Publicity tips/When Oprah Calls on Sunday Jan 27, 2009

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #435 Jan. 27, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 43,505

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

"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.

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

New Teleseminar:

Can Your Social Networking Profile Pass the 10-Second Test?

Next time you're surfing around Facebook or LinkedIn, pay
attention to how much time you spend on other people's profiles
before you click away.

Then, be honest. How boring is your own? Online decisions are
made with clicks, and if your profile isn't creating clicks TO
you instead of clicks AWAY from you, then chances are you have a
social networking profile that spells B-O-R-I-N-G.

Join Nancy Marmolejo and me for a paid teleseminar on Wednesday,
Feb. 11, when we ask the question "Can Your Social Networking
Profile Pass the 10-Second Test?"

Read about what you'll learn, register for the session, and tell
us why Nancy should remake YOUR profile during the call. All the
details are at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/blvdby

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

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

1. When Oprah Calls on Sunday

2. 5 Big Blogging Boo-boos

3. Pitch Spring Gifts Now

4. I Don't Want You to Disappear

5. Promoting Abstract Art

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


===================================
1. When Oprah Calls on Sunday
===================================

So there you are on a Sunday afternoon, watching TV with the
kids.

The phone rings. It's one of Oprah's producers, following up on a
pitch you sent several months ago.

Panic time! You can't remember the details. You can't even
remember the pitch!

That's what happens when you send a story idea to Oprah or one of
the big TV talk shows and mistakenly assume that if they don't
bite within a month or two, they're not interested.

Big mistake.

Oprah's producers work insane hours, including Sunday afternoons.
That's why you must be ready at a moment's notice to discuss your
story succinctly and with passion, even when the kids are
screaming and the dog is barking in the background.

But before you receive that phone call, your pitch has to catch
the producer's attention. It's one of the most difficult feats to
accomplish because it must be compelling enough to pique their
curiosity, but not so long that it's rambling.

Michele Anton, a former guest booker for "Oprah," has accepted
and rejected hundreds of pitches. She knows what works and what
doesn't, and she'll share her tips during a complimentary
teleseminar that my friend, Steve Harrison, is hosting on
Thursday, Jan. 29, at your choice of two times.

Michele will explain what NOT to send to producers, what NOT to
pitch to guest bookers, and mistakes you should never make, or
the decision-makers will blackball you forever.

Then, she'll explain the three big secrets for doing it the right
way. You'll also hear from other veteran TV producers and
surprise guests.

Register at http://tinyurl.com/Oprahcall

Then, read about my Number One tip for getting onto Oprah and the
other big TV talk shows. It's at my blog at
http://tinyurl.com/ab9lkh


=======================================
2. 5 Big Blogging Boo-boos
=======================================

Working too hard on your blog and seeing little traffic, hardly
any comments and zero sales?

If so, Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka the Blog Squad, say
it might be because you're making one of these five frequent
mistakes:

--You're not blogging often enough, usually because you don't
have time. Here's my solution. Each week, I'm trying to reduce by
at least one hour the time I spend answering email (unproductive)
and using it instead to write on my blog.

--Your blog isn't focused on a topic, or a series of related
topics. If your content is all over the landscape, you can't get
the Google juice necessary to pull in traffic for specific
keywords.

--Your readers don't know who you are because your name, or your
photo, or both, are missing from your blog. If they don't know
who you are, how in the world can they eventually like and trust
you?

--There's no way for your readers to subscribe to your blog
updates. Either you aren't offering an RSS feed, or you're not
letting readers subscribe to automatic email alerts each time you
post.

--You aren't engaging your readers and making them part of the
conversation. Instead, you're writing only about topics you like.
Offer quizzes, write about controversial topics and ask for their
opinions, find out what topics they what to read about, or
challenge them to do something that will improve their lives.
Keep them engaged, and they'll keep coming back.


Those are only five little morsels from the dozens of tips The
Blog Squad shared during yesterday's teleseminar on how to "Build
Your Biz with a Blog: It's Not an Option Anymore!--How to Build a
Professional Blog that Turns Prospects into Clients."

You can listen to the replay at
http://blogsquad.audioacrobat.com/download/bizblog_012609.mp3

Important Note: Wednesday night, Jan. 28, at midnight is the
deadline for The Blog Squad's special offer for Publicity Hounds
who want to take 20 percent off the price of any of their three
levels of coaching. That means that if you want them to do
everything for you, including setting up your blog so you don't
have to bother with all that techie stuff, you can save $400.

Go to http://www.theblogsquad.net/joan and at check-out, use the
code js20 so you don't have to pay full price.

Grab it now, or kick yourself later.


========================================
3. Pitch Spring Gifts Now
========================================

With all the shake-ups in the newspaper, magazine, TV and radio
industries the last few months, you can't afford to rely on
outdated reference materials.

If you sell a consumer product, including a book, that would make
a great gift for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Graduation Day, a
prom, a wedding, or any other event taking place in April, May or
June, you must know about the Gift List. It's a subscription
service that provides contact information and leads for more than
1,000 media outlets.

It profiles new product editors from a range of national
magazines, regional publications, news wires and syndicates,
national broadcast television, syndicated television, national
radio, and the top daily newspapers.

The Gift List interviews them and profiles their interests from
fashion, beauty, tech, home, fitness and more. This is the time
to kick your spring publicity campaign into high gear because
deadlines are now for major national magazines.

Nobody produces a more extensive list of consumer product media
interests, submission guidelines, contact preferences, deadlines
and more.

Learn more about the service and take a test drive at
http://tinyurl.com/9es8y


=======================================
4. I Don't Want You to Disappear
=======================================

I recently changed servers at the list management company that
distributes this newsletter, and I don't want you to drop off my
list.

Please add galaxy.sparklist.com to your Friends list or Whitelist
and contact me immediately if you suddenly stop receiving the
newsletter so we can find out what went wrong.

You can find back issue you have missed in the archives at
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/

Thanks for your loyalty, Hounds, and for your great ideas,
publicity success stories and other content for this newsletter.

Making sure readers continue receiving your newsletters is a
major problem, but the rewards are worth it. You will increase
your chances of generating publicity if you have both a blog and
an ezine, and cross-promote from each.

I interviewed online marketing expert Don Crowther, who is a
stickler for testing, on all the ways to cross-promote. He
explained the results of his tests during our teleseminar on "How
to Use a Blog and an Ezine Together to Grow Your Business." 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/79383q


Coming soon: My survey, asking you about what you want to read
here, how I can serve you better, and what products and services
you need that I don't offer. And you'll love the way I'll say
"thanks" to everyone who completes it.


==========================================
5. Promoting Abstract Art
==========================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Beth Stafford of
Concord, N.C., an abstract artist who is looking for a few quick,
simple ways to promote her website at
http://www.bethstafford.com/ and her blog at
http://www.airedale-art.blogspot.com/


From Michele Bailey-Lessirard:

"Your art and website are beautiful. My first reaction is why not
blog more. The last post was back in October. It's about UFOs
which was very interesting and leaves me wanting to know more
about you--and then there is nothing...Join Facebook. Start
twittering in your dog Cassie's voice, from Cassie's perspective.
Play up the PiCassieO angle. It's original and fun."


From Shelli Johannes-Wells:

"Market to dog organizations, hotels that allow dogs, pet stores,
veterinarians, etc..."


From The Publicity Hound:

Dive into social networking right now, or leave a lot of money on
the table. Here are three of my best tips:

--Create a profile on Facebook and build one or more fan pages.
This is the place to display and promote your artwork. Fans do
not have to be followers. That's why these pages are so valuable.

--Also, start uploading photos of your artwork to Flickr, the
photo-sharing site.

--Create videos, or an entire series of short videos (about 2
min, 30 seconds each) of you, dog Cassie and your artwork, and
upload to YouTube and the other video-sharing sites. These will
bring tons of traffic to your website.

If you're new to social networking, find a teen-ager to walk you
through how to do all of the above. For many more tips, check out
"How Artists Can Sell More Artwork through Online & Offline
Publicity," a recording of a teleseminar I did with art marketing
expert Ariane Goodwin, at http://tinyurl.com/yvewm8


Read all the responses to this week's Help This Hound question
http://tinyurl.com/7jqucq


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


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

Michele Lessirard of Vero Beach, Fla. writes:

"I have been blogging for more than seven years at New Moon
Journal http://www.newmoonjournal.com and my blog
http://newmoonjournal.blogs.com

"Now, there's a high-profile Harry Potter-type author named
Stephanie Myer who's written a series of vampire novels. One
best-seller is New Moon. Of course, I am competing now for search
engine optimization with her New Moon book and soon-to-be movie.
The New Moon Journal is an astrology blog dedicated to creativity
and personal growth using the lunar cycles for power, healing and
problem solving.

"How can I use this name recognition and ride on the coattails of
her book. Is it possible?"


The Publicity Hound says:

It sure is. The many authors, publishers and book publicity
experts who read this newsletter can post their best ideas to my
blog at http://tinyurl.com/dnju3x

Here's my idea. Go over to Amazon.com and review Stephanie's
books, which will let you link back to your blogs. You can also
create "best of" lists dealing with your topic and all kinds of
other content to attract the attention of her readers.

Randy Gilbert and Don Mitchell are all over that website and pull
in tons of traffic to their own sites as a result. They were my
guests during a teleseminar on "How to Make Amazon a River of
Gold (for Authors, Speakers & Experts)."

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 piggyback onto the popularity of other
best-selling authors or products at http://tinyurl.com/7u76e


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

Thanks to Elaine Grassbaugh of Columbus, Ohio for this one, which
I ran by the censorship police. They said go for it.


Yesterday I was buying a two large bags of Purina Dog Chow at
Wal-Mart for my dogs Dexter, Gypsy, Sky, & Blade. I was about to
check out when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog. (What did
she think, that I had an elephant?)

Since I had little else to do, on impulse I told her that no, I
didn't have a dog, and that I was starting the Purina eating plan
again, although I probably shouldn't because I ended up in the
hospital last time. On the bright side, though, I'd shaved off 50
p~ounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes
coming out of every hole in my body and IVs in both arms.

I told her that the way it works is to load your pockets with
Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel
hungry, and that the food is nutritionally complete so I was
going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically
everyone in the line was enthralled with my story by now.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the
dog food had poisoned me. I told her no--a car hit me after I had
stopped in the middle of the parking lot to lick my butt.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack, he
was laughing so hard! Wal-Mart won't let me shop there anymore.


