Publicity tips/How LinkedIn Connections Can Hurt You Aug 26, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #413 Aug. 25, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 50,460

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

"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.

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

Don't Miss These Deadlines & Events:

- -Labor Day is the unofficial deadline for submitting press
releases and photos of your consumer products for holiday gift
guides. Find out which media provide opportunities for publicity
with help from The Gift List at http://tinyurl.com/9es8y

- -Publicity Hounds can still get $200 off the $1,195
registration fee for Ragan Communications' Social Media Summit
Sept. 10-12 in Chicago. I'll be there, and I'd love to buy you a
cup of coffee if you're attending. Register at
http://www.ragan.com/publicityhound

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

1. How LinkedIn Connections Can Hurt You

2. Grade the Convention Speakers

3. Roach Race a Clever Publicity Stunt

4. Think Beyond Your Book

5. Where to Find Book Clubs

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


=======================================
1. How LinkedIn Connections Can Hurt You
=======================================

When somebody invites you to connect with them on LinkedIn, and
their name isn't familiar to you, what do you do?

As of a few months ago, I'd just accept the connection without a
second thought. These days, however, I'll hit "reply" and ask,
"How do we know each other?"

If they don't know me, I usually won't hear from them again.
Most times, however, it's somebody who reads this newsletter, was
in the audience during one of my presentations or heard me on
somebody else's teleseminar. In that case, I'll approve the
connection.

LinkedIn expert Scott Allen says a mile-long list of connections
can actually hurt you. Here's why.

Let's say Connection A asks you to introduce him to Connection B,
who you know, like and respect. Connection B asks "How do you
know Connection A?" If you admit you don't know Connection A,
you'll look like you really don't care about wasting Connection
B's time and that could damage the relationship.

But there are far greater dangers.

In order to be connected to someone on LinkedIn, you have to
invite them. Let's say I invite 50 people--names I've culled
from my email address book. Five of those people click on the
button that says "I don't know Joan." That's all it takes--five
people who say they don't know me--to suspend my account. All
that work down the drain!

You also run the risk of one of your connections reporting you as
a spammer to LinkedIn at any time. So the longer your list of
connections, the greater the chance that somebody on your list
won't like what you're doing.

Why risk it? Only accept connections from people who you know or
are connected with in some way.

If we haven't connected on LinkedIn, you can find me at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound but when you ask to
connect, be sure to tell me you're a Publicity Hound.

Then learn the ins and outs of how to use this valuable service
to promote your expertise, as well as a product, service, cause
or issue. Almost everything about promoting on LinkedIn is very
different than the way we promote anything else. And knowing the
rules is imperative.

Scott Allen explained them all last month, and his super-smart
strategies for launching any type of promotional campaign on
LinkedIn, complete with a timeline. The two teleseminars he
recorded with me on "How to use LinkedIn to Promote Anything--
Ethically and Powerfully" are available as electronic transcripts
along with your choice of MP3s or Cd's.

Read more about the power of LinkedIn at
http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar/linkedin.htm


=========================================
2. Grade the Convention Speakers
=========================================

During the next two weeks, Publicity Hounds have opportunities
galore to piggyback onto the Democratic and Republican national
conventions:

- -Speech coaches, critique the speakers. Even though almost
everything is scripted, there's still lots of room for comment.
Witness last night's speeches by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who
much of the crowd ignored, vs. Michelle Obama, who they adored.
Which candidates best use the art of storytelling? How about
actually counting the cliches in somebody's speech?

- -Fashion and image experts, there's lots here to work with,
including Cindy McCain's ubiquitous cleavage and Sen. Joe
Biden's almost-too-white teeth.

- -Advertising executives, how effective are the instantaneous
attack ads coming from both sides, like the one that shows
Hillary Clinton praising and then dissing Barack Obama?

- -Anyone who can interpret body language can have a great time
during the next two weeks.

- -Critique the media. Who are the best interviewers? What
kinds of interviews and reporting have you seen that do or don't
support charges of liberal media bias?

TV and newspapers will be looking for the local angle to this
national story. The media will be groveling for almost anything
they can find during the long Labor Day weekend in the U.S. So
start pitching!

Raleigh Pinskey is one of the world's ultimate masters at
pitching. When she was my guest during a teleseminar on "How to
Create the Perfect 30-second Pitch," I was in awe. One by one,
she coached people who participated in the call and turned their
rambling, boring pitches into killer sound bites.

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 craft great pitches at
http://tinyurl.com/6xghx


=========================================
3. Roach Race a Clever Publicity Stunt
=========================================

Here's an idea you can steal. This isn't the first time it's
been done, but the presidential election makes the timing
perfect.

Last week, the New Jersey Pest Management Association kicked off
its annual clinic and trade show which would have been a real
snoozer in the media's eyes.

But they made it fun by staging a "roach race." They rigged up
paper silhouettes of John McCain and Barack Obama to two roaches
and had them race each other to the finish line, as a way of
predicting who will win in November.

McCain won. You can read about it at http://tinyurl.com/6o95p9

I Googled this story and found it all over the Internet and in
newspapers large and small.

Publicity stunts, done well, are fabulous publicity magnets. I
mention several in "How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound," my
most popular ebook. I'm updating the current version now and
anyone who buys it this week will receive the update free.

Read more about how to kick publicity butt at
http://tinyurl.com/2a3dp9


=========================================
4. Think Beyond Your Book
=========================================

Thinking of writing a book? Or already working on your next one?

Don't write another word until you do this assignment.

Sit down with a pen and paper and start making a list of all the
ways you can monetize the book, other than the cover price of the
book.

Think board game, calendar, workbook, subscription newsletter,
audio book, being a media spokesperson, boot camp, CD or DVD,
keynote presentations, consulting, mentor program, corporate
training, teleseminars, special reports and White Papers,
reference guide and home study course.

And those are just for starters. I hear from too many authors
who write a book, fail to follow up with some of the ideas above,
and then gripe that the book isn't making money. Unless you
don't care about multiple streams of revenue, the book should be
a springboard for spin-off products and services.

Many of the ideas I mentioned work equally well for fiction
authors. You sometimes have to think a little more creatively.

My good friend Adam Witty is hosting a marketing conference for
authors Oct. 3-4 in Charleston, South Carolina. As Adam says,
the whole point of the conference is to teach authors how to
"unlock the invisible income streams surrounding their book."

Full disclosure: Adam invited me to speak at the conference.
Adhering to the promise I made to myself to stop traveling to
speak, I kindly passed. But if the lineup of speakers is any
indication, this one isn't to be missed. My mentor, Tom Antion,
will be a keynote speaker, presenting "How Authors Make Money on
the Internet....for REAL." Also, Publicity Hound Wayne Kelly, a
Canadian talk show host, will be speaking on "Media Training 101"
for authors.

Eight marketing experts for two full days. Authors, don't miss
this one: http://tinyurl.com/5leayr


==========================================
5. Promoting Humorous Quadriplegic Stories
==========================================

This week, six Publicity Hounds have tips for Susan Carter of
Bloomington, Minnesota, on how to promote the book "Another Fine
Mess You’ve Gotten Us Into: The Life and Adventures of a Quad"
about a quadriplegic, and its humorous stories.


From Shelley Peterman Schwarz:

"As the host of the Making Life Easier, an Internet radio
program, I would be very interested in receiving a review copy of
the book. The author may have important information to share
with our more than 20,000 listeners per week. During the free,
one- hour program, guests/authors share the lessons they've
learned and the wisdom they've gained living in the world of
chronic illness and/or disability in hopes that their words will
help others. Authors may discuss and refer to their book with
the understanding that the focus is on what the author has
learned about surviving and thriving lifelong limitations."

Contact Shelley using the form at http://tinyurl.com/6o6ao8


From Stacey Kannenberg:

"I Googled humor blogs and found a site called My Senior Citizen
Humor Blog and another site that lists the top 100 humor blogs at
this link: http://humor-blogs.com/Members.aspx?MaxSites=100 Get
the bloggers involved in creating some buzz for what sounds like
a great book."


From Carolyn Howard-Johnson:

"This is a little off-subject but Authors' Coalition sponsors a
slide show that they show on big movie screens at Veterans' Week
in Branson, Missouri in November. It's huge and that would
definitely be your audience. Find more about Authors' Coalition
at http://www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com or email
Joyce Faulkner (she produces the video) at
mailto:katieseyes@aol.com


The Publicity Hound says:

I think National Public Radio is a perfect outlet for this story!
Start by using the search box at the NPR website at
http://www.npr.org to see which programs have featured similar
guests. Then start pitching.

Learn all the inside secrets on how to pitch NPR producers. Book
publicist Lissa Warren, who has booked dozens of clients on NPR
shows, explains "How to Get Booked on National Public Radio."
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/ayms6


Read all the comments to this Help This Hound question at my blog
at http://tinyurl.com/5nqu3v


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

Roz Wolf of Los Angeles, California writes:

"I have a fun but strange book title to promote.

"How To Woo A Bi’aaatch: The Key To Attracting Females by Brian
Zoozoo is a guide that speaks to a generation of single men and
curious women ages 18-35. The word Bi’aaatch is slang for 'a
woman who is so beautiful she gives you goose-bumps' according to
Brian.

"We are targeting college audiences and general audiences with a
book signing at a Barnes & Noble in Los Angeles Sept. 17.
However, I find that some journalists totally get it when I pitch
the title and some are turned off.

"Can I ask your Hounds if they think the term "Bi’aaatch" is the
problem? Or is the generation gap the problem? What other ways
can I get publicity for the book-signing without relying solely
on mainstream media?


The Publicity Hound says:

The problem is the age gap, but not because older people like me
think the book title is offensive. The problem is that most
people 18-35 years old don't read newspapers. They're online at
sites like MySpace and Facebook.

Time is running out, so here's my idea. I'll bet the author has
profiles on those two sites. Tell him to contact his friends on
those sites and let them know about the book and the book
signing. At Facebook, create an "event" for the book signing.
You can also buy an ad for the book signing on Facebook, and
target people 18 to 35 in the Los Angeles area.


Two weeks ago, Jason Alba explained more tips during the
teleseminar series "How to Use Facebook to Promote Your Business
or Nonprofit." The MP3s are available, and the edited electronic
transcripts should be ready within a week. You can get them both
for only $77. They're not even in the shopping cart yet, but you
can order at
http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar/facebook.htm


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

This isn't a joke, it's a puzzle, courtesy of Lois Carter Fay of
Harrisonburg, Virginia and MarketingIdeaShop.com.

