Publicity tips/The Beauty of Inflight Publicity Oct 28, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #422 Oct. 28, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

Circulation: 50,888

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

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

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

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

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

How to do Social Networking, Run a Business & Still Have a Life:

This is the teleseminar many of you have been begging me to
offer.

If you didn't know any better, you'd think that BL Ochman, one of
the most prolific and well-respected bloggers and social
networkers, does social networking 24/7, but she doesn't. Join
us on November 6 for a 70-minute teleseminar and hear her explain
how she rations her time, uses a variety of social networking
tools, and still manages to set aside a huge chunk of her
schedule each day for client projects. She'll also explain how
she'll use social networking to launch a new business---tips many
of you can use to promote your existing businesses.

Register at http://tinyurl.com/6kswbc

See Item #2 below.

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

1. The Beauty of Inflight Publicity

2. Two More Social Networking Tasks

3. Newspaper Circulation Plummeting

4. For Authors Only & a Correction

5. Promoting a 10th Anniversary

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


========================================
1. The Beauty of Inflight Publicity
========================================

Fasten your seat belts and make sure your tray tables are in
their full, upright and locked positions. It's time to fly into
the hemisphere of inflight publicity.

"I never really considered in-flight magazines until your
suggestion prompted me to contact one of the major airlines and
pitch our product, a pair of compact binoculars," says Jason
Claybrook, a public relations specialist with Carl Zeiss Sports
Optics. "It was very well-received by the editors and we ended up
in Delta Sky's 'Splurge of the Month' section."

Jason's company received such tremendous feedback from travelers
throughout the world that it allowed them to tap into a market
where they needed more exposure. His success story is one of
dozens I hear each year from happy Hounds who find their way into
the inflight magazines.

The most recent is from Publicity Hound Nancy Juetten, a
publicist who scored a major hit for her client, Zook Hooks, a
company that makes inexpensive but fashionable hooks you can hang
on the end of a table and use to keep your purse or bag off germ-
laden floors.

Zook Hooks are featured in the holiday gift section inside the
November issue of Alaska Airlines magazine. You can read the
entire story of how Nancy pitched the editors--and spiced up the
pitch with great photos and persistent follow-up that closed the
deal--at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/3l8k7q

When we updated our database this year, we found major changes
such as new publishing companies, contact information, websites,
and new locations for online media kits for 22 magazines. Three
magazines have ceased publication, one changed its name, and we
found eight additional inflight magazines we didn't know existed.
Last year's report featured 43 magazines. This year, you'll find
50.

And this time around, we added 10 more examples of how Publicity
Hounds found their way into these magazines, or new pitches you
can consider using.

Why has so much information changed in 12 months? Mostly because
the magazine and airline industries are in a huge state of flux.
Don't work off an old report and send your information to the
wrong editor. Get our updated report for only $47.

Order at http://tinyurl.com/n3pk4


============================================
2. Two More Social Networking Tasks
============================================

If your head is about to explode with all the information I'm
feeding you on social networking, try to cram two more nuggets of
information into your brain.

The first is about social bookmarking sites. The second is about
photo-sharing sites. Smart Publicity Hounds use both.

Bookmarking sites like http://digg.com/ let you record, or vote
for, your favorite websites, blogs and articles. The more votes a
particular article receives, the higher it rises to the top of
the list at those websites. You can see other people's
favorites, and they can see yours.

Social bookmarking has several advantages:

--It helps promote your expertise because when people see your
recommendation, they will be curious about what other sites
you've recommended.

--It gives you a link back to your own site. If they're
impressed with the content, they might visit your website to see
what other information you have there.

--Social bookmarking sites pull huge amounts of traffic so you
have the potential to get in front of a lot of people.

--It lets you join the conversation online.

--It's great in Google's eyes. If Google recognizes a large
number of incoming links to a particular article or blog post,
Google thinks that if a lot of people are voting for it, it must
be good. Backlinks, or sites that link to your site, are
important. Through bookmarking, you could prompt a large number
of bloggers to link to your content if the headline and content
are intriguing, controversial or funny enough.

Photo-sharing sites like Flickr at http://www.Flickr.com have
numerous advantages:

--They let you publish a collection of digital photos online.

--You can also organize and share photos, tag them with relevant
keywords, and use them to attract the attention of people who are
going to these sites and searching for specific types of photos.
If someone is searching for photos of walking shoes, for
instance, and you sell walking shoes, they'll find your photos
and maybe even click through to your website and buy a pair.

--Even though photos at these sites generally don't rank very
high in the search engines, they get huge amounts of traffic.
You never know who is going to be looking for photos associated
with your company.

--Bummed because the local newspaper won't print photos from your
event? Post the photos at these sites, where there may be far
more people looking for photos than there are reading your local
paper.


BL Ochman, one of my favorite bloggers and social media experts,
will explain how to add these two tasks to your work week without
driving yourself crazy. She'll be my guest during a teleseminar
Nov. 6 on "How to do Social Networking, Run a Business & Still
Have a Life." Only 100 seats are available, and I'm anticipating
another sell-out.

If you have another commitment, that's OK. You'll receive the MP3
recording. Register at http://tinyurl.com/6kswbc


=============================================
3. Newspaper Circulation Plummeting
=============================================

Newspapers' paid circulation continues to plummet.

Statistics released this week by the Audit Bureau of Circulations
shows that the largest newspapers in the industry continued to
lose readers. Only USA Today, the biggest weekday paper in the
U.S., and The Wall Street Journal, holding the No. 2 slot,
reported increases--and each grew only 0.01 percent.

The New York Times and the remainder of the top 25 weekday papers
all sank. Paid weekday circulation fell 3.6 percent at The Times,
5.2 percent at the Los Angeles Times, 7.2 percent at the Daily
News in New York, 6.3 percent at the New York Post, 1.9 percent
at the Washington Post, 7.8 percent at the Chicago Tribune and
11.7 percent at the Houston Chronicle.

Readers aren't the only ones leaving newspapers in droves.
Advertisers are too, taking their ad dollars online, or turning
to Craigslist.

How much time are you spending trying to chase down newspaper
reporters and editors at big papers like these, versus focusing
your efforts in the social networking communities like LinkedIn,
Facebook and Twitter where many former newspaper readers can be
found? Reporters and editors at those big papers, by the way,
often search for expert sources at these three sites. If you
aren't there, you lose.

Three teleseminars I conducted the past few months provide
everything you need to get started right now learning the ins and
outs of these sites--and knowing how to promote the right way.

Most of you are already on LinkedIn, but how many of you know how
to use it to promote? Let Scott Allen show you how. He was my
guest expert during a teleseminar series on "How to Use LinkedIn
to Promote Anything--Ethically & Powerfully." It's available as
electronic transcripts and your choice of CDs or MP3s. Read more
about how to persuade your LinkedIn connections to help you
promote whatever you're selling at http://tinyurl.com/5zvzyd


=========================================
4. For Authors Only & a Correction
=========================================

If you're writing a book, far better to know BEFORE you start
writing all the ways you can promote your book. Knowing that
beforehand will help you write the type of book that's easier to
promote.

But most authors have it backwards. They write the book first,
and then learn later that few media outlets or readers care about
what they've written because the content doesn't lend itself
to a good hook or angle.

