Publicity tips/What? No Media Plan? Dec 5, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #375 Dec. 5, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 36,778

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"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

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Save the Dates:


December 13: Product Placement Teleseminar

If you sell a consumer product, from something as simple as bottled water to something as lavish as diamond-studded jewelry--don't miss the one-hour telephone seminar I'm conducting at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, December 13, with product placement experts Amy Bates Stumpf and Rebecca Lightsey.They'll share all the secrets of how to get your consumer product onto the sets of TV shows and movies. Register for the teleseminar at http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar.htm


January 8: Artists, Don't Miss This One

Learn how to sell more artwork without wasting tons of time on dry business stuff and the wrong marketing strategies. Join Ariane Goodwin for a one-hour teleseminar at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Three experts will give away their best marketing advice on how to succeed without sacrificing your artistic voice or wasting tons of time on dry business stuff. It's a preview to her 2008 smARTist telesummit on artist marketing, and I'm a guest presenter who will talk about press releases. Register for the entire telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr. Or, to sign up for the Jan. 8 preview call, click on that link, then click on "Register" at the top of the page.

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In This Issue
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1. What? No Media Plan?

2. Can't Write? "Talk" Your Book

3. Dust Off Your Crystal Ball

4. Media Leads

5. Promoting a Michigan Nature Park

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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1. What? No Media Plan?
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Let's see a quick show of hands.

How many of you have high hopes for publicity for next year, whether it's finally landing a story about your PR client in USA Today, or--at long last--lolling around the set at Harpo Productions, chatting and laughing with Oprah?

That's what I thought. OK, put down your hands.

Now, how many of you have a media plan in place for next year that will make it happen?

That's what I thought. Don't worry. I'm not sending you to the dog house without your dinner.

Instead, I want to share with you some of the best nuggets from my recent teleseminar series on "How to Create a Media Plan."

--Don Crowther, who presented a full hour on how to use social media, says that during August this year, one out of every three people in the world who went online visited MySpace.

--MySpace is one of seven social networking sites, Don says, where where everyone--regardless of age or occupation--should have a presence.

--Don also says that if you're incorporating social media into your plan, you must take the opposite approach when pitching the media. With social media, it isn't about crafting a message. It's about joining the conversation. People who like what you have to say will want to find out what else you know that might help them. Then, and only then, you can promote.

--TV producer Shawne Duperon told us that at many local TVstations, as many as 8 out of 10 stories on the evening news get there because somebody called to pitch an idea. (Amazing.)

--Wayne Kelly, co-host of the radio talk show "The Wayne and Jayne Show" on KBS Radio in British Columbia, Canada, marvels at a publicity tactic used by a new restaurant owner whose business was flat. The restaurant delivered breakfasts to Wayne and Jayne and the staff with a greeting that read: "Hey, love the show. We just wanted to send you guys breakfast." The bribe worked. "We talked about it on the air because they were nice to us," Wayne said. "They got a ton of promotion which resulted in people coming through their doors."

Those are only five of the hundreds of tips, tactics and strategies that I and my team of guest experts presented during the eight-teleseminar series "How to Create a Media Plan." After Publicity Hound Cynthia D'Amour of Ann Arbor, Michigan took the course, she applied several strategies she learned and got two big media hits in just one day.

You can read testimonials from other happy students and learn about how you can get the course either as electronic transcripts, CDs, or MP3s on a CD. Each includes thorough handouts and a template for a 12-month plan, sort of a "fill in the blanks" checklist that will keep you focused and on track.

Read more about the fabulous bonuses that come with the package at http://www.PublicityHound.com/mediaplan.htm


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2. Can't Write? "Talk" Your Book
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No more excuses for not writing a book.

Adam Witty says that if you can't string a noun and a verb together on paper, but you can talk up a storm, and you're an expert on a particular topic, there's no reason you can't "talk" your book.

His company, Advantage Media, works with authors who love to write as well as those who either don't write, or simply cannot but want their own fiction or non-fiction book.