Put the pieces together (it takes about a minute) and then watch
for the dog coming out of the dog house.

Http://www.riversongs.com/Flas/today.swf


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

Every day is a bad day for press conferences
http://tinyurl.com/6rbhuj


Your social networking profiles shouldn't include passwords
http://tinyurl.com/6835cc


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/Look Who's Twittering May 20, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #399 May 20, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 46,751

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

"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:

May 21: Teleseminar

Videographer John Easton explains "9 Clever Ways to Use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or Community." 3-4 p. m. Eastern Time. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm

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. See item #3 below. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm

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. See next week's newsletter for sign-up details.

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

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

1. Look Who's Twittering

2. I Hate When This Happens

3. PR People: Thrive in a Bad Economy

4. Share Your Best Tips on How to Save

5. Promoting 'Say Something Nice' Sunday

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. At My Blog...


===================================
1. Look Who's Twittering
===================================

Don't complain that you're too busy to twitter.

Dell, H&R Block, Jet Blue, Comcast, Southwest Airlines and other mega-companies have made time to join the Twittosphere. You should, too.

I've been twittering for several months at http://Twitter.com/PublicityHound and have found it's not only a fabulous publicity tool, it's fun.

The free microblogging service lets you create a page at Twitter.com, and then check in throughout the day and report on what you're doing. Each message, or tweet, is limited to 140 characters.

Twitter started primarily as a social networking service for personal use. Daily, scores of business people are becoming addicted to it. Twitter, it seems, is the new online crack.

Because tweets are so short, twittering takes far less time than what you have to invest in many other social networking tools.

Even better, it can produce incredibly powerful, instant results. Businesses and nonprofits large and small continue experimenting with dozens of ways to use Twitter. Here are just a few of them:

- -As a crisis communications tool. The American Red Cross uses Twitter to announce disaster news. During this year's tornadoes, tweets listed emergency shelters in several states, led followers to Flickr photos that showed tornado damage, and invited tornado survivors to report in as being "safe and well."

- -To announce new products and services.

- -To promote articles and blog posts.

- -To follow journalists who Twitter and learn what they think is important.

- -To respond to media coverage, good or bad.

- -To monitor what others are saying about you and your brand.

- -To share with your followers interesting tips, helpful suggestions, great articles or humorous blog posts.

- -To monitor customer service problems and respond within minutes. If used correctly, Twitter can be more powerful than those annoying and expensive customer service call centers.

So how about shaving just 15 minutes a day off the non- productive, energy-sucking, time-wasting task of reading and responding to your email? Use those 15 minutes, instead, spaced throughout the day, to Twitter.

"Special Report 52: How to Use Twitter for Business to Network, Promote, Sell, Recruit & Profit" includes 10 pages of examples, tips and resources. Learn how to enhance your Twitter experience and make it dovetail with other social networking tools like Facebook.

Start building customers for life by ordering the special report, only $10, at http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html

P. S. My special reports are usually only five pages, but we had so much fun with this one, we couldn't stop writing!


=======================================
2. I Hate When This Happens
=======================================

I'll bet you've done this, too.

You want to see where your website ranks in the search engines, So you type one of your most important keywords into Google and hit "enter," hoping to see your website URL in that lofty position at the top of the organic list on the left side of the screen.

The page no sooner appears and your eyes are darting back and forth, up and down, frantically searching. But the only websites you're seeing are that darn Wikipedia, Amazon.com, and the sites owned by the Bad Guys, a.k.a. your competitors.

Your heart starts pumping faster as you click onto Page 2. When you don't see your website there either, you're left wondering, "What did I do wrong?"

The Internet marketing experts at Stompernet will tell you exactly what you did wrong, right down to the last little detail. They're offering a free competitive analysis report of your own website as well as those owned by the competition.

Until the end of the week, you can order the reports--up to five per day--at http://www.stompernet.net/jvp/aw.aspx?B=44&A=332

You'll even find a video at that site right now that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to go about fixing all the errors that are dragging down your ranking.

While you're there, check the comments from people who have already seen the video and read their own reports.

Then think about what will happen if your competitors check up on you but you fail to check up on them.

Go there now: http://www.stompernet.net/jvp/aw.aspx?B=44&A=332


==========================================
3. PR People: Thrive in a Bad Economy
==========================================

I first met Robert Smith about 10 years ago when he was working as a frustrated bill collector, looking for a fun hobby to offset his boring day job.

He called and asked my advice about writing press releases.

We've kept in touch on and off since then. When he called again last week, my chin dropped as he explained what he's been up to. The term "fast learner" doesn't even begin to describe what he's accomplished.

Robert manages his own PR agency based in Rockford, Illinois and has 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.

Here's how he does it:

- -He pays a paltry $67 a week to have his own half-hour TV show on the leased access channel in Chicago--and rakes in PR clients who see him on the air.

- -He swings deals with guys who drive delivery trucks by persuading them to drop off one of his brochures with each package they deliver to a business customer. In return, the drivers get a commission on any PR clients who call Robert and sign a contract.

- -He buys and sells leads. If a small-business client has only $1,000 to spend on a publicity campaign, far less than the kinds of projects Robert takes on, he sells the lead to a budding PR practitioner who is hungry for the work.

Robert will be my guest during a teleseminar from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, June 11 on "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

By the way, the photo of Robert on the sign-up page was taken for the cover of Dr. Phil's magazine. He'll explain how that happened, too.


========================================
4. Share Your Best Tips on How to Save
========================================

Everywhere I look, experts are offering advice on how to save money while food and gasoline prices go through the roof.

Here are two great tips to help you save at the grocery store:

- -During each trip to the supermarket, the average shopper makes $10 worth of impulse purchases. Solution: Make fewer trips.

- -One of the biggest money-wasters is letting food sit in the refrigerator so long that you can't even tell what it is. Solution: Make better use of leftovers and eat produce quickly.

I also heard three great tips about how to save on gasoline, courtesy of a guy who works for one of the big oil companies.

- -Buy gasoline in the morning, when it's still cold. That's because warm gasoline expands. The pumps are not set for temperature change, so one gallon can actually be less than a gallon.

- -Buy it when your tank is half empty. The more air in your tank, the more gasoline tends to evaporate.

- -Never buy gasoline when you see big tanker trucks at the station or you could end up with gasoline that has dirt and other debris that's been stirred up by the recent delivery.

What are your best tips for your own customers? Pitch them to the local and national media.

And make them do double- and triple-duty by posting them at your blog, at Twitter, in articles you post at article directory sites, and at your own website.

How about offering your tips via briefs, fillers and quizzes? I show you how on the CD or electronic transcript "Briefs, Fillers & Quizzes: How to Create Them and Why Editors LOVE Them."

You can download the transcript as soon as your order is approved. Read more about how to start using briefs as a valuable publicity tool at http://publicityhound.net/briefs


============================================
5. How to Promote 'Say Something Nice' Sunday ============================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips on how Mitch Carnell of Charleston, South Carolina can promote "Say Something Nice Sunday."


From Kim Duke:

"I think this would be a great topic for John Tesh to cover on his international radio show. Throughout his show, he reads quips from magazines, unusual tips and he definitely does spread the word about unusual ideas--and I think 'Say Something Nice Sunday' would fit his mandate. Contact him at http://www.tesh.com"


From Cheryl Pickett:

"How about encouraging churches that have an announcement type sign out front to put the info there? Hopefully, people will end up seeing the message all over town. Don’t forget to contact any radio or TV community calendars as well."


The Publicity Hound says:

Rally churches all over the world as quickly as you can to post this item to their local Craigslist at http://www.Craigslist.org. Don't post it yourself to every list or you'll violate the rules. See "How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool" at http://tinyurl.com/geog2


Read all the responses to last week' Help This Hound question at http://publicityhound.net/help-promote-say-something-nice-sunday/

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


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

Mary Ammons of Nashville, Tennessee writes:

"We had a successful launch of a book on physical and financial fitness (authored by celebrity Jack LaLanne and financial advisor Matthew J. Rettick) in New York and have had a great run with television on shows like the Today Show, Fox Business, etc.

"But we're having trouble garnering more exposure for Matt. He’s almost become Jack’s shadow or 'the other author.'

"I'm also having trouble promoting the two topics (finance and health) with the print media. Even journalists understand that you have to have both physical and financial fitness to enjoy a great retirement, which is the full topic. But they don't know where to quite fit it in to their beats, or they've covered it recently.

"I've pushed the fact that this is a unique book because it's basically Planning for Retirement 101. I've also had what feels like a million ideas shot down.

"The book is titled Fiscal Fitness: 8 Steps to Wealth and Health from America’s Leaders of Fitness and Finance. We're on the third printing and need to keep generating press, but, again, I'm having trouble pitching to the print media. Help!"


The Publicity Hound says:

I suspect your topic is too broad. Break it down by pitching story ideas and tips on narrow sub-topics to specific section editors and beat reporters. Also, you'll find some terrific tips on the CD or electronic transcript "How to Revive a Dying Book Marketing Campaign" at http://tinyurl.com/67bhu


Hounds, let's hear your best ideas for Mary. Post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/545r96


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

A tail is a dog's PR department. A smile is yours.


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

Bad landing pages, resource boxes can confuse article readers
http://tinyurl.com/48bhgx


NPR Books Watch Contest goal: Get more authors on NPR
http://tinyurl.com/4sj7bj


Newest occupational hazard: Death by blogging
http://tinyurl.com/5heabv


Blog comments position you as an expert, pull traffic
http://tinyurl.com/5fazfp


Google Friend Connect brings social media to any website
http://tinyurl.com/657co2


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

Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound


May 21: Teleseminar on Video

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


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. See item #3 below. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm


June 18: Teleseminar on Outsourcing

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. See next week's newsletter for sign-up details.


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/When Journalists Snub You April 23, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #395 April 23, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 44,978

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

"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. When Journalists Snub You

2. Profit from On-Air Interviews

3. 'Put Me on a Billboard' Contest

4. Story Ideas for Summer and Beyond

5. Promoting Lessons in How to Speak Chinese

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. At My Blog...

===================================
1. When Journalists Snub You
===================================

You pitch a story to a top-tier newspaper.

The reporter calls you. You bend over backwards to help with the story. And when it's finally printed, you're crestfallen to learn that the reporter never even mentioned your name.

The first time it happened to me, I wanted to call the reporter's boss and complain. And then I wanted to pound nails into the tires of the reporter's car. I would never do that, of course. But at the time, I was tempted.