Steve Harrison wants to give you several tips on how to do it
right. He's offering a free telephone seminar at 7 p.m. Eastern
Time tonight, that includes other strategies you can use to
promote almost any book, product or service.

To reserve your spot on this free 75-minute teleseminar, register
at http://tinyurl.com/6m93g5

You'll also learn:

--Why conventional press releases are usually not the best way to
contact journalists and what to send instead.

--What a "Good Morning America" producer told Steve is the
absolute best way to pitch his show--something very few
publicity-seekers do but dramatically increases your chances of
getting booked.

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

--Five proven ways to create a compelling publicity "hook" or
angle.

You'll even learn what to never wear on TV. Sign up at
http://tinyurl.com/6m93g5


Several sharp Publicity Hounds caught my big mistake last week
when I said Mark Victor Hansen & Jack Canfield self-published
their popular "Chicken Soup" series. Shelley Lieber points outs
out: "Their publisher from the beginning to until very recently
was Health Communications, Inc. (HCI), a small publisher in
Deerfield Beach, FL. This is not the first reference I've seen to
them being self-published, so it may be that you received
inaccurate information."

No, I just didn't double-check and I should have. Thanks for the
heads-up, Hounds.


==========================================
5. Promoting a 10th Anniversary
==========================================

This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Jeff Elliot of
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, manager at PlanetX, a family entertainment
center. He is looking for ideas on how they can celebrate their
10th anniversary. The website is http://www.planetxfuncenter.com


From Maria Marsala, Chief Business Collaborator:

"How about rolling back the prices to what they were 10 years
ago?"


From Suzanne Sokolov:

"We have four components to suggest:

--A blowout party. One whole day, reserved for all 10 year olds.

--Public recognition. Apply for recognition from Cedar Rapids for
an official proclamation naming the day "Planet X Day"

--A fun educational element. Sponsor jugglers to go into the
schools to teach juggling--this elicits better hand-eye
coordination. Perhaps with give-away balls emblazoned with
the Planet X logo. Use the visit as a means of overlaying a
physics lesson of gravity and planetary motion.

--A charitable element. Free admission or such for adults who
sign up to be a Big Brother or Big Sister."


From Messianic Media:

"The fact that you will be offering 10th anniversary prices means
that price should be a large part of your marketing mix. Try
giving percentage off coupons for specific quarters of the year,
like 15 percent off for the first three months. And advertise
with all local stores."


The Publicity Hound says:

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

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


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

This week, I received two Help this Hound questions from the
owners of businesses that sell T-shirts--Andrea Ayers of Boulder,
Colorado and Michelle Pratt-Lienhart of Webster, New Hampshire.
I'm including both of them here because their problem is
similar--how to attract attention and generate publicity and
interest for their shirts.

One company, Tees For Change, sells a line of eco-friendly
apparel that inspires positive thinking. They're available at
their website and in about 200 yoga studios, boutiques and green
stores, including Whole Foods. The company plants a tree for each
tee it sells.

The other company, Just Be, is built around an online
community/blog for people to share how they can Just Be (just be
punk, just be green, just be a breast cancer survivor). It has a
presence on several social networking sites and targets teens,
tweens and twenty-somethings.

You can read both questions and offer your best ideas at my blog
at http://tinyurl.com/6l4oy5


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

This isn't a joke, but it's a story with a happy ending--and
during fire safety month, too. Read about Leo, a terrier cross in
Australia, that was hailed as a hero on Sunday after it risked
its life to save a litter of newborn kittens from a house fire.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27381659/?GT1=43001


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

Top 75 PR blogs: Is Your Favorite on This List?
http://tinyurl.com/6f38ch

Artists, Don't Let the Bad Economy Paralyze You
http://tinyurl.com/5oqe3l



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

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

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



WHERE TO SEE AND HEAR THE PUBLICITY HOUND:


Oct. 30--Teleseminar


"Using Online PR to Grow Your New Business." Join me and Brian
Soltis, creator of the social media press release, as we share
lots of tips with business owners on how to generate massive
publicity. We'll be taking your questions for a half hour, too.
Register for free at http://tinyurl.com/57smp6


Nov. 6--Teleseminar

"How to Use Publicity To Become an Expert and Grow Your
Business," part of the Business Owner Super Conference. It's
already started, but you can still get in on the action at
http://tinyurl.com/633m83 A terrific training session for
business owners everywhere, with a line-up of top speakers.



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


========================================
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/Google Alerts' Big Payoff Nov 13, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #372 Nov. 13, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 35,957

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Google Alerts' Big Payoff

2. Pizza Hut's Job Offer

3. Ferret Poop to the Rescue

4. Promote Interesting Places

5. Ideas for a Dryer Vent Company

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. Google Alerts' Big Payoff
======================================

Google Alerts might well be the most valuable online tool you can use in your publicity campaign.

Just ask publicist Renee Young, whose client, Dr. Amiya Prasad, a New York City plastic surgeon, appeared on a two-minute segment on this morning's "Good Morning America" as a result.

Google Alerts is a nifty service that notifies you as soon as something appears online about your area of expertise.

Renee went to http://www.google.com/alerts and created a Google Alert for "plastic surgery" so she could pitch her client and piggyback off related breaking news events. Google scans news stories, blogs, websites, videos and even user groups to find information related to "plastic surgery" and emails her whenever it finds something.

Yesterday, Google alerted her that Donda West, mother and manager of hip-hop star Kanye West, had died, possibly of complications from cosmetic surgery.

"I dropped what I was doing and got on the phone to pitch my doctor as an expert to the national morning shows and local television news," said Renee, of Renee Young & Associates in Scarsdale, New York. "Three hours later, I was in my client's office with a crew from Good Morning America."

Here are other ways to use Google Alerts:

--To find bloggers who are writing about your topic, so you can post comments at their blogs, or pitch them.

--To find journalists who cover your area of expertise. Once you know the name of the journalist who wrote a particular story, you can do even more research on them before pitching. How? By creating a Google Alert for their name.

--To get up to speed quickly on hot topics.

If you haven't created Google Alerts yet, get going. Then, while you're waiting for your information, learn more about how to get yourself or your PR client onto shows like "Good Morning, America," the "Today" show and "Fox & Friends." My CD and electronic transcript on "How to Get Booked on the Morning TV Talk Shows" explains how to pitch each show, what they're looking for, and how to make your pitch stand out from the thousands of other people who are pitching.

Click here to continue reading more about how to score a publicity coup on these shows: http://tinyurl.com/ab86x


========================================
2. Pizza Hut's Job Offer
========================================

Kudos to Pizza Hut for jumping on celebrity Reece Witherspoon's innocent, but not-so-nice, comment about pizza delivery drivers and turning it into some fun publicity.

The actress told a journalist that her 4-year-old son, Deacon Phillippe, wants to be a pizza delivery driver when he grows up.

"Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it's hard to see how it could be a career as such," she said.

Pizza Hut responded immediately. Sandi Karrmann, identified as the "Chief People Officer" for the pizza chain, wrote a letter to the boy, offered him a job when he's older, and even sent him a package of gifts. It included a Pizza Hut uniform "that's just your size," writes Karrmann, and a mini-delivery car "for you to polish your driving skills." She also sent gift cards for Pizza Hut pizzas.

