Publicity tips/'Oprah' gig tougher than ever August 15, 2006

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #306 - August 15, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

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In This Issue
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1. "Oprah" Gig Tougher Than Ever

2. Terrorist Plot Tie-ins

3. Pitch Photo Tie-ins, Too

4. Publish an Ezine for Publicity

5. Media Leads

6. Hound Joke of the Week


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1. 'Oprah' Gig Tougher Than Ever
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In the old days, booking a coveted spot on "Oprah" was one of the most difficult tasks a Publicity Hound could face.

But there were some tricky ways to get around the problem. You simply recorded a show, then watched the recording in slow motion, checking the credits at the end for names of producers who were responsible for shows that tied into your own topic. Then you'd call the show, ask for the producer by name, pitch our idea, and hope they bit.

Not anymore.

"They're so protective of producers' names that there aren’t any producers even listed in the credits after the show has been aired," says publicity expert Susan Harrow. "They took all of that information off their website and off of the actual show credits. They’re becoming more and more protective of their time because so many people approach them and don’t have any idea how to pitch a show or what's appropriate."

So what's a frustrated Publicity Hound to do?

You have only two choices:

--Go to Oprah's "Be on the Show" page at http://tinyurl.com/dv9v and read about all the upcoming shows. If you think you're a good fit, email the producers and let them know.

--Or, if you want to pitch an idea that doesn't tie into a show they're already planning, you must use the form at http://tinyurl.com/qr6q

But you're not done yet. You must know which topics push Oprah's hot buttons. They've changed the last several years, and you can't assume that the kinds of shows she featured five years ago are the same kinds she wants today.

She's having so many celebrities as guests, for example, that it's tougher than ever for regular folks to find a way onto the show. Susan has more ideas in her bag of tricks, however. And she knows how some of you can make all those celebrity appearances work in your favor.

She explains her tactics in the new interview we recently recorded called "How to Get Booked on Oprah." It's an update to the interview we did back in 2002 and it's available as a CD or an electronic transcript.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/855eb


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2. Terrorist Plot Tie-ins
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I saw two clever tie-ins to last week's big story about Scotland Yard breaking up the terrorist plot to blow up as many as 10 U.S.-bound passenger jets.

--Michelle Tennant of Wasabi Publicity Inc. and her team of 10 publicists immediately started pitching story ideas about their client, SATSair, which provides "air taxi' services. Their press release and pitch noted that the company was deluged with travel requests on the day we found out about the foiled terrorist plot. The Associated Press picked up the story and distributed it to thousands of media outlets on Friday. Yesterday, First Business, a nationally syndicated TV news feed, picked up the story and sent it to thousands of TV stations.

"Whew. It was a very good week, and our client was thrilled," said Michelle, a graduate of The Publicity Hound Mentor Program. Learn more about the program and what I can teach you at http://tinyurl.com/n22hn

--Wyndham Hotels posted a press release on PRNewswire saying that they'd come to the rescue of arriving guests who were forced to forfeit their toothpaste, contact lens solutions and drinking water in their carry-on bags. It's all part of the hotel's longstanding guest service program called "We Remember What You Forgot," which supplies travelers with the personal products they most frequently forget to pack. The hotel offered arriving guests a choice of 21 items, from deodorant to contact lens solution. The item was picked up by the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.

Piggybacking onto big national and international stories is one of several hundred ideas I suggest in my ebook, "How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound," which I co-wrote with Tom Antion. It's a one-stop-shop for beginning or advanced Publicity Hounds, and you'll find an entire chapter on how to generate free publicity and sell more products and services from blogs. Read more about what you'll learn at
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity/publicityhound.htm


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3. Pitch Photo Tie-ins, Too
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When a big story breaks, you sometimes won't have an idea that warrants an entire story, but you can pitch a photo. Here are some photo ideas you could have been pitched last week, all tie-ins to the terrorist plot:

--Photos of products that were cleared by the new carry-on rules established by the Transportation Safety Administration.

--Photos of travel agencies, which were swamped with calls from angry, befuddled travelers last week after the big story broke.

--Photos of the types of carry-on bags that make it easy for inspectors to check.

