Publicity tips/Give Bloggers a Scoop June 10, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #402 June 10, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 46,929

=====================================

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/

=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

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Save the Dates:

June 11: Teleseminar

PR whiz Robert Smith explains "How to Earn An Extra $100,000 This Year as a Publicist, Even in a Bad Economy." 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm


June 18: Teleseminar

Business coach Leili McKinley shows you "How to Outsource Almost Any Part of Your PR Campaign or Your Business." 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm See Item #2 below.

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================================
In This Issue
================================

1. Give Bloggers a Scoop

2. The Big Myth of Outsourcing

3. Wal-Mart's Online Classifieds

4. Media Lead

5. Promoting a Wardrobe Survey

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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1. Give Bloggers a Scoop
=========================================

If you write and distribute press releases online, you're in an ideal position to give bloggers a scoop.

Before you distribute the release, simply email your favorite blogger with a "heads up" that you'll be posting the release later that day. Explain the essence of the release, or just give it to them.

A blogger who knows the information is exclusive to him or her will give it better play. (If you're a publicly held company, make sure you abide by SEC regulations and safe harbor statements.)

I blog, and I prefer that people who pitch me send the release in the body of an email instead of attaching it, or asking if I'm interested in seeing it.

This tip is among several from four tech bloggers, shared by blogging expert Sally Falkow via Bulldog Reporter's Daily Dog newsletter at http://www.infocomgroup.net/falkow/?p=198

Other tips worth flagging:

- -In a Web 2.0 world, graphics are vitally important so have plenty of images from which to choose.

- -Make it easy for bloggers to get the data. Create a section on your website with information, images and multi-media for bloggers.

- -Video that bloggers can't use on their blogs is useless. Offer them the code so they can embed the video. An easy way to do that is to upload the video to YouTube and use the coding that YouTube provides.

- -Make it easy for bloggers to get the data. Create a section on your website with information, images and multi-media for bloggers.

- -Don't embargo news to bloggers--by the time the embargo is up they've moved on to other news and forgotten it.

"How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion," one of my most popular teleseminars, is available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can be reading as soon as your order is approved. Stop relying only on traditional media and start tapping into the incredible power of blogs to spread your message. Learn how at http://publicityhound.net/cdpitchbestbloggers/


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2. The Big Myth of Outsourcing
========================================

Several weeks ago, when I started writing about the importance of outsourcing work in your PR campaign, several Publicity Hounds wrote to tell me they'd love to farm out work to others, but they just can't afford it.

Outsourcing, they said, is too expensive. Let's explode that myth right now.

You don't need a huge budget--or any budget--to persuade other people to work for you. One of the best resources for free or inexpensive labor is in your own community: at your local college, university or tech school.

Once you've identified a job that needs to be done, like writing a how-to article or producing a video, call the department that teaches that skill and ask a professor to assign it as a class project. Or ask the instructor to identify the brightest students who might be willing to take on the project for extra credit.

Students, particularly seniors, are eager to work on projects that they can eventually add to their portfolios and show prospective employers during job interviews. You might also find an instructor or a teaching assistant who would be willing to work for you for free or next to nothing.

Projects you can outsource include:

- -Press releases

- -Creating your online press room

- -Researching journalists who you'll include in your publicity plan or media plan

- -Administrative work

- -Creating information products or reports you can offer at your website in exchange for someone's email address

- -Photography

- -Managing your social networking requests

- -Writing, editing and proofreading

- -Transcription

- -Graphics and artwork

- -Updating your website

- -Blogging

Now that you've identified tasks you can outsource, learn what you must do before you assign the work. Leili McKinley, an outsourcing expert, will be my guest during a teleseminar on outsourcing from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, June 18.

"Outsourcing Secrets: Your Guide to Getting the Best Quality, Price and Teamwork from Freelancers" is for anyone who can't do it all and needs help growing their business.

Register and watch the video to find out how to get five free outsourcing tips from Leili: http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar.htm


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3. Wal-Mart's Online Classifieds
==============================================

Craigslist, the world's largest community bulletin board, and Ebay's popular Kijiji have a new competitor.

It's Wal-Mart's new f*r*ee online classifieds which debuted two weeks ago at http://WalMart.Oodle.com/. The giant retailer is partnering with Oodle.com, a classified ad website.

Classifieds are f*r*ee to buyers and sellers. You can post ads in six categories: cars, real estate, for rent, job, items for sale, and tickets. You can also search for items by city.

Walmart.com classifieds says it reaches more than 5 million consumers each month through a network of sites including newspapers, portals such as Lycos, and online communities such as Military.com.

If what you're selling fits into one of the six categories, you'd be crazy not to advertise here.

But don't forget good old Craigslist which can be a publicity gold mine if you know how to use it. Nancy Mills, a Craigslist expert, explains "How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool," a one-hour interview that will explain the smartest ways to use Craigslist to promote your product, service, cause or issue--and follow the Craigslist rules so you aren't banned from the site forever.

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.

Learn what other smart Craigslist posters have learned at http://tinyurl.com/geog2


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4. Media Lead
=======================================

- -Freelance writer Leah Ingram is looking to develop relationships with responsive and reliable media relations staff at medical centers, hospitals and health systems that also have an emergency room. "I am searching out stories for a new magazine from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). These stories are about real-life people who ended up in the ER because of an accident or health condition along with the ER doc who treated the person. Here's the catch: The docs must be ACEP members. Additionally, I'm look to hear about ER stories that have appeared in local papers or that people know about from a personal connection. We've already covered a skateboarding accident, heart attacks and aneurysms, so please don't pitch me stories on those three topics." Mailto:leah.ingram@comcast.net

If you do PR for a hospital, check out "How to Make Hospital PR an Easy Pill to Swallow," an interview I did with Dan Collins, chief media officer at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can be reading as soon as your order is approved. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/lr6qf


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5. Promoting a Wardrobe Survey
=============================================

This week, seven Publicity Hounds have tips on how Merri Cvetan of Big Bend, Wisconsin, an interior decorator, can promote a fun survey to find out the relationship between a woman's wardrobe and the colors she decorates her home with.


From Nika Stewart, The Designers' Success Coach:

"Why not do a joint venture with a local women's clothing store? You could even put on an event relating to the survey, i.e. on the event day, each customer who comes into the store and purchases an item of clothing gets an analysis of their ideal home style (based on the clothing they chose). You can pass out printed copies of the survey to everyone who comes by the store, and tell them to enter their results on your blog to receive two $10 gift certificates--one for your design services and one for the clothing store."


From Donna Cook:

"I would do more to update your blog--great ideas, but you need much more visual information--you are a designer!!! Show it off on your blog. Have some links on your blog, and offer some little contests there for people who post comments."


From Kathleen Lisson:

"The local radio stations in my area have a segment where the DJ asks a 'question of the day,’ and listeners call in with their opinions. Perhaps radio stations in the Big Bend, WI area would want to ask 'Does your wardrobe match your home decor?' And tie the story in to your website."