"We have delivery drivers who have worked for us for 10, 15, even 20 years!" says the letter. "And the same Pizza Hut drivers who deliver hot, fresh pizzas right to your door have gone on to become successful business people, doctors, lawyers and, yes, actors."

That, my fellow Hounds, is brilliant. And thanks to Publicity Hound Andrea Swinton of Toronto for pointing it out and sending the link to the article at http://tinyurl.com/2ejzoc

Want more ideas on how to do what Pizza Hut did? "Special Report#50: How to Piggyback onto Celebrity News to Promote Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue," gives you lots of ideas. Only $10. Order at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g


=========================================
3. Ferret Poop to the Rescue
=========================================

Here's another example of how a trade association jumped on a news story for publicity.

Last week, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced an experiment in which people can dispose of harmful prescription drugs safely without flushing them down the toilet, which can harm the environment.

More than 6,300 pharmacies throughout the U.S. have signed up for the pilot project. When patients fill prescriptions for a list of abuse-prone medicines, the pharmacist also will hand over a flyer urging them to hide whatever pills are left over in cat litter, then wrap it up and throw it in the garbage.

Another way to disguise leftover pills is to mix them with used coffee grounds.

What if you don't drink coffee or own a cat, but you have a ferret?

"Ferret waste, like nearly any other form of pet waste, can be effectively used to help prevent the abuse of unused prescription drugs," said a spokesman for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Enter the American Ferret Association, which responded by saying, "The U.S. government declares ferret poop to be an effective weapon against drug abuse."

Hmmm. Do you think the association learned about this through a Google Alert? Thanks to Publicity Hound Traci Browne of Cheltenham, Pennsylvania for tipping us off to this one.

Opportunities like this are perfect for writing press releases and posting them online. If you struggle with releases, I have good news. Gone are the days when we had to write them only when we had "legitimate" news. Today's smart Publicity Hounds are writing press releases and posting them online not only for journalists, but for consumers.

My free tutorial "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases" is a graduate-level course on how to write and distribute them. Sign up at http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/list.htm


=========================================
4. Promote Interesting Places
=========================================

If you're promoting a tourist attraction, an event, a neighborhood, or even something as mundane as your local firehouse, here's a cool social media tool to use in your publicity campaign.

It's called waymarking, and you can do it at http://www.waymarking.com/. Publicity Hound Rebecca Davey of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio emailed me last week to tell me about it.

"The website is dedicated to marking interesting places from abstract public sculptures to firehouses to Minor League baseball stadiums to even Starbucks stores plus many, many more," Rebecca says.

She does publicity for the Irish community in the Akron area and waymarked the newest Irish-American Historical marker in Ohio.You can see her entry at http://tinyurl.com/yt84fx

Post photos, link back to your website, search for locations similar to yours, and have fun with this site. You don't need a GPS unit but you must know the longitude and latitude of what you're promoting.

You can post for free, but a premium membership for $3 a month or $30 a year gives you full use of the site.

This is a great way to promote special events. Debra J. Schmidt and I came up with 847 more ways when we created "How to Plan & Promote Sizzling Special Events." It's available as a package of 6 audio CDs or electronic transcripts that you can download as soon as your order has been approved. Both formats come with 15 "can't do without" checklists for event planners and publicists.

Click here to continue reading more about what you'll learn:http://tinyurl.com/46jzg


==========================================
5. Ideas for a Dryer Vent Company
==========================================

This week, seven Publicity Hounds have tips on how Janice Bittner of northern Virginia can promote her company, Dryer Vent Wizard, which cleans, fixes and installs dryer vents in an effort to help prevent dryer fires.


From Tom Reitz:

"Most fire departments have public education officers who do lots of fire prevention education in schools, shopping malls, etc. In our region, the fire departments hold a Fire Prevention Day where people can learn about fire safety, get free batteries for smoke detectors, sit in a fire truck, etc., and often the fire department will distribute loot bags of information and products to local citizens. If they say 'no' because you’re a commercial company, offer a coupon for your services to be used as a give- away at their next public event."


From Cheryl Pickett:

"There are a ton of Mom/Family-type websites and magazines that I’m sure would welcome a tips list, article or even review the product for their readers."


From Linda Swisher:

"Janice should visit Chase's Calendar of Events at http://www.chases.com/ to create her own commemorative holiday like "Dryer Vent Safety Day. Once her holiday is created, write White Papers, fact sheets and create publicity around the event she created."


The Publicity Hound says:

Janice, start pitching the bloggers and offer lists of tips on how to prevent vent fires. Use the Technorati search engine at http://www.technorati.com/ to search for bloggers by topic.


"How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion"shows you how to find influential bloggers, start building a relationship, then pitch them with information that will help their readers. Patsi Krafoff, Denise Wakeman and I shared our best tips on this audio or electronic transcript that you can read as soon as your order has been approved. We even tell you which major mistakes to avoid when pitching bloggers.

Continue reading more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/m7ymr

Read all the responses to this Help This Hound comment at http://tinyurl.com/37t4jb


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

Rebecca Witek of Buffalo Grove, Illinois writes:

"I started a website for young designers at http://www.youngdesignersguide.com/ that focuses on the soon-to-be or newly graduated. I was in their shoes not too long ago, and I've realized as a graphic designer that it's important to understand and learn skills that compliment their creative talents such as marketing, networking, public relations and business.

"I post articles monthly, but I need to build up awareness and hopefully get input from other experts. I would really like to see it grow. Any ideas?"


The Publicity Hound says:

I'll bet many experts who read this newsletter would love to get in front of your audience with their articles and other information. OK, Hounds. What does Rebecca need to do to find more content for her website and attract more young designers? I see one thing on the homepage that might be discouraging visitors, and at least one thing that might be creating problems for the search engines. Let's see if other Hounds can find them. Post your best ideas to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/353xdy


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

I went to a movie theater the other day and saw an old man and his dog in the front row.

It was a sad/funny kind of film. During the sad parts, the dog cried his eyes out, and during the funny parts, the dog laughed his head off. This happened all the way through the movie.

When it ended, I walked up to the man and said, "That's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Your dog really seemed to enjoy the film."

The man turned to me and said, "Yeah, it is. He hated the book."


P.S. Bogie received her diploma last week at our final puppy training class. We both got straight As when asked to demonstrate "sit," "stay," "come" and "down." She "stayed" longer than Emma, Kokomo and Rebel, the other hounds, even when I turned and walked away from her. And we got bonus points when I issued the command "Shake!" and she lifted her paw to shake, something they didn't teach in class. Now it's onto Big Dog School.


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

Authors lose during writers strike
http://tinyurl.com/3dgqxv


Nonprofit bios: Keep 'em short and credible
http://tinyurl.com/2q2cno


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/


----------------------------------------------------------
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/Target Travelers Oct 9, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #367 Oct. 9, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 34,944

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Save the Dates:

--If you're an author who's relying on bookstores to sell most of your books, you're doing it the hard way! That's because thousands of other books are vying for the buyers' attention. Market the smart way by positioning yourself as an expert online. Adam Witty and Tom Antion will show you how during a free teleseminar at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, October 22. Check next week's newsletter for details.

