.com profile
http://tinyurl.com/5tpr2a


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

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

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

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/Banish the Blog-writing Blues May 13, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #398 May 13, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 47,066

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

"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.

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

The Kennel Club is Alive and Well:

Send me to the doghouse without my dinner for falling behind on my weekly emails to members of The Kennel Club.

I created the club a few years ago as a way to offer Hounds one additional publicity tip each week, and a special offer like a discount coupon for my products or a deal on products I am discontinuing.

If you've joined the club, you'll hear from me again at the end of each week--I'll shoot for Thursday. Membership is free.

Join the club at http://www.publicityhound.net/kennelclub You'll see an opt-out link at the bottom of each message. See you Thursday.

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

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

1. Banish the Blog-writing Blues

2. Why Print Journalists Hate Video

3. Piggyback Off 'Hug Your Kids' Day

4. How do You Twitter for Business?

5. How to Promote Detroit to Hollywood

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. At My Blog...

===================================
1. Banish the Blog-writing Blues
===================================

If I had to choose only one strategy that would help Publicity Hounds pull more traffic to their websites, establish themselves as experts, build a loyal following and sell more products and services, I'd choose blogging--without hesitation.

My own blog at http://www.PublicityHound.net is on track to pull in more than 20,000 unique visitors this month alone. Not all of them are staying, of course, but those who are read my blog posts and sometimes end up at my website where they sign up for this newsletter. Others buy products, and call for consulting services.

Some follow me for several months or years, and then join my mentor program at http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html

My blog has also led to invitations to be a guest expert on other bloggers' teleseminars and radio shows, provide commentary for newspaper and magazine articles, and even write for a 140,000- subscriber ezine.

Other bloggers aren't as fortunate.

After blogging for only a month or two, they bail out, frustrated because their blogs aren't pulling traffic. That's like starting a work-out routine at the gym on Monday, and calling it quits by Friday because you haven't developed six-pack abs.

Many bloggers complain that their biggest problem is finding enough content to write about, or enough time to write it.

I find content everywhere. The best place is in my own email, where readers ask questions and pass along articles of interest. As for the time crunch, I force myself to make time to blog almost every day.

Other bloggers lament the fact that nobody comments at their blogs. Once way I encourage comments is by commenting at other blogs. That lets bloggers discover me and comment at my blog.

If you suffer from the blogging blues, more help is on the way.

Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad, are presenting two 90-minute teleseminars next week, designed to help struggling bloggers find more time to write, create cornerstone content, find sources for ideas, create compelling headlines, and persuade readers to take action.

If you're already blogging with less-than-spectacular results, or you're planning to blog, don't miss these two sessions on "Better Business Blog Writing" at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, May 19, and Wednesday, May 21. Read more about how to get out of the blogging rut at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=2401308


====================================
2. Why Print Journalists Hate Video
====================================

Several weeks ago, I wrote about AngryJournalist.com, a blog that accepts anonymous comments from journalists about what gets under their skin.

One theme stood out among all the others: The increasing demands that bosses place on them to generate multi-media. Print reporters, in particular, are grousing about having to write articles for the print publication as well as video for the newspaper's website.

That's because creating video can feel unnatural to people who write for a living. Reporters, many of whom are already doing double- and triple duty because of shrinking newsrooms, have little time to learn another medium.

All the more reason, John Easton says, to create video for them. John, a videographer in Charlotte, North Carolina, produces so much video for his local media that they ought to put him on the payroll.

That's OK, he says. His efforts have generated more business for his company, more coverage in local newspapers, and requests from other media outlets to partner with him.

John says you don't have to be a video expert like he is to become a media darling. His strategies are particularly powerful for companies and organizations that sponsor events but sometimes find it impossible to convince local media that the events are worth covering.

During a teleseminar next week, John will teach Publicity Hounds "9 Clever Ways to Use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or Community." If you've been creating video for several years, or just getting started, don't miss this information- packed hour. As John will explain, you don't need a lot of fancy equipment or a lot of know-how.

Everyone who registers for this teleseminar will receive a copy of the MP3 recording. Seating is limited. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm


=========================================
3. Piggyback Off 'Hug Your Kids' Day
=========================================

Lots of Publicity Hounds hate it when they create their own day, week or month of the year, and then see other people piggyback onto it for publicity.

Not Michelle Nichols, a former writer for BusinessWeek.com, who created National Hug Your Kids Day on July 21.

Michelle is inviting Hounds everywhere to generate publicity for their own companies or organizations by tying into Hug Your Kids Day. Already, she has generated lots of interest.

"A Realtor in Reno had 1,000 pens made that say 'National Hug Your Kids Day, July 21' with her name, company and phone number," Michelle said. "A nonprofit consulting company in Maryland is sponsoring an event. An expert on happy post-divorce families in Red Bluff, California is putting together an event. A luxury toy company may have its mother cat stuffed animal be its 'spokescat' for the day."

She asks, however, that the events and other promotions encourage parents to hug their own kids, not other people's kids. And she'll even send a copy of her new book, "Hug Your Kids Today! 5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent," as a thank-you to Hounds who participate.