The Publicity Hound says:

This survey screams for a video. Once you've created it, be sure to share it with your local newspapers, magazines and TV and radio stations for use at their websites. John Easton explained how during the teleseminar "9 Clever Ways to Use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or Community." It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order is approved.

Learn more about John's secrets at http://tinyurl.com/66xshb


Read all the responses to this week's Help This Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/6bq6ns

Send your own Help this Hound question to: mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and include your city and state.


==================================
6. Help This Hound
==================================

Lisa Cupolo of Ballston Spa, New York writes:

"I handle public relations and marketing for four rehabilitation and nursing home facilities that offer pediatric through geriatric care.

"I'm looking for story ideas that I can pitch to the local business journal. The newspaper only focuses on hard business stories as opposed to human interest stories. For example, the health reporter will write stories related to how health facilities, such as hospitals, are surviving within the trying times of the health care industry.

"I also see several articles published in this particular publication regarding our competitors. Readers are decision makers as far as the health care needs of their families. That's why we're targeting the business journal."

Their website is at http://www.northwoodshealth.net/


The Publicity Hound says:

Hounds, when offering ideas for Lisa, remember that business journals want multiple-source stories. They seldom write a story about a business without input from other sources. Post your best ideas for Lisa at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/3wd6vv


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7. Hound Quote of the Week
=================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Viveca Stone-Berry of DogCaptions.com, where you can find wonderful dog greeting cards.

"His ears were often the first thing to catch my tears."

- -Elizabeth Barrett Browning


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. At My Blog...
================================

New social networking site for New Age, spiritual communities
http://tinyurl.com/6czaeo


Why few journalists comment at blogs or in forums
http://tinyurl.com/5bgvj2


Crisis at your company? Consider embedding reporters
http://tinyurl.com/5peguq


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Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound


June 11: Teleseminar for Publicists

PR whiz Robert Smith explains "How to Earn An Extra $100,000 This Year as a Publicist, Even in a Bad Economy." 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm


June 18: Teleseminar on Outsourcing

Business coach Leili McKinley shows you "Outsourcing Secrets: Your Guide to Getting the Best Quality, Price and Teamwork from Freelancers." 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time. Register at http://www.PublicityHound.com/teleseminar.htm


PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

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.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® respects your privacy and has a strict anti-spam policy. Read my privacy policy at http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

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

Publicity tips/Banish the Blog-writing Blues May 13, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #398 May 13, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 47,066

=====================================

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/

=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

*********************************************

The Kennel Club is Alive and Well:

Send me to the doghouse without my dinner for falling behind on my weekly emails to members of The Kennel Club.

I created the club a few years ago as a way to offer Hounds one additional publicity tip each week, and a special offer like a discount coupon for my products or a deal on products I am discontinuing.

If you've joined the club, you'll hear from me again at the end of each week--I'll shoot for Thursday. Membership is free.

Join the club at http://www.publicityhound.net/kennelclub You'll see an opt-out link at the bottom of each message. See you Thursday.

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================================
In This Issue
================================

1. Banish the Blog-writing Blues

2. Why Print Journalists Hate Video

3. Piggyback Off 'Hug Your Kids' Day

4. How do You Twitter for Business?

5. How to Promote Detroit to Hollywood

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. At My Blog...

===================================
1. Banish the Blog-writing Blues
===================================

If I had to choose only one strategy that would help Publicity Hounds pull more traffic to their websites, establish themselves as experts, build a loyal following and sell more products and services, I'd choose blogging--without hesitation.

My own blog at http://www.PublicityHound.net is on track to pull in more than 20,000 unique visitors this month alone. Not all of them are staying, of course, but those who are read my blog posts and sometimes end up at my website where they sign up for this newsletter. Others buy products, and call for consulting services.

Some follow me for several months or years, and then join my mentor program at http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html

My blog has also led to invitations to be a guest expert on other bloggers' teleseminars and radio shows, provide commentary for newspaper and magazine articles, and even write for a 140,000- subscriber ezine.

Other bloggers aren't as fortunate.

After blogging for only a month or two, they bail out, frustrated because their blogs aren't pulling traffic. That's like starting a work-out routine at the gym on Monday, and calling it quits by Friday because you haven't developed six-pack abs.

Many bloggers complain that their biggest problem is finding enough content to write about, or enough time to write it.

I find content everywhere. The best place is in my own email, where readers ask questions and pass along articles of interest. As for the time crunch, I force myself to make time to blog almost every day.

Other bloggers lament the fact that nobody comments at their blogs. Once way I encourage comments is by commenting at other blogs. That lets bloggers discover me and comment at my blog.

If you suffer from the blogging blues, more help is on the way.

Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad, are presenting two 90-minute teleseminars next week, designed to help struggling bloggers find more time to write, create cornerstone content, find sources for ideas, create compelling headlines, and persuade readers to take action.

If you're already blogging with less-than-spectacular results, or you're planning to blog, don't miss these two sessions on "Better Business Blog Writing" at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, May 19, and Wednesday, May 21. Read more about how to get out of the blogging rut at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=2401308


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2. Why Print Journalists Hate Video
====================================

Several weeks ago, I wrote about AngryJournalist.com, a blog that accepts anonymous comments from journalists about what gets under their skin.

One theme stood out among all the others: The increasing demands that bosses place on them to generate multi-media. Print reporters, in particular, are grousing about having to write articles for the print publication as well as video for the newspaper's website.

That's because creating video can feel unnatural to people who write for a living. Reporters, many of whom are already doing double- and triple duty because of shrinking newsrooms, have little time to learn another medium.

All the more reason, John Easton says, to create video for them. John, a videographer in Charlotte, North Carolina, produces so much video for his local media that they ought to put him on the payroll.

That's OK, he says. His efforts have generated more business for his company, more coverage in local newspapers, and requests from other media outlets to partner with him.

John says you don't have to be a video expert like he is to become a media darling. His strategies are particularly powerful for companies and organizations that sponsor events but sometimes find it impossible to convince local media that the events are worth covering.

During a teleseminar next week, John will teach Publicity Hounds "9 Clever Ways to Use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or Community." If you've been creating video for several years, or just getting started, don't miss this information- packed hour. As John will explain, you don't need a lot of fancy equipment or a lot of know-how.

Everyone who registers for this teleseminar will receive a copy of the MP3 recording. Seating is limited. Register at http://www.publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm


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3. Piggyback Off 'Hug Your Kids' Day
=========================================

Lots of Publicity Hounds hate it when they create their own day, week or month of the year, and then see other people piggyback onto it for publicity.

Not Michelle Nichols, a former writer for BusinessWeek.com, who created National Hug Your Kids Day on July 21.

Michelle is inviting Hounds everywhere to generate publicity for their own companies or organizations by tying into Hug Your Kids Day. Already, she has generated lots of interest.

"A Realtor in Reno had 1,000 pens made that say 'National Hug Your Kids Day, July 21' with her name, company and phone number," Michelle said. "A nonprofit consulting company in Maryland is sponsoring an event. An expert on happy post-divorce families in Red Bluff, California is putting together an event. A luxury toy company may have its mother cat stuffed animal be its 'spokescat' for the day."