--Gurnee, Illinois, here I come. Don't miss my two workshops on Thursday, November 8, at the Gurnee Mall in Gurnee, Illinois. The morning session from 9 to noon will be on "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity." The afternoon session from 1 to 3:30 p.m. will explain "The New Rules of Press Releases." Come for one or both. Registration information in next week's newsletter.

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

1. Target Travelers

2. Speak at Colleges

3. Your Own National TV Show

4. Enticing Food Bloggers

5. Promoting a Sonoma County Website

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. Target Travelers
======================================

Three out of four people on an airplane read the in-flight magazine that's tucked into the seat pocket in front of them.

Statistics show that most of those readers pass along the magazine to a friend, co-worker or relative. And those people pass it along yet again. On average, at least four other people read an inflight magazine after the traveler carries it off the airplane.

That's why targeting leisure and business travelers with a message about your product, service, cause or issue can be so valuable to your publicity campaign. Many inflight magazines have high circulations of more than a million.

That's a lot of eyeballs reading about you.

Last year, when I updated the special report I wrote on how to pitch your story to inflight magazines, my researchers found that contact information at several magazines had changed. When we updated the report this month, however, we found major changes at 25 of the 43 magazines in our report. Many publishing companies, addresses, key editorial contacts, pitching tips and website URLs have changed in just 12 months.

That's partly because the magazine and airline industries are in a huge state of flux.

Once you know the names of your key contacts, and exactly what they're looking for, you can start pitching. Most magazines prefer stories that tie into specific cities the airlines serve. They love knowing about things like special events and other tourist attractions.

Many magazines publish profile stories of successful local business people. They want calendar listings and even product samples for their "new products" sections. Many of them concentrate on a wide variety of general-interest topics such as technology, business, entertainment, beauty and fashion.

If you can't get your story into one of these magazines, you might be able to place a good-quality photo. The 2007 issue of "Special Report #29: Fly High with Publicity in the In-flight Magazines" includes live links for most of the magazines. Some of those links lead directly to their online media kits and editorial calendars. The report is only $37. You can order it at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g and download it as soon as your order has been approved.


========================================
2. Speak at Colleges
========================================

If you're a professional speaker, author, trainer, coach or consultant--or an expert with a topic that college students, faculty or staff would find appealing--market yourself as a speaker to colleges and universities.

The best topics include anything dealing with leadership, being successful in and out of school, relationships and dating, overcoming challenges, alcohol awareness and drug prevention, and gearing up for the job market.

If you book a gig at a college, you can generate publicity:

--In college newspapers.

--On college radio and TV stations.

--In newspapers and on radio and TV stations in communities where the college is located.

--In blogs and ezines read by students, faculty and staff.

--In alumni magazines for your college or the colleges where you speak.

Not only that, but college administrators and staff who are responsible for bringing in speakers will probably refer you to people at other colleges and universities who hire speakers, assuming they love your presentation.

James Malinchak, "The King of the College Speaking Market," says many colleges have up to 17 types of key people who book speakers for events. Those events include student leadership gatherings, student government events, lectures sponsored by fraternities and sororities, career and job fairs, commencements and graduations, student conferences and summer programs. Add to the list academic, athletic and club events, and other meetings where an"outside" expert is needed.

James also says there are enough colleges and universities to keep a speaker busy for the remainder of their speaking career. But you have to know how to get in front of the decision-makers who do the hiring.

Join me this afternoon for a f*ree one-hour telephone seminar, and listen to James spill the beans on how to break into the college speaking circuit. It will be at 4 PM Eastern Time, and he'll be providing several lists of tips, so be ready to take lots of notes. Register at http://www.collegespeakingsuccess.com/stewart and he'll send you the call-in number and access code. If you can't join us this afternoon, sign up anyway and he'll send you a recording of the call.


=========================================
3. Your Own National TV Show
=========================================

Wishing and hoping for your own show on national TV?

Stop waiting for an invitation to audition. Instead, create your own show on your cable TV company's public access channel.

That's what foodie Dave Lieberman did when he was a student at Yale University. On his show "Campus Cuisine," he demonstrated how fellow students could cook like a gourmet on a shoestring budget. One segment, for example, showed how to whip up a smoothie using dining-hall fruit.

The show gained a cult following, with many students clamoring for recipes they could cook to impress a date. Students passed around tapes of his show, and his fame spread from the campus in New Haven, Connecticut to the studios of the Food Network, where 27-year-old Lieberman now stars in his own popular cooking show "Good Deal with Dave Lieberman."

Taking advantage of the public access channel, where you don't pay for air time, gives you invaluable experience in front of a camera. You can make your mistakes before a relatively small audience, and learn as you go. When you're ready for the next step, you can take your show nationwide by buying leased access time in TV markets large or small.

Using leased access lets you target specific cities during specific times of the day or night. Buying air time in 20 small, inexpensive markets throughout the U.S. can generate as many viewers as buying air time in one large expensive market like New York City.

Robert Smith has been using this strategy for himself and his PR clients. During a teleseminar I conducted with him, he explained how he did it. "How to Create Your Own National TV Show for Less Than $400 a Month" walks you step-by-step through the entire process.

It's available as a CD, and as soon as your order has been approved, you can download the handout that lists more than 50 story ideas. Click here to continue reading more about what you'll learn: http://tinyurl.com/y4by43


=========================================
4. Enticing Food Bloggers
=========================================

An article in Saturday's Wall Street Journal at http://tinyurl.com/3alxfg explains that as online food sites become increasingly influential in the restaurant business, chefs and owners are offering bloggers complimentary meals to get good write-ups.

In fact, publicists across the restaurant industry are now including bloggers and food website forum hosts on their medialists, and regularly inviting them to opening parties, f*ree meals and other events.

Bribery? Maybe.

But companies have been sending f*ree samples of their products to the traditional media for years, hoping for good reviews. And reaching out to influential bloggers is now a key component to almost any publicity campaign. With restaurants, however, the difference is that when you're dealing with bloggers, you might have to suffer in silence if they write a bad review.

That's because some bloggers don't allow comments at their blogs. A bad review can live online forever, with no opportunity for the restaurant to write a rebuttal.

If you want to invite bloggers to your food-related event, by all means do. But understand that:

--Most writers don't have to abide by ethics policies like the
ones that are in place at many newspapers and magazines. Traditional food reviewers usually try to dine anonymously and pay their own way to ensure that the review reflects the way average customers can expect to be treated. If a restaurant invites a blogger to dine, chances are good that the steak might be a little bigger than the steaks served to regular patrons.

--Unlike traditional food reviewers, bloggers don't have to fact-check their reviews.

--Bloggers love to link to each other. That means one lousy review can find its way onto other blogs and into discussion forums.

The advantage, of course, is that consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet to research products and services before they buy. One glowing review can bring droves of diners to your restaurant.

The Wall Street Journal article also mentioned that some food blogs and discussion forums are policing each other. Eater.com, for example--which discusses gossip on the New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco restaurant scenes--tips off readers if it suspects that restaurant owners or employees wrote postings about their own restaurants at other blogs or food sites. Eater highlights those postings in a section called "Adventures in Shilling."

