Publicity tips/What Oprah wants January 17, 2006
The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #277 - January 17, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®
Circulation: 14,162
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"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
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Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.
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In This Issue
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1. What Oprah Wants
2. Forget the Cufflinks
3. Media Kits That Say "Read Me!"
4. TV Weatherpersons Day
5. How to Market a Saucy Calendar
6. Help This Hound
7. Hound Joke of the Week
8. And at My Blog...
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1. What Oprah Wants
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When Publicity Hounds think of ways to get onto "Oprah," they spend days and sometimes even weeks crafting the perfect pitch that will appeal to her producers.
Most of them, I'm guessing, probably miss a vital step that could save them a lot of time. They fail to visit her website and click on the "Be on the Show" link at http://www2.oprah.com/tows/intheworks/tows_works_main.jhtml
If they did, they'd know that right now, the Queen of Daytime TV, wants guests who:
--Are drowning in debt
--Have partners that are physically abusive
--Have children that have gotten into trouble on the Internet
--Are concerned about terrorism
--Have relatives living in Iraq or North Korea
--Are fans of clothing designer Marc Jacobs or shoe designer Jimmy Choo
--Have discovered that their children have been leading a secret life and are struggling with gambling, compulsive shoplifting or an eating disorder
--Are Katrina survivors or who have taken in Katrina survivors
--Make minimum wage
--Have a marriage built on lies
--Are nervous about saying their wedding vows
--Have wives that have let themselves go
Not exactly the kind of warm and fuzzy topics you'd want to be associated with on camera, right? Controversy sells, particularly on TV talk shows. And nobody knows that better than Oprah. If you can tie into these topics, you might stand a better chance of getting onto her show. So this website is worth bookmarking and checking periodically.
Susan Harrow, an expert on how to get onto "Oprah," says Oprah has four hot-button topics that you should try to tie into your pitch, and four things you should never, ever pitch. She explained them all and gave lots of practical advice for those who want to get onto "Oprah" during the teleseminar "How to Get Booked on Oprah." It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading within minutes after your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/855eb
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2. Forget the Cufflinks
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If you're a guy, and your local TV station wants to interview you, how would you dress?
If you're in the corporate world, the logical assumption might be a dark suit, white shirt, red tie and gold cufflinks.
Sandy Dumont, also known as The Image Architect, says that would be a good choice, except for the cufflinks.
"For the average person, cufflinks can make you look snobby or too slick, like 'going to Vegas.' Keep your eyes open to see if they're acceptable in the industry or region you are approaching," she says.
Here in the Midwest, cufflinks would look out of place on TV, except if they're worn by CEOs.
As for suits, the darker the color, the higher the authority, Sandy says. That's why navy blue, charcoal grey and black are traditional colors for business suits. You can sign up for Sandy's fabulous monthly ezine "Image Tips" at http://www.theimagearchitect.com/
In the January/Februrary issue of The Publicity Hound subscription newsletter, Sandy lists seven other fashion faux pas you must not make if you're appearing on TV. The issue also includes articles on why you should banish the words "publicity" and "PR" from your vocabulary and concentrate instead on storytelling, an example of a pitch from a storyteller, how to write the perfect author resource box at the end of an article, a book that offers numerous case studies on marketing to Hispanics, how to attend f~ree monthly teleseminars featuring publicity tips, the network news program that wants your "good news" story, how PR people can manage their clients' expectations, and January/February story ideas. The newsletter is available as an electronic document and you can download it as soon as your order has been approved.
Order it for $10 at http://tinyurl.com/7adar
Or order a year's subscription (6 issues) for $49.95 at http://tinyurl.com/4mz3x
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3. Media Kits That Say "Read Me!"
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Back in September, just before McGraw-Hill published Maria Grace's book "Reel Fulfillment: A 12-step Plan for Transforming Your Life Through Movies," Maria worked with me to create a media kit that would scream "Read me!"
She joined The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, and I helped her with the eight items that needed to go inside the media kit so that she'd make it as easy as possible for the media to cover her.
Today, four months later, she's a media darling. Her impressive list of media hits includes The New York Times, Marie Claire magazine, the Orlando Sentinel, the Boston Herald, Publishers Weekly, the New York Daily News, plus dozens of radio interviews with stations all over the United States. You can read the entire list of media that have covered her at http://tinyurl.com/dftb7
Her media kit has the essential elements that authors MUST have, such as the standard news release, a mock book review, the book sell sheet, a catalog sheet and a sizzling bio. You can see two versions of the entire kit--one for print journalists and one for broadcasters--at http://tinyurl.com/a9vyo
In fact, her publicist at McGraw-Hill liked the media kit so much, that she's using it when she pitches the media on Maria's behalf.
Most authors who call me asking for help with their publicity campaigns miss this critical step. They want to start pitching reporters before the media kit is completed. In fact, many of them have no idea that they're supposed to create things like a sell sheet. And they're horrified when I suggest that they write their own mock book review.
"I'd never, ever write my own review," one of them said. "That would be unethical."
Not so. Most media people don't have time to read your book. And if they want to write about it, they need a quick summary of what it's about and how it will help their audience. The review provides that information. Many journalists, most of them ethical, will pick up the review verbatim and print it.
If you're writing your first book, or your next book, learn how to build a media kit that screams "Read me!" Dawn Josephson, who was my guest during a teleseminar last year, explained "How to Create Eye-opening Promo Pieces That Sell Books." It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download as soon as your order has been approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/d7tus
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4. TV Weatherpersons Day
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You can score a great publicity hit if you tie into TV Weatherpersons Day on February 5, which this year also happens to be Super Bowl Sunday.