She asks, however, that the events and other promotions encourage parents to hug their own kids, not other people's kids. And she'll even send a copy of her new book, "Hug Your Kids Today! 5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent," as a thank-you to Hounds who participate.

Learn more about her project at http://www.HugYourKidsToday.com and email Michelle at mailto:Hugs@HugYourKidsToday.com

If you don't have your own day, week or month of the year, you're missing out on lots of opportunities to use it as a springboard to promote your product, service, cause or issue. "Special Report #45: How to Generate National Publicity from Your Own Holiday (or Day, Week or Month of the Year)" guides you on how to create your own holiday--for free--and then promote it dozens of different ways. Only $10. Order at http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html


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4. How do You Twitter for Business?
========================================

I'm in love with Twitter, the free social networking and microblogging service that lets you send updates as often as you wish to whoever is following you at http://www.Twitter.com

Each update, limited to only 140 characters of type, can include information on whatever you're doing on a particular day. Although I occasionally include personal updates, I try to concentrate on writing about solutions I've found to business problems, products I'm creating, and things I'm learning.

Lots of Twitterers are still experimenting with how to use Twitter for business purposes. I've been collecting the best examples and compiling them into a special report which should be ready in a few weeks.

I want to include as many Hounds as possible in the report. If you Twitter for business, let me know what you discuss--and the results. Has Twitter helped you build a following for a niche product or service? Or helped you collect email addresses? Or brought readers to your blog? Or simply given you a chance to show more of your personality to followers who eventually might do business with you?

I've seen some clever business uses for Twitter. For example, I blogged about how Publicity Hound Harry Hoover has compiled a big list of journalists who Twitter and turned it into a wiki for PR people. You can read more about that at http://publicityhound.net/twitterwiki

Even Business Week reporter Stephan Baker is writing about Twitter via a series of tweets, which he started this afternoon. His article will discuss the growth of Twitter and whether those of us who are wild about it right now will still be using it in a year or two. You can follow the story at http://summize.com/search?q=%23bwstory

Now, it's your turn. Tell me how you use Twitter for business. If I use your example, you'll get a copy of the special report gratis.

Email your response to mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HowIUseTwitter

You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/publicityhound


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5. How to Promote Detroit to Hollywood
============================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips on how Milan Stevanovich of Detroit, Michigan can promote Detroit as a great, inexpensive place to shoot a movie and turn it into the epicenter of everything Hollywood in Michigan.


From Leah Ingram:

"I just put 'movies filmed in Michigan' into Google and came up with a huge list of well-known films shot in the Great Lakes State, including 'Dreamgirls.' I would think that 'showing' the great locations your client has is an excellent way to entice filmmakers. Therefore, I would recommend doing walk-through filming--and posting a video online--of the various buildings he owns. If any of them appeared in well-known movies like 'Dreamgirls,' all the better."


From Shel Horowitz:

"First thing I’d do is put together a really spiffy website that addresses any questions and concerns, shows (as Leah recommends) clips from movies shot in Michigan as well as locations where shooting could take place, stresses the economics not only of the rebate but that other than winter energy costs, *everything* is going to be much cheaper in Michigan than Hollywood, with none of the hassles of shooting abroad.

"Design the site to fill the needs of a Hollywood mogul who’s never thought about Michigan at all. You might be able to get some state Tourism Department dollars to help on this. Have sections on investors, on the skilled labor pool, the works.

"Then drive traffic to the site with postcards, social networking campaigns, emails, phone calls, blog, media publicity, and a six- degrees campaign aimed at producers. There’s a lot of information on how to do this in my fifth book, 'Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World.'"


The Publicity Hound says:

I sound like a broken record. But if you aren't blogging about your topic, Milan, start now. It's a fabulous way to pull traffic to your website. In a market as niched as yours, you might run out of things to write about. If so, you'd be a perfect candidate for The Blog Squad's "Better Business Blog Writing" teleseminars next week at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=2401308


Read all the responses to this week’s Help This Hound question at http://publicityhound.net/michigan


Send your own Help this Hound question to: mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and include your city and state.


==================================
6. Help This Hound
==================================

Mitch Carnell of Charleston, South Carolina writes:

"Last year, we celebrated the first Say Something Nice Sunday on the first Sunday in June. This is now an annual event.

"We want churches and denominations of all faiths to join in. This is a Sunday when people will say nothing negative about any other Christian or Christian group or organization. It originated from my little book, Say Something Nice; Be a Lifter.

"We have put together an ecumenical group to promote this. It started at First Baptist Church of Charleston, the Charleston Baptist Association, the South Carolina Baptist Convention, the Charleston Atlantic Presbytery and CBF of South Carolina. Next year, we will sponsor a poster contest with middle and high school students.

"We are looking for ideas to get individuals and churches involved. We've provided some ideas for them at http://www.fbcharleston.org/SSN-Web-Page.html Can your Hounds help with other suggestions?"


The Publicity Hound says:

Mitch has less than four weeks to promote this. So give it your best shot, Hounds. How can he promote this special day online?

Post your best ideas to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/saysomethingnice


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
=================================

It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring at me.

"Is that a dog you got back there?" He asked.

"It sure is," I replied.

Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then toward the back of the van.

Finally, he asked, "What'd he do?"


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/


=================================
8. At My Blog...
=================================

A Wikipedia listing isn't easy, but here are 6 tips
http://publicityhound.net/wikipediatips


EzineArticles.com will limit writers to four links June 1 http://publicityhound.net/ezinearticleslinks


------------------------------------------------------------

Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound


May 21: Teleseminar on Video

Learn "9 Clever Ways to use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or Community" with guest expert John Easton, a videographer and media darling in Charlotte, NC. Register at http://www.Publicityhound.com/teleseminar.htm


PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

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.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® respects your privacy and has a strict anti-spam policy. Read my privacy policy at http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

=======================================================
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

Publicity tips/Pan for Gold Using Web Video April 8, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #393 April 8, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/(Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 44,189

=====================================

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/

=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

********************************************

USA Today Says Web Video is Marketing Gold

The story on the front page of the Business section in Friday's USA Today says it better than I ever could.

"You don't need a pan and a stream in California to join the next video gold rush. A video camera, computer and high-speed Internet connection will do."

If you're a Publicity Hound who's willing to spend a little time learning how to use video to promote your product, service, cause or issue, you'll pull traffic to your web site, gain attention from traditional media, and make your phone ring by attracting dozens and maybe even hundreds of new customers.

Read the USA Today story here: http://publicityhound.net/usatodaywebvideo

Or skip to item #1 below.

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================================
In This Issue
================================

1. Pan for Gold Using Web Video

2. Will Journalists Find You on LinkedIn?

3. How to Hire a Virtual Assistant

4. Going Ape over Bananas

5. Promoting a Credit Union

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. At My Blog...


===================================
1. Pan for Gold Using Web Video
===================================

Tired of relying on newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations to decide whether your story is worth telling?

Tell it yourself by creating a two-minute video and posting it at your website. Watch the traffic flow to your site, listen for the ringing telephone, and figure out a way to handle all those additional sales.