A graduate of The Publicity Hound Mentor Program reminded me of this recently when she asked what to do about a similar problem. She pitched a real estate story to a reporter at The New York Times as well as to a section editor.

But she was left out of the story completely.

"Is there anything a PR person can do? I'm not looking to get even," she wrote. "I just want to be considered for another story."

Here's what I told her:

- -Never voice displeasure to the reporter, or go over his head and speak with an editor.

- -Rather, send the reporter a handwritten thank-you note explaining that you saw the story. Thank him for using you as a source. Remind him that you're an expert in the areas of A, B and C, and tell him he should call on you again for background, commentary and story ideas.

- -Call the reporter in a few months and pitch another story.

- -Whether or not he likes your idea, ask "How else can I help you?" (Even if this kills you, ask.)

Whining, tattling to his boss, and pounding nails into his tires gets you nowhere. Do that, and you've forever ruined your chances of establishing a relationship.

By the way, reporters don't view this as "snubbing." The way they see it, they're just doing their jobs.

If you want long-term access to me to help you with problems like this one, brainstorm story ideas, craft enticing pitches, serve as your personal writing coach, and show you how to navigate the world of social networking, The Publicity Hound Mentor Program could be the perfect place for you.

Read about what it offers at http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html and then let's talk to see if we're a good match.


====================================
2. Profit from On-air Interviews
====================================

If you're pursuing interviews on radio and TV, and you have a book or other product to sell, you'll drastically increase your chances of selling it if you encourage your audience to grab a pen and paper so they can write down a phone number where they can order it.

But how do you do that without making it sound like you're trying to sell them something?

Before the interview begins, arrange with the deejay or the interviewer to alert listeners just before a commercial break. For example, before the last commercial during your radio interview, the deejay would say: "Grab a pen and paper because when we come back, Dr. Griffith is going to give you five ways to help your child deal with playground bullies."

After the commercial, you share your five tips. Then the deejay immediately mentions your book and gives the toll-free number where people can order it. Because they already have their pens and paper, they can copy down the number and call.

Savvy Publicity Hounds use that trick all the time to sell more books. But if you're new to the publishing game, you haven't done many radio interviews, and you aren't aware of little strategies like that one, you could be leaving money on the table.

Authors and others who use the media to promote their products CANNOT afford to leave even a nickel on the table. That's why you need to listen to a free 75-minute teleseminar hosted by Steve Harrison on Thursday, April 24, where you'll learn practical strategies you can use to promote almost any book, product, business or service.

Choose from two times: 2 p.m. Eastern Time or 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Reserve your spot now at http://www.YourQuantumLeap.com/PreviewCallTwo/?10011

Here's some of what you'll learn:

- -Why conventional press releases aren't always the best way to contact journalists and what to send instead.

- -What a producer for "Good Morning America" says is the absolute best way to pitch his show--something very few publicity-seekers do.

- -The surprisingly simple strategy a former Oprah guest booker recommends everyone should use when pitching the show.

Steve will also discuss how to recruit an army of people to promote your books, products or services for you. Sign up now at http://www.YourQuantumLeap.com/PreviewCallTwo/?10011


=========================================
3. 'Put Me on a Billboard' Contest
=========================================

Here's a fabulous idea for companies or organizations celebrating an anniversary, or anyone who wants to call attention to a cause or issue.

To raise funds and awareness for a new opera house, The Nashville Opera is sponsoring a "Put Me on a Billboard Contest" this year. In the weeks leading up to the contest, the opera photographed local celebrities like media people and sports figures, opera glasses in hand, on local billboards throughout the city.

The opera then opened the contest to anyone and asked local opera-lovers to write about why they raise their glasses to opera. They even built a special website for the promotion at http://www.RaiseYourGlasses.org

Winners were photographed with their opera glasses, and the series of photos started appearing over the weekend on digital billboards throughout the city.

Publicity Hound Beverly Wichman was chosen as one of the winners. You might know her better as one-half of "The Saucy Sisters." She and her sister, Barbara Nowak, review wine, write books and entertain at corporate events.

Beverly's winning essay explains how her parents treated her to her first opera at age 10. She loved it so much that she calls opera her "soul music."

During her many travels throughout the U.S., she would faithfully listen to radio performances by The New York Metropolitan Opera on Saturday nights. So would her parents. After each program, they would call each other to discuss the shows.

"It was like attending the opera together," she said. "We would wait for the final applause and the curtain would come down. Then we'd call each other and say,'Bravo!'"

Bravo to this billboard idea, too, even though it may require a big budget. It involves your audience in your cause. It brings people to your website. It turns local people into celebrities. And it helps raise money.

Your next special event can include elaborate promotions like this one, or much simpler, less expensive ways to capture people's attention, draw crowds, and attract the media. Debra J. Schmidt and I give you 847 ideas for turning any special event into a huge success.

"How to Plan & Promote Sizzling Special Events" is available as a series of Cds or an electronic transcript that you can be reading as soon as your order is approved. It comes with 15 can't-do- without checklists for event planners and publicists. Read more about it at http://publicityhound.com/publicity/promote.html


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4. Story Ideas for Summer and Beyond
========================================

One of the most difficult parts of a publicity campaign is coming up with a constant stream of story ideas about your product, service, cause or issue.

Some Publicity Hounds, I've found, are so close to their own businesses that it's difficult for them to identify the things that most people would find interesting.

The next several months provide lots of opportunities for piggybacking onto events like high school proms and graduations, Mother's Day and Father's Day, school vacation, summer vacation, travel, warm-weather entertainment, and health issues like sunburn, bug bites and dehydration.

TV producer Shawne Duperon and I thought it would be fun to brainstorm as many ideas as possible. She knows TV better than anybody, and I come from a newspaper background and know what kinds of story ideas editors love. Together, we came up with 219 story ideas.

We recorded two teleseminars that are available on CD, and each comes with a list of all the ideas that you can download for that six-month period as soon as your order has been approved. Steal our ideas and use them during months when you're coming up dry.

Read more about "116 WOW! Story Ideas from January through June" at http://publicityhound.net/116storyideas

Then check out "103 Sizzling Story Ideas from July through December" at http://publicityhound.net/103storyideas


============================================
5. Promoting Lessons in How to Speak Chinese ============================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips on how Alex Foo of Christmas Island, Australia can promote his business which teaches people to speak simple Chinese.


From Jenni Hilton:

"There is a new show on Nick Jr.(Ni Hao, Kai-lan) that is similar to 'Dora the Explorer,' and the main character, Kai-lan, speaks Mandarin Chinese. You could reach parents and children who are interested in learning Chinese through Nick Jr.'s website and show. You could piggyback on the new show and write tips on teaching children Chinese and send them to news outlets."


From Gail Kay:

"My first thought is all the sportscasters and sport talk shows-- both radio and TV. A few might find this a fun adjunct to their news about the Olympics."


From Garth Gibson:

"Could you consider styling a contest in the mode of Big Brother where the prize could be a trip to the Beijing Olympics? Contestants are put in a house where they speak only Mandarin or only English."


From The Publicity Hound:

Alex, I didn't see a blog at your website. Writing about the Chinese language would pull in lots of traffic. "Blogging 101: How to Use Weblogs for Publicity," an interview I conducted with one my favorite bloggers, BL Ochman, is available as a CD, and you'll learn how to get a blog up and running in almost no time at all.

Read more about it at http://publicityhound.net/blogging101


Read all the responses to this "Help This Hound" Question at http://publicityhound.net/speakchinese


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


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

Shirley James of Ormond Beach, Florida writes:

"A partner and I have developed an activity-based trading card for tween girls (ages 7-12) called, UgoGrl at http://www.ugogrl.com/. The cards encourage them to become physically active, mentally challenged, creatively inspired, and socially responsible. This is accomplished across six categories of real-life fun. Each card has a tip, suggestion or idea to try.

"Our target market loves them, but the problem is getting them into the marketplace. The major retailers purchase trading cards through a pay-on-scan contract--a situation that requires more capital than we have, and more risk than we are willing to take. We added a shopping cart to our website 18 months ago but the sales have been slow. We need help developing a strategy to educate parents and tween girls about our product.

"Our second product was developed as a means to earn enough capital to advance the UgoGrl Activity Cards. We developed a line of paper air fresheners with artwork from the cards. We have just fulfilled a chain-wide order for Wal-Mart. Our "Get Fresh" Mood Enhancing Air Fresheners are now on the shelves! It has been a huge success for us, but we're faced with the same problem--how to market them on a shoestring budget.

"Hounds, please help us out! We are two 40something stay-at-home moms, each with four kids. We need a home run."


The Publicity Hound says:

Hounds, I think Shirley's question has all kinds of interesting possibilities, particularly in the area of social media. How can the company use sites like MySpace, Facebook and other networking sites to interest tweens in these cards? Post your best ideas to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/cardgame


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

You'll howl when you check out the winners of the "I Look Like My Dog" Contest:

http://www.flyaboveall.com/dogs.htm


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

Columnist seeks entrepreneurs who returned to traditional jobs http://publicityhound.net/entrepreneurs


Journalists search LinkedIn for ideas, topics, trends--and dirt http://publicityhound.net/journalistssearchlinkedin


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

Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound


April 30: Teleseminar

"How to Create a Media Plan," part of the teleseminar series "Intro to Internet Marketing" for health professionals. Perfect for doctors, nurses, spa owners, holistic health counselors, massage therapists, etc. Register at http://publicityhound.net/introinternetmarketing


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 Bucket List Jan 22, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #382 Jan. 22, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 39,927

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

"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. The Bucket List

2. Don't Make Deals Like This One

3. If You Hate Your Job, Read This

4. Media Lead

5. How to Work with Impatient PR Clients

6. "Speakers Cruise Free" Replay

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. The Bucket List
======================================

The opening of the movie The Bucket List shows aging car mechanic Carter Chambers, played by Morgan Freeman, extinguishing his cigarette in an old Chock Full o' Nuts coffee can.

Later, Jack Nicholson as his dying geezer buddy Edward Cole, sings the familiar ditty we've all heard in those Chock Full o'Nuts commercials. It goes like this:

Chock Full o' Nuts is that heavenly coffee, Heavenly coffee, heavenly coffee, Chock Full o' Nuts is that heavenly coffee, Better coffee a millionaire's money can't buy.

That's called product placement. And when Jack sings about your product, well, it doesn't get much better than that.

Whether you're selling jewelry or purses, cars or coffee, product placement opportunities on the sets of TV shows and movies await Publicity Hounds who are smart enough to go after them.

While the Chock Full o' Nuts placement, no doubt, required deep pockets, many others don't.