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

Show both sides of your life at social networking sites
http://tinyurl.com/cygctz


Here's another keyword density tool for press releases
http://tinyurl.com/ca7haw


My #1 tip for getting onto 'Oprah' and other big TV shows
http://tinyurl.com/ab9lkh


Can your social networking profile pass the 10-second test?
http://tinyurl.com/blvdby


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

WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:


Monday, Jan. 26--Teleseminar Replay

During yesterday's "Boost Your Biz with a Blog" teleseminar,
Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad,
explained how to draw more traffic and boost more sales from a
blog. Listen to the replay at
http://blogsquad.audioacrobat.com/download/bizblog_012609.mp3


March 6-8--Atlanta, Ga.

I'll be at the Stompernet's Live7 event. If you're going, let's
meet for coffee.



PERMISSION TO REPRINT:

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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,
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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/Put Your Pet in the White House Jan 20, 2009

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #434 Jan. 20, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 43,628

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

"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.


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

1. Put Your Pet in the White House

2. The Real Power of Your Press Release

3. Formula Five is Live

4. Still Not Blogging?

5. Promoting Sensitivity Training

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Video of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


===================================
1. Put Your Pet in the White House
===================================

When the party's over tonight, you just know that Malia and Sasha
will start pestering mom and dad for that puppy.

How about giving the First Family a taste of what the White House
will look like if they choose a pet just like yours? Heck, let's
make your pet the Official Obama Pet--right now!

Head over to Pawfun.com, a new custom photo T-shirt site for pet
lovers and participate in the Obama spoof that lets you super-
impose a photo of your pet, and then send it as an e-card.

That's what I did this morning. You can see Bogie, my German
Shorthaired Pointer, peeking out from under the president's
outstretched arm, to the left of the photo, at
http://www.pawfun.com/ecards/?c=210

While you're at the site, how about ordering a T-shirt that shows
your pet with its new owners?

Talk about perfect timing. Social media expert BL Ochman and her
partner, Caimin Jones, launched the site late Saturday night.
Since then, eager pet lovers have sent the e-cards more than
4,500 times.

Create your own card at http://www.pawfun.com/promo/

"While there's no shortage of T-shirt sites, our goal is to make
ours more fun than the rest," BL said. "And we've picked a niche
we'll go deep into instead of trying to be all things to all
people. That's because the Internet, and increasingly the world,
is a niche-or-be-niched place these days."

She and her partner will be using all the social media tools on
Pawfun.com that they're always trying to get their Fortune 500
clients to try--but now they're the client.

What an incredibly clever tie-in to today's world event. BL
always keeps me posted on what she's doing, and I'll share her
success stories with social networking, and anybody else's, here.
(Hint: Send me your success stories.)

BL, by the way, presented a content-rich teleseminar a few months
ago on "How to do Social Networking, Run a Business & Still Have
a Life." If you follow her on Twitter at @whatsnext, you'd swear
she spends all her waking hours tweeting. But launching a
business eats up hours upon hours, so BL has had to create
shortcuts for keeping Twitter and the other social networking
sites in which she participates within her control--so they don't
control her.

You can order the electronic transcript or MP3 audio of our
teleseminar and download them as soon as your order has been
approved, or you can choose the CD. Read more about how to save
time and your sanity during social networking at
http://tinyurl.com/a6guxq


=======================================
2. The Real Power of Your Press Release
=======================================

How much power do you really have to promote your product,
service, cause or issue with the lowly press release?


If you're hoping to generate a major story in the traditional
media, not much. That's because journalists despise them and
delete nine out of 10 press releases. A big story usually
requires a customized pitch, not a one-size-fits-all press
release.

If you're hoping to catch the attention of bloggers, consumers
and those on the social media landscape, quite a bit. But only if
you throw most of the old press release writing rules out the
window.

For example, in the old days, we absolutely could NOT write a
press release that smacked of promotion or it would repel
journalists. Today, however, smart Publicity Hounds use the press
release to give away information and tips, and then link to what
they're promoting at their websites--not with just one link high
in the release but with several links throughout.

That tactic means you can completely bypass traditional media and
go straight to the decision-makers who will find your release, if
you've written it correctly, when Googling.

If you're new to releases, or you've been writing them for years,
sign up for my free email tutorial "89 Ways to Write Powerful
Press Releases." It's an intensive 12-week course delivered by
email. Stick with it right to end and it will be like you've
earned a master's degree in writing and distributing releases.
You'll know more about the topic than most professional PR
people.

I'm honored that the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary under the
Department of Homeland Security is using the course to train its
communications officers at the grassroots level through an online
training site. Deputy Chief Tom Nunes of the Public Affairs
Department says they're even creating quizzes for students as
part of the course. Cool!

Haven't taken the tutorial yet? Sign up at
http://tinyurl.com/pressreleasetutorial or buy the entire course
in a handy ebook for only $27. You can read the long, long list
of glowing testimonials from happy Hounds who loved it and are
already generating fabulous publicity as a result.


========================================
3. Formula Five is Live
========================================

For the last several weeks, I've been raving about "Formula
Five," the business building program that's perfect for any
business, regardless of what you're selling.

Now, the wait is over.

The shopping cart opened yesterday for "Formula Five." It was
created by Paul Lemberg, who shared dozens of take-away tips
during the teleseminar with him that I hosted for several hundred
Publicity Hounds on Jan. 8.

You can pick up your copy of Formula Five here:
http://tinyurl.com/PaulLembergFormulaFive

Because the package includes ongoing support, there are limited
spots in the program.

Business owners just like you have already earned tens of
thousands of dollars only using 1/20th of Formula Five. Today,
you can be one of the first to get the whole enchilada so you
can start doubling your business this year.

Even if Formula Five isn't within your budget right now, at
least check out the package of videos on the page, take good
notes and start tweaking your business to make more money
starting today.


P.S. This is a no-brainer. Just hope your competitors haven't
heard about it.


=======================================
4. Still Not Blogging?
=======================================

Attention bloggers, or those who are just creating a blog.

Learn proven tips on how to drive thousands more visitors to your
blog, sell your products and services there, and write compelling
posts that build a loyal customer following and position you as
an expert.

Here's the best part. You don't have to be a techie.

Join me as I interview Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The
Blog Squad, during a free teleseminar called "Boost Your Biz with
a Blog" from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Jan. 26.
Register at http://www.blogsquadteleseminars.com/joan/


==========================================
5. Promoting Sensitivity Training
==========================================

This week, five Publicity Hounds have tips for Pegine Echevarria
of Jacksonville, FL, who is launching a licensed training program
called "White Guys Are Diverse Too!" She is looking for ideas to
capture the interest of corporate and government chief diversity
officers.


From Candy Tutt:

"In all honesty, I would recommend changing the title of the
project. While it is catchy, it will be perceived as separatist
and off-putting to many people. Our society still tends to tip
the scales in favor of "white guys" and the program title
perpetuates a feeling of cultural superiority.

"If, in your experience white guys tend to walk out of D&I
programs thinking they are excluded and not valued for the unique
individualized impact that they bring, perhaps the D&I sessions
are not geared to reaching the very people at whom they are
aimed."


From Kevin Gaydosh:

"Constant portrayals by the news media and popular culture as
Walter Kowalskis or Archie Bunkers displays a prejudice--yes,
prejudice--that is perhaps the biggest fear/largest turn-off that
the target audience has with much diversity training.

"Also, I'm not in HR, but an earlier Hound might be correct in
suggesting a name change. While an arresting, attention-getting
and (to some) a cute/funny title, it's doubtful that many Fortune
500 companies are going to post that seminar up on their Intranet
or in the employee break rooms precisely because of the title.

"Perhaps it would be best if you pitched your program under a new
(PC) moniker but touted it as being better than the competition
because you do pay particular attention to this often
'overlooked, under appreciated' group."


From Dal Jeanis:

"You might want to contact companies, especially minority-owned
companies, that do diversity (or cultural sensitivity) training.
Provide each company with two f~ree copies of your book. If they
add your book in as, say, one-third of a course, then you're
golden.

"One current events hook you can use to promote your mix is the
following: With Obama's success, pre-existing diversity programs
are going to need major retooling. Are they needed at all?
Diversity trainers say yes, some pundits say no, and Pegine
Echevarria says no, but they need to address all the
consistencies of diversity."


The Publicity Hound says:

Pegine, how about going over to LinkedIn and using the question
and answer feature to generate some additional feedback and
exposure for your training? I wouldn't post the identical
question you asked in Help This Hound, but there are lots of
other things you could ask about.

Scott Allen, a LinkedIn expert, says the Q&A feature is a
fabulous way collect information and let the world know what
you're doing. But you have to use it correctly. He explained how
during the teleseminar I hosted with him on "How to Use LinkedIn
to Promote Anything--Ethically & Powerfully."

It's available as electronic transcripts and your choice of MP3
audios or CDs. Read more about what you'll learn at
http://tinyurl.com/5zvzyd


Read all the responses to this week's Help This Hound question
at http://tinyurl.com/829jv3

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


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

Beth Stafford of Concord, N.C. writes:

"I am an artist working in collaboration with my dog to produce
some of the wildest, most colorful and joyous abstract art
around.

"Our label is 'PiCassieO,' combining her name (Cassie) with an
artist name (obviously) who represents the human half of the team
(me). We have a store at CafePress which opened in July. It is
so far non-profit, even though the merchandise is really great!

"I have been attempting to promote it on my own website and
through our blog, but am spending too much time on nonproductive
promotion and not enough on the art. I need a few quick, simple
tips to get the ball rolling.

"Warning: My budget is 'thread' instead of 'shoestring,' and I'm
a disaster at social networking on the web. Help!"


The Publicity Hound says:

To quote BL Ochman, mentioned in item Number One above, the
social networking train has already left the station. If you're
not onboard now, you'll get eaten alive by your competitors who
are. I highly suggest you read the transcript or listen to the
audio recording of the teleseminar I conducted with BL on "How to
do Social Networking, Run a Business & Still Have a Life" at
http://tinyurl.com/a6guxq

But that's not all you can do. Hounds with great ideas for Beth
can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/7jqucq


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

Save this video to watch on one of those Days from Hell when you
need a pick-me-up or something to make you smile.

It's a CBS report from a few weeks ago on the Animal Odd Couple--
an 8,700-pound elephant named Tarra and her best friend, Bella
the dog.

http://tinyurl.com/8v2bza

Thanks to Publicity Hound Kim Condrin for sending it.


