Publicity tips/Know your bragging rights May 9, 2006

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #293 - May 9, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 16,759

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"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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Last call for Washington, D.C.:

By Friday, I need an accurate head count on how many people will be joining me on May 16 for my half-day seminar called "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast & Online Publicity." So far, this is the only week when I'm speaking in Washington, D.C. this year. We're going to have a blast. Promise. Register at http://tinyurl.com/h9p9m or call 262-284-7451.

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In This Issue
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1. Know Your Bragging Rights

2. Oven Timers & Door Bells

3. My Gift to You

4. Media Leads

5. Promote a Yoga DVD

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...
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1. Know Your Bragging Rights
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Don't tell me you can't get any publicity because all the reporters who you've pitched are ignoring you.

Boo-hoo.

That's all the sympathy you'll get from me. I'd rather spend my time telling you about Dick Stangl, a former client who claimed 7 column inches in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel yesterday to brag big-time about his 86-year-old company, a distributor for the power transmission industry.

Here's what he did. He read an op-ed column last week called "Milwaukee: Where are all the jobs?" Knowing Dick like I do, he probably got ticked. Then he fired off a column of his own.

"We currently have openings in all areas of our business at all of our locations in Wisconsin and Illinois," he wrote. "We believe our company is a great place to work--we pay well, provide excellent benefits and are willing to train. We have very little turnover, which indicates Weimer is a good employer."

His point was that there are plenty of jobs, but that parents aren't steering their children in the right direction. Instead, they're letting their kids drop out of high school, or graduate from expensive private colleges and take off a few years to go rock climbing. As a result, Dick says, there aren't enough young potential employees for frustrated, needy employers like him.

The newspaper would have let him brag about this company in a "Help Wanted" classified ad section. But that would have cost him a bundle. Instead, he spotted a great opportunity to respond to an earlier column--and brag for f*ree.

Dick understands his bragging rights. You should too.

So pay attention to things like letters to the editor and opinion columns. If you disagree with one, and the topic lends itself to you weaving in favorable information about your company or organization, do it. But just don't gild the lilly.

PR pro Robert Smith of Rockford, Illinois listened to my CD on "How to Use Newspaper & Magazine Editorial Pages," then wrote a letter to the editor that was printed in Fortune magazine.

"They even asked permission to include my letter in a promotional package going to tens of thousands of prospects who don't subscribe to their magazine," he said.

Learn more great secrets like that one on the CD. It's also available as an electronic transcript. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/5wh45

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2. Oven Timers & Door Bells
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I just got off the phone with Pam Johnson, who interviewed me for one hour on Hot Talk 1510 AM Radio in Kansas City about how small business people can generate free publicity.

I called in about 5 minutes before the hour, as instructed, then listened to the commercials that aired before the start of the hour-long show. Suddenly, I heard the timer on my microwave oven beeping. I had set it earlier this morning to alert me to when I was supposed to call in.

Luckily, I was able to slip away for 15 seconds, run to the microwave, turn off the timer and get back on the line with plenty of time to spare.

But that wasn't the only thing I forgot to do. I didn't post my "Please don't knock or ring the doorbell" sign on the front door. About halfway through the show, the UPS guy started banging on the door and rang the doorbell twice.

These things always happen in threes. I never disabled call-waiting on my phone. Twice during the call, as I was explaining an important point, I heard a beep in my ear. And listeners probably heard a split second of silence--twice--and knew I had calls coming in.

Don't make the same mistakes I did. Create a checklist of things to do before a radio talk show.

It should include:

--Post sign at the front door

--Turn off all timers, alarms and beepers

--Disable call-waiting

--Silence the ring on the fax machine

--Turn cell phones to vibrate, or off

--Put the dog outside or out of earshot

--Take a deep breath and smile!

You especially don't want to make these dumb mistakes when you're on national radio talk shows. Alex Carroll shows you how to get onto the biggest shows that are looking for informative, entertaining and controversial guests experts. "How to Get Booked on Big Radio Shows in the Top 20 Markets" is available as a CD or electronic transcript. It walks you through the 4 ways to get booked, the 8 essential elements of giving a great show and the 5 ways your press releases to the radio stations should look different than the standard press releases you write. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/p24yq

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3. My Gift to You
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If you're new to this newsletter, and you're wondering about all the good stuff you've missed from past issues, or if you're a longtime loyal Hound and you need a refresher course, I have a f*ree gift for you, to thank you for doing business with me.

It's my new ebook called "The Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week from 2005," a compilation of 24 tips that evoked the greatest response from readers. You can still use many of these tips in your 2006 media campaign. You can download the ebook at http://tinyurl.com/lpran and pass this link along to your own clients and customers. You can even put this link in your own ezine or blog. Your customes will love you for it.

To find back issues of this newsletter from 2006, visit the archives at http://www.PublicityHound.com/tipsoftheweek


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4. Media Leads
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Thanks to Publicity Hound Michelle Tennant, a publicist and graduate of The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, for passing along these three great media leads. She has agreed to intercept queries for the journalists, both of whom are her personal media contacts, so they aren't inundated. So send your responses to Michelle at the email addresses below.