If you supply cases of your company's bottled water for the stars to drink while they're shooting, a bottle just might show up in the final version of a movie or TV show.

After your product shows up on the screen, there are lots more opportunities. For example, InStyle magazine has a "Where Can I Find" column each month. It might feature a huge photo of an actress wearing a necklace on the set of a movie. It gives you the brand name and price, and the website where you can buy it.
That kind of publicity is free and powerful.

Product placement experts Amy Bates Stumpf and Rebecca Lightsey joined me in December for the teleseminar "How to Get Your Consumer Products onto the Sets of Movies & TV Shows." We recorded it, and it's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can be reading as soon as your order is approved. Only $39.95.

Order the CD at http://tinyurl.com/39bnqb

Order the electronic transcript at http://tinyurl.com/3y38hj

I loved The Bucket List, by the way, even though it got lousy reviews.


========================================
2. Don't Make Deals Like This One
========================================

Twenty years ago, I would have been horrified to hear about a deal like this one between a hospital and a daily newspaper.

But today, the line between editorial and advertising is so blurred that it's of little surprise.

WEAU TV-13 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin tried to negotiate a deal with the local Sacred Heart Hospital in which the station would air medical stories featuring personnel only from that hospital and its affiliates, but not employees of other Chippewa Valley hospitals or clinics.

TV news director Glen Mabie was so outraged that he resigned. He said he was unsure whether the hospital would pay TV-13 as part of the agreement but that the exclusive deal posed an obvious conflict of interest.

The company decided not to proceed with the agreement, but the local newspaper got wind of it. You can read the entire story at http://tinyurl.com/322s88

I ran this by my friend, TV producer Shawne Duperon, for her comments:

"Yikes! Kudos to Glen Mabie for taking an ethical stand. Coming from a health reporter background, this would be a nightmare as a journalist! WEAU was completely crossing every ethical boundary that literally holds the newsroom together.

"In news, everything is about finding many sources (angles) to help you tell stories for the community. It would be like only talking to the NAACP for all civil rights issues.

"Creating a deal would also alienate all the other medical resources, organizations and clinics in the community. The deal could only fall flat on its face because it violates the very existence of journalistic news gathering processes."

My own take is that the stench from all that bad publicity is as harmful to the hospital as it is to the TV station. So if media outlets offer you a deal like this one, run the other way.

Besides, smart Publicity Hounds don't have to sleaze their way onto TV. Shawne says it's easy to get on the local news and that a well-delivered pitch to the newsroom in the morning can sometimes get you onto the news that night. She explains "How to Get onto the Local TV News Tomorrow," available as a CD or an electronic transcript you can read as soon as your order is approved.

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


=========================================
3. If You Hate Your Job, Read This
=========================================

When you hear the phrase Internet marketer, you probably think of a geeky guy with thick glasses, hunched over his laptop all day buying Google pay-per-click ads and watching the orders roll in.

That's one description.

I'm an Internet marketer, too. And I've worked hard to build my business to the point where I don't have to travel anymore. No more sleeping in airports, living in germ-laden hotel rooms or eating lousy food on the road.

I do most of my work in my pajamas or jeans and a T-shirt. About 98 percent of my revenue is generated in front of my computer, where I can also promote myself to the hilt.

I leave my home office so seldom these days that I don't even use a weekly planner. All my appointments are on a large wall calendar.

Most afternoons, I take a quick nap in my own bed, with Bogie asleep next to me in her kennel.

During the summer, I take frequent mid-morning breaks to weed the garden or pick a bouquet of flowers. Then I make my own healthy lunch.

With the help of Christine Buffaloe, my part-time virtual assistant, I've cut back my work week drastically and created several new revenue streams that have boosted my income. I can take vacations and long weekends when I want, without reporting to anybody.

Oh, did I mention that I've got the best boss in the world? Me.

Much of what I've done to morph from consulting/speaking into almost all Internet marketing is the same as what Alexandria Brown, "The Ezine Queen," teaches in her workshops. We've presented at the same events, and she's the real deal.

After hours of editing, polishing, and coddling, the brand new 2008 version of her "Online Success Blueprint-in-a-Box" is finally ready. It's perfect for anybody who hates their job, is already an expert in a certain topic, and wants to work on their own, at home, in front of their computer.

It's the home version of the exact same program she taught live a few months ago. You can see everything you get right now at http://tinyurl.com/ea6od (but turn down your speakers if you're at work).

She's selling only 147 copies of this version, so act now before you miss it. Read the success stories of her clients who have followed in her footsteps at http://tinyurl.com/ea6od


=========================================
4. Media Lead
=========================================

Mildred Culp, who writes the syndicated Workwise column, is looking for people who retired but have gone back to work for the same company or a different company. She has research indicating that this group needs to be managed by employers rather than left on their own. She wants to interview those who agree or disagree. Don't be shy if you have a relative to suggest. Source must be post-retirement, 65 or older. Send leads to mailto:workwise@comcast.net


============================================
5. How to Work with Impatient PR Clients
============================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have advice for Gail Sideman of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She wants tips on how to work with impatient PR clients who expect immediate results.


From Lanada Chanel:

"I have begun keeping track of published articles, editorials, press announcements, TV appearances, etc. we have gotten (however big or small they are). I list them, attached to monthly invoices, along with the time spent making calls to try to get her speaking engagements and the community relations work we're doing for her just so the client can see how much time and relationship building goes into this whole process.

"I figure that when the clients see how that all adds up, they can choose to either handle it all themselves and run their business, which already keeps them overwhelmed, or let me do what I feel I do best."


Barbara Rozgony:

"Since we transitioned away from counting clips to more of an SEO/virtual PR visibility approach, we find that our clients appreciate their different, but more measurable and immediate results. Within 24-48 hours, many of our clients land on page one of Google news for the desired search terms.

"After a few web releases, many of them vault way ahead of their competition, both in terms of number of Google results and page rank. One client showed up at 4, 5 and 6 on page one for their keyword term for the first month or so after their release. Three months later, their news release shows up at 35/232,000 results-- while their own site is buried many, many pages back."


From The Publicity Hound:

"If clients are obsessed with immediate results, then give them immediate results. Not in the traditional media, but in the hundreds of social media sites like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and Squidoo. Choose just a few, create their profiles, and then teach them how to use the sites. If you do it right, they could see a boost in traffic---and possibly sales---in just 24 to 48 hours.

Read all the responses to this week's Help This Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/23kk33


================================
6. Speakers Cruise Free Replay
================================

"Speakers Cruise Free: Trade Your Talents for Free Luxury Cruises," a one-hour interview with Daniel Hall, shows you how to turn your hobby or expertise into a cool presentation you can offer to cruise ship lines that are looking for experts to entertain and educate their passengers. Listen for free at http://www.speakerscruisefree.com/houndcall

Help this Hound will return next week.


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

Thanks to self-publishing guru Dan Poynter of Santa Barbara, California for pointing out this:

The California town of Carmel-By-The-Sea has created the nation's first official doggie drinking fountain. It's called the "Fountain of Woof" and features a life-size dog's head spurting water from its mouth onto a step arrangement of rocky pools from which pooches can drink. Mayor Sue McCloud said the fountain was created "by pupular demand."


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

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

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


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

Book promotion tip: 'Cool Book of the Day'
http://tinyurl.com/3b6gfw


Video pitching will become overused
http://tinyurl.com/3yk38g


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 Social Media Myth Jan 15, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #381 Jan. 15, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 39,213

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

"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:

Jan. 15 -- Publicity Hounds, this is your chance to learn about social media marketing and submit questions to one of the foremost experts. Join Don Crowther and me for a free one-hour telephone seminar on "Social Media Marketing: PR on Steroids" at4 p.m. Eastern Time today. See Item #1 below.

Jan. 16 -- Join Daniel Hall and me for a free one-hour telephone seminar from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. "Speakers Cruise Free:Trade Your Talents for Free Luxury Cruises" will explain how to turn your hobby or expertise into a cool presentation you can offer to cruise ship lines that are looking for experts to entertain and educate their passengers. Register at http://www.speakerscruisefree.com/hound See Item #3 below.

Jan. 17 -- Last day to register for the second annual smARTist Telesummit 2008, an art career conference that will teach artists how to turn their art passion into a successful business. I'm one of the presenters. Details and registration at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=642363

Jan. 17 -- Authors, listen to a free one-hour teleseminar as Steve Harrison interviews Matthew Bennett on how the self- published author sold 5 million books to one company--and how you can too. Stop selling them piecemeal and start selling them by the truckload. Register at http://www.freepublicity.com/mattbennett/?10011

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

1. The Social Media Myth

2. A 4-Word Mention in Family Circle

3. Speak on Cruise Ships

4. Wanted: Videos of Women Authors

5. Promoting Fitness for Boomers

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...

======================================
1. The Social Media Myth
======================================

I signed up for the social media coaching being offer by the guys at StomperNet, and I can hardly wait for the first teleseminar on Monday.

Many of you have emailed me to rave about the 50-minute video and the special report they're offering to whet your appetite and give you a taste of what we'll be learning. If you missed it, you can catch it here: http://www.stompernet.net/jvp/aw.aspx?B=25&A=332

Several of you, however, are still buying into the social media myth that sites like MySpace, Facebook and YouTube are only for kids with tattoos and tongue rings.

Wrong.

A Sept. 12 article in the New York Times explains that a new wave of capital is pouring into social media sites that target Boomers and offer news, commentary, photo-sharing and discussion forums on subjects like dating, fitness and health care. Most of the 78 million Baby Boomers (roughly three times the number of teen- agers), are Internet users with computer skills.

Sites like Eons, Rezoom, Multiply, Maya's Mom, Boomj and Boomertown are attracting a graying audience that has lots of disposable income. I'll bet many of these people have stopped subscribing to newspapers and even some magazines--the same publications you're targeting in your publicity campaign.

Unlike younger people who jump from one trendy site to the next, graying Internet users might be more likely to linger in one spot online--a potentially profitable characteristic that's catching the attention of investors.

Don Crowther of StomperNet, who created the video I'm recommending, knows more about social media marketing than anybody I know. I twisted his arm late yesterday and he agreed to do a free teleseminar with me from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time today.

I know it's short notice, but if you can possibly join us, we'd love to have you. He'll talk about how to use social media sites to earn top great search engine rankings and pull tons of traffic to your website.

You can even post your question on the sign-up form here: http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=1628391 .

========================================
2. A 4-Word Mention in Family Circle
========================================

This is for all you Hounds who are determined to get a cover story or another big feature in a national magazine.

