Publicity gift/My gift to you December 26, 2006

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #326 - Dec. 26, 2006
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 27,671

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"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
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In This Issue
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1. My Gift to You

2. Woo the New Congress

3. Odd-looking Products

4. Media Lead

5. Promoting a Boomer Blog

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...

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1. My Gift to You
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If you're determined to ratchet up your publicity campaign next year, here's something that can help you.

It's "The Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week of 2006," an ebook that's my holiday gift to all of you. It includes the best 24 tips from this past year, the ones that generated the biggest response from readers.

And it will serve as a valuable reminder of some of the things you need to do to really create a buzz next year like:

--Create or update your online media room or press kit

--Compile a list of the most influential bloggers that blog on your topic, then pitch them

--Think beyond the "adult angle" when pitching. Can your pitch be tweaked and turned into a story that would appeal to parents, or can you turn the pitch into one with a kids' angle?

--An easy way to double your media placements

--Offer statistics to journalists so they can create things like maps, bar charts and pie charts to accompany their stories

--Tie your story to celebrities, an almost guaranteed way to generate instant publicity.

You can download the ebook at http://tinyurl.com/y4dnwr

Almost 4,000 people downloaded my "Best of" ebook from 2005. If, by chance, you've missed it, you can find it at http://tinyurl.com/y3w4za

If you blog or publish an ezine, by all means regift the ebook to your own fans. They'll love you for it. Just give them those two links. Or send them to my blog for a full explanation of the ebooks at http://tinyurl.com/yysrnk

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year. Make 2007 your best publicity year ever.


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2. Woo the New Congress
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When the 110th U.S. Congress convenes January 3, congressmen will pretty much do whatever they can to hold onto their seats. And that means letting the folks back home think they're actually doing something.

John Persinos, author of the new book "The Confessions of an Ink-stained Wretch--an Insider's Secrets to Getting Press," says this is a perfect time start courting your members of Congress.

If you want them to play ball with your marketing message and lend prestige to your press release or event, you should follow five basic rules when dealing with a Congressional press office.

"If you want the congressman to accept a quote for attribution, use strong adjectives that convey the impression that he or she is a great leader," John says. "Don't be stingy with words such as 'bold' and 'visionary.'"

That might seem like an underhanded way to get publicity--writing a quote that people think came directly from the Congressman--but that's how it works in the world of politics. Anything you can do to make the job easy for the politicians' Congressional press offices will enhance your chances that they'll play along with you.

In the article that John wrote for the January/February issue of The Publicity Hound subscription newsletter, he mentions four more ways to woo the new Congress. The newsletter also includes articles on how to piggyback off "Do Business in Your Bathrobe Day," how to get your brand in front of thousands of people every week, how to form alliances for publicity, a phrase you shouldn't use when pitching because it's "old news," where to get a free special report for authors on website content, a Dallas/Fort Worth PR group that's forming, a new spa magazine, why non-journalists snoop in your online newsroom, how to blog your way to the first draft of a book, where to find a free podcast directory, where to find a free special report listing the biggest press release errors, how to pitch the editors of Redbook magazine, and January/February story ideas. All for $10.

Order it athttp://tinyurl.com/yml5d6


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3. Odd-looking Products
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If you sell a product that looks so odd that somebody couldn't immediately guess what it is, here's a great opportunity that could result in some national TV publicity.

It's courtesy of Publicity Hound Julie Berry, a publicist from LaPorte, Indiana who saw the item here last week about how I want to come back in my second life as The Food Network's Rachael Ray.

Julie says "The Rachel Ray Show" on CBS has a segment called "Stump Rach." It features a celebrity who pairs up with Rachael and tries to guess what a strange-looking product actually is used for.

The LightKeeper Pro, a product made by one of Julie's clients, was featured on the Dec. 20 show. It's designed to solve the frequent problems associated with miniature light sets and bulbs. By simply plugging your light set into the LightKeeper Pro and pressing the trigger, most problems will be fixed automatically. You can see what it looks like at http://lightkeeperpro.com/ (I think it looks like a hand-held vacuum.)

"The celebrity was Kathy Lee Gifford who presented the gadgets to Rachael and asked her to guess," Julie said. "We were up last and Kathy Lee was going on and on about how she couldn't believe this product and she wanted to see for herself and what a miracle gadget it was."

Rachael was indeed stumped. But she liked the product so much she told the audience she wanted to keep it for herself and stuck it into her side pocket. The show was pre-empted in most of the U.S. because of President Bush's televised speech, but Julie says the entire show will be rebroadcast on Thursday, December 28.

"Now we'll just have to wait to see how this all translates into sales. But needless to say, my client is very happy," Julie said." This type of exposure is enormous and we didn't have to send a team to New York City to do the segment or spend anything beyond the cost of the product and, of course, shipping."

Check out the long list of stories that Rachael Ray's producers are working on at http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/?q=be-on-the-show

But don't forget about all the other big morning gab-fests like the "Today" show and "Good Morning America."