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

Let's meet at Stompernet event March 5-8 in Atlanta
http://tinyurl.com/94vmvn


How Twitter can help you fix your toilet
http://tinyurl.com/8lcjvt


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

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. Sorry, but registration is closed. You'll have to wait
until Ariane Goodwin offers the training as a product.


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/


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

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/LinkedIn: Your Trump Card Dec 2, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #427 Dec. 2, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 50,513

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

"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.

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

Cast a Vote, Choose a Free Special Report

Lots of Publicity Hounds submitted ideas on how to promote an
ebook, and I want you to help me decide which of the 10 people
who commented at my blog wins a $50 Amazon gift certificate.

Read the responses in the comments section at
http://tinyurl.com/64jkzq

Then email me at JStewart@PublicityHound.com and put "Amazon" in
the subject line, and tell me which idea you like the best. Also
give me the number of the free special report you've chosen from
the list at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g and I'll email it to you.
Thanks to everyone who responded and is helping choose the
winner.

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

1. LinkedIn: Your Trump Card

2. Best Time to Pitch is Now

3. ...And Build the Relationship

4. A Gift for Your Artist

5. How to Promote a Jewelry Trunk Show

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


========================================
1. LinkedIn: Your Trump Card
========================================

If you work for someone else, you're probably more vulnerable
than ever to losing your job.

If you work for yourself, simply treading water during this
recession isn't good enough. You need every tactic possible to
outsmart your competitors.

In both cases, a long list of glowing recommendations on your
LinkedIn profile can be a valuable trump card--the difference
between landing another position in a glutted job market, or
not. Or getting a big client whose project will carry you through
the next six months, or not.

LinkedIn recommendations carry a LOT of weight. Hiring managers
are reading them closely to make absolutely sure they hire the
best candidates. So are decision-makers who are in a position to
give you business.

Don't sit around waiting to accumulate recommendations. Here
are eight circumstances when it's entirely appropriate for you to
ask for one on LinkedIn:

--Someone calls or emails you to compliment you on your blog,
newsletter, an article you've written, a story about you that
they read in the newspaper, or any other facet of your work. (If
you love this newsletter, I'd welcome a recommendation at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound )

--A past or current client or customer comments about how much
they enjoy working with you.

--You make contact with a former co-worker who you haven't seen
in awhile. If you like and trust each other, ask!

--You offer free professional advice for someone who comes to you
with a problem and they reply, "How can I return the favor?"

--A meeting planner who has hired you to speak is delighted with
your presentation.

--You offer professional advice via email to someone you don't
know, and you notice the same person has come to you several
times.

--You refer a friend or business associate to someone else who
can help solve a problem, or they end up working together.
(Ask both to recommend you.)

--You write a LinkedIn recommendation for someone who you know
and who knows you, and you're confident the person will
reciprocate.


Don't wait until you're unemployed, or you have no clients in the
funnel. Start using LinkedIn right now as your safety net.

And while you're there, don't forget to promote, too. Social
networking expert Scott Allen, who has an impressive 63
recommendations at his profile at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottallen, explains how he got them
and how he uses the site to promote his consulting practice, his
book, joint ventures with other entrepreneurs, and his speaking
engagements.

He was my guest during two teleseminars on "How to Use LinkedIn
to Promote Anything--Ethically & Powerfully." His advice includes
an entire timeline of exactly what to do on LinkedIn when you
want to promote something. It's available as electronic
transcripts and your choice of MP3s or CDs.

Read more about how to use LinkedIn to enhance your reputation at
http://tinyurl.com/5zvzyd


=========================================
2. Best Time to Pitch is Now
=========================================

When I host a private teleseminar on Dec. 15 for Publicity Hounds
in my mentor program, I'll spend almost an entire hour coaching
them on how to pitch the media, particularly during the holidays.

In my blog, in this newsletter and during my speaking
engagements, I stress that now through Jan. 4 is the very best
time of year to pitch ideas because good sources are in short
supply.

Some companies close for Christmas vacation. Schools and colleges
are on break. People are busying shopping, cooking and traveling.
The last thing most of them think about is pitching.

That means lots of opportunities for smart Hounds. Here are three
tips I'll share with people in my mentor program:

--When you pitch, let journalists and bloggers know you're
familiar with their work. Suggest your idea for a specific
section of the newspaper, or a pre- or post-holiday TV talk show
segment. I'll explain six ways to research journalists before
pitching.

--Suggest at least two other sources, with phone numbers and
email addresses, who can round out the story.

--If you're trying to get onto TV, mention enticing visuals. A
pet expert might suggest bringing to the studio six types of
holiday decorations that can be harmful to pets if swallowed. And
bring along a favorite cute four-legged hound or cat, too, as a
prop. The TV cameras LOVE cute pets.

If you're dying to hear the rest of my tips, you'll first have to
find out if you're a good candidate for the mentor program by
reading more about it at
http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html

If we're not a good match, or the time isn't right, and you're
still looking for holiday-related ideas to pitch, you're welcome
to steal the ideas I brainstormed with TV producer Shawne Duperon
when she was my guest during a teleseminar on "103 Sizzling Story
Ideas from July through December." It's available on CD and comes
with a seven-page handout listing all 103 ideas. You can download
it as soon as your order is approved.

Read more about the kinds of ideas that will get you onto TV or
into your local newspaper at http://tinyurl.com/54y6f

Or check out the follow-up teleseminar on "116 WOW Story Ideas
from January through June at http://tinyurl.com/6k7zk


========================================
3. ...And Build the Relationship
========================================

Whenever you pitch, your Number One goal should never be to
generate publicity.

Rather, your goal should be to help journalists as much as you
can. Help them do their jobs and you might not generate a
publicity hit immediately. But they'll view you as a golden
source, and they might return later asking you for an interview
for an even bigger story. Or a blogger might invite you to guest-
blog.

Here are three other tips for building relationships:

--Offer to fill in at the last minute if a TV or radio talk show
host needs someone to interview, or a guest cancels due to
illness. Extend this offer over the holidays, particularly during
the weeks before and after Christmas.

--Tip off your contacts to what the bloggers are writing about.
Help journalists be "in the know."

--If you're a blogger and you link to a particular news story
from within one of your postings, let the reporter know. You
might be a potential interview subject.


"Special Report #49: 17 Ways to Build Valuable Relationships with
Media People" offers many more suggestions on how to cut through
the noise, make your initial contact with journalists enticing,
and start a relationship that can pay huge dividends for years.
Only $10. Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g


=========================================
4. A Gift for Your Artist
=========================================

If you're looking for a special gift for the artist in your life,
I have the perfect suggestion.

Treat your favorite potter, photographer, sculpture, jeweler or
wood carver to the smARTist Tele-summit 2008, a series of
telephone conferences with a dozen art experts who will explain
how to turn an art hobby into an art business.

It's hosted by art marketing expert Ariane Goodwin, and I'm one
of the 11 experts or artists who will be sharing our best tips.
Last year, the telesummit included some super tips on how to sell
more artwork. Two of my favorites:

--Offer your artwork for sale on eBay, either as "Buy Now" or
auction items. That's what Susan Greaves, an oil painter in
Redding, California, does. She ropes in all sorts of buyers she
might never otherwise meet. A floral painting brought in a high
bid of $800 from Sen. John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth.

--Create videos of your artwork in various stages of completion
and post them on YouTube and the other video sharing sites. Some
artists have done this so successfully that their buyers are
eager to see their next video and get a sneak peek at the
artwork-in-progress.

If you don't know your artist well enough to buy admission to the
smARTist telesummit, at least mention Thursday's complimentary
telephone call with Ariane. All the experts, including me, will
be on the call, enticing audience members with a few nuggets from
our longer presentations.

New this year are sessions on how to identify your most likely
art buyers, sell to corporations, use social networking sites to
promote artwork, and avoid the biggest blunders artists make when
building their portfolios.

Register for Thursday's free call at http://tinyurl.com/5haqs5 or
for the telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/5axy3x


==========================================
5. How to Promote a Jewelry Trunk Show
==========================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Rachel Mielke of
New York, New York, who wants ideas on how to generate publicity
for a trunk show she is participating in at Bloomingdale's in New
York City this month.


From Joel Heffner:

"Since you have so little time to do something special, I
strongly suggest that you contact someone who has the right
connections and a proven track record of making a big splash. My
suggestion is to contact Peter Shankman at
http://www.shankman.com

"He's a New York City-based PR guru. If anyone can put you on the
map fast, he can."


From Susan:

"How about approaching the morning news programs and offering to
outfit the female broadcasters for the week? Maybe you could also
offer each of them a pair of earrings to keep? Let them know that
this jewelry is brand new to the U.S. market and the trunk show
is a unique opportunity for shoppers."


From Margaret:

"As a former PR Director for Bloomingdale's/Short Hills,
Bloomie's PR department should be giving you plenty of publicity.
Since you are at the eleventh hour for huge self-promotion, go
through Bloomie's to see if they can schedule a personal
appearance for you on one of the major TV network morning shows."


The Publicity Hound says:

I love the idea of trying to get onto the big morning shows. If
Bloomingdale's can't help, Rachel, try to do it yourself. "How to
Get Booked on the Morning TV Talk Shows" is a how-to guide for
getting onto shows like the "Today" show, "Fox & Friends" and
"Good Morning, America." It's available as a CD or an electronic
transcript you can download as soon as your order has been
approved.

Read more about what else you'll learn at
http://tinyurl.com/ab86x


Read all the responses to this week's Help This Hound question
at http://tinyurl.com/6b5b5l


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


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

Winthrop Morgan of Bethesda, Maryland:

"A well-known and respected U.S. Government agency has a program
which distills the findings from high-quality research into
short, comprehensive Summary Guides for clinicians. The guides
provide reliable and practical data that can inform, but do not
attempt to influence, physician therapy decisions.

To date, nine guides have been produced, ranging in subject areas
from comparing oral medications for adults with type 2 diabetes
to off-label use of atypical anti-psychotic drugs. The guides
are available, without charge, in print, pdf, html, and .mp3.
Each is about four pages long.

"Recently, clinicians involved in family/general practice were
asked if they are aware of these resources. They are not. The
agency has a small marketing budget of less than $150,000 to
promote awareness of these materials. What ideas do your Hounds
have on how to best use this money to market the guides?"


