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
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"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
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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.
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In This Issue
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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...
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1. LinkedIn: Your Trump Card
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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
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2. Best Time to Pitch is Now
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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
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3. ...And Build the Relationship
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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
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4. A Gift for Your Artist
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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
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5. How to Promote a Jewelry Trunk Show
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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.
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6. Help This Hound
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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
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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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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/
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8. And at My Blog...
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Thank book, food, music reviewers who write about you
http://tinyurl.com/5fdf47
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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
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Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
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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
Labels: art marketing, linkedin.com, mentoring, pitch blogggers, pitching to reporters, Scott Allen, social networking
posted by Publicity-Hound @ 6:44 PM
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