Publicity tips/NPR wants your essay April 4, 2006

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week

Issue #288 - April 4, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

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"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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In This Issue
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1. NPR Wants Your Essays

2. Promote Experts via Email

3. Your Good Name Tarnished

4. Why Nonprofits Should Blog

5. How to Promote Wine in a Purse

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...

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1. NPR Wants Your Essays
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If you're struggling to come up with a story idea, or your pitches keep bombing, and you live in the U.S., this tip is for you.

National Public Radio has a new feature called "This I Believe," a national project that invites you to write about your core beliefs. The personal statements from listeners air each Monday on "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered."

Is this great publicity or what?

By inviting Americans from all walks of life to participate, series producers Dan Gediman and Jay Allison hope to create a picture of the American spirit in all its rich complexity.

"This I Believe" is based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. In spite of the fear of atomic warfare, increasing consumerism and loss of spiritual values, the essayists on Murrow's series expressed tremendous hope.

Each day, millions of Americans gathered by their radios to hear compelling essays from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller and Harry Truman as well as corporate leaders, cab drivers, scientists and secretaries--anyone able to distill into a few minutes the guiding principles by which they lived. Their words brought comfort and inspiration to a country worried about the Cold War, McCarthyism and racial division.

Allison and Gediman say their goal is not to persuade Americans to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, they hope to encourage people to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from their own.

"We hear a country moving toward more equality among the races and between genders," says Gediman. "We hear parents writing essays that are letters to their newborn children expressing the hopes and dreams they have for them. And we hear the stories of faith that guide people in their daily experiences."

Thanks to Publicity Hound Leslie Paladino of Kregel Publications in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for alerting us to this great publicity op. You can learn more about the program or submit your essay at http://www.npr.org/thisibelieve/agree.html

NPR's producers, editors, reporters and hosts are always on the lookout for new stories, compelling guests and fresh ideas. But navigating the NPR labyrinth can be a nightmare if you don't know what you're doing. Book publicist Lissa Warren, who has placed more than 100 of her clients on NPR shows, saves you time and trouble as she walks you step-by-step through the world of NPR. She shows you how to find out which shows need what you offer, pitch, follow up and be a great guest. "How to Get Booked on National Public Radio" is available as a CD or electronic transcript.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/ayms6


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2. Promote Experts via Email
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If you're looking for ways to promote your experts to the media, here's a nifty idea, particularly for companies and organizations that have hundreds of experts.

It's courtesy of Janet Perrella-D'Alesandro, director of public relations for Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. in Pitman, New Jersey. Her health care marketing and association management firm can put the media in contact with hundreds of experts in the nursing and health care industry.

At the end of her emails, Janet uses the standard automatic signature with her address, phone number, etc. Then below that, she includes this phrase:

*Stuck for story ideas? Use our resources.
View our Nursing Experts list at http://www.ajj.com/experts

Go ahead, Hounds. Click on the link and see what happens. It takes you to a page that invites the media to call on their PR department and be connected with top leaders, researchers, clinicians, scholars and practitioners in nursing and health care.

That page includes a link to a two-page PDF document that's easy to read and includes hundreds of specialties and topics in alphabetical order. For busy reporters on deadline, the resource is a dream come true.

Hats off to Janet's co-worker, Linda Alexander, for the idea.

Looking for the one book that will give you dozens of ideas on how to promote your experts, or your own expertise? "How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound," my most popular ebook, is a one-stop-shop for anyone who wants media attention--lots of it--for little or no budget.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/6uw4n


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3. Your Good Name Tarnished
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Ever feel paranoid that people are talking about you behind your back? If you're like me, you'd almost rather not know what they're saying.

But if they're talking about you behind your back on the Internet, much of the world can be privy to what your critics are saying. Rumors and unfair accusations could cost you not only profits and sales, but your good name and your sterling reputation.

That's why I go to http://www.google.com/ and search for my own name and "The Publicity Hound" regularly to see what comes up. I do the same thing at http://www.Blogger.com, http://blogsearchengine.com/ and http://www.technorati.com/ to see what the bloggers are saying about me.

So far, so good.

But if you did this same exercise right now and found that a blogger was slinging mud your way, what would you do?

Crisis communications counselor Judy Hoffman says that how you react could largely determine whether the issue explodes or is put to rest.

"You could get an email address, possibly, right from the posting. In that case, you can go back to that individual, and if they're starting negative rumors, or saying bad things because they've had a bad experience with your company, you would be well served to get to them and say, 'I understand that you have a problem and we really would like to solve this problem." For them to get some attention from the company and have someone indicate that they want to work out a mutually agreeable solution, could solve the whole problem."

If you begin to see that the accusations have legs, you'll need a wider response.

Resist the inclination to write a press release, which will only flag the mainstream media.

Instead, if the blogger won't cooperate, and particularly if the blog is fairly influential and other bloggers start commenting on the rumor, consider linking to a statement at your website from the homepage, just in case people hear the rumors and want to see what you have to say.

During a teleseminar I hosted last year, Judy discussed things companies and sole proprietors can do if they find somebody is talking about them online or offline, and the conversation is damaging. That's not the time to scurry around trying to figure out what to do. Arm yourself right now with her great tips. "What to do When Someone Damages Your Good Name" is available as a CD or electronic transcript.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/qlh93


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4. Why Nonprofits Should Blog
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If you work for a nonprofit, I know what you probably thought when you read the headline on this item.

"We're broke. We're overworked. Blogging is to complicated to learn. It's time-consuming...."

Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah.