The Publicity Hound says:

Their budget of "less than $150,000" is inconsequential because
of the many online opportunities to promote the guides. Let's see
how many ideas my Hounds can come up with. If you have a great
suggestion for Winthrop, post it to my blog at
http://tinyurl.com/65dltt


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

A little girl goes into the garage and asks her father, "Dad, can
I take the dog for a walk around the block? I asked Mom but she
said Susie was in heat and I should ask you."

"Bring Susie over here," her Dad says.

He took a rag, soaked it with gasoline and scrubbed the dog's
rear end with it and said, "OK, you can go now. But keep Susie
on the leash and only go one time around the block."

The little girl left, and then returned a few minutes later
without the dog.

Her dad asked, "Where's Susie?"

"Susie ran out of gas about halfway down the block and there's
another dog pushing her home!"


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

Thank book, food, music reviewers who write about you
http://tinyurl.com/5fdf47


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

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 Virtual Opening Day Reception from 7 to
8 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Dec. 4. It's a free teleseminar
leading up to the telesummit, in which all the speakers offer a
few of their best tips. Register for Thursday's free call at
http://tinyurl.com/5haqs5 or 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/Grade Your Press Release June 3, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #401 June 3, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 46,792

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

"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.

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

Save the Dates:

June 11: Teleseminar

PR whiz Robert Smith explains "How to Earn An Extra $100,000 This Year as a Publicist, Even in a Bad Economy." 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm See Item #3 below.

June 18: Teleseminar

Business coach Leili McKinley shows you "How to Outsource Almost Any Part of Your PR Campaign or Your Business." 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm

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

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

1. Grade Your Press Release

2. How to Mimic a Star Reporter

3. For Energetic Publicists Only

4. Do Criminals Use Twitter?

5. Promoting a Dawg Art Exhibit in Michigan

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. At My Blog...


=========================================
1. Grade Your Press Release
=========================================

Wouldn't it be great if you could write a press release, run it past a press release expert and then, within a few seconds, know whether the release passes or fails?

Here's the next best thing. It's called the Press Release Grader, a nifty piece of software that not only assigns your press release a grade of 1 to 100, but tells you exactly what you must do to improve it.

It was created by Hubspot, a Cambridge, Massachusetts company that helps small businesses have a huge presence online so that people in their target market can find them, and convert a higher percentage of prospects into customers.

Simply cut and paste your press release into the window at http://www.pressreleasegrader.com/, complete the form and click on "Grade Press Release." Within seconds, you'll see your score and a list of suggested improvements.

The grader deducts points for:

- -Not having an "About Us" section on your press release. I could quibble with this, but it's a minor point in an otherwise cool tool.

- -No links high in the release.

- -Not using "###" at the end of the release, the universal code for "the end."

- -Incorrect use of anchor text. That is, the words on the page that link to a website.

- -Gobbledygook words like "flexible," "scalable" and "robust."

It even tells you whether the readability level of your press release is "graduate school" or one of several lower levels.

Before you start, watch the video on that page for a better understanding of how it works. When Hubspot grades your release, it gives you a full report that you can email to other members of your team.

I'll be incorporating this tool into my free email tutorial "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases" at http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/art.htm

Thanks to Publicity Hound Debra Helwig of Athens, Georgia for alerting me to this one.


========================================
2. How to Mimic a Star Reporter
========================================

If you're a member of your local Chamber of Commerce and the only thing you have to show for it is the receipt for your annual dues, don't even think about dropping out.

Because you're a smart Publicity Hound, you have an opportunity right at your fingertips to be a star in the organization and generate so much publicity for yourself that all the other members will be green with envy. Nonprofits, this applies to you, too.

Here's what you do.

The next time the chamber has an event that the local media won't cover, act like a reporter and cover it yourself. Buy an inexpensive Flip video camera and interview people at the event.

If it's a routine chamber breakfast meeting with a speaker, interview the speaker after the presentation for a segment of two to three minutes. At the same breakfast, create another short video. Ask the chamber president to provide a brief infomercial of upcoming chamber events like the annual golf outing or street festival.

At bigger events, like the annual awards banquet, interview the Business Person of the Year. If you really want to create a stir, choose a controversial topic that chamber members are buzzing about. Interview one person on each side of the issue. You've just created two more videos.

Import the videos into your computer, which takes a minute or two, edit them, upload them to your website, give the chamber the link to the videos, and then watch what happens.

The chamber will probably email all its members and tell them to go to your website. Many of those members will share the link with their friends. The link will end up in the next chamber newsletter. And who knows where else.

And here's the best part. You can offer that same video to the local newspapers, magazines and TV and radio stations for use at their websites. Print media, in particular, are hungry for user- generated video, even if it's of events that they decided not to cover.

That's what videographer John Easton does in Charlotte, North Carolina. He covers local business events and uploads them to his blog at http://www.eastonsweb.wordpress.com/ or to his own streaming video channel, sort of like his own TV station, at http://www.broadcastcharlotte.com/ and then he offers the video to local media.

Too busy to fuss with all these details? John says every community is teaming with people who you can hire for next to nothing to shoot and edit the video for you. He explained how to find them when he was a guest on a teleseminar I conducted recently on "9 Clever Ways to Use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or Community." We recorded it, and the interview is available as a CD, electronic transcript or MP3 audio.

Learn how to start covering your own community's news right now, or find somebody to do it cheaply, by going to http://tinyurl.com/66xshb


==============================================
3. For Energetic Publicists Only
==============================================

I can hear some of you publicists groaning already.

During next week's teleseminar, when Robert Smith describes the wild strategies he uses to pull in so many potential clients that he has to refer some of them to other publicists, one of you will complain, "You expect me to do WHAT?"

Consider this fair warning.

Robert doesn't like doing what all the other publicists are doing. So he dreams up unconventional ideas on his own, like recruiting drivers for an overnight delivery service to hand- deliver his brochures when they drop off packages at businesses.

He's the PR equivalent of Willie Sutton, but in a good way. Sutton said he robbed banks because that's where the money is. Robert knows where the clients are, and he'll do just about anything to find them. If they're a good fit, he'll close the deal.

I knew him back when he was a frustrated bill collector who wanted to learn how to write press releases just for grins.

When he told me that, I thought he was crazy. But here he sits today with a full-time staff of eight and four sub-contractors. In 10 years, he's gone from a net worth of zero to more than $1 million.

If you're not prepared to entertain off-the-wall ideas about how to grow your business or work incredibly hard to find new clients, you'd be wise not to sign up for the call.

As for the rest of you, join us from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, June 11, for "How to Earn An Extra $100,000 This Year as a Publicist, Even in a Bad Economy."

This teleseminar is perfect for publicists, PR practitioners, wanna-be PR people, and even virtual assistants whose clients are in PR.

Everyone who attends gets a copy of the MP3 recording to listen to afterward. I expect this session to be packed, and seating is limited, so sign up today: http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm

And please make sure your seat belts are securely fastened.


========================================
4. Do Criminals Use Twitter?
========================================

Maybe it's just me.

But I fear that one day soon, criminals will discover that Twitter is one of the best places to find empty houses vulnerable to a break-in, or tweets that make it easy for them to commit far more serious crimes.

At Twitter.com, I expect to see lots of details about what people are doing in their jobs because using Twitter for business and publicity is just plain smart. (See "Special Report #52: How to Use Twitter for Business to Network, Promote, Sell, Recruit & Profit" at http://tinyurl.com/4tyl76 for ideas.)

But I'm amazed at some of the personal details people include. Like announcing they're closing up the house and leaving for two weeks in the Florida Keys. Or visiting San Francisco for a three- day conference. Or saying good-bye to their cabin on the southeast corner of such-and-such a lake and heading back home.

Last week, I was guilty of tweeting that I'd be in Las Vegas for two days, but our house wasn't vacant at the time. Had it been empty, I wouldn't have let the world know that.

With the number of social networking sites multiplying daily, it wouldn't take a savvy criminal long to put two and two together and go hunting for our profiles and...well...you know the rest. Just look what the slime balls have been able to accomplish with phishing and identity theft.

What about you? Do you police yourself so you don't share too much information? Do you know of guidelines anywhere that discuss the kinds of details we should or shouldn't include in our tweets?

Or am I just being paranoid?

Join in the conversation at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/5sge6v


=============================================
5. Promoting a Dawg Art Exhibit in Michigan =============================================

This week, seven Publicity Hounds have tips on how Lynne Scheible of Big Rapids, Michigan can promote the Year of the Dawg so that people will come to Big Rapids and the surrounding area to see bulldogs that are artistically designed by local artists.


From Nancy Stephen:

"Make sure you're talking to the local, regional and state tourism offices. Make sure you've got pictures that they, too, can post and use on their website."


From Kim Stezala:

"Have Ferris State tie in with the event and promote it with alumni. Perhaps alumni could vote for their favorite dawg."


From Cheryl Pickett:

"Once you get the sponsors together, how about putting together a joint flyer including special events or offers beyond those that your group is planning? The goal would be to increase the likelihood of visitors going into the stores instead of just walking by to view the dawgs. You could also post a downloadable version on everyone's websites or include it with maps."

"Example: A salon could offer a coupon for a massage/pedi for dawg tired feet after all the walking around town. A restaurant couuld offer a special on their hot dawgs."


The Publicity Hound says:

Start pitching this story to the gazillion pet bloggers. Why not ask them to ask their readers to vote, based on photos of the dawgs? See "How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion" at http://tinyurl.com/m7ymr


Read all the responses to this Help This Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/6m9hmc

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


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

Merri Cvetan of Big Bend, Wisconsin writes:

"As an interior designer, I'm always looking for ways to drive people to my website at http://www.mecdesignstudio.com and business.

"I am creating a fun survey to find out the relationship between a woman's wardrobe and the colors she decorates her home with. I will offer a designer notebook to one or two entries.

"It won't be scientific, but I think the results should be interesting and garner some publicity. I can post the questionnaire on my site and at a few blog sites as well as Craigslist. Any other suggestions on how to get it to women across the country?"


The Publicity Hound says:

Have you seen the new movie "(Fill in the blank) and the City?" I haven't seen it, but can you tie into the characters' wardrobes and how they decorate? That movie could be one of the summer's biggest hits, and your online press releases, articles, blog posts and other content that refers to the survey could pull in a lot of traffic from SATC fans who are googling.

Hounds, let's hear your ideas. Post your best comments to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/6bq6ns


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

Thanks to Dan Poynter of Santa Barbara, California for sharing these Canine Letters to God.


Dear God: Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another?


Dear God: When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it still the same old story?