--Photos of Muslims, some of whom called news conferences last week to comment on the terrorist threat. They supported efforts to ensure safe travel and pleaded with the public not to stereotype entire religious or ethnic groups because of what happened.

Sometimes, if you take your own photo and submit it to busy media people, you'll score. My ebook "How to Use Photos & Graphics in Your Publicity Campaign" shows you how to take your own photos and submit them to the media. It includes lots of tips on what makes a great photo, the kind of equipment to use, how to work with editors, and what the media expect to see in your online media room. Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.publicityhound.com/publicityphotos.htm


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4. Publish an Ezine for Publicity
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Looking for one more way to beat the competition, generate fabulous publicity, and sell more products and services?

Publish an electronic newsletter.

No, I'm not talking about an ezine as long as the one you're reading now. You probably don't have eight hours to spend writing each issue, like I do.

But at the very least, send a tip of the week to a list of people who have given you their email addresses and permission to market to them.

Here's what's happened to me (and what can happen to you) as a result of publishing an electronic newsletter, almost every week, for six years:

--I'm invited to speak at conferences because people who read this pass it along to meeting planners in their trade associations who hire speakers.

--Almost every week, people I don't know invite me to be a guest on their teleseminars. That means I get in front of their audiences, many of whom eventually subscribe to this ezine.

--The content-rich information in this newsletter gives readers a chance to know, like and trust me. Many Hounds are loyal subscribers, read every issue word for word, then pull out their credit cards and order products that solve problems they're facing. In fact, I've made more than $10,000 a week, just from leads I've received and products I've sold through this newsletter. Yes, a week.

--Lots of media people, from freelancers to magazine editors, subscribe to this newsletter. And when they read about something that interests them, they'll often ask if they can interview me for their publications. TV and radio show hosts extend the same invitations.

--I've positioned myself as one of the leading experts on media relations and publicity. I Googled myself just now using "free publicity" as the keyword phrase, and I was first on the list. I'm fourth on the list for the keyword "publicity" but usually rank in the first, second or third position.

--I've attracted dozens of people who have signed up for The Publicity Hound Mentor Program at http://tinyurl.com/n22hn so they can have unlimited, long-term access to me. It's almost filled to capacity, by the way.

I could go on, but I think you get the point.

Most ezines that find their way into my email box are garbage. The biggest mistakes publishers make are concentrating only on selling a product or service, and publishing on an irregular schedule, or less than every other week.

If you're hesitant about taking on such a huge commitment, find out how to save yourself time and make your email tip of the week or ezine a key revenue and lead generator. My friend Dan Janal of PRLeads.com and GreatTeleseminars.com interviewed me several weeks ago on "How to Turn Your Ezine into a Cash Machine."

I shared every tip I could think of, and offered lots of helpful advice and tricks I've picked up during my six years of publishing. 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/ouhq2


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5. Media Leads
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--Norm Goldman, editor of the travel site SketchandTravel.com, wants to interview PR people about romantic destinations offered by their clients such as tourist and convention bureaus. "If you want to get free publicity, not only on Sketchandtravel.com, but also on several other sites, including a link on TripAdvisor.com, go to http://www.sketchandtravel.com/ and refer to the Interview section on the left side of the page. You'll see a drop-down menu.

--Here's a terrific lead for your kids or grand kids. The editors of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul are searching for submissions. They pay $200 for each published story. The general theme of the book focuses on difficulties associated with relationships, friendships, family matters and self-image. They want first-person, non-fiction narratives. Learn more at this Craigslist posting at http://tinyurl.com/edjz3 or email mailto:chickensoupforteens@yahoo.com

Are you posting your press releases, Help Wanted ads, events, news about your nonprofit, and other items of interest on Craigslist? If not, you're missing the chance to get in front of many of the 10 million people who visit the site every month. "How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool" shows you all the tricks of how to entice Craigslist visitors to read your ad. It's available as a CD or electronic transcript you can download as soon as your order has been approved.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/geog2


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6. Hound Joke of the Week
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A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of. --Ogden Nash

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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Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®

March 17, 2007: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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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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U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737