How does he prod authors to get what's in their brains onto the pages of a book? An interviewer sits with the author, sometimes for several hours, and conducts an interview. From there, ghostwriters and editors handle the project, and the author emerges with a book--and quite possibly a best-seller.

The big advantage?

An author who struggles with writing no longer has to tie up from three to five years learning how to write, then write the book and rewrite it.

On Monday night, during our 90-minute teleseminar, Adam explained how to "talk" the basics of your book in less than a week. He stayed on the line for 20 minutes longer than he promised and answered many questions from listeners.

That's one of the reasons Karen Hannon of SpotlightRichmond.com emailed us afterward to say: "I've have been on several calls lately and most have been an hour-long sales pitch. I thought your call was different--so much better. Adam, you sold yourself by being yourself and giving a lot of good information."

If you missed it, that's OK. We recorded it for you. Listen to Adam teach you "How to Write and Publish a Book Quicker and Easier Than You Ever Imagined" at http://www.advantageteleclasses.com/joan

Bloggers and newsletter editors, do your readers a favor and share this link with them.


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3. Dust Off Your Crystal Ball
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Thanks to Marcia Yudkin, one of the savviest Publicity Hounds I know, for reminding us in her excellent ezine that it's time for Hounds everywhere to drag out the crystal ball, make predictions for 2008, and then pitch them to the media.

Marcia writes:

"From mid-December through mid-January, the media like to do stories about predictions. This publicity window is all the more promising because traditional news usually becomes sparse this time of year.

"Issue a press release about just one provocative prediction for your industry--or a round number of them, like 10.

"Can't think up serious predictions? Then create some tongue-in-cheek ones.

"Can't see the future clearly? Then dig up predictions from 5, 10 or 50 years ago and discuss why they got it wrong or right."

Read about another terrific idea she suggests here: http://www.yudkin.com/marksynd.htm

Then follow her advice and start writing your press release or briefs.

What's a brief? It's a short nugget of information that fits nicely into a small hole on a newspaper or magazine page. Or share it with a blogger. I explain the nine types of briefs in"Briefs, Fillers & Quizzes: How to Write Them and Why Editors Love Them."

It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/d74h7


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4. Media Leads
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Thanks to Publicity Hound Nancy Juetten of MainStreetMediaSavvy at http://www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com/ for calling my attention to the first one.


--The Wall Street Journal's "Small Business Link" section is doing a story on how small businesses can get the best--and most--PR exposure for the least money and effort. It will be printed Dec. 17, so email your idea immediately to mailto:sblink@wsj.com

--Rachel Bondi is writing an article for Aware Magazine at http://www.awaremagazine.net/ about philanthropy and nonprofits, and she wants to hear from nonprofits large and small about ideas that tie into that topic. The audience is primarily Baby Boomers who are retiring and increasingly interested in giving back. mailto:kizlerim@yahoo.com

--Kimberly Elliott, an author and certified rape/aggression/defense counselor, is writing a book and wants to hear from women who have been molested when they were children or teens. "We are looking for stories we can print (first name and last initial only unless you state otherwise). We'd like to know just a small portion of what happened, age, your feelings at the time, how it affected you, who you told at the time or years later, if you had to go to court and face your perpetrator, and did others believe you when you told your story. Then we want to know the good stuff...how you are thriving today." mailto:kelliott@execdeftech.com


Tip: When you contact any journalists or authors whose leads you see here, ask this question: "In what other ways can I help you?" It's all part of building the relationship. That one little question can lead to even more publicity hits. For other tips, see my "Special Report #49: 17 Ways to Build Valuable Relationships with Media People" at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g


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5. Promoting a Michigan Nature Park
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This week, 12 Publicity Hounds have dozens of tips for Walt Shiel of Lake Linden, Michigan. He wants to know how his publishing company and other volunteers can help promote a nature park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.