Publicist Lissa Warren explains how to get onto those big morning shows which are always looking for interesting, timely or controversial guests or products. Her tips are available on a CD or electronic transcript called "How to Get on the Morning TV Talk Shows." Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/ab86x


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4. Media Leads
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--Carolyn Chambers Clark, a nurse psychotherapist, is gathering information for a book on sexual problems people have encountered in life and what to do about them. "I'm looking for people willing to share their problems or someone else's they know about, anonymously of course, and I will provide the answers of what to do. Email her at mailto:cccwellness@earthlink.net


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5. Promoting a Boomer Blog
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This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips for Lois Cater Fay, who wants ideas on how to promote a blog for Baby Boomer women.

From Abigail Beal:

"Create an award that you can give out to blogs you like that are for fellow Boomer women. This award will make readers curious about your website. Of course you could include links or a blogroll to their blogs at your blog, and they would link to you as well."

From Amber Miner:

"Submit your blog to numerous blog-specific directories which will drive traffic your way. This is an advantage over traditional websites.

"Consider creating a Squidoo lens, linking back to your blog and yet another way to present yourself as an expert in your field. Go to http://www.squidoo.com/"


From Thom Reece:

"Get in touch with George and Marilyn Wallace. They have two article directories that seem nicely matched to your needs--http://www.retirementlivingarticledirectory.com/ and http://www.writerspenarticledirectory.com/. George and Marilyn are two retired educators who are teaching others how to enjoy an active and profitable retirement by using their article writing skills to promote whatever business or cause they are involved with. Great content is the fuel that drives all online businesses and the marriage of your blog and their article directories seems like a natural for both of you."

Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/y3qzd7


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6. Help This Hound
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Publicity Hound Kare Anderson writes:

"I am co-founder of a new business that's going public in January, called SavvyHer at http://www.savvyher.com/. It's the only online community for women age 45 and older to contribute tips for making their lives easier and more joyful. They can even be recognized and rewarded with gifts from sponsors each month, when the community votes their tips Most Popular.

"Members' tips may include photos or video. All contributions are moderated to keep the network free from porn, spam or other content not in keeping with the spirit of SavvyHer.

"Membership and eNewsletter subscription is free for this sponsor-supported network where there is a firewall between our content and our sponsors. It includes a tagged Directory of Tips and Members, weekly e-newsletter, monthly poll, and annual Best of SavvyHer book.

"This is a great showplace for people to demonstrate their expertise or highlight their book, cause or other interest. We need ideas on how to promote this website."

The Publicity Hound says: Kare, be sure to read all the answers to Lois Carter Fay's question from last week at http://tinyurl.com/y3qzd7. Hounds with great ideas for Kare can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/yj9d5l

Also, Kare, start blogging on your topic. Then link from the blog to the subscription website. You should pitch influential women bloggers whose audiences are also in the 45+ age range. See "How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion" at http://tinyurl.com/m7ymr


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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Top 10 New Year's Resolutions Made by Dogs:

10. Have a torrid one-night stand with a street mutt.

9. Try to understand that the cat is Venus and I am from Mars.

8. I will no longer be beholden to the sound of the can opener.

7. Circulate petition that leg humping be a juried competition in major dog shows.

6. Call PETA and tell them what that surgical-mask-wearing freak does to us when no one is

around.

5. Take time from busy schedule to stop and smell the behinds.

4. Grow a thumb, break into pantry, and decide for MYSELF how much food is "too" much.

3. Kill the sock! Must kill the sock!

2. Jan. 2 - Dec. 31: Re-live victory over the sock.

1. I will not chase the darned stick unless I see it leave his hand.

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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Tag, I'm it; 5 things you didn't know about me
http://tinyurl.com/wlpyl

Write press releases for readers, not clients
http://tinyurl.com/yxndfg

Prepare for TV/radio interviews via Toastmasters
http://tinyurl.com/vgf8u

On my blog at http://www.publicityhound.net/, I've made it easy for you to find what you're looking for by dividing my posts into more than 20 categories. Look under the "Topics" arrow on the right side of the blog to find the category you need.

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Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®

January 22, 2007:

Attention Artists--Frustrated that your art "business" is nothing more than an expensive hobby? Worried about how to become recognized, exhibited, and paid for your art? Feel like there's too much competition, too few buyers and not enough energy left at the end of the day to market like you need to?

You're not alone. That's why Ariane Goodwin will be hosting the global smARTist TeleSummit 2007, a week-long teleconference in January with a dozen art-career experts telling artists everything they need to know about marketing, from exactly when and how to sneak up on a museum for an exhibition, to which presentation materials mark you as a creative professional and which ones scream "amateur." I'm presenting from 2 to 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Jan. 22. For complete information on how you can participate, go to http://tinyurl.com/ymcvu8 Spaces are already filling up fast.


March 17, 2007: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity." 8 a.m. to noon. Details pending.

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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.

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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