Entomologist Hal Coleman in Alpharetta, Georgia, for instance, has been using video for a little more than a year to sell his exterminating services. Watch the 90-second video at http://www.northfultonexterminating.com

And then, head over to his video blog at http://www.YuckyNastyBugFacts.com and give him your name and email address.

You'll be treated to a series of informative and sometimes hysterical videos about yucky, nasty little critters that are having fun right now, as you're reading this, in the bottom of your toaster, inside your gas grill and maybe even on your toothbrush. (Warning: Don't watch this video immediately before or after a meal.)

I saw Hal's videos over the weekend at the Stompernet conference in Atlanta, where more than 400 Internet marketers learned how to promote anything using video and lots of other cutting-edge strategies.

Hal owes his video expertise to my good friend Mike Stewart (no relation), who teaches business owners, experts and Publicity Hounds everywhere how to promote a product, service, cause or issue using short online videos.

During Mike's presentation on Saturday, he demonstrated how you can create video quickly and easily with a $150 camera, a $12 miniature tripod, a piece of paper with notes scribbled in felt-tip pen (it doubles as a dirt-cheap teleprompter), video editing software, and a laptop computer.

It took him less than 30 minutes to create a short video of himself, edit it, post it to his Wordpress blog and play the video live on the Internet.

I got so excited about the possibilities for Publicity Hounds that I invited Mike to do a free teleseminar with me on how to create video clips that you can use at your website, in your publicity campaign, at a video blog, or anyplace else.

It will be from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, April 17. The call is limited to the first 300 people, and I'm expecting registration to be closed within a week. So sign up here right now: http://www.PublicityHound.com/mikestewartvideo.htm


=========================================
2. Will Journalists Find You on LinkedIn?
=========================================

Journalists are turning to social networking sites such as LinkedIn, MySpace and Facebook to supplement their news coverage or find sources to interview.

That was one of the findings of the 2008 PRWeek/PRNewswire Media Survey.

Of 1,231 media members surveyed, one out of four say they have a profile on MySpace. About one-third have a profile on Facebook, and one-third are on LinkedIn.

More than 57 percent of those surveyed report using blogs to measure sentiment. About half of the respondents use blogs to find what other mainstream publications are writing about. Almost one-third use blogs to find industry experts.

Here's what the survey results mean for Publicity Hounds:

- -If you aren't blogging, start today. You can have a blog up and running in less than 10 minutes at Blogger.com. Or use a more stable, flexible platform like WordPress, Typepad or MovableType.

- -Post comments at blogs that your target audience reads. Comments give you a backlink to your own blog or website and positions you as an expert.

- -Pitch bloggers, but don't just send press releases. Most bloggers want a customized pitch, and they want to know you read their blogs. See "How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion" at http://www.PublicityHound.net/cdpitchbestbloggers

- -Create a profile on MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn and use relevant tags, or keywords, so journalists can find you easily when searching these social networking sites.

If you're intimidated by social networking sites, don't be. Don Crowther peels away the mystery and gives you lots of solid tips you can start using today to build a huge presence online and reach many people who have abandoned traditional media. He was one of my guest experts when I presented the teleseminar series "How to Create a Media Plan" last year. The entire course, including a template for a 12-month plan, is available in audio format, or as electronic transcript that you can download as soon as your order has been approved.

Find out how you can start creating your publicity plan today, and learn about the social media sites where you must have a presence. Go to http://www.PublicityHound.com/mediaplan.htm


======================================
3. How to Hire a Virtual Assistant
======================================

I'm in love with Jennie-O fresh turkey sausage links and eat them most mornings for breakfast.

When my local supermarket stopped carrying them, I had to start calling the meat department every few months and order them by the case. But making calls like that chips away at time I should be spending teaching Publicity Hounds how to promote.

So I started assigning calls like this one to Christine Buffaloe, my virtual assistant. Yesterday, she hunted for the cheapest 16- foot USB cord she could find online and ordered it. She orders my books from Amazon.com. She even researched where I can get reasonably-priced printer cartridges for my ink jet printer (there is no such thing as reasonably priced cartridges for an ink jet printer).

This afternoon, she's calling the sewing machine repair shop to see if my sewing machine is ready to be picked up. When that's done, she'll make a doctor's appointment for me.

I can't tell you the number of hours she's saved me, not only doing business tasks, but making personal phone calls that eat up my precious time.

Isn't it time you found a virtual assistant to free you from annoying chores so you can concentrate on the important stuff that brings in the bucks?

"How to Find a Virtual Assistant to Help with Your Publicity Campaign," a 70-minute interview I conducted with two top-notch VAs, explains everything you need to know about virtual assistants. You'll learn where to find them, how to interview them, tasks you can give them, how to work within your budget, and how to make the relationship smooth sailing all the way.

It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript you can be reading as soon as your order is approved. Start down the road to outsourcing and find out more at http://publicityhound.net/virtualassistant


=================================
4. Going Ape Over Bananas
====================================

When Tom Holubowicz wanted publicity for his custard stand in Grafton, Wisconsin, he donned an ape costume and visited the local Pick 'n Save supermarket to buy bananas for Monkey Pox, his "flavor of the day."

The recipe calls for bananas, custard and chocolate-covered peanuts.

Before he left, he called The News Graphic, his local weekly newspaper and told them it would make a great photo op.

The result? Two black and white photos on page 3 of last week's issue, one showing a big hairy ape reaching for a bunch of bananas and another showing the ape at the check-out counter.

The 6-by-9 inch package of photos cost him nothing. Even better, he sold out of Monkey Pox a few days later, as a result of the publicity. If he had bought an ad the same size, he would have paid $627.48 for it.

Which of the two do you think readers would remember--the photos or a paid ad?

Are you pitching photo ideas to your local newspapers and magazines? If not, you're letting lots of publicity opportunities slip through your fingers. The next time a creative idea strikes, call the photo department of your local newspaper and pitch it.

This also works particularly well if you call an editor or reporter and pitch an idea for a story, and they say no. Photo desks love it when readers call with ideas for photos because photographers are under immense pressure to produce great stand- alone photos.

You'll find hundreds more ideas in my ebook "How to Use Photos & Graphics in Your Publicity Campaign." It's chock full of tips on what kinds of photo equipment to buy on a budget, how to take your own great photos and submit them to the media, and how to sweeten your story pitch with your own graphics, or ideas for graphics that the publication can produce on their own.

Learn how to start using powerful photos and graphics today at http://www.publicityhound.com/publicityphotos.htm

If you live in the Milwaukee area, join me April 22 for a daylong workshop where I'll share hundreds of tips like this one, and teach you how to write and distribute press releases online. I'm speaking to the Shorewood Business Improvement District. For details, see "Where to See and Hear The Publicity Hound" below.


========================================
5. Promoting a Credit Union Contest
========================================

This week, eight Publicity Hounds have tips on how Natasha Henry of Laurel, Maryland can promote a savings contest for a credit union.