From Lisa Braithwaite:

"We have several areas like this in Santa Barbara, and they’re very popular for outdoor weddings. Perhaps you can promote the natural beauty of the park as a perfect place for weddings or other celebrations."


From Marcia Yudkin:

"Go to http://www.geocaching.com/, plug in your zip code and see what’s already hidden in your area and who the most active local geocachers seem to be. Then ask them for help. Don’t try to hide the caches yourself if you haven’t already tried to find some.

"For those who haven’t heard of this fast-growing hobby, geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt using a GPS (global positioning system).

"It’s a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors, find neat places in the woods that only other locals generally know about and experience a three-dimensional challenge, since some of the caches are rather hard to find even when you get to the GPS coordinates."


From Edward Vielmetti:

"There are a bunch of Michigan blogs that get good traffic. Absolute Michigan at http://www.absolutemichigan.com/ has regular reviews, and I know that they drive serious traffic to sites (one mention I had when the Sleeper Lake fire was going in Newberry generated hits week after week).

"Right in your back yard, Pasty Central at http://pasty.com/ has a daily photo and lots and lots of people who used to live in the area regularly commenting and linking and telling stories.

Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/2nqmxs


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6. Help This Hound
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Wayne Loder of Milford, Michigan writes:

"I'm the Public Awareness Coordinator for The Compassionate Friends/USA. a national self-help bereavement organization with a mission to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive.

"The second week in September of 2008 has been designated as the first "Compassionate Friends Month." I want to give each of our 600 chapters in the United States, a CD or packet of materials they can use for PR. I have promised that I would also arrange national publicity. I want to give them a press release template to send to their local newspapers; a template poster to place at libraries, churches, grocery stores, etc.; Public Service Announcements for local radio and newspapers; and a template proclamation for local governmental bodies.

"On the national level, I plan to distribute a press release, and will also provide information to the major nursing magazines and funeral director publications, the two major bereavement magazines, and will contact state funeral director associations in all 50 states. I haven't, as yet, checked out what national magazines might have some type of calendar or announcement area where a notice could be placed.

Would you or your Publicity Hounds out there have additional suggestions on what other backup materials I could provide chapters, and where I could try for additional national coverage?


The Publicity Hound says:

Wayne, you've got so many bases covered already. But let's see what my Hounds can add to your already long list. I have a great idea I'll share next week. In the meantime, Hounds with tips for Wayne can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/3adgay


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you later.


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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Left-leaning PR flacks, spin doctors host media training
http://tinyurl.com/2sfogx


Press release faux pas of the day, and my blogging boo-boo
http://tinyurl.com/2rqsao


Celebrity sports gala wants items for gift bags, auction
http://tinyurl.com/397r9u


Why magazines are losing readers: No page numbers
http://tinyurl.com/3d8veg


How to sell 15,000 CDs in 18 months
http://tinyurl.com/2nhwdu



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Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound:

Dec. 13: Write Like a Journalist Teleseminar:

I'll be one of four guest experts on Bulldog Reporter's 90-minute teleconference "Write Like a Journalist: Newsroom Vets and PR Wordsmiths Reveal How to Write Compelling, Credible Copy That Sells." Come with your questions. Register at http://tinyurl.com/2vuku4


December 13: Product Placement Teleseminar

"How to Get Your Product onto the Sets of Movies & TV Shows," 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Product placement experts Amy Bates Stumpf and Rebecca Lightsey will share the secrets of product placement. Register, or order the transcripts or recordings at http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar.htm


January 21: 2008 smARTist Telesummit

I will teach artists "The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Art Buyers and Collectors, Not Only for Journalists from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Register for the entire telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr If you want a taste of what you'll be learning, you can register for a one-hour teleseminar at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Three experts will give away their best marketing advice on how to succeed without sacrificing your artistic voice or wasting tons of time on dry business stuff. To register for that call, click on the link above, then "Register" at the top of the page.


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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."

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Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound®
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
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Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737