Reach out to bloggers, but don't miss all the other "Publicity Tips for Restaurants, Chefs & Foodies" which I created with Jaime Oikle of the Restaurant Report. 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/clr26


==========================================
5. Promoting a Sonoma County Website
==========================================

This week, Publicity Hounds offer several great ideas for Nancy Hayssen of Sonoma County, California. She wants to know how to promote her website at http://www.sonomacountyairport.com/ It targets Sonoma County residents and visitors who are traveling to the wine country from Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland.


From Garth Gibson:

"Think about adding more wine education resources in the form of reports with titles like: How To Boost Your Wine IQ, 10 Hottest Wineries in the Sonoma Valley, 25 Great Wine Sonoma Valley Getaway Ideas, and Must-See Sonoma Valley Wine Places To Visit Before You Die."


From Howard:

"Obtain coupon offers for tours, gifts, wine tasting, B&Bs, balloon rides, etc. Don't be afraid to charge those merchants some money for the benefit. Make sure to meta-tag those offers which may help you with the search engines."


A web design student says:

"Put together a memento book for each traveler. Have your logo on the front, your contact information on the back. Put in some interesting facts about the Wine Country. Leave a page for them to enter: flight date, captain, passengers in group, etc. Then leave some pages for photos. This all can be done on your computer for less than a good bottle of wine! It's a great memento, and it keeps your contact information with them and anyone they show the photos to!"


The Publicity Hound encourages you to ask for the visitor's name and email address in a box that bounces down from the top of your screen like I do at http://www.publicityhound.com/ because this box bypasses the pop-up box filters and is right in the visitors' faces. You can buy the coding for the Hover Ad Generator at http://tinyurl.com/2pebvb

Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/2jqwf3


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

Karla Kinstler of Houston, Minnesota writes:

"I coordinate the International Festival of Owls at http://www.festivalofowls.com/ It's held annually the first weekend in March in the tiny little town of Houston, MN (population 1,020). It began simply as a hatch-day party for Alice the Great Horned Owl, the Houston Nature Center's only live animal, and grew into an event that last year brought in people from England, Jamaica, and Alaska. It is the only full-weekend, all-owl event in North America.

"The event is entirely focused on owls, including live owls, owl prowls to call in wild owls at night, top-name 'owlologists' as speakers, owl-themed food, owl photography sessions, owl crafts, the presentation of the World Owl Hall of Fame Awards (derived from a Publicity Hound suggestion!) And more owl things than you can shake a stick at.

"While we're developing an international following, our attendance has yet to climb over the 500 mark. With great events for families, biologists, and photographers, I truly believe our attendance should be at least 1,000, given our very rural location.

"Owls are such a fun subject to work with, I'm betting there are some Hounds out there with excellent publicity ideas.


The Publicity Hound says:
What a way to hoot it up! I know my Hounds will think of lots of fun ideas for this one, including some audio and video that will really help bring in the crowds. If you have a great idea for Karla, post it to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/26rs9p


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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Dennis Tooley, publisher of the FunnyBone newsletter at http://www.bigfatbellylaugh.com/ for this one:


Behind every cat that crosses the street, there is a dog saying, "Go ahead, you can make it."


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

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

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


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

Targeting Teens? Use Facebook and MySpace equally
http://tinyurl.com/2sd2vl


Organic industry should be pitching right now
http://tinyurl.com/38z3q7


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

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®


Oct. 9: Teleseminar on "How to Get onto the College Speaking Circuit"

With James Malinchak, 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. This complimentary, high-content call will be chock full of lists of tips on how to make a bundle speaking at colleges. It will whet your appetite for his boot camp Nov. 29-Dec. 2 in Los Angeles. Sign up for the teleseminar at http://tinyurl.com/fs56k


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/Your Hand Sanitizer Can be Poisonous Sept 25, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #365 Sept. 25, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 35,713

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

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Announcements:

--James Malinchak, an expert on how to get onto the college speaking circuit and generate tons of publicity doing it, will be my guest once again during a complimentary teleseminar at 4 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, Oct. 9. This is a high-content call chock full of lists of tips that will whet your appetite for his boot camp Nov. 29-Dec. 2 in Los Angeles. Warning: I got several complaints last year that the boot camp sold out early because James lets past attendees return as many times as they wish. So if you're thinking of going, don't wait until the last minute. Sign up for the teleseminar at http://tinyurl.com/fs56k

--Join me from 1 to 2:30 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, Sept. 27, for the teleseminar on "PR Writing Boot camp: Give Your PR Writing More Polish, Punch and Power." Sponsored by Bulldog Reporter, this session will be packed with tips and writing exercises designed to streamline the writing process and strengthen your press release or pitch. You'll learn how to craft the first 25 words of your pitch precisely the way a journalist would and why word choice matters. We'll share credibility-building language, as well as the fuzzy, jargon language traps that many PR people fall into. It includes a handout with tips, checklists and other goodies from me and the three other guest experts who will join me. Click here to continue reading about what you'll learn: http://tinyurl.com/2dmtza

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

1. Your Hand Sanitizer Can be Poisonous

2. Attention Article Writers

3. Do You Do What Experts Do?

4. 'Talk Like a Pirate' Day

5. 'Best of' Website Competitions

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. Your Hand Sanitizer Can be Poisonous
======================================

Confession: I eat in my car.

That's why I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in the glove compartment. I thought that was fine until yesterday when I was conducting a teleseminar for people in The Publicity Hound Mentor Program.

Marilee Tolen, an expert in holistic health marketing, rattled off a list of reasons why hand sanitizers--specifically, the Purell brand--can be dangerous to your health:

--Purell contains isopropanol which is used to denature the ethanol in Purell, and isopropanol is poisonous.

--On Feb. 1 this year, The New England Journal of Medicine published information on the dangers of ingesting hand sanitizers.

--Purell kills all of the bacteria on the skin, even the good bacteria, which help fight the bad bacteria. Eliminating the bad bacteria means skin is more "naked" than it already is--with lowered protection and lowered immunity.

Air fresheners also can be hazardous to your health. Last week, one day after a group of environmental organizations asked the federal government to start assessing the risk of air fresheners, Walgreens pulled three of its products off store shelves.

I asked Marilee how she's using both stories to her advantage.

--She's blogging about them at http://www.homespalady.com/blog/, and mentioning that essential oils, which she sells, are good alternatives to hand sanitizers and air fresheners.

--She's creating Google Alerts and posting comments at other blogs that discuss this.

--She's writing articles for online article directories.

--Tomorrow's issue of her ezine includes a lead story on the dangers of air fresheners.

When bad news breaks about a product or service that you compete with, are you jumping on every opportunity to offer yourself as the safe alternative?

Marilee is even hosting a series of teleseminars this week that teach holistic health counselors, nurses, doctors, therapists, educators, healers, massage therapists, nutritionists, spa owners and health care business owners how to create a huge presence for themselves online. Click to continue reading about what she's teaching: http://tinyurl.com/3xmbfb

========================================
2. Attention Article Writers
========================================

If you're posting articles to article directory sites, you may have felt the bottom drop out of your stomach when you discovered where some of these articles are showing up.

That's what's happened to me, and to other Publicity Hounds who have emailed me, when we discovered that our articles are appearing on some of the most sickening, disgusting websites out there. And it's all legit, since anybody can use our articles as long as the byline and author resource box remain intact. Even worse, one of my articles that included tips for taking great photos ended up on a website devoted exclusively to d*irty photos.