Sometimes all it takes is just a four-word mention about your business to generate a rush of traffic to your website.

That's what I got--just four little words--in the January issue of Family Circle magazine. I wrote about it at my blog and suggested five more ways I can piggyback off this minuscule mention. You can read it here: http://tinyurl.com/23pdae

Many of the tips I suggested there are among the hundreds I shared when I hosted the teleseminar series "How to Create a Media Plan" back in October. We recorded it and it's available as CDs, MP3s or electronic transcripts. Read more about the stellar line-up of experts and what they shared at http://www.PublicityHound.com/mediaplan.htm


=========================================
3. Speak on Cruise Ships
=========================================

It was Fourth of July week and stage hypnotist Victor Maranto would leave in just four days on a nine-day vacation cruise.

Armed with a step-by-step list of instructions on how to get booked as a speaker on the cruise, he called the woman who works with speakers and ended up in her voicemail.

"I started singing to her on her voicemail," he said. "I kept chanting her name. Then I laughed and hung up. Fifteen minutes later, she calls back and says, 'What can I do for you?"'

He had no presentation planned but pitched seven ideas for programs. She told him he wouldn't be able to hypnotize any of the passengers but that she wanted to hire him to present on the last day. They settled on a program called "Take Action Now: How to Unlock Your Mind's Hidden Power."

It all happened so quickly that Victor actually had to create the presentation on-board. He used a friend's Power Point slides and substituted his own bullet points.

He had postcards about the presentation printed and took them with him. But he wouldn't know until he boarded the ship exactly when he would speak, so he left the time and date blank. Once he knew that information, he filled it in, then recruited his kids to distribute the postcards to passengers.

The day of the presentation, Victor taught one woman how to overcome her fear of crossing bridges. He instructed other passengers on how to muster enough confidence to perform Karaoke.He even videotaped the presentation and now has a video that he can show other cruise ships that need speakers.

Victor followed Daniel Hall's instructions to the letter because Daniel is the expert on how to cruise for free in exchange for presenting a program. You can too. Join us for a one-hour teleseminar from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, January 16, called "Speakers Cruise Free: Trade Your Talents for Free Luxury Cruises." You don't even have to be a professional speaker.

If you have a hobby you're passionate about, you can turn it into a free vacation. Register for the teleseminar at http://www.speakerscruisefree.com/hound


=========================================
4. Wanted: Videos of Women Authors
=========================================

Starting Jan. 28, the Women for Hire website at http://www.womenforhire.com/ will feature a video interview with a nonfiction woman author on a topic of interest to women.

Topics can include workplace, lifestyle, health, etc. The video will appear on the homepage. They will feature an excerpt from the book as well as a link to Amazon.

They will shoot the video for authors in New York City, and the shoot will take no more than a half-hour. For authors outside Manhattan, they'll provide straightforward instructions on how to shoot your own video and submit it.

Send the title, a short synopsis, brief author bio, why women would buy your book, the target audience, publication date, and confirmation that the author is willing to do a video to Rachel Chase, Women for Hire. Mailto:Rachel@WomenforHire.com.

The WomenForHire.com website has 250,000 unique visitors each month as well as 300,000 professional women who subscribe to their newsletters. They are looking for authors who will provide valuable inspiration, information or advice.

If you want to shoot your own video, learn about the best equipment to buy, and video tips and tricks. See http://tinyurl.com/y3b6wj


============================================
5. Promoting Fitness for Boomers
============================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Darcy Silvers of Bristol, Pennsylvania on how a friend near Philadelphia can promote a fitness business for Boomers. It focuses on aerobics and weight training.


From Gail Sideman:

"IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association), ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), Club Fitness Industry and dozens of other organizations release statistics and case studies about fitness training for Boomers, which make up the industry’s fastest growing demographic. Use those stats and facts, along with clients’ success stories, to help pitch angles whether they’re for traditional or social media outlets."


From Garth Gibson:
"Develop an exercise program for the presidential candidates that helps them keep fit during their campaign. Then let the press know about it."


From Becky Williamson:

"Darcy's friend should offer to give talks in his areas of expertise to local Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs and Kiwanis Clubs.Folks in his target market will be in these groups. These groups normally don't pay for speakers, but by giving public talks he'll begin carving his niche as a local expert. In addition, he may be able to collect email addresses."


The Publicity Hound says:

Post fitness tips to the Philadelphia Craigslist. I'll bet more people read Craigslist than the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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


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

Gail Sideman of Milwaukee, Wisconsin writes:

"I'm what the business calls a veteran publicist and media relations professional who has landed quality hits, and believes she does a good job in explaining how a PR or publicity campaign works to those who have never been involved in one.

"I outline the fact that an online newsroom is necessary and why, and that a foundation and reputation must be built before reporters have enough trust to include or feature the client in a big story. I also explain the differences between public relations and advertising.

"Despite all of this and making sure potential clients know what they’re getting into before they sign on the dotted line, I have found that some people, two or three months into the effort, maybe while we're still trying to build a quality online press room, question why I have not been able to score that 'big story' for them.

"How do other media relations professionals deal with complaining clients after they’ve already explained the industry to them and they’re working diligently to do things in step?"


The Publicity Hound says:

I've experienced this same problem, and it will be interesting to hear how other publicists deal with it. Hounds with helpful tips for Gail can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/3yprya
If you know how to handle impatient clients, but you have too few clients, I know of two dozen ways to bring more business through the door. Marcia Yudkin brainstormed the ideas with me, and we presented them during a teleseminar called "24 Ways to Attract Clients to Your PR Practice." It's available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can download a few minutes after your order has been approved.

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


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

Thanks to the dozens of Publicity Hounds who have sent me this one.

If we were only taught by dogs, we would learn stuff like:

--When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

--Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

--Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

--When it's in your best interest -- practice obedience.

--Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

--Take naps and stretch before rising.

--Run, romp and play daily.

--Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

--Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do.

--On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

--On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

--When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

--No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout...run right back
and make friends.

--Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

--Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you've had enough.

--Be loyal.

--Never pretend to be something you're not.

--If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

--When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.


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

Whole Foods magazine will feature only its own products
http://tinyurl.com/37k4mb


Family Circle blurb leads to huge traffic spike
http://tinyurl.com/23pdae

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

Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound:


January 15: "Social Media: PR on Steroids"

Join Don Crowther and me for a free one-hour telephone seminar from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time on how to use social media sites like MySpace, Facebook and YouTube in your publicity campaign.Don't miss this one. Sign up at http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=1628391


January 16: "Speakers Cruise Free"

Join Daniel Hall and me for a free one-hour telephone seminar from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time called "Speakers Cruise Free: Trade Your Talents for Free Luxury Cruises." He will explain how to turn your hobby or expertise into a cool presentation you can offer to cruise ship lines that are looking for experts to entertain and educate their passengers. You don't even have to be a professional speaker. If you teach arts and crafts, play bridge, or offer classes on how to use a computer, for example, you could be just the person they're looking for. Sign up for the teleseminar only if you want to participate live and be able to ask questions. If you can't make the call, I'll include the link in this newsletter so you can listen to it later. Sign up for the live call here: http://www.speakerscruisefree.com/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


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/This Retirement Party Rocks Aug.14, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #359 Aug. 14, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 34,416

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

"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. This Retirement Party Rocks

2. Freelancers: Your Secret Weapon

3. Sell What You Know

4. What Media Bias Means to You

5. Promoting 'God is a Salesman' Book

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. This Retirement Party Rocks
======================================

What? Call a newspaper and ask an editor a cover a retirement party?

You've got to be kidding. Unless, of course, the party has a fun little twist that compels not only print reporters, but the TV news crews to show up.

On Monday next week, friends and associates will gather in North Texas to honor legendary TV weatherman Troy Dungan, who is retiring after 31 years as a forecaster for WFAA-TV.

My friend Jeff Crilley, a reporter for FOX News in Dallas, discussed the party in his latest newsletter, and said the theme is Troy's signature bowtie.

"We'll have a giant bowtie cake, and everyone who attends will be asked to wear a bowtie to share a little sunshine with someone who's been sharing it with us for the last three decades," Jeff wrote. "If you have a bowtie, wear it. If not, don't worry. We'll be handing out paper bowties at the door. My forecast for the luncheon is a full house."

Of course the TV cameras will be there because Troy is one of their own. But the paper bowtie idea is one you can tweak or steal the next time you have a major retirement at your company or organization and you want the media to cover it.

How about asking well-wishers to come with their homemade paper airplanes to celebrate the retirement of an executive who's an amateur pilot? Or paper flowers for someone whose hobby is gardening?

Not elaborate enough for your VIP?

Then how about hosting a progressive dinner? Include the retiree's favorite dishes at different homes, or choose multiple restaurants. You can even transport the guests from place to place on a trolley or bus, or in limos.

The point is, if you want media coverage, make the party fun and visual. Shawne Duperon, a TV producer and reporter in Michigan, says it's important to paint a visual picture of the event when you pitch.

Her advice on how to track down the Queen Bee in every TV newsroom--the person who decides which stories will be covered-- and other tips on how to make your story irresistible for the cameras, are on the CD or electronic transcript "How to Get on the TV News Tomorrow." Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/4zpuz


========================================
2. Freelancers: Your Secret Weapon
========================================

PR people spend huge amounts of time pitching the most influential writers at top-tier media outlets, and too little time finding freelancers who already have built strong relationships with those same newspapers and magazines.

Finding freelancers isn't always easy. But once you know who they are, they can be your secret weapon to publicity. Here are four reasons why pitching freelancers is critical to a PR campaign:

--The vast majority of freelancers sell stories to several media outlets. So if they interview you for one story on a certain topic, and you've helped make their job easy, they'll probably return for another interview for a different article they're selling to a different publication.

--Most freelancers already are well-known by the media outlets they write for. They don't have to put up with the gatekeepers like you do. They can deal with assignment editors and reporters directly.

--If you have a great story idea, all you have to do is pitch the freelancer, who's usually easier to talk to and much more responsive than staff members. It's now THEIR job to pitch the journalists and follow up.

--Freelancers can't pay their bills unless they're continually pitching ideas and selling stories. That means they need great sources just like you to keep the ideas flowing.

On Wednesday, some of best, brightest and PR-friendliest freelancers will explain their inside tips, techniques and practical methods for breaking into some of the biggest publications with your story ideas during a 90-minute telephone seminar sponsored by Bulldog Reporter.

The veteran contributors and the influential publications they write for are:

--Eileen Gunn, Contributor, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Worth, Smart Money, Business 2.0, Working Mother, Self, Glamour, Parents and The New York Post.