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. At My Blog...
=================================

How long before criminals start monitoring Twitter?
Http://tinyurl.com/5sge6v


The Musician's Guide to Brides includes press release tips
http://tinyurl.com/5lw7w3


Promote artwork with video using these 11 tips
http://tinyurl.com/5rjb7v


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

Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound


June 11: Teleseminar for Publicists

PR whiz Robert Smith explains "How to Earn An Extra $100,000 This Year as a Publicist, Even in a Bad Economy." 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm


June 18: Teleseminar on Outsourcing

Business coach Leili McKinley shows you "Outsourcing Secrets: Your Guide to Getting the Best Quality, Price and Teamwork from Freelancers." 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time. 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.

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/'Dirty Hotel Glasses' Contest Winner Dec.18, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #377 Dec. 18, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 37,659

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

Need help with publicity?
See the resources list at
http://www.publicityhound.com/resources.htm


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

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.

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

Coming Christmas Morning:

It's my annual "Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week"ebook, a special gift to all of you loyal Hounds who have been kind enouch to read and respond to this newsletter.

I've chosen more than two dozen tips from this past year that have generated the most response from readers, and I'll tell you how to download the ebook in next Tueday's issue of this newsletter.

Bloggers, ezine editors, coaches and consultants, you are welcome to regift the ebook to your own readers and clients.

Until then, have a safe and happy holiday.

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

1. 'Dirty Hotel Glasses' Contest Winner

2. Say Buh-Bye to Journalists

3. YouTube Video Reminder

4. Pitch This Week and Next

5. Promoting a Photography Studio

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. 'Dirty Hotel Glasses' Contest Winner
======================================

Next time the Sheraton Suites, Embassy Suites or Holiday Inn hotel chains are looking for a PR spokesperson, they should choose the winning candidate from among Publicity Hounds who read this newsletter.

Last week, I told you about the video produced by an Atlanta TV station that took its hidden cameras into guest rooms at local hotel chains. At those three chains, the video showed, the housekeeping staff never used soap and water to clean dirty glasses and coffee cups in the guests' rooms.

I told you to watch the video at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7f_1194813218 and then tell me how you would respond if you were the PR person at one of those chains.

You can read all 75 comments at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/28aqm9

Many of the responses are excellent and showed the appropriate level of contrition and embarrassment. But one response, in particular, stood out from the others.

Jennifer Moreau, a marketing specialist with ITU Inc., an industrial towel and uniform company in New Berlin, Wisconsin, suggested that the hotel apologize for the safety violation, then ask the TV station to become involved in reporting on the change in housekeeping procedures.

"For instance, invite them to the initial meeting with staff when this video is shown so they obtain footage of staff reaction to the hidden camera video and the discussion that takes place after," she wrote. "Then, have the media do a second hidden video test after a month or 2 months when the changes were implemented to ensure that they actually were.

"Working with the media as a partner instead of an enemy will actually help both parties. They get a better, more in-depth story, the hotel improves their process, and both receive PR coverage. Plus, the hotel's credibility is perceived much higher by admitting the problem right away and dealing with it to solve it. This, in turn would reduce potential negative sales effects and perhaps could actually have a positive effect on sales."

I ran her comment by Clarence and Ellen Jaffe Jones, the husband-and-wife crisis counselors. Both are former award-winning TV investigative reporters.

"Clarence and I like the idea," Ellen said. "Formally called the 'ride-along,' it invites the media inside. 'Walk a mile in my shoes' gives the reporters a unique view."

Tylenol execs used this invite-them-in technique effectively when cyanide was maliciously injected into the company's star drug.The company invited "60 Minutes" to watch company execs debate how to handle the drug tampering crisis.

"Lawyers cringe," Ellen said. "But in a crisis, it is a matter of saving your image and often the entire company. Tylenol didn't suffer any long-term market share loss, and is still very much in business."

Clarence and Ellen were doing a crisis counseling training for clients when I contacted them.

"We discussed the hotel glass story in our media training class today," Ellen said. "It was amazing how many people from all over the U.S. had seen or heard of this one story that was initially done by one local TV station. With YouTube and Internet connection to the TV's website, bad news like this is immediate worldwide...Many of our students today said they've been using bottled water in their hotel rooms since that story."

Jennifer's comment wins her $200 in Publicity Hound products.

All of you can win, too, by reading Clarence Jones' excellent book "Winning with the News Media: A Self-Defense Manual When You're the Story." It's the book I wish I had written. I referred to my copy so often that it eventually fell apart from overuse, and I had to order another one. Order yours at http://www.winning-newsmedia.com/bookordr.htm

In fact, order two. Give one to the Publicity Hound on your gift list.


========================================
2. Say 'Buh-bye' to Journalists
========================================

Right now, all over the U.S., there's an exodus of experienced, high-profile, high-priced journalists taking early retirement.

To boost profits, newspapers are offering buy-outs to some of their veteran staff members who will be replaced with cheaper, less experienced reporters and editors.

Here in Milwaukee, for example, the Journal Sentinel offered buyouts to about a dozen veteran writers and editors. The same thing is happening at radio stations.

During yesterday's private teleseminar with members of the Publicity Hound Mentor Program, I discussed a long list of ways Hounds can use this to their advantage.

If a beat reporter with whom you've established a great relationship leaves, make sure the reporter introduces you to the new person taking over the beat.

Then shift into the role of "educator" and help the new reporter understand your industry, its lingo, its idiosyncrasies and its trends.

--Invite the reporter to a "getting to know you" lunch.

--Ask "How can I help you?"

--Encourage the reporter to call on you for story ideas, background and commentary, day or night.

If you join my mentor program, you can listen to a replay of yesterday's teleseminar. And in our initial phone consultation, I'll help you create a plan designed to promote you and your business online and offline. Find out if you're a good candidate for the program at http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html


=========================================
3. YouTube Video Reminder
=========================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Meryl K. Evans for reminding us not to use YouTube or podcasting as a replacement for any written content we currently provide.

"If you do, you could neglect a small but important audience-- those with disabilities. The deaf, like me, can't follow the video unless it's obvious from visuals.

"The blind miss out on visual cues."

She said Jeff Crilley, the FOX News reporter in Dallas, includes a link to his video in every newsletter, "but thankfully he continues to provide content in the same newsletter." (You can sign up for the newsletter at http://www.jeffcrilley.com/)

The number of people with disabilities has grown, especially with Baby Boomers losing hearing and eye sight as a result of getting older.

Not using video yet in your PR campaign? You should be. Learn how with the 2-CD set "How to Make a Fortune with Video" at http://tinyurl.com/y3b6wj


=========================================
4. Pitch This Week and Next
=========================================

I hated working the weeks before and after Christmas when I was in the newspaper business.

Schools are on Christmas break. Politicians recess until after the holidays. Entire companies shut down for a week. And sources are nowhere to be found.

That's why you should be pitching this week and next, particularly to media like newspapers and TV stations which have short lead times. Call a TV station tomorrow morning with a great story idea and you could be on the news tomorrow night.

Offer "the local angle" to a newspaper reporter writing about a national problem like home mortgage foreclosures and you could be in tomorrow's paper.

Or tie your story to Christmas or New Year's.

TV producer Shawne Duperon explains the insider secrets of "How to Get onto the TV News Tomorrow" during the one-hour teleseminar I conducted with her.

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/yjrktx


============================================
5. Promoting a Photo Studio
============================================

This week, 15 Publicity Hounds have ideas on how Kammy Thurman of Laurel, Montana can promote her photography studio.


From Kathleen Lisson:

"Start or participate in a photography group on Meetup.com."


From Jennifer Cook:

"Growing up, we loved wandering our local mall during the school year because the local photography studios would post 8×10s and even 5×7s of the local senior pictures. We enjoyed looking for our friends and other people we knew. For many years the pictures were simply mounted or framed and hung on foldable partitions in the middle of the walkway. This is how a new photography studio launched themselves up against the 'go to' studio for all formal events. The new studio now has the greater share of the market."


From Linda Barrett:

"I suggest creating a niche like black-and-white pet photographs, children in dress-up clothing, or movie star shots using a professional makeup artist...You will still offer full photography services of course, but you will become known because of your special talent. For example, a local framing shop uses recycled or found items of architectural interest to create one- of-a-kind frames. This generated two feature articles in the first month of her store opening."


Read all the responses to this Help This Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/yptul3


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

Kelly Moore of Des Moines, Iowa writes:

"I have been the number-one ‘community’ (just a fancy way of saying ‘unpaid’) blogger for a local magazine in our city for more than a year. The magazine is owned by our city’s daily newspaper. Consequently, I was able to find out that my page- views not only outshine the other magazine bloggers’ (staff included), they also stack up extremely well as compared to the daily newspaper’s own bloggers, including their print columnists.

"I’d like to parlay my readership success from this unpaid blog into a more high-profile (and hopefully profit-generating) pursuit. In particular, I’d like to pitch myself as a regular columnist for the daily newspaper, but I’m unsure how to go about it.

"You can see my blog at http://blogs.dmjuice.com/?cat=42. I write about parenthood (note I did not say ‘parenting,’ as that implies I dole out advice). My goal is to entertain by showing other moms and dads the humor in the every day of parenthood and to ease the guilt that seems almost epidemic these days.

"Hope you and your readers have some good suggestions for me..."


The Publicity Hound says:

Kelly, my Hounds will not only give you ideas on how to get the paid writing gig. I'll bet at least one will offer a suggestion about how you can go far beyond the boundaries of Des Moines and turn that blog into a profitable venture. Hounds with ideas for Kelly can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/2vkjod


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

"Every time I go near the stove, the dog howls." -- Phyllis Diller


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

'Best of ProfNet' list promotes PR agency
http://tinyurl.com/38v69k


Book tours being replaced by virtual tours
http://tinyurl.com/352hms


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


Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound:


January 21: 2008 smARTist Telesummit

I will teach artists "The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Art Buyers and Collectors, Not Only for Journalists" from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Register for the entire telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr If you want a taste of what you'll be learning, you can register for a one-hour teleseminar at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Three experts will give away their best marketing advice on how to succeed without sacrificing your artistic voice or wasting tons of time on dry business stuff. To register for that call, click on the link above, then "Register" at the top of the page.


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
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity tips/Don't Drink from Hotel Glasses Dec 11, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #376 Dec. 11, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 37,023

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

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

Need help with publicity?
See the resources list at
http://www.publicityhound.com/resources.htm


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

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.