From Carol Rademan:

"How fitting that Joan mentioned a possible angle of tying into teaching money habits to children, especially since National Credit Union Youth Week is celebrated April 20-26 by credit unions around the country. I think that’s a great angle!"


From Kathleen Lisson:

"Since you are so close to Washington D.C., crafting a partisan pitch might be effective. Local media might enjoy reporting on a story where members of Congress and their staffs actually tried to SAVE money instead of spend it!

"Which party will be better at saving, Democrats or Republicans? See if you can round up a credit union member from both parties and have them available for interviews, promoting their party as the party of saving money."


From Paulette Ensign:

"Natasha, how about sending a tip of the month? You also have a salable product there by putting those tips into autoresponders and licensing that series to a credit union. Joan created her 89- autoresponder series about press releases. You can do a tip of the month (or week) autoresponder series to license out rather than give it out."


The Publicity Hound says:

How about sponsoring a local contest in which kids in your community submit short videos of how to save money? Lots of kids know how to quickly shoot video on their cell phones and upload it to YouTube. The producer of the best video wins a cool prize. The videos will live online forever. Don't forget to notify your local TV stations and make the video available. Tell your members to sign up for the Mike Stewart teleseminar on how to create videos at http://www.PublicityHound.com/mikestewartvideo.htm


Read all the responses to this week's Help This Hound question at http://publicityhound.net/blogcreditunion

Send your own Help this Hound question to: mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and include your city and state.


==================================
6. Help This Hound
==================================

Steve Mock of Henderson, Nevada writes:

"I am an uncle who was trying to impress my nieces with making my gift-giving to them an adventure.

"As a result, I've created my own company, Giftventure, at http://www.GiftVenture.com It gives children a personalized week-long treasure hunt that comes in the mail.

"At our website, the parents enter a location in their house where they will hide a gift, such as in the closet. We take that information and print out and mail a series of personalized letters from a mythical character such as a dragon, pirate, fairy, Santa Claus, etc.

"The child reads the letters and solves the puzzle which leads him or her to the hidden location and the gift.

"It takes five minutes for the parents to order, the adventure lasts a week, and the experience for the child lasts a lifetime. They are excited to get mail, amazed it's from a mythical character, and even more amazed to have everything come true when they find the actual gift.

"How can we spread the word about our service and get some media attention?"

The Publicity Hound says: Your question makes me wish I were a kid again, Steve. And I know my Hounds are going to have a blast answering this one. Hounds with ideas for Steve can post them to my blog at http://publicityhound.net/giftventure


=================================
7. Hound Joke of the Week
=================================

This isn't a joke, but it'll make you smile. It's from the April issue of My Midwest, the inflight magazine of Midwest Airlines.

To make it easy for people to travel with their dogs, Loews Hotels has introduced "learning vacations" for your favorite pooch at three of its hotels.

At "The Hound of Music" at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, your dog can head into the recording studio with a voice coach for a professional recording session where it will howl along with a musician or bark to its favorite karaoke beat.

If you're targeting your publicity at an upscale, well-educated audience, in-flight magazines might be the perfect vehicle for your story. "Special Report #27: Fly High with Publicity in the Inflight Magazines" saves you hours of research with pitching tips galore and contact information for 43 inflight magazines. Read more about the report at http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html

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/


=================================
8. At My Blog...
=================================

Spanish-language newspapers buck industry's dismal trend http://publicityhound.net/spanish-languagenewspapers


------------------------------------------------------------

Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound


April 17: Teleseminar

Mike Stewart demystifies the process of creating video for your website; 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Registration is free. Http://www.PublicityHound.com/mikestewartvideo.htm


April 22: Shorewood, Wisconsin

"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get FREE Online & Offline Publicity," 8:30 to noon, and "The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Consumers, Not Only for Journalists," 1 to 3:30 p.m.; North Star, 4515 W. Oakland Ave., sponsored by the Shorewood Business Improvement District. Tickets are $75 each or $65 for two or more persons. To register, contact Barb Caprile at barb@shorewood.com or 414-962-7002.


April 30: Teleseminar

"How to Create a Media Plan," part of the teleseminar series "Intro to Internet Marketing" for health professionals. Perfect for doctors, nurses, spa owners, holistic health counselors, massage therapists, etc. Register at http://publicityhound.net/introinternetmarketing


PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

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.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® respects your privacy and has a strict anti-spam policy. Read my privacy policy at http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

=======================================================
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

Publicity tips/TV Talk Show Stunts Feb 26, 2008

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #387 Feb. 26, 2008
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 42,789

=====================================
"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/

=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

*******************************************

Last Call for National Publicity Summit:

Steve Harrison's National Publicity Summit still has a few openings for Publicity Hounds who want to pitch top-tier journalists face-to-face. It's March 26-29 in New York City.

You'll meet with journalists and producers from top national TV shows like ABC's The View, CBS' 48 Hours, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News Channel, Montel, Fox & Friends and Live with Regis & Kelly.

You'll also personally meet writers who do stories for big-time print media like People magazine, Woman's Day, Alternative Medicine, Good Housekeeping, New York Times, Parents, Family Circle, INC., Time magazine and many other top publications.

In this newsletter, I've written many success stories about Publicity Hounds who have attended the summit, gotten huge media hits, sold tons of books as a result, and have raved about the event. If you're on the fence, at least read about what you'll learn at http://www.nationalpublicitysummit.com/?10011

*******************************************
================================
In This Issue
================================

1. TV Talk Show Stunts

2. The Mayo Clinic & Facebook

3. Create a Hall of Fame

4. Google Will Reward You for Video

5. How to Promote a College 'Care Package'

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. At My Blog...

9. At My Squidoo Lens...


======================================
1. TV Talk Show Stunts
======================================

In the old days, if you wanted to get onto one of the morning TV talk shows, you had to pitch a compelling idea that had the three magic elements that TV loves: people, color and motion.

These days, however, your chances improve drastically if your pitch includes a publicity stunt. Don't worry. You don't have to round up a stunt man. Instead, suggest the stunt be performed by one of the talk show hosts, anchors or reporters.

Like "Today" show news anchor Ann Curry bungee-jumping off a bridge in England.

Or her cohort, Meredith Vieira, jumping into frigid Lake Champlain in Vermont in February to promote the annual Penguin Plunge to benefit the Special Olympics.

Or Chris Cuomo, ABC's "Good Morning America" newsman, sky-diving off the roof of the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City last week.

Why the stunts?

Simple. It helps the audience to connect to the personalities they see every day, said Jim Murphy, "Good Morning America" executive producer who was quoted in an Associated Press story.

Cancer patient Robin Roberts, co-host of "Good Morning America," even doffed her wig in public. Viewers flooded her and other personalities with email, saying they loved the stunts.