Learn more about her project at http://www.HugYourKidsToday.com and email Michelle at mailto:Hugs@HugYourKidsToday.com

If you don't have your own day, week or month of the year, you're missing out on lots of opportunities to use it as a springboard to promote your product, service, cause or issue. "Special Report #45: How to Generate National Publicity from Your Own Holiday (or Day, Week or Month of the Year)" guides you on how to create your own holiday--for free--and then promote it dozens of different ways. Only $10. Order at http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html


========================================
4. How do You Twitter for Business?
========================================

I'm in love with Twitter, the free social networking and microblogging service that lets you send updates as often as you wish to whoever is following you at http://www.Twitter.com

Each update, limited to only 140 characters of type, can include information on whatever you're doing on a particular day. Although I occasionally include personal updates, I try to concentrate on writing about solutions I've found to business problems, products I'm creating, and things I'm learning.

Lots of Twitterers are still experimenting with how to use Twitter for business purposes. I've been collecting the best examples and compiling them into a special report which should be ready in a few weeks.

I want to include as many Hounds as possible in the report. If you Twitter for business, let me know what you discuss--and the results. Has Twitter helped you build a following for a niche product or service? Or helped you collect email addresses? Or brought readers to your blog? Or simply given you a chance to show more of your personality to followers who eventually might do business with you?

I've seen some clever business uses for Twitter. For example, I blogged about how Publicity Hound Harry Hoover has compiled a big list of journalists who Twitter and turned it into a wiki for PR people. You can read more about that at http://publicityhound.net/twitterwiki

Even Business Week reporter Stephan Baker is writing about Twitter via a series of tweets, which he started this afternoon. His article will discuss the growth of Twitter and whether those of us who are wild about it right now will still be using it in a year or two. You can follow the story at http://summize.com/search?q=%23bwstory

Now, it's your turn. Tell me how you use Twitter for business. If I use your example, you'll get a copy of the special report gratis.

Email your response to mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HowIUseTwitter

You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/publicityhound


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5. How to Promote Detroit to Hollywood
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This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips on how Milan Stevanovich of Detroit, Michigan can promote Detroit as a great, inexpensive place to shoot a movie and turn it into the epicenter of everything Hollywood in Michigan.


From Leah Ingram:

"I just put 'movies filmed in Michigan' into Google and came up with a huge list of well-known films shot in the Great Lakes State, including 'Dreamgirls.' I would think that 'showing' the great locations your client has is an excellent way to entice filmmakers. Therefore, I would recommend doing walk-through filming--and posting a video online--of the various buildings he owns. If any of them appeared in well-known movies like 'Dreamgirls,' all the better."


From Shel Horowitz:

"First thing I’d do is put together a really spiffy website that addresses any questions and concerns, shows (as Leah recommends) clips from movies shot in Michigan as well as locations where shooting could take place, stresses the economics not only of the rebate but that other than winter energy costs, *everything* is going to be much cheaper in Michigan than Hollywood, with none of the hassles of shooting abroad.

"Design the site to fill the needs of a Hollywood mogul who’s never thought about Michigan at all. You might be able to get some state Tourism Department dollars to help on this. Have sections on investors, on the skilled labor pool, the works.

"Then drive traffic to the site with postcards, social networking campaigns, emails, phone calls, blog, media publicity, and a six- degrees campaign aimed at producers. There’s a lot of information on how to do this in my fifth book, 'Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World.'"


The Publicity Hound says:

I sound like a broken record. But if you aren't blogging about your topic, Milan, start now. It's a fabulous way to pull traffic to your website. In a market as niched as yours, you might run out of things to write about. If so, you'd be a perfect candidate for The Blog Squad's "Better Business Blog Writing" teleseminars next week at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=2401308


Read all the responses to this week’s Help This Hound question at http://publicityhound.net/michigan


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


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6. Help This Hound
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Mitch Carnell of Charleston, South Carolina writes:

"Last year, we celebrated the first Say Something Nice Sunday on the first Sunday in June. This is now an annual event.

"We want churches and denominations of all faiths to join in. This is a Sunday when people will say nothing negative about any other Christian or Christian group or organization. It originated from my little book, Say Something Nice; Be a Lifter.

"We have put together an ecumenical group to promote this. It started at First Baptist Church of Charleston, the Charleston Baptist Association, the South Carolina Baptist Convention, the Charleston Atlantic Presbytery and CBF of South Carolina. Next year, we will sponsor a poster contest with middle and high school students.

"We are looking for ideas to get individuals and churches involved. We've provided some ideas for them at http://www.fbcharleston.org/SSN-Web-Page.html Can your Hounds help with other suggestions?"


The Publicity Hound says:

Mitch has less than four weeks to promote this. So give it your best shot, Hounds. How can he promote this special day online?

Post your best ideas to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/saysomethingnice


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring at me.

"Is that a dog you got back there?" He asked.

"It sure is," I replied.

Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then toward the back of the van.

Finally, he asked, "What'd he do?"


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

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

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


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8. At My Blog...
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A Wikipedia listing isn't easy, but here are 6 tips
http://publicityhound.net/wikipediatips


EzineArticles.com will limit writers to four links June 1 http://publicityhound.net/ezinearticleslinks


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Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound


May 21: Teleseminar on Video

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


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

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

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

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