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

Save the Dates:


December 13: Product Placement Teleseminar

If you sell a consumer product, from something as simple as bottled water to something as lavish as diamond-studded jewelry--don't miss the telephone seminar I'm hosting at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, December 13, with product placement experts Amy Bates Stumpf and Rebecca Lightsey. They'll share all the secrets of how to get your consumer product onto the sets of TV shows and movies. Register for the teleseminar at http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar.htm See Item #3 below.


January 8: Artists, Don't Miss This One

Learn how to sell more artwork without wasting tons of time on dry business stuff and the wrong marketing strategies. Join Ariane Goodwin for a one-hour teleseminar at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Three experts will give away their best marketing advice on how to succeed without sacrificing your artistic voice or wasting tons of time on dry business stuff. It's a preview to her 2008 smARTist telesummit on artist marketing, and I'm a guest presenter who will talk about press releases. Register for the entire telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr. Or, to sign up for the Jan. 8 preview call, click on that link, then click on "Register" at the top of the page. See Item #2 below.

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

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

1. Don't Drink from Hotel Glasses

2. Recycle Your National Media Hit

3. Send Your Product to Hollywood

4. Attract More PR Clients

5. Promoting Compassionate Friends

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week


======================================
1. Don't Drink from Hotel Glasses
======================================

The next time you stay in a hotel, you'll think twice about drinking out of the glasses and coffee cups if you watch the four-and-a-half-minute video at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7f_1194813218

It's an I-team investigation from a TV station, presumably in Atlanta, Georgia. The team took hidden cameras into guest rooms at three major hotels--Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn and Sheraton Suites. In all three instances, housekeepers never used soap and water to clean dirty drinking glasses and coffee cups.

The Holiday Inn simply rinsed the glasses under running water in a dirty sink and left them to dry.

At the Embassy Suites, a housekeeper put a used glass inside the dirty sink, sprayed a blue liquid on it, and then dried it with a cloth. She held it up to the light to make sure it looked squeaky clean.

At the Sheraton Suites, a housekeeper also used spray from a bottle to clean a glass, then picked up the guest's used washcloth from the sink, smelled it, and wiped the glass with the washcloth. As for the rubber gloves on her hands, well, you'll have to watch the video to learn where those gloves had been just before they touched the drinking glasses.

I don't know when this report was first aired. But what's so remarkable about it is that in all three cases, when asked to comment, the hotel management never fessed up to any wrongdoing, even though they were caught on camera and admonished by the local health officials. A spokesperson from the Sheraton refused to comment, saying "It's too controversial an issue."

Let's see how media-savvy my Publicity Hounds would be in a situation like that one. Put yourself in the place of any one of those three hotels. Pretend you're the spokesperson. Then go over to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/28aqm9 and post a comment, telling me what you'd say--or whether you'd say anything at all--in response.

Your comment won't appear until next week, when I compare your answers with advice from crisis counselors. And I'll award a very cool prize to the Hound whose response comes closest to the response from the crisis experts.

Clarence Jones, a former TV and newspaper investigative reporter, says that in cases like the one above, attorneys will almost always advise clients not to comment. He was my guest during a teleseminar called "In a Media Crisis, Your Lawyer Will be Wrong," available as a CD. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/zu7td


========================================
2. Recycle Your National Media Hit
========================================

When a major newspaper, magazine or niche publication prints a story about you, or when you're featured on a national network newscast, recycle that publicity by letting your local media know about it.

Mystic Pop magazine, which features articles about holistic living and spirituality topics, wrote about surrealistic artist Mickie Bellah of Austin, Texas, and included photos of her oil paintings, in its November/December issue.

Mickie wrote a press release about the media hit and distributed it through PRWeb. More than 500 people have viewed the release online at http://tinyurl.com/34rd8m. She also sent it to media in Austin.

Directions, a magazine about the Texas "hill country," saw the release, called her, and then featured a photo of one of her oil paintings on the masthead page of the magazine along with a short blurb.

"I took advantage of your free tutorial '89 Ways To Write Powerful Press Releases' and picked up a lot of excellent tips, including the one about publicizing national media hits," Mickie said.

Sign up for the tutorial at http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/list.htm

Then check out PR Web's services at http://snipurl.com/PRWebDistribution

Artists like Mickie who want to keep the publicity machine cranking on all gears should sign up for Ariane Goodwin's smARTist Telesummit, an outstanding training program that will teach them how to build an entire business around their artwork. I'm one of the guest experts, and I'll be teaching artists how to write and distribute press releases just like Mickie did. In fact, I'm going to use the example above in the course. Learn more about the telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr


=========================================
3. Send Your Product to Hollywood
=========================================

If you're willing to pay big bucks, your product can be the star of an entire episode of a popular TV program.

For example, writers for the NBC hit comedy "The Office" wrote a script in which the folks at Dunder Mifflin paper company exchanged "Secret Santa" gifts that were supposed to be worth no more than $20. Controversy erupted when the boss contributed a video iPod worth about $400 for the gift exchange.

"It may be the most creative half-hour commercial for Apple ever, but the viewers are not put off because it's pure entertainment, "says Amy Bates Stumpf, an expert on product placement.

It's also an extreme example of the expense that some companies will go to just to get their products in front of consumers.

On the other end of the spectrum, even if you have a tiny budget for product placement, or no budget at all, your product could end up on the set of a TV show or movie.

Decorating a set takes thousands of objects, from bath products to kitchen appliances, from lamps to artwork. Everything from fashion accessories to food are necessary parts of a set, and product placement coordinators are responsible for locating thousands of items over the course of production.

Take bottled water, for instance. Movie sets need bottled water--lots of it--for the actors and actresses and the many staff members who work months at a time on the production. If you're willing to donate your brand of water during the entire production schedule, the producers might agree to film an actor or actress drinking your water, and include the clip in the final version of the movie.

But how do you get through to the right people to even pitch your product? And who's in a better position to do the pitching--the person who created the product, or their PR person?
Learn how Publicity Hounds can get product placements large and small, and take even small placements and publicize them after-the-fact for more exposure.

Amy will team up with Rebecca Lightsey, publicity director for a product placement company, during a 70-minute teleseminar at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, December 13, called "How to Get Your Consumer Product onto the Sets of Movies and TV Shows." Sign up at http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar.htm You can order the CD, MP3 file or electronic transcript next week.


=========================================
4. Attract More PR Clients
=========================================

If you work at a PR agency, or you're a sole proprietor PR pro, one of the very best ways to attract clients is to teach PR in your own community or online.

--Teach adult education classes through your local school district.

--Offer to teach public relations for a niche audience, like small businesses, through your local college or university.

--Call your chamber of commerce, offer a half-day workshop for members, charge the chamber a flat fee and let them keep any revenue over and above that.

--Teach a free course on how to write press releases or how to do media interviews. Sell your products from the back of the room.

--If you have email addresses of people who will let you market to them, offer a free telephone seminar on how to do one aspect of a publicity campaign.

Once you use these venues to position yourself as an expert, you'll have more business than you can handle. Truth is, many people just don't have the time or inclination to manage their own publicity campaigns. And they're willing to hire somebody like you to do it.

Publicity expert Marcia Yudkin teamed up with me to present "24 Ways to Attract Clients to Your P.R. Practice," a teleseminar that we recorded and are making available as a CD or electronic transcript. Each comes with a list of 24 ideas that we've used to successfully pull clients into our own practices.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/8txj8


============================================
5. Promoting Compassionate Friends
============================================

This week, six Publicity Hounds have ideas on how Wayne Loder of Milford, Michigan can promote The Compassionate Friends/USA. It's a national self-help bereavement organization with a mission to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive. The second week in September of 2008 has been designated as the first "Compassionate Friends Week" and he'll be helping local chapters promote it in their own communities.


From Linda Swisher:

"National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions, and its member hospitals, would be a natural place to contact. NACHRI apparently publishes 'Children’s Hospitals Today,' in which you might advertise. It's at http://www.childrenshospitals.net/"


From Leyla Farah:

"Because your organization focuses on the loss of children, something that you might consider is asking people to submit digital photographs of their loved ones that can be assembled into a dynamic online image grid or 'quilt.' The idea of a quilt evokes childhood and memory in very positive ways, and allows for individual expression within a cohesive whole.

"It would make a great story for both national and local press because it’s so visual, and local chapters could generate large-scale graphics that would each be slightly different, but within the same theme."


From Michelle Meacham:

"I bet there’s even a celebrity out there who would be willing to align himself/herself with Compassionate Friends. Eric Clapton quickly comes to mind, since the loss of his young son is quite well known."


The Publicity Hound says: I was going to suggest the celebrity angle, too. Contact Any Celebrity, a subscription service, provides contact information for more than 54,000 celebrities, agents, managers and publicists. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/lorvx


Read all the responses to this Help This Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/3adgay


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

Kammy Thurman of Laurel, Montana writes:

"I hope your Hounds can help our photography studio, Anchor Photography, at http://www.anchorphotography.net/. We’ve been in business several months and we want to become the most recognizedstudio in our area.

"That will be tough because we’re up against studios that have been in business for 30 to 50 years, and more. I am trying to think of ways to use publicity because the other studios don’t do this, and I know it would build visibility fast. I’m just trying to think of ways to that aren’t blatant advertising."


The Publicity Hound says:

Most of the ideas that my Hounds will suggest, Kammy, won't have even a tiny whiff of advertising. They'll be publicity tactics and strategies so solid, that your competitors won't know what hit 'em. Hounds with ideas for Kammy can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/yptul3


Jeff Zbar, the 2001 U.S. Small Business Administration's Journalist of the Year, knows all the ways to catch the media's attention. He explained them when he was my guest during a teleseminar called "The Fastest, Cheapest, Easiest Ways to Publicize Your Small Business" at http://tinyurl.com/3tbbp


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

Top 10 things heard at Fido's office Christmas party:

10. "Wow! Check out the hot poodle with Rover."

9. "So I says to him, throw in toilet bowl privileges, and you
got yourself a deal."

8. "Look, I gotta go chase a cab..."

7. "Hey you--cat! You work here?"

6. "Not the Macarena again! Somebody cut off the boss' bar
tab..."

5. "Did you see the neat photocopies of Bowser's rear end?"

4. "Hey, good lookin'. Wanna swing by the ol' doghouse later?"

3. "Who ordered the hot dog pizza with everything?"

2. "Dead Cats--We're Still for 'Em!"

1. "Gainesburgers? Who catered this disaster?"