The next time you're looking for TV coverage, think of ways TV personalities can become directly involved in your story. See "Special Report #42: Tips for Letting Reporters Experience Your Story, Not Just Write About It" at http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html

Can't think of a stunt? That's OK. There are many more ways to get onto the "Today" show, "Good Morning America" and "Fox & Friends." Lissa Warren explains them all on "How to Get Booked on the Morning TV Talk Shows." 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://publicityhound.net/cdmorningtvtalkshows


=====================================
2. The Mayo Clinic & Facebook
=====================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Tom Ribar of Grafton, Wisconsin for alerting us to this article that explains why even the world- renowned Mayo Clinic has its own Facebook page: http://www.1to1media.com/Xfactor.aspx?DocID=30670&m=n

The clinic uses Facebook to post information about itself and link to its three websites for patients, consumers, and research and education. It also displays "wall post" messages and photos, offers video and audio podcasts, provides updates on news and events, and connects with its Facebook friends.

The clinic encourages patients to tell their own stories and describe what their experience was like at the clinic.

Tom Ribar and I are learning more about Facebook because we're among the hundreds of students in the SMARTS social media coaching program. If you missed signing up for the program, you can still get a taste of what we're learning by watching the 50- minute video and downloading the special report. Dozens of Publicity Hounds have thanked me for alerting them to these content-rich resources.

Watch the video and sign up for the free report at http://www.stompernet.net/jvp/aw.aspx?B=25&A=332

Then create your own Facebook page and ask me to be your friend. But please let me know that you subscribe to this newsletter. You can find my page at http://www.PublicityHound.net/facebookprofile

Facebook is one of seven sites where social media expert Don Crowther, our SMARTS coach, says you must have a presence. He explained more about Facebook and the other six sites during a one-hour teleseminar earlier this year as part of my training series "How to Create a Media Plan."

If you need help building a 12-month plan that will really reach your target audience, pull traffic to your website, and have journalists calling for interviews, take a look at what you'll learn: http://www.PublicityHound.com/mediaplan.htm

The training program includes a list of more than 200 story ideas, several for every month of the year. You can incorporate them into your own plan.


=======================================
3. Create a Hall of Fame
=======================================

When Publicity Hound Karla Kinstler of the Houston Nature Center in Houston, Minnesota read one of my tips about creating a Hall of Fame, she knew the idea was a perfect fit with the annual "Festival of Owls."

"We now recognize one owl and one human each year who have done extraordinary things to make the world a better place for owls," says Karla, who submitted a Help This Hound question several months ago.

The first year, the Oregon Associated Press picked up the story when Fat Broad, an owl in Oregon, was inducted into the hall of fame.

Last year, the nature center widened its search and made it the "World Owl Hall of Fame."

"Coverage of our hall of fame wound up in the Canberra Times in Australia, and was linked to from the New Zealand Journal of Birds website," she adds.

This year, the nature center has nominations from seven countries on four continents. It has added a "Special Achievement" award category since there were so many nominations.

"Now we call our festival the International Festival of Owls and have folks attending from the U.S., Canada, Jamaica and The Netherlands this year. I just wanted to let you know that starting a Hall of Fame is, in itself, an award-winning idea."

You can read more about the contest at http://www.festivalofowls.com/World%20Owl%20Hall%20of%20Fame.htm

The next step, Karla says, is to grow the Houston Nature Center into a North American Owl Center with its own room for the World Owl Hall of Fame.

Why not follow Karla's lead and create your own hall of fame that ties into your own product, service, cause or issue? Promote it by writing and posting online press releases, pitching bloggers who write about your topic, pitching journalists on your media hit list, using social media sites, and creating videos about inductees.

See "The New Rules of Press Releases" at http://publicityhound.net/cdnewrules


======================================
4. Google Will Reward You for Video
======================================

Are you tired of lousy Google rankings for your website or blog?

Are you wasting hundreds of dollars on Google pay-per-click advertising that isn't making anybody except the Google advertising people happy?

I hear from dozens of Publicity Hounds each week who are doing just that. That's why I tell them to start cranking out short videos as fast as they can. Google and the other search engines place a high premium on video, even low-cost videos made by amateurs.

Why? Because web surfers love watching video. Take a look at the statistics:

- -More than 141 million Americans viewed online video in December of last year alone.

- -YouTube is almost double the size of Google, the granddaddy of search engines, in the number of page views.

- -More than half of all videos online are being watched on other websites, not just on YouTube. That means that if you upload your video to YouTube, bloggers, website owners and anyone else can embed your video link at their blog or website, thus giving your video even more exposure and your website more traffic. And you don't pay them a cent for doing it.

- -Video can reward you with more traffic, a higher conversion rate on your sales pages and maybe even a call from a journalist who watches one of your videos and wants to interview you.

On Thursday night, I'll be on the phone taking notes furiously on Tom Antion's teleseminar on "How to Get Instant High Rankings on Google Using Short Videos." Then I'll be converting some of the videos I use in my live workshops for the web.

Don't miss this call, and his special bonus to the first 200 people who sign up. Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.PublicityHound.net/antionvideo


=========================================
5. How to Promote a College 'Care Package'
=========================================

This week, 13 Publicity Hounds have tips for Patricia Hudak of Jersey City, New Jersey. She's creating an informational care package for college seniors and is looking for corporate sponsors who want to reach this niche audience.


From Paulette Ensign:

"Look at who else is already marketing to that population, such as big financial planning companies, gasoline companies, recruiting firms, and cruise lines. Contact their marketing departments with your proposal. Be prepared to modify your package if they are interested in parts of it. In fact, it may serve the sponsors better to pull apart your package and provide pieces of it spread out over time to keep them in front of that audience longer."


From Ann Wondra:

"While new college grads are often very savvy in technology and more globally aware, employers are dismayed at their lack of work ethic, top salary expectations with little or no experience to back it, attitudes of 'entitlement,' and weak written and verbal professional communication skills (text messaging doesn't fly well in most corporate business settings). If those kinds of skills are included in your Career module, those would be attractive selling points to businesses that are recruiting from the college of students you are targeting."


From A. Moore:

"Create a place online where you can interact with and share your ideas with college grads and young career enthusiasts. Offer portions of your programs as downloads. Spend the time to build a following for yourself and you'll be better positioned to engage sponsors. You'll probably even attract media and become a valuable resource, or you may get a book deal out of it or a radio show."


The Publicity Hound says:

Contact bloggers who write about corporate marketing and let them know what you're doing. They have a ready-made audience that would be perfect for you. See "How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion" at http://www.PublicityHound.net/cdpitchbestbloggers


Read all the great responses to this Help This Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/yumrqh


==================================
6. Help This Hound
==================================

Lori Feldman of St. Louis, Missouri writes:

"I am an ACT! Software consultant and I belong to The CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Alliance, a consortium of the top ACT! Consultants across the U.S.

"We have pooled resources to offer a $6,500 grand prize for a complete CRM/Email Marketing/Internet Marketing package for one winner, with other winners getting second- and third-place prizes. Your Hounds can read more about it at http://www.actsoftwarepromotion.com/

"Were launching the promotion next week and it will run through April 30. We're promoting it through our alliance members' lists, our vendor partners' lists and through two lists we just purchased. We're also using press releases before and after the event.

"Total value of the prizes is $17,000. That's pretty hefty for our little group, and I'd love to do as much as I can to get the word out. Help from you and your Hounds would be greatly appreciated."