What to do?

Ignore it. That's what all the article experts I've contacted are doing.

Rebecca Morgan, editor of SpeakerNetNews, the excellent ezine for speakers at http://www.speakernetnews.com/, gives the best explanation I've seen:

"Stopping this would be a full-time job. There is no way to contact the owner from the site, so you have to look them up in Whois.com. They are often located in Eastern European countries or Asia. Emailing them gets no response. Contacting their ISP to take down the site will just mean they’ll be live from another site the next day."

Eric Gruber of http://www.articlemarketingexperts.com/ agrees.

"I've been getting a lot of questions like that lately. And I tell them that if their articles are on About.com and MarketingProfs.com, what are they worried about? These other sites do not generate traffic from their prospects."

Good point. Besides, what are the chances a prospect would email you and point out to you that your article appeared on a yucky site where they were lurking? If they did read your article and click through to your website and maybe even buy something, their money is as good as anybody else's.

If you want to learn more about how to set up Google Alerts so you can stay on top of what people, including bloggers, are saying about you, and where your articles are showing up, click here to continue reading, and watch the cool video on how to create a Google Alert: http://tinyurl.com/2d9wkz

Not worried about where your articles are showing up because you aren't writing them? Shame on you. It's time to start. If you can't write, download the incredibly easy template I've provided. It comes with the CD or electronic transcript titled "How toWrite How-to Articles for Newspapers, Magazines and Trade Journals."

Click to continue reading more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/dnxhb

=========================================
3. Do You Do What Experts Do?
=========================================

Are you an expert in your topic?

Based on the reaction I receive when I ask this question during my workshops, three out of four people in the audience are reluctant or afraid to call themselves experts.

"I'm not one of the top people in the world who knows the most about my topic," one audience member said.

Another lamented: "I'd be mortified if a journalist interviewed me, discovered I wasn't an expert, and then uncovered me as a phony."

Typical responses, I believe, because most people don't know the definition of an expert. My own professional association, the National Speakers Association, has struggled with that same issue. Several years ago, five top speakers wrote an excellent 12-page White Paper on what constitutes expertise. You can download it at http://nsaspeaker.org/pdfs/Expertise_Wht_paper.pdf

They concluded that there are numerous levels of expertise, and that expertise shouldn't be measured only by what you know, but by what you do.

For example, experts at various levels write books, articles, newsletters and White Papers. Some of them hold copyrights,trademarks and patents. They receive awards, accolades and honors. They serve as trainers, expert witnesses, coaches, mentors, trusted advisors, arbiters and even sources quoted in the media.

Because the several thousand NSA speakers come from a variety of backgrounds, I recommend that Publicity Hounds, even those who are not professional speakers, use the White Paper as a starting point to identify their own level of expertise. Once you know whether you're an expert, the White Paper can explain what you need to do to become one, and then deepen your expertise.

Smart experts who want reporters, journalists and bloggers to find them make sure they're listed in Expertclick: The Online Yearbook of Experts, like I am.

A subscription helps you drive visitors to your website by writing and distributing press releases at http://www.newsreleasewire.com/ You can send releases without per-release charges when you register for an ExpertClick.com page. You get a search-engine optimized Press Room page, and you can add content instantly to the Web.

Only my Publicity Hounds get to lock in a $100 Publicity Hound discount on top of the double early-order discount, and drop the cost from $895 to $595. Save $300 when you order from the link below by Sunday, Sept. 30. Prices go up $100 in October.

Call the office in Washington, D.C., at 202-333-5000, and ask for the "Publicity Hound Discount" or order on-line at http://www.ExpertClick.com/Discount/The_Publicity_Hound
You can use the $300 savings on any level of membership in the Yearbook of Experts, too. Click here to continue reading about all the benefits of a membership: http://www.ExpertClick.com/Brochure

=========================================
4. 'Talk Like a Pirate' Day
=========================================

It started as a joke several years ago.

But international "Talk Like a Pirate Day" on Sept. 19 turned out to be enticing enough that even Pulitzer prize-winning humor columnist Dave Barry, National Public Radio and other media wanted in on the fun.

John Baur and Mark Summers explain how they encouraged the columnist to write about their special day, and how the giant publicity snowball is still rolling downhill, growing bigger and bigger. Click here to continue reading:
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/about.html

"I think you will agree that these guys should win an award for being honorary Publicity Hounds," writes Julie Lichtman of Frederick, Maryland.

Shiver me timbers. She's right.

Does your company, nonprofit or government agency have its own special day, week or month of the year? If not, learn how to create it, what to do with it, and how to recycle all the great publicity that will result. I explain how in "How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound," my most popular ebook. Download a sample chapter designed to helped you identify story ideas the media will love.

Click to continue reading how to download the chapter:
http://tinyurl.com/2a3dp9

==========================================
5. 'Best of' Website Competitions
==========================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips and alternatives for Donald Hansen of Issaquah, Washington who wants to know how to find "Best of" website competitions he can enter. He wants to promote his Viking Trader website at http://www.vikingtrader.net/where he sells Viking Age artifacts.


From Lois Carter Fay of MarketingIdeaShop.com:

"I know that the Web Marketing Association holds a competition for best sites. You can read about it here:
http://www.webaward.org/

"But even better, here's a link to a work sheet that lists lots of award competitions: http://www.website-awards.net/worksheet.htm"

From Christine Buffaloe of Mequon, Wisconsin:

"Joan often mentions capturing visitors’ email addresses with the Hover Ad Creator. I think this would be ideal. Not only would it track the visitors, but it would also capture them as well." Christine is referring to special HTML coding that you can buy at http://tinyurl.com/2zhj33

The Publicity Hound says:

Your time might be better spent on things like blogging, search engine optimization, posting articles to article directory sites, commenting at other blogs and doing joint ventures with merchants who target the same audience you do.

My mentor, Tom Antion, just updated 'Click,' his excellent ebook that explains how to do all of the above, and more. This ebook, now at a whopping 817 pages and with 150 new links you must know about, is my bible for Internet marketing. I refer to it at least a half dozen times a week. I’m buying the new version today at http://tinyurl.com/s57vc

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

Brian James of Melbourne, Australia writes:

"My client wants his innovative portable water recycling device http://www.waterleech.com.au/ to break into the U.S. market.

"It's a small company with a limited budget. The Water-Leech is a portable water collector that sucks up water from showers, baths and washing machines. It is then wheeled outside to water gardens and wash cars.

"The company is looking to raise funds to grow large enough for Home Depot and other big stores to stock the product. So the devices may be test-marketed in California and include a certificate which gives the first 10,000 people 100 units in the company as well.

"What would it take to get the word out and what is the most effective means of getting into the U.S./California media?"


The Publicity Hound says: My mind is racing with ideas, but my Hounds will come up with far more suggestions than I ever could. Hounds with ideas for Brian can post them at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/3884v8

In the meantime, you or your client should start writing direct-to-consumer press releases and posting them online, so you don't have to rely on the media to deliver your message. Sign up for my free email tutorial "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases" at http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/art.htm

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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Christel Hall of Carson City, Nevada for this one, an oldie but goodie:

Three male dogs are walking down the street when they see a beautiful, enticing, female poodle.