--Helen Chang, Contributor, Time, BusinessWeek, San Francisco Chronicle.

--Dave Lieber, Columnist, Ft. Worth Star Telegram; Contributor, The Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday Magazine, INSIDE magazine; Stringer, The New York Times.

--Aliza Sherman-Risdahl, Contributor, Entrepreneur, Home Business, Minority Engineer, Professional Woman, SBResources.com, SLNN.com, WomenEntrepreneur.com.

--Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell, Freelance Committee Chair, Society of Professional Journalists; Contributor, Associated Press, World, Entrepreneur, The Kansas City Star.

That's five people who write for more than two dozen publications and websites. It would take me months, maybe even years, to get the inside track on all those journalists.

Read more about the teleseminar and how you can take a major shortcut working with freelancers at http://tinyurl.com/ywghf5

=======================================
3. Sell What You Know
=======================================

When I left the newspaper business 13 years ago--burned out, disillusioned and hankering to start my own business--corporate consulting seemed the only option.

That meant I never got paid unless I found a company that needed my services. If I worked, I got paid. It was that simple.

But the work/get paid, work/get paid, work/get paid cycle became tiring and frustrating, particularly when there was no work and no pay.

It wasn't until a few years later that I stumbled upon a business model that seemed so much easier, and a heck of a lot more fun. I could sell what I knew--not by providing a service but by creating information products on how to generate publicity, then market them at my website and via this newsletter.

I learned how to create audio cassette tapes, ebooks, CDs, tips booklets, special reports, in-depth training materials, workbooks, videos and more. And the best part was that I didn't have to constantly hunt for people to buy them.

People simply found me, either by typing words and phrases into a search engine and landing at my websie, or finding an article I'd written and posted online, or hearing about about me through a friend.

The orders started coming in, many at 3 or 4 in the morning while I was sleeping, from people I didn't even know.

Work/get paid, work/get paid, work/get paid suddenly turned into work...get paid, get paid, get paid, get paid...

Today, much of my revenue comes from selling products, many of which are created through telephone seminars that people love attending. No crowded airports. No smelly hotel rooms. No lousy meals on the road--for them or for me.

If you hate your corporate job, building an information empire might be just the alternative you've been looking for. Or if you love your day job, but your brain is like an encyclopedia of knowledge on a certain topic or hobby you love, creating info products could be another revenue stream for you.

Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer have helped more people make more money in the information business than anyone else on the planet.

In 2006, Dan's Platinum Members and private clients combined sold well over $200 million dollars of books, tapes, courses, newsletters, seminars and coaching.

Dan and Bill are hosting a free 70-minute teleseminar on Thursday, August 16, on "The Easiest Way to Acquire a Million Dollars by Leveraging What You Know." You can listen either at 2 p.m. or 8 p.m. Eastern.

Register at http://www.dankennedyspecialoffer.com/getinnow/tribar


======================================
4. What Media Bias Means to You
======================================

Publicity Hound Kathi Petersen of Asheville, North Carolina points out the results of a poll that shows more than half of Americans say U.S. news organizations are politically biased, inaccurate, and don't care about the people they report on.

You can read the article at http://tinyurl.com/ypce8a

She writes: "Thought you might want to address this with fellow Publicity Hounds. Does this impact the way the public perceives our news?"

I'm not quite sure what she's asking, but the public has always been skeptical of the media, at least as long as I've been around, and it seems to be getting worse.

Does that mean Publicity Hounds are spending less time trying to get stories placed in the traditional media? Not really. But the smart ones are including influential bloggers, podcasters, ezine editors and non-traditional media among those who they contact with story ideas.

Smart Hounds also know how to deal with biased reporters, or those with a grudge or an agenda. They go into every interview with a level playing field and know how to answer angry, difficult, hostile questions.

Crisis counselor Jonathan Bernstein explains "How to Keep the Media Wolves at Bay" on a CD or electronic transcript that you can download as soon as your order has been approved.

Read more about how to deal with the media wolves at http://tinyurl.com/b8wcy


==========================================
5. Promoting 'God is a Salesman'
==========================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Carol Bloom Stevens on how to promote her husband Mark's book "God is a Salesman: Learn from the Master."


From Janet Huey:

"Many hosts of conservative talk shows are religious, and while they are inundated with books, it can't hurt to promote to them. Here's an example: Dan Patrick of KSEV here in Houston is a main host and owner of the station. In addition, he is a state senator and has written a Christian book and plugged Mel Gibson's movie quite a bit. In a market this big, an on-air interview with another author about how the book came to be could be a big hit."


From Cheryl Pickett:

"I'd recommend a page on Shoutlife which is a Christian version of MySpace, as well as offering articles or excerpts to the many Christian newsletters and blogs that are out there."


From The Publicity Hound:

"Pitch influential bloggers who write about religion, and those who write about sales. Start your research by going to Technorati.com and doing a search for 'sales blogs' or 'religion blogs.' When you find one, offer to send the blogger a book."

See "How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion" at http://tinyurl.com/m7ymr

Read the complete responses to this week's Help This Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/yvlbcq


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

Karma Bennett of Ulysses Press writes:

"The publishing house where I work was founded with our travel series, the Hidden Guides. The first book, Hidden Hawaii, was, at the time, the only book on Hawaii that actually reviewed and compared the various beaches of the islands.

"Now we are giving the books a whole new look which emphasizes the hidden aspect of the series: the places that locals love, rather than the same tired tourist traps. The trick is that book reviewers don't like to review new editions, so I am looking for a good side-door angle. The original author will not be able to fly to Hawaii for the new edition as we are a small company and the airfare would be expensive.

"I would love to hear what your fellow Hounds can come up with to kick off this series with a bang."


The Publicity Hound says:

Interesting reviewers in your book the second time around is indeed difficult. But there are so many more ways to generate publicity for this series. Hounds can post their best ideas to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/2l97no


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

"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'My God, you're right! I never would've thought of that!' " -- Dave Barry


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

Website traffic eluding you? Free White Paper has tips
http://tinyurl.com/2x7pco


Airlines magazine to feature best Road Warrior on cover
http://tinyurl.com/3aqc2y


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

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®


August 14: Norfolk, Virginia

9 a.m. to noon: "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Free Print, Broadcast & Online Publicity." 1:30-4 p.m.: "The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Consumers, Not Only for Journalists." Each session is $97. Or attend the entire day for $147, and save $47. Register at http://www.PublicityHound.com/norfolk.htm


August 15: Virginia Beach, Virginia

I'll be spending the day with Internet marketing expert Tom Antion, my mentor, in his office, learning the latest strategies for Internet marketers. It's the annual daylong training session for members who join the Internet Association of Information Marketers at the highest level. If you earn most of your revenue through Internet marketing, you can join at the Outer Circle level, then meet us at Tom's place for this day of training. This one day alone is worth 50 times more than the price of membership. Or if you're just starting out, join for $15 a month. Learn more about the association at http://tinyurl.com/54dp6


September 11: Brookfield, Wisconsin

Association for Volunteer Administration of Southeastern Wisconsin, keynote presentation on "Savvy Media Relations:How to Get Thousands of Dollars in FREE Online and Offline Publicity," 9:45 a.m., University of Phoenix Metro-Milwaukee Campus, 20075 Watertower Blvd. $30 for AVA/SEW and IAVC members, $40 for non-members. Deadline August 31. Learn more at http://www.ava-sew.org/content/blogcategory/5/4/or call Kay Bloesl at 414-571-1327 to register.


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/Why I'm Crying Elephant Tears, Aug 7 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #358 Aug. 7, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 33,589

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

"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.

*******************************************************
TELESEMINARS FOR HOUNDS:

Here are two teleseminars you'll want to know about, both on Thursday:

--Listen to Steve Harrison's "Seven Things You Absolutely Must Know to Get Publicity in Major Magazines and Newspapers" at 2 or 7 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, August 9. The 90-minute call will explain the three biggest mistakes most people make trying to get publicity in magazines and newspapers. You'll also learn how to understand the mind set of top magazine writers and editors, how a woman was so good at getting advance publicity her book hit the New York Times Best Seller List BEFORE her publication date, an incredibly simple strategy for scoring an Associated Press story about you that runs in dozens of newspapers across the United States, how to contact journalists, and how to spin a small story into a much larger feature for yourself. Steve has offered this call in the past, and I know you'll come away with some good tips." Read more about it at http://www.freepublicity.com/printpublicitycall/?10011


--"Pitching Holiday Gift Guides: Editors Show How to Get Products in Front of Millions of Shoppers," 1 PM Eastern on Thursday, Aug. 9, sponsored by Bulldog Reporter's PR University. The winter holiday shopping season is make or break time for many companies with seasonal gift-oriented products to sell. That's why so many PR pros start working this summer to finagle their products into the media's most credible holiday shopping guides and product reviews pages. Get an inside look at the secrets of scoring valuable coverage in the nation's top holiday gift guides--from the very editorial gatekeepers who decide what runs and what doesn't. They'll outline what they're looking for and when, this year's hottest items and how best to position your product for optimal placement in front of millions of holiday shoppers. Register at http://tinyurl.com/2bpyxv
********************************************************
================================
In This Issue
================================
1. Why I'm Crying Elephant Tears

2. Keep Your Message Clear

3. 6 Ways to Attract More Clients

4. Promote a Book with a Contest

5. Making a Website Ready for Visitors

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. Why I'm Crying Elephant Tears
======================================

I love getting Hound success stories from readers like you.

But sometimes I cry big, fat elephant tears when I learn about missed opportunities, or how people who generated fabulous publicity didn't follow up.

Publicity Hound Sue Lowery of Chattanooga, Tennessee saw a short news item on one of her local TV stations about how the Bliss spa in Dallas, Texas pampered an elephant the day before it was making its Dallas debut at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus.

She said the news clip showed a spa worker giving the elephant a facial by slathering mashed avocado all over its face. The worker also used an oversized nail file to give the elephant a pedicure.

Curious, Sue started searching for the story online and found a shortened video clip at the Dallas Morning News website at http://tinyurl.com/2x33bj She sent me the link.

I watched it this morning, and got all excited that I had stumbled upon a great story. I Googled the Dallas Bliss, found the website, but saw that the only phone number listed was the one to call for reservations. I was hoping to reach the manager and ask her how the story originated, then congratulate her on a brilliant publicity coup.

Silly me.

I reached what sounded like an answering service, or perhaps the woman who takes reservations for the entire Bliss chain of spas. She said there was no way to reach the manager, and the only thing she could do was send her an email on my behalf.