The Publicity Hound says:

Maybe it's just because I've immersed myself in the SMARTS social media marketing program the last five weeks. But I can think of all kinds of great ways to use the social media sites to drum up interest in this. Let's see if my Hounds are thinking along the same lines. Hounds with ideas for online and offline promotion can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/2wcw9g


=================================
7. Hound Joke of the Week
=================================

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/


=================================
8. At My Blog...
=================================

Best blogs for writers
http://publicityhound.net/index.php/best-blogs-for-writers/


LinkedIn can provide comments from experts
http://tinyurl.com/3c4aph


Top 10 tips for free publicity--in Italian
http://tinyurl.com/34zg3r


Hannah Montana--buckle your seatbelt!
Http://tinyurl.com/2j3dx2


=================================
9. At at My Squidoo Lens...
=================================

- -March and April Story Ideas


- -How Reporters Loosen Your Lips


http://www.squidoo.com/howtogetfree_publicity

- -----------------------------------------------------------

Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound


March 5: Teleseminar on "How to Turn Your Content into Cash"

Join me for a free teleseminar at 3 p.m. Eastern Time with Cathy Stucker. This one-hour call is perfect for authors, speakers and experts who have handouts in their file cabinets and on their bookshelves and hard drives. Cathy will show you how to take your content and spin, retool or tweak it to create information products and lots more. She promises a teleseminar packed with content, and she'll take your questions, too. This call is limited to the first 250 people. You don't have to sign up. Simply call 1-218-486-1300. The access code is 1-8-2-2-2-2#.


March 27: Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin

"Red Hot Tips to Set Your Publicity Campaign on Fire," Menomonee Falls, Sussex and Germantown Business to Business Networking Breakfast; networking and breakfast from 7:30 to 8, presentation from 8 to 8:45 a.m. Tickets are $15. Guests welcome. For reservations, call Diane Henning at the Menomonee Falls Chamber at 262-251-2430.


PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

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.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® respects your privacy and has a strict anti-spam policy. Read my privacy policy at http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

=======================================================
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

Publicity tips/How Not to Pitch a Reporter Dec. 25, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #378 Dec. 25, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 37,327

=====================================

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/

=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

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My Gift to You: The Annual "Best of" Ebook

I've compiled the best 28 tips from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" from this past year and created a handy ebook you can download at http://tinyurl.com/32avtz

Review the ebook when you need an idea to jump-start your publicity campaign.

Many thanks to all of you loyal Publicity Hounds who read this newsletter, contribute to it, and comment on it. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and all my best for the coming year.

--Joan

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In This Issue
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1. How Not to Pitch a Reporter

2. Pay-per-placement Pros and Cons

3. More on Dirty Hotel Glasses

4. Media Leads

5. How to Become a Newspaper Columnist

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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1. How Not to Pitch a Reporter
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The next time you send an email pitch to a reporter, take an extra minute or two to send the email to yourself first so you can see what it looks like on the screen.

Laura Lorber, the Wall Street Journal's assistant news editor for WSJ.com, blogged about an email she received from an unidentified PR person.

The email message, apparently the victim of Microsoft Word’s quirky email editing, shows that the pitch accidentally includes at least one paragraph of information on a separate topic that had been part of an earlier release. Rather than starting from scratch, the writer took the old release and edited it to conform to the new topic. Problem is, all the original copy that the writer edited out shows up on the screen.

Yikes.

The pitch is typical of many I see--and quickly delete. See if you don't agree. You can read the entire email at http://tinyurl.com/2kw72u

Laura, by the way, says she was inundated with pitches from Publicity Hounds who read here Dec. 5 that she was looking for story ideas on how small business use public relations. She's still sorting through all the emails.

Dan Janal of PRLeads.com asked me to share my best pitching tips during an interview we conducted call "Secrets of Perfect Pitching to Reporters." I discussed the one word you must never use in a pitch, things you can do to sweeten your pitch and encourage a reporter to write about you, and how to avoid major mistakes when pitching by phone.

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/s3tyx


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2. Pay-per-placement Pros and Cons
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It's called pay-per-placement and it works like this.

Rather than paying a publicist or PR firm a retainer, regardless of whether they generate publicity for you, you pay for every placement they help you get.

No publicity equals no fee.

But if they pitch you to a national TV show like "Good Morning, America" and you end up on the show, the fee can be upwards of $10,000.

Let's say several newspaper and magazine journalists see the show and ask you for interviews. Depending on how the pay-per-placement contract is written, you'll have to pay the publicist an additional fee for each of those articles.

Pay-per-placement, one of the most controversial forms of PR services, isn't for everybody, particularly those on a shoestring budget. Critics say there's no justification for the outrageous fees. But advocates argue that it makes publicists work that much harder.

I've heard journalists complain that overly-aggressive pay-per-placement publicists can make pests out of themselves. I've also heard editors say they love PPP publicists who have pitching down to a science and will never waste the journalist's time pitching lousy story ideas.

The article at http://tinyurl.com/2f7v24 is a good example of how pay-per-placement is getting good results for the CEO of a Colorado gift basket company.

If you're hiring a publicist, don't interview any candidates until you know the right questions to ask, and you understand how they charge for their services.

My ebook "How to Hire the Perfect Publicist" walks you step-by-step through the entire process. It includes a list of questions to ask all potential candidates, shows you how to rank them, how to choose the best one, and how to work with your publicist. The ebook also explains the four ways publicists charge for their services, and the pros and cons of each one.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.publicityhound.com/hireapublicist.html


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3. More on Dirty Hotel Glasses
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More Publicity Hounds have responded to the items you've read here the last few weeks on the Atlanta TV station's I-team report about dirty hotel glasses than any other item in recently memory.

An observation:

I half-expected the PR departments at Embassy Suites, Sheraton Suites and the Holiday Inn in Atlanta to email me and explain improvements they've made to their housekeeping as a result of the I-team video. (If you missed it, you can see it at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7f_1194813218)

After all, don't savvy Publicity Hounds create Google Alerts at http://www.Google.com/alerts so they know what people like me are saying about them online, and then follow up with journalists and bloggers to tell their side of the story? Don't they try to do damage control? So far, I haven't heard from anybody representing those hotels. Amazing.

A warning:

All you hotel PR people, don't be surprised if your hotel is the target of an I-team investigation like the one in Atlanta. When a story like that one uncovers wrongdoing, you can bet that one or more other stations will do an identical I-team story.

Creating Google alerts, and responding to bad news stories, are integral to your 2008 media plan. I discussed both of those topics and hundreds of others during my teleseminar series "How to Create a Media Plan." It comes with detailed handouts, including a fill-in-the-blanks template for a 12-month plan. Start laying the groundwork right now for next year's publicity campaign.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.PublicityHound.com/mediaplan.htm


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4. Media Leads
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--Mildred Culp, who writes The WorkWise syndicated column, needs sources to comment about job hunting tactics. No newspaper columnists, please. mailto:workwise@comcast.net


--The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is looking for writers and photographers to participate as unpaid citizen journalists. It is looking especially for bloggers who can write about topics such as pets. "We want you to blog about anything you're passionate about: Hobbies, neighborhoods, sports, news, leisure activities...the list goes on. We can give your blog a home on one of the top-20 news sites in America and we'll give you the independence to say what you mean." Mailto:blog@seattlepi.com with your idea, your resume, a writing sample, and a link to your current blog (if you have one). We respond to every request, so contact us today." Thanks to book marketing guru John Kremer for this media lead.