They fall all over themselves in an effort to be the one to reach her first, but end up arriving in front of her at the same time.

Aware of her charms and her obvious effect on the three suitors, she tells them, "The first one who can use the words 'liver' and' cheese' together in an imaginative, intelligent sentence can go out with me."

The sturdy, muscular black lab speaks up quickly and says, "I love liver and cheese."

"Oh, how childish," said the poodle. "That shows no imagination or intelligence whatsoever."

She turns to the tall, shiny golden retriever and says "How well can you do?"

"Um. I HATE liver and cheese," blurts the golden retriever.

"My, my," said the poodle. "I guess it's hopeless. That's just as dumb as the lab's sentence."

She then turns to the last of the three dogs and says, "How about you, little guy?"

The last of the three, tiny in stature but big in fame and finesse, is the Taco Bell chihuahua.

He gives her a smile, a sly wink, turns to the golden retriever and the lab and says...

"Liver alone. Cheese mine."


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

BBB's 'accredited business' boosts your credibility
http://tinyurl.com/2la9xk

The Forward adds bureau to cover Jewish news in L.A.
http://tinyurl.com/3cs4zt

'Martha' to feature toilet paper wedding dress winner
http://tinyurl.com/2vuj75

What motivates journalists, bloggers? Most of these 40 things
http://tinyurl.com/35m25p

Freelance writers need more lead time
http://tinyurl.com/345rad

Special events publicity: 11 tips to draw a crowd
http://tinyurl.com/ytph7f

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

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®


Sept. 26: Chicago, Illinois

I'll be attending the "Un-Conference" as a participant. It's the free daylong brainstorming session on how to use social media in your PR campaign. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Millennium Knickerbocker, 163 E. Welton. It kicks off Ragan Communications' full-blown traditional conference, "Corporate Communications and the Social Media Revolution" Sept. 27-28. Learn more about the Un-Conference and the two-day session at
http://tinyurl.com/2bz79b


Sept. 27: Teleseminar on PR Writing

"PR Writing Boot Camp: Give Your PR Writing More Polish, Punch and Power," from 1 to 2:30 PM Eastern Time, sponsored by Bulldog Reporter. Includes a handout with tips, checklists and other goodies from me and the three other guest experts who will join me. Click here to continue reading about what you'll learn:
http://tinyurl.com/2dmtza

Oct. 2: Teleseminar on Promoting Your Expertise Online

Marilee Tolen will present "Intro to Internet Marketing," a series of telephone seminars for holistic health counselors, nurse, doctors, therapists, educators, healers, massage therapists, nutritionists, spa owners and health care business owners how to create a huge presence for themselves online. I'm her guest from 7 to 8:15 PM Eastern Time. And I'll teach you how to become an expert in your field, and then promote your expertise online to pull traffic, including journalists, to your website. Click to continue reading about what else you'll learn:
http://tinyurl.com/3xmbfb

Oct. 9: Teleseminar on "How to Get onto the College Speaking Circuit"

With James Malinchak, 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. This complimentary, high-content call will be chock full of lists of tips on how to make a bundle speaking at colleges. It will whet your appetite for his boot camp Nov. 29-Dec. 2 in Los Angeles. Sign up for the teleseminar at http://tinyurl.com/fs56k


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/Michael Moore Health Challenge September 4, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #362 Sept. 4, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 35,057

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

"How to Help Your Boss or Client with a Publicity Campaign"

Dozens of you have asked about how to buy the audio recordings or electronic transcripts of my weeklong training program for assistants, virtual assistants and interns. The sales page isn't even completed yet, but I'm selling the product this week only to readers of this newsletter and with a special offer that expires at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 7.

Here's the offer. Order the CDs, electronic transcripts, or the MP3 files by Friday night, and you can choose any three electronic transcripts priced at $39.95 from my inventory at http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/tapes.html -- for free. That's a $119.85 value. I'm making this offer because I couldn’t include every topic in this course, and your assistant might need more help in a particular area. In the comments section of the order form, tell me which 3 titles you want.

Read more about what you and your assistant will learn at http://tinyurl.com/yvwdje


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

1. Michael Moore Health Challenge

2. Don't Announce an Announcement

3. Pre-event Publicity on Weekend TV

4. Media Leads

5. Promoting a Retreat to Tuscany

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


======================================
1. Michael Moore Health Challenge
======================================

When Michael Moore released his movie "Sicko," which helps promote free universal health care for everyone in the United States, fitness trainers Jim Labadie and Ryan Lee of North Palm Beach, Florida knew it was the perfect opportunity for Publicity Hounds like them to use two strategies I advocate.

First, piggyback off celebrities and current movies. Second, don't be afraid to become embroiled in a controversy.

With help from Tampa PR pro Lizz Harmon, that's exactly what they did.

"Mr. Moore is a walking advertisement for heart disease and diabetes," Jim says in an open letter to all fitness instructors."This is not to bash him. This is not to be viewed as an attack on him. This is not about aesthetics. This is not about looking good in a bathing suit. This is about Michael Moore exercising regularly and improving his diet so he can become a better role model for preventative care."

The letter at http://tinyurl.com/3ylxto urges fitness instructors to also write a letter that calls on the filmmaker to become a healthy role model.

"I haven't done too much with the letter other than promote it to people who have given us permission to email them," Jim says. He and Ryan emailed about 130,000 people in the fitness industry, and others who they thought would be interested.

Their campaign is starting to gain traction on the Internet because the topic is perfect fodder for special interest websites and bloggers, whether they write about fitness, health insurance or politics.

It's also edgy enough for drive-time radio interviews and local TV shows. If you're a fitness trainer, how about joining this campaign, then pitching your local TV stations?

Think the campaign is downright nasty and are you refusing to participate? Sounds like a story to me.

Shawne Duperon will explain exactly who to call in the TV newsroom, how to get through to the person who decides which stories get on the air, and how to deliver an enticing pitch that makes them say "yes." She was my guest during a teleseminar called "How to Get on the Local TV News Tomorrow."
It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.

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


========================================
2. Don't Announce an Announcement
========================================

My skin crawls every time I see somebody "announcing" something in a press release or a news story.

They act as though the announcement is the news when, in fact, it isn't. The content of the announcement is all anybody cares about. That's why I'd love to ban the words "announce, announced, announcing" and "announcement" from publicity campaigns and news stories.

Then along comes former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, a Republican who has been acting for months like he's running for president. Late last week, his office "announced" that on Thursday of this week, he'll make his official "announcement" that he's running.

Thompson and other big-name politicians might be able to get away with this kind of silly PR, but don't you ever try it.

How many times do you use the A-words when you write press releases?

Guilty? That's what I thought.

It's time to learn how to write releases that people will not only read, but find interesting and respond to. Sign up for my free email tutorial "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases."It explains how to write press releases not only for journalists, but for the search engines, which can deliver your press release directly to consumers who are searching for the kinds of information you're writing about.

Warning: This is an intensive 12-week course, but please stick with it. By the time you're done, you'll know more about how to write and distribute press releases than most professional PR people. As of today, 6,665 people have signed up for the course.

Don't have 89 days to spare? You can scroll to the bottom of the page and buy the entire course in a handy ebook for only $27.

Sign up now at http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/list.htm and I'll email you your first lesson within 15 minutes.