Nancy Schwartz, an expert on marketing for nonprofits, says if you aren't using blogs, you're overlooking one of the most powerful communication tools on the planet. Nonprofits should use blogs to:

--Open new channels so you can share what you know, especially for non-profits that have been constrained by the time and costs of other web technologies.

--Enliven your group's web presence and engage clients, supporters and strangers

--Provide a more immediate form of communication than your e-news, even if it's weekly

--Get to readers. Over 65 percent of email is filtered out or unopened.

--Build stronger relationships with your donors, allies, members, volunteers, past supporters and prospects.

Read more of her tips in this interview at http://tinyurl.com/gctjw

PR expert Don Crowther says nonprofits and other bloggers can spend as little as nine minutes a day blogging, and you don't even have to write every day. His "Blogging for Business" ebook includes a secret trick that will instantly enable you to find blogs in your topic area, find your competitors, identify people to blog about, and find people who will blog about you. It also shows you the easiest and best way to get other people to write about your blog entries and how to automatically and effortlessly pull in other people's blog and news content on an hourly basis so you can summarize the key news in your areas of specialty.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/7fjrk


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5. How to Promote Wine in a Purse
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This week, three Publicity Hounds have ideas for Jennifer Raaths of Barrington, Illinois. She wants ideas on how to promote a handmade purse filled with two bottles of wine. Some of the wines are from places like Argentina. She wants to promote it for Mother's Day and other occasions. The bags are at http://bagsbycarrie.com/


From H.C.:

"Online trend magazines and blogs (even nationally popular ones like Slate.com and DailyCandy.com) tend to have a shorter lead time, so you may still be able to promote this in time for Mother’s Day for gift guide or pick of the day.

"For a light-hearted angle (more appropriate for Daily Candy), just talk about the uniqueness of the gift. If you’re pitching a deeper piece, talk about the trend of women becoming more sophisticated about wines and the trend of South American wines as good & cheap and how this gift is a nice sampler."


From Miriam Silverberg:

"Send it to the wine critic at your newspaper. Also, why not the fashion department, too? In addition to the bag, why not add a small toy straw hat?"


The Publicity Hound says:

It’s less than six weeks until Mother’s Day, so you’ll miss out on the chance to pitch this as a Mother’s Day gift in most magazines. But consider promoting the bag as a birthday gift or graduation gift.

Many media outlets have gift guides, special sections that specifically feature articles and products that would make great gifts. The Gift List is the only resource I know of that gives contact information and pitching tips for Publicity Hounds who want to promote items for the holidays.

It also has a "late leads" feature that tips you off to media outlets that have decided at the last minute to create a special gift section. I still think there’s time to get into some of the gift guides for newspapers.

Learn more about how to get into gift lists at http://tinyurl.com/9es8y

Read all the responses at http://publicityhound.net/?p=551


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6. Help This Hound
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Kate Matteo of Denver, Colorado writes:

"I have a dating advice website for men. The site, called ScoreHer.com, relies on sports analogies and 'guy humor' to help men better understand women and be more successful on dates.

"Dating advice is obviously a very saturated market. However, our approach is fun and fairly unique. All the content is written by a group of women across the country and we avoid topics such as relationships and love in favor of basic dating tips and etiquette. We have a strong base of regular readers and are ready to take the next step by establishing ourselves as dating advice experts in the media.

"We would also like to turn special features of the site (e.g. The Chicktionary: A dictionary of common female expressions and questions) into cult dating materials and eventually, the first wildly successful dating advice book for men. Think the polar opposite of 'He’s Just Not That Into You.'

"We could use some creative ideas on how to differentiate ourselves in the vast dating industry."


The Publicity Hound says: When I first read your question, then visited your website, something hit me. I want to see how many other Hounds pick up on this. OK, Hounds. Let's hear your best ideas on how Kate can position herself in the crowded dating market and attract guys to her website. Post them to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=557

If you're pulling people into your website, don't let them leave without buying a product that will help them solve their problem. But you don't have to spent more than a year writing and publishing a book. You can create products like downloadable ebooks and special reports in a matter of hours. "How to Create Information Products for Profit, Credibility and Promotion" will show you all the possibilities for creating valuable revenue streams. It's available as a CD or electronic transcript.

Read more about what you'll learn from this at http://tinyurl.com/5k3gj


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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Thanks to Publicity Hound C. Jorgensen for this one.

Sign outside the Rodrique Blue Dog Cafe in Lafayette, Louisiana:

"Sit, Stay, Eat"


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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Tween magazine fans: How to reach them with your pitch
http://publicityhound.net/?p=556

The F word: A copout for bloggers, writers and speakers
http://publicityhound.net/?p=552

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Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®:


May 16: Washington, D.C.

I'll be hosting a half-day public seminar called "Savvy Media Relations: How to Use Your Expertise to Get Thousands of Dollars in F~ree Publicity." Register by Saturday so you don't miss out on the early-bird sign-up. Read all about it at http://www.Publicityhound.com/washingtondc.htm


May 17: Washington, D.C.

PMA University, Washington D.C. Convention Center. Robin Bartlett and I will present "Advanced Website Tricks to Pull More Traffic and Sell, Sell, Sell," 8:30-10:00 a.m. Sponsored by Publishers Marketing Association. Register at http://www.pma-online.org/pmau2005/1.cfm


May 18: Washington, D.C.

PMA University, Washington, D.C. Convention Center. Penny Sansevieri and I will present "How to Turn Your Ezine into a Cash Machine." Sponsored by Publishers Marketing Association. 8:30-10:15 a.m. Register at http://www.pma-online.org/pmau2005/1.cfm

***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
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