--A writer for Glamour magazine is writing a story on how to cure your bad mood in five words or less and still needs examples of pick-me-up phrases. These can be phrases you repeat to yourself in times of stress, or simple things in life that cheer you. Submit your phrase along with your full name, age, city/state, email, phone and URL. (Some good examples: "Deep breath. This will pass." "Costco--it fixes anything." "Bombay Sapphire Martini, extra olives.") Mailto:Michelle@PublicityResults.com?subject=Glamour

--Michelle also has a Wall Street Journal contact who needs cutting-edge family news and trends, and she just signed on some clients who are also top experts for family news, including one who is a regular on the "Today" show. Michelle says she has numerous conversations on family-related topics with the media. "Any tidbits I can give my sources will make me look that much better," she says. And they just might get you some publicity. Mailto:Michelle@PublicityResults.com?subject=FamilyTrends

--Michelle has another media contact who wants to hear from people who have funny or annoying stories about emailing their own babies' pictures to friends or relatives. Mailto:Michelle@PublicityResults.com?subject=BabyPictures

Note: Several readers have complained that two recent media leads submitted by radio talk show hosts were actually veiled attempts to find guests who would be willing to pay to be on their shows. If you're a TV or radio talk show host trying to "sell" a spot on your show, don't even think of asking me to pester my Hounds with your sales pitch. Media leads are only for Hounds who do not have to pay for print, broadcast or online coverage.

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5. Promoting a Yoga DVD
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This week, 12 Publicity Hounds have tips for Heidi Kindberg Goss of Los Angeles, California. She has a unique DVD that teaches yoga to moms who have just given birth and she wants ideas on how to promote it.


From Michael Gloekler:

"See if you can team up with Enfamil or Similac to get a coupon dropped in the 'free stuff for new mommies' bag that every woman receives in the hospital after giving birth."


From Raechelle Cline:

"Tie your product to an emerging issue that we are dealing with socially. In this case, you might try relating your product to the growing problem of childhood obesity. Position your product as a teaching tool for children by finding an expert that will state that creating a habit or appreciation for exercise among children starts with having that habit demonstrated by the parent."

From Lorie Parker Matejowsky: "I’m the mom of a 15-month-old and 3-year-old and my first thought after reading about Yoga Ma Baby Ga was that I had to forward the information to all of my friends with babies. An important target market for you is the new-mommie, playgroup grapevine! Post information about your video on the mommy meet-up virtual community message board at http://www.meetup.com/), which hosts playgroups all across the U.S. Don’t forget to post to Craigslist at http://www.craigslist.org/ especially in the kids and babies section of the "For Sale" category.

The Publicity Hound says: Craigslist is a powerful publicity tool for anybody promoting a product, service, cause or issue. You can target dozens of cities and countries, and in most cases you pay nothing to post. But posting can be confusing. Nancy Mills, an expert on how to post to Craigslist, offers lots of time-saving shortcuts and helpful strategies on "How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool." It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/jxpkq

Read all the responses at my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=592


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6. Help This Hound
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Joyce Restaino of Newfoundland, New Jersey writes:

"I hope your Publicity Hounds can come up with some ideas to help generate publicity for a motivational tips booklet I have coauthored with a corporate trainer. We envision a spiral bound book with a good-quality cover. We should have more information about the number of pages in a few weeks. "Perhaps Hounds can even help us with the title, although our tentative title is 'Get Going Now: 50 Tips to Show You How.' We interviewed a number of experts who are quoted in the tips book--and the feedback from a dozen or so people who have reviewed it has been positive. "However, with so much motivational material on the market, the challenge is generating buzz and getting noticed."

The Publicity Hound says: Paulette Ensign, the Tips Booklet Queen who frequently posts ideas here, will be loaded with advice on how to identify a niche and publish the most inexpensive booklets with the highest profit margins. How about it Paulette and other Hounds who have published how-to material? Post your ideas to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/?p=600
Her website is packed with home study courses, tips and all kinds of great educational tools for anyone who wants to publish an informational tips booklet. Visit http://tinyurl.com/gnpj7


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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My dog chewed the tongue on one of my new, very expensive running shoes. I hoped to save my investment, so I took the shoes to a shoe repair shop. I placed them on the counter and told the man, "My dog got hold of this."

The repairman picked up the shoe, looked it over, and placed it back down on the counter.

"Well, what do you recommend?" I asked.

He looked at me and replied, "Give your dog the other shoe."

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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Book promotion tips
from Raleigh Pinskey
http://publicityhound.net/?p=597

Airline magazines rely
on freelancers--so pitch them
http://publicityhound.net/?p=596

Tips booklets:Perfect marketing tool
in a crowded market
http://publicityhound.net/?p=598

8 mega-trends worth pigggybacking onto
http://publicityhound.net/?p=599

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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 Get FREE Print, Broadcast & Online Publicity." 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


June 24: Naples, Florida

Public Relations Society of America, Sunshine Chapter District Conference, "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity," from 9-11:30 a.m., Ritz-Carlton. Registration details pending.


July 7: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"How to Use the Media to Promote Your Expertise and Get Thousands of Dollars in Free Publicity," Network SOHO, Radisson Hotel, 2303 N. Mayfair Road. Registration at 7:15, breakfast at 7:30, program from 8 to 9. $20. To register, mailto:nicole@corebusinessstaffing.com

***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
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Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central)
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