Bloggers and ezine editors, do your readers a favor and tell them about this. If you really want to get their attention, challenge them to take this press release quiz at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/pwnu7


=========================================
3. Pre-event Publicity on Weekend TV
=========================================

If you're planning a special event, are you paying attention to the TV news shows in your community that are sometimes desperate for guests?

You should be. It can mean the difference between no pre-event coverage and tons of it. One of the best places to look is the weekend news shows at your local TV stations.

On Sunday morning, I caught the tail-end of an interview on a Milwaukee TV news show with somebody who was promoting the Kettle Moraine Jazz Festival in West Bend, Wisconsin, about a half hour from where I live.

The in-studio guest was talking up the event, and I immediately paid attention because the jazz festival is the highlight of our summer. We've attended the last several years and we'll be there again this weekend.

Last week, I noticed several email messages from the festival organizers which gave me the impression they were still trying to get rid of tickets for what's usually a sold-out event. I wouldn't be surprised if the PR people called the TV station and asked for an interview. Smart.

Saturday and Sunday mornings are perfect times for this kind of publicity. People like me, who seldom have time to catch the 10 o'clock TV news during the week, often tune in on the weekends, when life is just a little bit slower. If you have video from last year's event, offer it. That makes the story more enticing.

I know 846 other ways to generate publicity before, during and after your special event. Debra J. Schmidt and I explain them on "How to Plan & Promote Sizzling Special Events," a set of 6 audio CDs and a seventh CD that includes 15 can't-do-without checklists for event planners and publicists. The package is also available as an electronic transcript.

If you're planning or promoting a special event this year or next, your reputation, not to mention your job, could be at stake. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/46jzg


======================================
4. Media Leads
======================================

If you're an expert who lives in New York City, or you're planning to visit there, apply to be on "Better TV," a daytime nationally syndicated lifestyle show debuting this month. They're looking for experts, guests, celebrities, chefs, entertainers and more.

The show is produced in New York by the Meredith Corporation for women ages 25-54 who want to make their lives better with programming focused on family, home and life. The show launches in 14 markets, reaching 10 percent of all American households.

To pitch "Better TV," email Marianne Mancusi at mailto:booking@better.tv

Thanks to Shawne Duperon's publicity newsletter for this lead. Subscribe at http://www.shawnetv.com/


==========================================
5. Promoting a Retreat to Tuscany
==========================================

This week, nine Publicity Hounds have tips for Kathy McCabe of Washington, D.C. She needs ideas on how to promote a weeklong goal-setting retreat in Tuscany, Italy for men and women in their 30s to 50s. You can read about it at http://www.dreamofitaly.com/public/365.cfm


John Easton says:

"Consider having those who have already signed up for your retreat post videos commenting on why they are attending. You can even run a contest for the best story. Brightcove.com has a free service level that will allow you to embed a video player within a page on your website and allow users to upload their videos to your player. There is a very robust content management back end where you can view/approve submissions and control the sequence of videos. You can even include advertising within videos or between videos."


Andrea Kinney Says:

"If you are amenable to paying travel agent commissions, partner with agents by marketing to them through the travel trade magazines such as Travel Trade or Travel Weekly. Every agent has their own lists of hundreds or thousands of clients that you maybe able to reach out to through these specialists."


Paula Baldoni Says:

"Overall...I can’t get a sense of who the hosts would like to have on their retreat (looking through the site and the links). Who is the ideal customer? (In something like this, I would imagine you want participants that really get you juiced!) So, what does that client look like? Where is she in her life? What does she do for a living, what is her financial situation, where does she shop, what does she eat? Is she a stay-at-home mom? A corporate woman? A small business owner? Does she prefer noodle casserole over Pasta Carbonara? Both are great customers, but who do you want?"


Read all the responses to this Help This Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/2ghdn7

Then consider reaching out to the travel media with your travel-related story. Holly Johnson has generated fabulous publicity for her travel clients, and she shares all her secrets on the CD "How to Work with the Travel Media." Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/38825k


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

Brenda Rogerson of Highland, Michigan writes:

"The American Sewing Expo is the largest independently owned sewing expo in the country with over 15,000 people attending our three-day show from all over the U.S. In addition to classes, vendors, a sewing cafe and special exhibits, we have several challenges for sewers of all abilities and interests.

"We are having a hard time getting contestants for our Baby Lock Passion for Fashion design contest inspired by Project Runway. This a live challenge that will let avid sewers showcase their sewing and design talents, complete with professional models and a fashion show. The participant will be given a design challenge scenario and have all day Friday, September 28, to create their' secret project.' Expo attendees will have the opportunity to follow the progress of the designers as they work on their creations. Contestants return on Saturday, September 29, for a last-minute fitting on their professional model before the fashion show in the afternoon.

"We have contacted the local colleges, run ads in several sewing publications, posted several places on the web, and have information and rules on our website at http://www.americansewingexpo.com/ but have not had much response. Any ideas?"


The Publicity Hound says:

I'm not sure where on the web you're promoting this contest, but there are a zillion websites for women, including those devoted to art, fashion, design, sewing, crafts, modeling, etc. Because you're working on a short deadline, I'd pitch bloggers who write about those issues. Play up the grand prize: the trip to New York City.

OK, Hounds. I know many of you have ideas better than mine. Post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/2w95vv


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

Thanks to Publicity Hound Karen Russell of West Hills, California for this one:

At one home on my husband's letter-carrying route, the dog on the other side of the mail slot always barked excitedly, and eagerly grabbed the mail. One day the dog's owner explained that the Labrador had started bringing the mail upstairs to him soon after he got him, so he promptly rewarded the dog with a treat.

After several months, there was a slight change in procedure: The dog still delivered the mail upstairs--but only one piece at a time.


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

Papa Jack Weil, oldest CEO, great Labor Day story
http://tinyurl.com/2oyejz

Charlotte Observer business sections pitching tips
http://tinyurl.com/25nkdf

Free meeting rooms: A great PR tactic
http://tinyurl.com/2sbmgv


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

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®


September 4: Teleseminar

I'll be among the four guests joining Michelle Nightengale for a free one-hour roundtable teleseminar. It's a sneak preview of her teleseminar series Sept. 11 to Oct. 2 for speakers, coaches, consultants, trainers, programmers, designers, and personal assistants on simple, effective marketing strategies to breathe life into your business and multiply your client base and profits in six months or less. I'll present my one-hour segment on Tuesday, Sept. 18. Sign up for the Sept. 4 call at https://paydotcom.com/r/18572/JoanStewart/1612861/


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.


September 12: Germantown, Wisconsin

Menomonee Falls Rotary Club, noon, "How to Generate Thousands of Dollars in Free Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity," Lohmann's Steak House, W183 N9609 Appleton Ave. To attend, you must come as a guest of a current Rotary member.


September 18: Teleseminar

"How to Use FREE Publicity to Drive Tons of Traffic to Your Web Site," 8 p.m. Eastern Time. This is part of Michelle Nightengale's four-part teleseminar series for speakers, coaches, consultants, trainers, programmers, designers, and personal assistants on simple, effective marketing strategies to breathe life into your business and multiply your client base and profits in six months or less. Sign up at https://paydotcom.com/r/18572/JoanStewart/1612861/


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