I've been preaching about this for years because so many Publicity Hounds have told me it works. A few days before February 5, send your local TV weatherperson who will be on camera that day something that says "Happy TV Weatherpersons Day." It can be a sheet cake. Or a basket of bagels and cream cheese.
Or do what Cookies by Design franchisees have been doing. They send cookie bouquets. And as a result, their favorite weather people all over the U.S. have mentioned them on the weather segment. I blogged about this at http://publicityhound.net/?p=81
Since Feb. 5 falls on a Sunday this year, make sure you send the goodies to the person who will be on camera. At many TV stations, that's usually the weekend weather person.
February is bubbling over with other story possibilities. My friend, TV reporter Shawne Duperon, helped me list them all when we did a teleseminar called "116 WOW! Story Ideas from January through June." It's available as a CD, and it comes with a list of all the ideas that you can download and be reading within minutes after your order has been approved. Read more about what it includes at http://tinyurl.com/6k7zk
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5. How to Market a Saucy Calendar
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Judith Reppucci of Cape Cod, Massachusetts wants ideas on how to promote a calendar that features "saucy but discreet" photos of local male celebrities. The calendar is a fund-raiser for Wings for Falmouth Families, a group that helps Cape Cod families that have children experiencing a medical crisis.
From Sheri Rice Bentley:
"Have a calendar-signing event with guys from the calendar on hand to sign and sell copies any place where the calendars are being sold (local bookstore?). I would contact your local TV news producers as this would be a good visual to film, especially if the guys are big names in town. It would be a fun, feel-good feature for the news. And hold your calendar-signing on a Saturday or Sunday when news stations are desperate for good material."
From Carol Adams:
"This is a little out there, but if you could convince one of the men--say, Mr. February--to stand outside selling calendars in the Cape Cod cold wearing a suitably saucy-skimpy outfit, you might be able to get some good media coverage of his LACK of coverage. A picture is worth a thousand icicles hanging from his body, after all."
From Alan Stevens:
"Put the calendars on Ebay, arrange for a large bid to be made for one of them, and alert the media.
"Set up a photo-shoot with the businessmen’s dignity covered only by the calendars --and use the 'Buy now - imagine if there were fewer than 12 copies remaining.'
"Arrange an event on a weekend when the calendar subjects will be strolling around the town, fully clothed. The first out-of-towner to spot them all wins a prize--of course, all entrants need to buy a calendar."
Read all the responses at http://publicityhound.net/?p=453
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6. Help This Hound
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Tracey Hawkins of Kansas City, Missouri writes:
"I own a business that sells safety and security products--everything from pepper spray to door alarms, fire extinguishers and more. There is no clear leader in this field. I want to be the company known for safety and security products.
"I have a website at http://www.safetyandsecuritysource.com/ but don't get a lot of orders. However, I sell on Amazon.com and do quite well. My goal is to get more traffic to my website and sell more on my own. Safety and Security Source needs to be a recognized brand. I conduct free personal safety presentations and have become an expert for real estate agents and have products specifically for them. How would I also increase my seminar business to real estate companies throughout the United States?"
The Publicity Hound says: Let's sound the alarm for Hounds with ideas. If you have tips on how Tracey can target the real estate industry, and possibly other industries, post them to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=461
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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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When dog food is "new and improved" and better tasting, who tests 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/
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8. And at My Blog...
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Here's what you can read in recent posts at my blog:
--Research media outlets before sending expensive press kits
http://publicityhound.net/?p=460
--D.C. panel explains how to do business with independent PR consultants
http://publicityhound.net/?p=459
--New to publicity? Target smaller media outlets first
http://publicityhound.net/?p=462
--Join me Jan. 25 for a free teleseminar on pitching problems
http://publicityhound.net/?p=463
--Archive of past issues of this newsletter
http://publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/
My blog at http://www.publicityhound.net/ has 20 categories so you can read only items on whatever publicity-related topics interest you.
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Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®:
January 19: Kenosha, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Women Entrepreneurs Racine-Kenosha Chapter, "How to Organize Your 2006 Media Campaign and Get Thousands of Dollars in Free Publicity," 5:30 P.M., UW-Parkside, Union Building, Room 104, $19 for members and $24 for guests, including dinner. To register, call 262-632-7993.
January 25 Teleseminar:
I'm the special guest for a free teleseminar on "Pitching Problems" sponsored by Wasabi Publicity at 1 PM Eastern Time. Sign up at http://www.publicityresults.com/
February 10: Washington, D.C.
National Speakers Association Winter Workshop, concurrent session for staff on "How to Position the Boss as an Expert the Media Love," 4:30 to 5:45 p.m., Crystal Gateway Marriott. Details and registration at http://www.nsaspeaker.org/dc/online_schedule.shtml
March 22: Waukesha, Wisconsin
2006 Micro Entrepreneur Expo, "How to Get Free Publicity," Part 1 from 5:30-6:15 and Part 2 from 8-8:45 PM, Waukesha Area Technical College; pre-registration $25 or $30 at the door (includes dinner). To register, call 262-695-3468.
May 18: Washington, D.C.
PMA University. "How to Turn Your Ezine into a Cash Machine." Sponsored by Publishers Marketing Association. 8:30-10:15 a.m. Details pending.
***If you're in the National Speakers Association or the Public Relations Society of America--or another business, marketing or PR group--and you want details on how to bring in The Publicity Hound to do a fund-raiser for your chapter, or you want me to host a teleseminar customized just for your group, contact me at mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry or call 262-284-7451.
***Attention Meeting Planners: If you're booking speakers for winter, spring or summer conferences or events, keep me in mind--even if you have a last-minute cancellation. I deliver high-content, interactive programs that are lots of fun. Call 262-284-7451 or mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=speaker_inquiry for details.
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Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," a free ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive free by email the handy list "89 Reasons to Send a News Release."
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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
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