When I asked for the manager's email address, she wouldn't give it to me. So I patiently dictated the message. She asked me to wait while she proofread it.

This, my dear Hounds, is called making somebody jump through hoops to give you publicity. Had I been a working journalist, I would have given up long before then. I patiently explained to the woman who answered the phone that I send this newsletter to more than 30,000 people, and this was a chance for the spa to get even more publicity. She didn't seem impressed.

What can Publicity Hounds learn from this lesson?

--Make sure your front-line employees understand the importance of media inquiries. Give them an emergency telephone number they can use if the media call on deadline. Better yet, include the emergency number at your website.

--When you get a fabulous media hit, include it at your website. Most local and network news people will gladly let you use the clip. I found nothing at the Dallas Bliss site--not even a mention.

--The Bliss Press Room included several press releases which I didn't have time to open. I couldn't find the name or phone number of a media contact anywhere on the site. Put contact information--including a shipping address, phone number and email address--in an easy-to-find place on your homepage.

--I got callbacks from Vollmer PR, the local firm in Dallas, which pitched the idea, and from the Bliss national PR person who told me they won't put the media contact phone number on the homepage because they get "flooded with calls." (I thought lots of calls were a good thing, not a bad thing.) Besides, she said, the national media all know how to contact them, which I find difficult to believe.

She asked if I wanted to be added to their media list. Uh, no thanks.

Tips on how to make it easy for the media to find you, plus thousands of helpful suggestions on how to make your company media-ready, then build strong relationships long after the interviews are over, are in "How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound," my most popular ebook. We've even added an entire lengthy chapter on blogging. Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity/publicityhound.htm


========================================
2. Keep Your Message Clear
========================================

When you interview with the media, you always risk working with a reporter who doesn't understand your key point, or the most important thing you want to communicate.

Crisis counselor Lou Hampton of the Hampton Group in Washington, D.C. offers these six handy phrases to use during interviews:

--"The key point is..."

--"The bottom line is..."

--"The one thing people need to realize..."

--"Let me repeat that, because it's such a critical point..."

--"One trend we see..."

--"What is especially exciting/surprising/unexpected..."

The phrases are included in Lou's deck of Mem-cards, a package of 26 cards, each featuring a media tip for Hounds who interview. Use the cards as handy reference tools while you're waiting in the green room on the "Today" show. They also make great gifts for clients--even if you're on a budget. The cards are $9.97 per deck until August 31.

Read more about them at http://www.hamptongroup.com/meetthemediacards.htm


=======================================
3. 6 Ways to Attract More Clients
=======================================

Lots of people are complaining that business is flat during these slow days of summer. If you're among them, consider these six ideas for attracting more clients:

--Create a short presentation on how people can solve the most pressing problem that ties into the product or service your company sells, or the cause or issue your nonprofit addresses. Then hit the speaking circuit in your town. Dozens of service clubs are looking for luncheon and dinners speakers. This is what I did when I started my consulting business, and many people in my audiences hired me to help with their PR.

--Write articles for article directory sites like http://www.ezinearticles.com/.Make sure the author resource box links to your website. Be sure to capture email addresses at your site. I do with Hover Ad Creator, powerful HTML coding that makes the sign-up box at my website bypass spam filters. Learn more about it at http://www.marketingtips.com/hover/t/827664

--Start blogging. The search engines love timely, content-rich blogs, particularly on niche topics. The more you blog, the more traffic you'll get.

--If you sell anything that helps people generate publicity, consider joining The Publicity Hound's Resources List at http://www.publicityhound.com/resources.htm This is where I send callers when they want to know who I recommend to help them write press releases, proofread their copy, or contact the media on their behalf.

--Swallow your pride, call former clients and tell them you need more work.

--Go to the Craigslist in the city closest to where you live at http://www.craigslist.org/ and start posting tips on this f~ree community bulleting board. Then link to your website. See "How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool" at http://tinyurl.com/geog2

If you're a PR practitioner or a publicist, you'll want to know about the 24 ideas I brainstormed with Marcia Yudkin on how to bring more clients through the door. They're on a handout that accompanies the CD and electronic transcript called "24 Ways to Attract Clients to Your PR Practice," and you can download it as soon as your order has been approved.

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


======================================
4. Promote a Book with a Contest
======================================

Dorothy Molstad, marketing manager for Voyageur Press in St.Paul, Minnesota, deserves a doggy treat for a clever idea she's using to promote their book "Green Bay Packers: The Complete Illustrated History." It hits bookstores next week.

Knowing I'm a Packers fan, she asked permission to send me the book. It arrived with a hand-written note that said:

"I'll bet you'll find many Packer fans read your newsletter if you print something about the book. I'll send a copy to the most distant fan who responds."

If you're a Packers fan in a distant land, email Dorothy and tell her how many miles you live from me at 3434 County KK, PortWashington, Wisconsin. Mailto:dmolstad@mbipublishing.com?subject=PackersContest

The coffee table book sells for $29.95 and includes some interesting photos from yesteryear.


If you're an author whose book has been on the market for several months and your sales have stalled, give 'em a jump-start. Publicist Lissa Warren knows how, and she explains how she boosts sales for her own clients' books on the CD or electronic transcript called "How to Revive a Dying Book Marketing Campaign." Too many authors give up after less than a year, but the most successful ones use many of the ideas she mentions.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/67bhu


==========================================
5. Making a Website Ready for Visitors
==========================================

This week, seven Publicity Hounds have tips for Nancy Mills, on how she can improve The Spirited Woman website at http://www.thespiritedwoman.com/ by August 11. That's the day that Six Apart, a blogging company, will feature her site as Website of the Day.


From Valerie Hayes:

"I’m concerned that the sign-up box for your newsletter may get lost on the page. Consider enlarging or repositioning it to make it more noticeable."


From Stacey Kannenberg:

"I would profile a highly spirited woman on that day!! I would run a campaign starting today to tie into six degrees of separation to see who your readers already know--people who are a few degrees away to find your amazing spirited lady to profile. Not only will this help you find other spirited women to profile, but it will empower your existing base to help you find some truly amazing people and share the path. For example, I know a producer at the 'Rachael Ray' show...so we are two away from Rachael Ray!"


From Jim Labadie:

"Videotape yourself with a crystal clear message for all those visitors to see first thing on the 11th. Who are you? How do you help them? Why should they subscribe to your newsletter? Besides just looking around, what specific action do you want them to take? Video is such a powerful way to deliver a concise message. And it shouldn’t be like your other video where they have to click multiple times to watch it. It should be like an embedded YouTube video where they click on the video and the message plays."


The Publicity Hound says: Jim's suggestion to offer video is easier than you might think. Tom Antion, my mentor, has created a helpful set of two CDs. Learn how to create high-end infomercials on a low-end budget, how speakers can create their own videos to use in their marketing campaign, and how to create screen-capture videos right on your computer and sell them as info-products. Read more about it and see the cool videos Tom created himself at http://tinyurl.com/y3b6wj


Read all the responses to this Help this Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/37nlvh


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

Carol Bloom Stevens of Rye Brook, New York writes:

"My husband, Mark Stevens, wrote a book called 'God Is a Salesman: Learn from the Master' which will be published by Hachette at the end of this year.

"We are looking for a Christian faith-based PR firm to get the word out to the churches across the country to buy this book. Grace Hill Media does this for movies like Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ." We are seeking specialists in the book publishing industry.

"We're also looking for creative ideas from other Hounds on how our own PR firm, MSCO, can promote this to consumer and business media."

The Publicity Hound says: Lots of authors and book publishers read this newsletter, Carol, and I'm sure you'll get lots of ideas. Here's my own:

Any author who wants to create a buzz for a book on just about any topic should head over to Amazon.com, a high-traffic website that offers 17 opportunities to promote your books, CDs and other products--even on your competitors' product pages. Mark can review other books and even provide a "Top 10" list of his favorite sales strategies or tips. Randy Gilbert and Don Mitchell explain all the other ways to use Amazon to promote.

They were my guests when I interviewed them on "How to Turn Amazon.com into a River of Gold." It's available as a CD or electronic transcript. You can download the handout with all 17 ideas as soon as your order has been approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/7u76e


Hounds with ideas for Carol can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/yvlbcq


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

Dogs are better than kids. They eat less, don't ask for money all the time, are trained, usually come when called, never drive your car, don't hang out with drug-using friends, don't smoke or drink, don't worry about whether they have the latest fashions, don't wear your clothes and don't need a gazillion dollars for college. And if they get pregnant, you can sell the pups.


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

Restaurant reviewers report on dirty restrooms
http://tinyurl.com/3d6nxp


Online games, quizzes great for website promotion
http://tinyurl.com/38gmnu


Fortune Small Business wants to know your financials
http://tinyurl.com/2agmkw


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

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®


August 14: Norfolk, Virginia

9 a.m. to noon: "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Free Print, Broadcast & Online Publicity." 1:30-4 p.m.: "The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Consumers, Not Only for Journalists." Each session is $97. Or attend the entire day for $147, and save $47. Register at http://www.PublicityHound.com/norfolk.htm


August 15: Virginia Beach, Virginia

I'll be spending the day with Internet marketing expert Tom Antion, my mentor, in his office, learning the latest strategies for Internet marketers. It's the annual daylong training session for members who join the Internet Association of Information Marketers at the highest level. If you earn most of your revenue through Internet marketing, you can join at the Outer Circle level, then meet us at Tom's place for this day of training. This one day alone is worth 50 times more than the price of membership. Or if you're just starting out, join for $15 a month. Learn more about the association at http://tinyurl.com/54dp6


September 11: Brookfield, Wisconsin

Association for Volunteer Administration of Southeastern Wisconsin, keynote presentation on "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Thousands of Dollars in FREE Online and Offline Publicity," 9:45 a.m., University of Phoenix Metro-Milwaukee Campus, 20075 Watertower Blvd. $30 for AVA/SEW and IAVCmembers, $40 for non-members. Deadline August 31. Learn more at http://www.ava-sew.org/content/blogcategory/5/4/or call Kay Bloesl at 414-571-1327 to register.


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/
=====================================

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...


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

Publicity tips/Pan for gold at Amazon December 12, 2006

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #323 - Dec. 12, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
>http://www.PublicityHound.com
>http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 26,775

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

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

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

*************************************************
Let Journalists Critique Your Pitches:

Fern Reiss of Expertizing.com, one of the smartest Publicity Hounds I know, has a Rolodex of hundreds of journalists that would make anybody envious. She's willing to introduce you to them and is launching a program so they can review your pitches, critique them and consider covering you.