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/


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


Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound:


Dec. 13: Write Like a Journalist Teleseminar:

I'll be one of four guest experts on Bulldog Reporter's 90-minute teleconference "Write Like a Journalist: Newsroom Vets and PR Wordsmiths Reveal How to Write Compelling, Credible Copy That Sells" at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. Come with your questions. Register at http://tinyurl.com/2vuku4


December 13: Product Placement Teleseminar

"How to Get Your Product onto the Sets of Movies & TV Shows," 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Product placement experts Amy Bates Stumpf and Rebecca Lightsey will share the secrets of product placement. Register at http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar.htm


January 21: 2008 smARTist Telesummit

I will teach artists "The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Art Buyers and Collectors, Not Only for Journalists" from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Register for the entire telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr If you want a taste of what you'll be learning, you can register for a one-hour teleseminar at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Three experts will give away their best marketing advice on how to succeed without sacrificing your artistic voice or wasting tons of time on dry business stuff. To register for that call, click on the link above, then "Register" at the top of the page.


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
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity tips/Those Annoying Follow-up Calls Nov. 27, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #374 Nov. 27, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 36,108

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

Need help with publicity?
See the resources list at
http://www.publicityhound.com/resources.htm


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

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.

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

Save the Dates:

December 3:
Learn "How To Write and Publish a Book, Quicker and Easier Than You Ever Imagined" during a free 90-minute teleseminar at 9 PM Eastern Time on Monday, December 3. Authors, don't miss this one. Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/3ck3xv and see Item #2 below.


January 8:
Artists, learn how to sell more artwork without wasting tons of time on dry business stuff and the wrong marketing strategies. Join Ariane Goodwin for a one-hour teleseminar at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Three experts will give away their best marketing advice on how to succeed without sacrificing your artistic voice or wasting tons of time on dry business stuff. It's a preview to her 2008 smARTist telesummit on artist marketing. Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr and see Item #4 below.

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

1. Those Annoying Follow-up Calls

2. A Publishing Disaster? Hardly

3. How to Get Onto TV Talk Shows

4. How to be a Star in a YouTube World

5. Promoting a Charitable Giving Campaign

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. Those Annoying Follow-up Calls
======================================

Before you make your next call to a journalist to follow up on something you sent, read the article at http://tinyurl.com/343etg

It was written by Washington Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten, and it's a perfect example of what it's like to be on the receiving end of those annoying follow-up calls from PR people.

I know. I took calls like that during my 22 years in the newspaper industry, and they drove me crazy.

Here are some quick tips for following up:

--Journalists say they hate follow-up calls. Truth is, they hate follow-up calls like the ones Gene Weingarten writes about. If you follow up to offer an additional piece of information only for that journalist, or to suggest an idea for a photo to accompany your earlier story pitch, the journalist might welcome your call.

--Never, ever follow up to ask journalists if they received your press release and if they know when it will be printed. They won't drop what they're doing to talk to you, and they'll quickly brand you as a pest. (Why do PR firms keep doing this?)

--You may have to follow up as many as seven times, using a combination of phone and email, before you hear back. If, after seven follow-ups, you hear nothing, stop calling and emailing.

--If you follow up and hear nothing, never assume the journalist isn't interested. Sometimes, a reporter will print your email message, toss it into an "ideas" folder, then return to it two years later on a slow news day.

Author Jill Lublin interviewed journalists for their best suggestions on following up, and she discussed them during a teleseminar I conducted with her called "Failproof Ways to Follow Up." 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/bmyn7

Thanks to Publicity Hound Meredith Hamilton of Expert Communications in Clearwater, Florida, for letting us know about the Washington Post article.


========================================
2. A Publishing Disaster? Hardly
========================================

C. Ben Bosah, the Ohio man whose publishing fiasco was described in the Wall Street Journal and in this newsletter last week, takes exception of my characterization of his publishing mis-steps as a "disaster."

Publishing his wife's book "Letters to My Sisters: Plain Truths and Straightforward Advice from a Gynecologist," he says, "has been one of my most rewarding ventures in my life and I enjoyed it so thoroughly I am going to do other books next year."

Behm says he has discovered new outlets not traditionally targeted by booksellers, either at the retail or the wholesale level.

"I have forged new relationships and built a network that will be invaluable for my future efforts in publishing," he said. "The book has changed many lives. If your view of success, or lack of, is based on monetary terms, I have completely recouped my initial investment and am presently enjoying 'the long tail, just as muchas I enjoy oxtail.'

"A more apt title for your story may have been A (bumbling) Publisher Finds Success with Debut Book."

The publicity he received in the Wall Street Journal for this book may have been even better than any book review. He got it because he was willing to do something many of us are afraid to do. That is, discuss our mistakes and what we've learned from them.

If you're thinking of writing a book, don't fall into the traps above. And don't do what most authors do: spend two or more years writing the book. Join me for a complimentary 90-minute teleseminar at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 3.

My special guest is Adam Witty, who will explain "How To Write and Publish a Book, Quicker and Easier Than You Ever Imagined." More than 500 Publicity Hounds listened in several weeks ago when Adam and Tom Antion delivered a content-rich teleseminar on how to sell books online. I was inundated with emails from happy Hounds who loved their tips. And this call will be equally valuable. Register for this complimentary teleseminar at http://tinyurl.com/3ck3xv


=========================================
3. How to Get onto TV Talk Shows
=========================================

Want to be on national TV?

Get yourself a copy of Steve Harrison's directory/database of top shows. His "Harrison's Guide to the Top National TV Talk & Interviews Shows" gives you key contacts and "how to get booked" info for 259 top shows including Oprah, Good Morning America, Today, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Larry King Live, Bloomberg TV and many more.

In February, Steve will be releasing a brand-new, 100 percent updated edition of his directory/database. To celebrate, through Friday, November 30 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, he's offering the March 2007 directory to be shipped now, and then will ship you the newest edition as soon as it's published. Go here now to grab your copy:
http://tinyurl.com/kfrzv


=========================================
4. How to be a Star in a YouTube World
=========================================

Attention all you struggling artists, or anybody else looking for an inexpensive, easy way to expand your business.

Today's Wall Street Journal includes an article on creative ways businesses are using video to market their products and services.

Valentina Trevino, for example, a 29-year-old Chicago artist and film-maker, regularly posts videos on YouTube, showing how she created a painting. At the end of her clips, she includes a link to eBay where viewers can buy the featured piece.

So far, as a result of her YouTube videos, she has sold 49 paintings from $500 to $1,000 each.

Video has proven to be a successful marketing tool for two reasons. First, it costs nothing to post to a video-sharing site. Second, it's a creative, personal touch that seldom shows up in traditional ads.

If you want to start using video in your business and you're unsure of how to start, check out the two-CD set "How to Make a Fortune Using Video...Even if You Don't Have a Computer" at http://tinyurl.com/y3b6wj

If you're a starving artist who needs to sell more paintings or artwork, join me for Arianne Goodwin's smARTist telesummit, a series of teleseminars that will show you how become recognized, exhibited, and paid what you're worth. I'm one of the guest presenters. This year's January telesummit attracted artists from eight countries and was so successful that Ariane is presenting it again next year.

You can get a sneak peek during a free one-hour call at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Three experts will give awaytheir best marketing advice on how to succeed without sacrificing your artistic voice or wasting tons of time on dry business stuff and the wrong marketing strategies.

Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr


============================================
5. Promoting a Charitable Giving Campaign
============================================

This week, five Publicity Hounds have ideas for Harry Hoover of Charlotte, North Carolina. He wants tips on how to promote his "Holiday for Charity" promotion that encourages people to ask for charitable donations in their name in lieu of gifts.


From Stephanie Chandler:

"I recently learned about http://goodsearch.com/, a search engine that donates 50 percent of its revenues to charities and schools. The engine is powered by Yahoo and revenues are derived from advertisers. Perhaps they would be interested in forming a strategic alliance with you?"


From Janet Huey:

"If you’ve been able to track some of the charities that have benefited from your efforts in the past, tie in with their publicity to expand even more."


From The Publicity Hound:

"I wonder what the etiquette consultants have to say about this. Why not Google them, and then email them, tell them what you’re doing, and suggest they use that as fodder for their blogs, newspaper columns, newsletters or whatever."


Read all the responses to this Help this Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/ypmezl


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

Walt Shiel of Lake Linden, Michigan writes:

"Our publishing company has just started working with a local nonprofit foundation that operates an outstanding nature park with miles of beautiful trails and three miles of waterfront land--all of which will soon be connected to the local university's cross-country ski trails. We are casting about for ideas to publicize and promote this free, local resource. Besides providing an excellent recreational outlet for local citizens, we want to come up with some ideas that would feed into the area's broader tourism goals.

"We are in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and tourism and outdoor recreation are our meat and potatoes. We are considering some events to spark media interest beyond just our local print and broadcast media. Also, a website with maps, information, nature guides, and maybe a web cam.

"We just began brainstorming this, and any and all suggestions will be appreciated."


The Publicity Hound says:

It sounds like a winter wonderland, Walt, and I'm betting my Hounds will have some creative ideas for promotion. OK, Hounds, let's help send lots of skiers and other nature lovers to the U.P. If you have an idea, post it at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/2nqmxs


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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Carol Johnson of Schaumburg, Illinois for this one:


A lawyer's dog, running unleashed, ran into the butcher shop and stole a roast. The butcher went to the lawyer's office and asked, "If a dog running unleashed steals a piece of meat from my store, do I have a right to demand payment for the meat from the dog's owner?"

"Absolutely," the lawyer says.

"Then you owe me $8.50. Your dog was loose and stole a roast from me today."

The lawyer, without a word, writes the butcher a check for $8.50.

The next day the butcher opens the mail and finds an envelope from the lawyer: $200 due for a consultations.


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

Fiskars word-of-mouth campaign a success
http://tinyurl.com/3xn9r7


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

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
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737

Publicity tips/The incredible shrinking newsroom January 9, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #328 - Jan. 9, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 27,446
=====================================
"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/
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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.

******************************************
Did You Open My Gift?

More than 2,000 people already have downloaded my new ebook "The Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week of 2006," a compilation of the top 24 tips that evoked the greatest response from readers last year.

It's my holiday gift to you, and there's still plenty of time to offer it to your own clients and customers, and mention it in your own ezine and blog.

Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/yysrnk and find out how to download last year's "Best of 2005" ebook.
******************************************

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

1. The Incredible Shrinking Newsroom

2. Oprah's Magazine

3. The Heat Wave

4. So You Want to Write a Book?

5. How to Promote Embroidery Books

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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1. The Incredible Shrinking Newsroom
=====================================

You probably don't pay much attention to this, but many major newspaper companies are slashing staff like never before.

Declining circulation and ad revenues are forcing management to lay off editors, beat reporters, newsroom clerks, photographers and anyone else who they can do without.

During the telephone seminar I conducted yesterday for people in The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, I identified the incredible shrinking newsroom as one of 10 trends that will affect the way we manage our publicity campaigns this year.

Here's what newspaper layoffs mean to you:

--Don't be surprised if you pitch a story to a newspaper and an editor says, "I like the idea. Do you think you can write it yourself?" If that's what you hear, don't get huffy and think, "Why is she asking ME to do HER job?" Instead, get to work writing a balanced article that sounds much like an article a reporter at that publication would write. (If you're in my Mentor Program, I'll show you how, and I'll serve as your personal writing coach.)

--The physical newspaper is shrinking too. So don't forget online versions of newspapers and magazines. Some of these have their own editors, and you need to know who they are. If an article about you is posted online, it usually lives there forever. But the shelf life of a print newspaper totals about 24 hours.

--The phrase "How can I help you?" ranks right up there as perhaps the most important question you can ask a journalist, particularly one who must cover additional beats to make up for the staff shortage.

--Newspapers will rely on freelancers to replace staff writers. So find out which freelancers cover your industry, and get to work building relationships with them.

--Newspapers will be more inclined to accept good-quality photos that can accompany your story. Learn how to take them.

--Pitching succinctly and convincingly is more important than ever. Launch into a rambling pitch while talking to a reporter on the phone and you'll likely hear a "click" on the other end.


Raleigh Pinskey, the master at turning long, boring pitches into tempting 10-second pitches, explained how to do it a during a telephone seminar I conducted with her. "How to Create the Perfect 30-Second Pitch" is 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/6xghx

On the fence about whether to join The Publicity Hound Mentor Program? Read about all the benefits at http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html I have two more openings in the program.


==================================
2. Oprah's Magazine
==================================

Is it worth it to wait around for a year or two to get into O, The Oprah Magazine? Or is it smarter to pitch your story idea and, if the editors aren't interested, move on?

Just ask Stephen Shapiro, BJ Gallagher, Dr. Annabelle Volgman and Jeanine Fitzmaurice, all of whom have seen their profiles skyrocket since being in the magazine.

--Stephen Shapiro, author of "Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW!," says his article in O magazine helped springboard him into Entrepreneur, Investors Business Daily and Family Circle. His speaker bookings increased dramatically. Tom Peters listed him as a "cool friend." And he's shooting a pilot for a TV show.

--BJ Gallagher, author of "Yes Lives in the Land of No," had been trying to attract the attention of a high-powered agent forever. She said: "Just last month, the agent signed me to an exclusive contract representing my next book. Did my O article make her more inclined to say 'yes' to my book proposal? Undoubtedly."

--The volume of patients in Dr. Annabelle Volgman's cardiology program at Rush University Medical Association expanded substantially after she was featured in Oprah's magazine. "O put the program on the map," says publicist Chris Rush.

--Jeanine Fitzmaurice of Design-her Gals, whose company also was featured, notes: "It's sort of like winning the Academy Award. It's definitely a distinction that validates your product like no other publication."

What do these people and their publicists know that you don't know? They know it takes a year, sometimes two, before an editor at the magazine decides to assign a writer to your story. So unless an editor tells "no," don't give up like most others do. This will give you a huge advantage over everyone else who's pitching.

Still, it takes a lot more than just waiting.

You must know exactly what kind of content the magazine publishes. You must know whom to pitch. And you must be sure your pitch is compelling. Then there are all the little extras that can accompany your pitch.

Susan Harrow's new ebook called "Get into O Magazine" includes in-depth interviews with prestigious publicists who regularly get their clients in O; case histories of authors, entrepreneurs and non-profits like you (yes, some just starting out); insidersecrets; hot tips; "off the record" comments; and simple strategies they've used.

Susan is offering the ebook along with other popular products and programs from more than 20 marketing and publicity experts, including me. Learn how to get publicity in every area, whether you're publicizing a speaking engagement or trying to make your next book a best-seller.

The pri*ce goes up Thursday and the event ends Friday, January12. Learn more here: http://tinyurl.com/y54x9y

==================================
3. The Heat Wave
==================================

If you live anywhere in the U.S. except Denver, you may be experiencing a winter with record warm temperatures and little snow.

The media are searching for every angle to this story--from an absence of snowmen to the many species of birds that are staying at home instead of migrating south.

Here are ways to piggyback your story onto the heat wave:

--Remember your TV weather people. They're always looking for fun, interesting "warm winter" news items for the weather segment of the nightly news.

--How does the warmer weather and lack of snow affect your business, particularly if you're a cold-weather business like a ski lodge? What are you doing differently to lure customers?

--I've seen people at the mall wearing shorts in January--a rare sight in Wisconsin. What are you seeing in your neck of the woods? Can you photograph it and offer the photo to your local newspaper?

--How have warm temperatures affected your utility bills? Call your local TV stations if you have last year's and this year's utility bills and can compare them.

--How has warmer weather affected the travel and tourism industry?

Just look around you for lots more ideas. TV reporter Shawne Duperon explains in step-by-step detail how to pitch stories like these to your local TV stations. The teleseminar I conducted with her called "How to Get on the Local TV News Tomorrow" tells you how to identify the "Queen Bee" in every newsroom--the person who decides what gets on the air and what doesn't. It's available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can download as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/yjrktx


=================================
4. So You Want to Write a Book?
=================================

Self-publishing expert Dan Poynter says everybody has a book inside them just waiting to be written.

If the idea for a book lives inside you, here are several things you should write before you write your book:

--Articles for online article directories

--Reviews of other books for sale at Amazon.com

--A blog

--Comments at other people's blogs

--Letters to the editor of newspapers and magazines

--An electronic newsletter

--Opinion columns

Why? Because it's all part of building your publicity platform. If you want a major publisher to publish your book, or if you choose to self-publish and hope to sell lots of books, you'd better have a strong platform from which to launch it. That means attracting a huge audience of people who already know, like and trust you, and are more willing to buy your book than someone who doesn't already know you.

Susan Harrow, who wrote the O Magazine ebook mentioned above, also advises authors on exactly how to build platform. Major publishers, in particular, usually choose authors who already have platform simply because they have a ready-made audience.

She shares more great tips on "How to Build a Publicity Platform That Leads to a Six-Figure Book Advance," available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/mplyp


==================================
5. How to Promote Embroidery Books
==================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Yvette Stanton of Sydney, Australia, who wants advice on how to market two embroidery books.


From Garth Gibson:

"Can you use the books to teach men how to embroider and maintain their manhood? Certain men may want to embroider to give their wives a special present she wouldn’t expect.

"Maybe you can use embroidery to teach kids with attention problems how to focus on one task at a time.

"Maybe there is a Ukraine population in Australia you could teach traditional Ukrainian embroidery to. I think these things might get you and your book in the news."


From Lois Carter Fay of MarketingIdeaShop.com:

"Create a viral marketing project. Offer one of your simpler projects (one chapter of your book) as a stand-alone, free product. Encourage people to download it and share it. Include a link to your website and possibly a special offer for the book within it."


From The Publicity Hound:

Women who would buy your embroidery books probably buy other books on embroidery. So one of the best ways to reach these buyers is to head over to Amazon.com and start reviewing embroidery books written by your competitors.

Not only can you post book reviews that link back to your website, you can also post lists, articles and other things that will really position you as an embroidery expert.

Don Mitchell and Randy Gilbert explain how to do this on the CD and transcript they produced with me called "How to TurnAmazon.com into a River of Gold." You can learn more about it at http://tinyurl.com/vroek

Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/yk5gaw


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

Lisa Tomlinson of Oakland, California writes:

"I have a greeting card, stationery and gift items company that features fine art reproductions of extraordinarily unique mixed-media collage originals created by my brother, Jon Tomlinson. I don't have a bricks-and-mortar shop, but our office and warehouse operations are run out of a 4,000-square-foot facility.

"Our products are sold to retailers, museums and galleries for resale and on our website directly to consumers at http://www.gottagetup.net/main/index.html and our target audience is women ages 18 to 75.

"I would like to get some advice and suggestions from your members on how to promote my business more effectively."


The Publicity Hound says: Lisa and anyone else who sells any kind of artwork, from lawn furniture to jewelry to photographs, should listen to the f*ree teleseminar I'll be doing at 7 p.m. EasternTime this Thursday, January 11, with art marketing expert ArianeGoodwin. I'll be talking about how artists can create online and offline publicity for their artwork. It's a preview of the longer session I'll be doing as part of the smARTist TeleSummit 2007 later this month.
Sign up for Thursday's call at http://tinyurl.com/yxopuo or sign up for the entire telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/ymcvu8

In the meantime, Hounds with advice for Lisa should post it at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/y89ugk


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

Thanks to Dan Poynter of Santa Barbara, California for this one:

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."

--Will Rogers


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

EzineArticles.com adds 16 sports categories
http://tinyurl.com/yzj9s9


David Lawrence Show pitching tips
http://tinyurl.com/yjcofd

Press release from NASA:
8 thing you can learn
http://tinyurl.com/yzoxva


On my blog at http://www.publicityhound.net/, I've made it easy for you to find what you're looking for by dividing my posts into more than 20 categories. Look under the "Topics" arrow on the right side of the blog to find the category you need.

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

January 22, 2007:

Attention Artists--Frustrated that your art "business" is nothing more than an expensive hobby? Wondering about how to become recognized, exhibited, and paid for your art? Feel like there's too much competition, too few buyers and not enough energy left at the end of the day to market like you need to?

You're not alone. That's why Ariane Goodwin will be hosting the global smARTist TeleSummit 2007, a week-long teleconference in January with a dozen art-career experts telling artists everything they need to know about marketing, from exactly when and how to sneak up on a museum for an exhibition, to which presentation materials mark you as a creative professional and which ones scream "amateur." I'm presenting from 2 to 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Jan. 22. For complete information on how you can participate, go to http://tinyurl.com/ymcvu8 Spaces are already filling up fast.


March 17, 2007: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity." 8 a.m. to noon. Details pending.

PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "ThePublicity 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 ThePublicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

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

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