"They're ready to hear your news--and have agreed to consider you for their pieces, or to tell you why your pitch was inappropriate for their publication. At worst, you'll learn why your pitches aren't succeeding--valuable information in formulating new publicity strategies--and make contact with hundreds of new journalists that you can approach again. At best, you'll get coverage in dozens of top publications."

The journalists cover a variety of beats and areas, ranging from high-tech to health, but the primary focus will be on journalists covering business such as those from Inc. magazine, Fortune, BusinessWeek and Harvard Business Review, plus lifestyle journalists at magazines like Glamour, Redbook and Reader's Digest. Every four to six weeks, she'll introduce you to a literary agent. This fee-based service includes pitching tips, interviews with the journalists before you pitch, and complete contact info so you can be in touch with them even after the program ends.

Learn more at >http://www.expertizing.com/forum.htm And please tell Fern I sent you. She'll take good care of you. Promise.

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

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

1. Pan for Gold at Amazon

2. A Press Release Journalists Love

3. Go in Style

4. Media Lead

5. Promoting a Job Service

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...

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1. Pan for Gold at Amazon
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If you're trying to position yourself as an expert, hop on over to Amazon.com and start panning for gold.

The popular website where you can buy everything from books to wireless telephone service is one of the best places on the Internet to promote your expertise, get in front of a targeted audience of buyers, and really flaunt your stuff--even if you aren't selling anything. That's because Amazon gives you 17 ways to show what you know.

Just ask Don Mitchell. The management consultant ranks as theNumber One non-fiction book reviewer on Amazon. He's so well-known by business authors that he's flooded with galleys and new books from eager publishers who literally beg him to offer his comments.

"I feel a little bit like the fellow at Sutter's Fort in California in the 1840s when he happened to bend down and spot this big gold nugget," Don said.

He started writing short book reviews on Amazon about 10 years ago, when his first book was published, and he was having such great response from Amazon customers that he kept writing reviews.

"Gradually, funny things started to happen. I started getting contacts from people who would ask me serious business questions. After a few emails back and forth, I would start to get clients this way. Who would have thought that a management consulting firm would attract CEOs of large companies through writing book reviews on Amazon? It was the first tip-off to me that there was something really going on there."

Indeed.

He even reviewed his competitors' books. And not all the reviews were positive. But that's what helps build the buzz online, and draw traffic to the review.

Because Amazon lets you create a profile for yourself and link back to your website, that translates into controversy and buzz that draws more traffic. And more big-contract consulting assignments for people like Don.

Amazon also lets you post articles. So you can recycle all those how-to articles that you've been writing for online article directories and your own website, and post them on relevant book pages on Amazon that tie into the same topic.

Is that cool or what?

Don met Randy Gilbert years ago on the Amazon website and the two have become experts at how to use Amazon to promote yourself and your business. They let me grill them about their Amazon strategy and how they use it to create sales leads. I recorded the interview and it's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order is approved.

This is an update of an earlier interview we did four years ago, because so much has changed at Amazon since then. Read more about what you'll learn at >http://tinyurl.com/ycl38b


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2. A Press Release Journalists Love
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Whenever I hear a journalist talking about a particular press release, she's usually making fun of it because the writing is so lame.

But when a magazine editor emails me and begs me to read a press release that's so incredibly clever, I just have to share it with you.

Thanks to Publicity Hound Leigh Ann Hubbard of Colorado Springs, Colorado, managing editor of "My Family Doctor: The Magazine That Makes Housecalls" for pointing out the fun press release at >http://tinyurl.com/ygfoxx It promotes an online gourmet food store.

"I thought it was brilliant," she said. "The quote from the'cart-weary customer' is awesome, too. As a journalist who wades through dozens of press releases a day, I appreciate the occasional humorous one. It catches my eye."

I'm not suggesting that if you have an online store that you can parrot the opening of this press release. Rather, I offer it only as an example of how to use humor in a release and really catch the reader's attention.

Here's betting that 9 out of 10 other writers would have written something like this:
"Net-gourmet.com, a cutting-edge, multi-platform solution provider for blah-blah-blah...today announced blan-blah-blah...."

The writer would have followed with a B.S. quote from the CEO about how "delighted" and "pleased" they are to blah-blah-blah...

Yuck.

If you need more ideas on how to inject humor into press releases, write them for consumers as well as journalists, and turn crummy releases into fabulous ones, sign up for my f*ree press release writing course called "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases" at >http://tinyurl.com/ydwtdw It's an intensive 89-day course that's the equivalent of getting a master's degree in press release writing and distribution.

If you don't have 89 days to spend learning, find out what David Meerman Scott has to say about "The New Rules of Press Releases" at http://tinyurl.com/ndwfo


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3. Go in Style
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Thanks to Publicity Hound Kathi Petersen for calling this one to my attention.

If you're visiting New York City for the holidays and you've just gotta go, stop in at the Charmin Restrooms at Broadway & 46th Street on Times Square.

It's a swanky storefront that offers the ultimate bathroom experience with 20 clean and comfortable deluxe restrooms--complete with fully-staffed attendants who clean the stalls after every use. Other amenities include two baby-changing stations, stroller parking, seating areas, tourist information, and even aroma therapy.

An estimated 15.3 million people will visit the Big Apple this holiday season--a city that's notorious for its lack of public restrooms. The Charmin potties are open until December 31, giving thousands of people the chance to try Charmin Ultra bathroom tissue.

Gigunda Group, Inc. created the branding campaign, with PR assistance from MS&L, a public relations firm. Gigunda's Tim Collins, senior account executive, says the New York Times has written five stories on the campaign, USA Today has written three, and the restrooms were featured on "Good Morning, America" and the "Today" show, as well as many other top-tier media outlets.

But here's what really makes The Publicity Hound smile.

Employees at the restrooms track every visitor and make note of where they live. Then the PR folks contact the media outlets in some of those towns and pitch "the local angle" to the Times Square story. That means even more publicity in hundreds of small newspapers and on TV stations all across America. You can check the Flush-o-Meter at >http://tinyurl.com/yb6d5k to see how many people have visited from your state or country. (If you're at work, turn down your speakers.)

If you can't afford a high-budget campaign like this one, you can at least learn some valuable lessons about how to stage special events. I love the use of humor, the Flush-o-Meter, and the interactive "Roll Toss Game" for people who can't make it to New York.

Debra J. Schmidt, who planned and hosted dozens of creative special events when she worked at a Milwaukee TV station, teamed up with me to record 6 CDs on "How to Plan & Promote Sizzling Special Events." It's also available as an electronic transcript, and each package includes 15 can't-do-without checklists for event planners, from things you must know if you're serving alcohol to an event budget work sheet so you don't spend more than you have. Read more about what you'll learn and download three sample checklists at >http://tinyurl.com/46jzg


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4. Media Leads
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--Terri Benincasa is writing a book called "Is That My Light at the End of the Tunnel?" She says "it's for and about Baby Boomers and details the way we’ve taken our great ideas of the 60s and 70s to dysfunctional extremes, resulting in many of the societal problems we all experience today--and how to fix them." She's looking for Boomers born between 1946 and 1964, or the child, parent or friend of a Boomer, who is aware of how the Boomer's ideas and values of the Boomer years have affected who they are today, and how and why they've lost those ideals. Mailto:terri@baccinc.com

If you're a journalist looking for sources, an author gathering information for your next book, or a broadcaster who needs certain kinds of guests, send your media lead to mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=MediaLead If you're a broadcaster who charges guests for sponsorships, or guests have to pay to be on your show, that doesn't qualify as the kind of media lead I'd include here.


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5. Promoting a Job Service
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This week, eight Publicity Hounds have ideas for Teri Arnold of Chesapeake, Virginia. She needs help promoting a small local non-profit that helps people with severe developmental disabilities find employment.


From Carolyn Chambers Clark:

"Consider writing a weekly developmental disabilities article on one of the major educational web sites: Bellaonline.com, Suite101.com, etc. It’s easy to build up your circulation to 100,000 viewers in a year and millions if you keep at it. The more articles you write, the more traffic you pull in. Each of these web sites has 'Contact us' or 'Looking for writers' at the top of their home page."

(The Publicity Hound says: "How to Write How-to Articles for Newspapers, Magazines & Trade Journals" at >http://tinyurl.com/dnxhb includes a handy template on how to write these articles.)

From Nancy Froio:

"What if your organization initiates an annual award, national and/or local, for the companies that are being blessed with your services. Like a good neighbor award, or along those lines. You could hold a fundraiser luncheon, presentation, and invite the media."

From John Easton:

"I would canvass some of the firms that currently support you. Some of the larger firms may have internal or outsourced PR resources that, if politely prompted, may initiate a campaign to promote the work their organization is doing with you. I have done this with great success with our local chamber of commerce. My time courting the press is limited, so my relationships are not as deep as those who do this for a living."

Read all the responses at >http://tinyurl.com/yf72wv

Paul Hartunian offers dozens more ideas on "Failproof Publicity Tips for Your Nonprofit" at >http://tinyurl.com/29dba


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6. Help This Hound
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Elaine Grassbaugh of Columbus, Ohio writes:

"Agriculture colleges across the U.S. are experiencing low enrollment rates, especially in the area of horticulture. This is mainly due to the cost of a 4- or 5-year bachelor's degree. Also, many two-year community colleges now offer this major. How can a department in a major land grant university, Ohio State, attract these students back to their four-year programs by increasing enrollment in these horticulture departments? Do your Hounds have any specific ideas for ways to publicize what we offer?


The Publicity Hound says: I know there are lots of PR people from college and universities among the ranks of my Hounds. So lets hear those great ideas. You can post them to my blog at >http://tinyurl.com/w7yb5 Also see "Special Report #15: Publicity Tips for Schools, Colleges & Universities" at >http://tinyurl.com/olqx4

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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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Top 10 Things Overheard 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 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 again? 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/

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8. And at My Blog...
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Publicity tips for construction trade mags
>http://tinyurl.com/ym9xae

Stuart Elliot, NYT ad columnist, offers tips
>http://tinyurl.com/ydwfah

Writing tip: Make statistics come alive
>http://tinyurl.com/ybwqrn


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're looking for.

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Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®

January 22, 2007:

Attention Artists--Frustrated that your art "business" is nothingmore than an expensive hobby? Worried about how to becomerecognized, exhibited, and paid for your art? Feel like there'stoo much competition, too few buyers and not enough energy leftat 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 "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® 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