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5. How to Become a Newspaper Columnist
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This week, six Publicity Hounds have tips on how Kelly Moore of Des Moines, Iowa can turn her job as an unpaid blogger for a local magazine into a paying job as a newspaper columnist.


From Sarah Adams:

"I think you could use the upcoming primary to your advantage! If your numbers are as good as they seem, you could offer interviews to the many candidates on the topics of parenthood (and talk about guilt over the constant travel of a campaign). What about Chris Dodd who, I believe, moved his children to Iowa public schools? Great move, and I’m sure he would love to talk about that commitment to Iowa!


From Lois:

"The largest publisher of home, garden and niche magazines has its corporate headquarters in Des Moines. Meredith Corporation (Better Homes & Gardens) publishes Parents magazine. You might as well start at the top.

"Get the name of the editor from the masthead and pitch your idea to her. She is probably already aware of the local magazine, so be sure to mention your experience there."


From Brannan Vines:

"I just looked at your blog and I love it!

"Since your readers are your strongest ally, why not involve them? Post a short message explaining that you’re passionate about what you’re doing, list the reasons why, and then tell them you need their help to go global (regional, national, etc). You could either (1) ask them to post their reasons for supporting you, loving your blog, etc, (2) ask them to send you an email to the same effect and just include a few of the best in your blog or (3) set up a survey form asking them to rate, on a scale of 1to 10, how likely they would be to read a daily column that you wrote. Then you could take that feedback to the editors of the daily paper (or, like Lois suggested, to the editor of parents)...I’m the publisher of a South Carolina local newspaper and that approach would be most convincing to me. It would make the decision almost a no-brainer."


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


The Publicity Hound says:

Kelly, before you pitch the editor for your own column, boost traffic to your blog by posting comments at other popular blogs on parenting. I teamed up with Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff and explained "How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion." You can read more about the strategy of posting comments before directly pitching at http://tinyurl.com/m7ymr


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6. Help This Hound
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Nicka Stewart of Middletown, New Jersey writes:

"I started an organization with a partner last May. The Decorators' Alliance of North America offers professional affiliation, certification and continuing education for interior decorators. DANA is dedicated to the personal and professional growth of its members. We offer resources, educational opportunities, industry discounts, and networking programs. Our website is at http://www.DecoratorsAlliance.com

"We have several hundred members, but there are many thousands of decorators who are still unaware of us. This is the first group devoted specifically to professional decorators (not licensed designers), and is open to all fields of home fashion (window treatment designers, home stagers, interior re-designers, organizers, etc.). We know that many other decorators will profit from DANA, as well. We just need to get the word out!

"Can your Hounds help?"


The Publicity Hound says:

Your group has lots to offer, Nicka, and the secret of promoting it is to direct your message to your niche audience. Hounds with ideas on how Nicka can do that can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/38xorv


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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I pulled into a crowded parking lot and rolled down the car windows to make sure my Labrador Retriever had fresh air. She was stretched out on the back seat, and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there. I walked to the curb backward, pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically, "Now you stay. Do you hear me? Stay!"

The driver of a nearby car gave me a startled look.

"I don't know about you, lady," he said incredulously. "But Iusually just put my car in park."


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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Chicago media expand opportunities for commentary
http://tinyurl.com/38fb9f


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Where to See or Hear The Publicity Hound:


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.


PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

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.


You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® respects your privacy and has a strict anti-spam policy. Read my privacy policy at http://www.publicityhound.com/privacypolicy.htm

=======================================================
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

Publicity tips/'Dirty Hotel Glasses' Contest Winner Dec.18, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #377 Dec. 18, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 37,659

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"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/

Need help with publicity?
See the resources list at
http://www.publicityhound.com/resources.htm


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You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

***********************************************************

Coming Christmas Morning:

It's my annual "Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week"ebook, a special gift to all of you loyal Hounds who have been kind enouch to read and respond to this newsletter.

I've chosen more than two dozen tips from this past year that have generated the most response from readers, and I'll tell you how to download the ebook in next Tueday's issue of this newsletter.

Bloggers, ezine editors, coaches and consultants, you are welcome to regift the ebook to your own readers and clients.

Until then, have a safe and happy holiday.

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In This Issue
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1. 'Dirty Hotel Glasses' Contest Winner

2. Say Buh-Bye to Journalists

3. YouTube Video Reminder

4. Pitch This Week and Next

5. Promoting a Photography Studio

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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1. 'Dirty Hotel Glasses' Contest Winner
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Next time the Sheraton Suites, Embassy Suites or Holiday Inn hotel chains are looking for a PR spokesperson, they should choose the winning candidate from among Publicity Hounds who read this newsletter.

Last week, I told you about the video produced by an Atlanta TV station that took its hidden cameras into guest rooms at local hotel chains. At those three chains, the video showed, the housekeeping staff never used soap and water to clean dirty glasses and coffee cups in the guests' rooms.

I told you to watch the video at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7f_1194813218 and then tell me how you would respond if you were the PR person at one of those chains.

You can read all 75 comments at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/28aqm9

Many of the responses are excellent and showed the appropriate level of contrition and embarrassment. But one response, in particular, stood out from the others.

Jennifer Moreau, a marketing specialist with ITU Inc., an industrial towel and uniform company in New Berlin, Wisconsin, suggested that the hotel apologize for the safety violation, then ask the TV station to become involved in reporting on the change in housekeeping procedures.

"For instance, invite them to the initial meeting with staff when this video is shown so they obtain footage of staff reaction to the hidden camera video and the discussion that takes place after," she wrote. "Then, have the media do a second hidden video test after a month or 2 months when the changes were implemented to ensure that they actually were.

"Working with the media as a partner instead of an enemy will actually help both parties. They get a better, more in-depth story, the hotel improves their process, and both receive PR coverage. Plus, the hotel's credibility is perceived much higher by admitting the problem right away and dealing with it to solve it. This, in turn would reduce potential negative sales effects and perhaps could actually have a positive effect on sales."

I ran her comment by Clarence and Ellen Jaffe Jones, the husband-and-wife crisis counselors. Both are former award-winning TV investigative reporters.

"Clarence and I like the idea," Ellen said. "Formally called the 'ride-along,' it invites the media inside. 'Walk a mile in my shoes' gives the reporters a unique view."

Tylenol execs used this invite-them-in technique effectively when cyanide was maliciously injected into the company's star drug.The company invited "60 Minutes" to watch company execs debate how to handle the drug tampering crisis.

"Lawyers cringe," Ellen said. "But in a crisis, it is a matter of saving your image and often the entire company. Tylenol didn't suffer any long-term market share loss, and is still very much in business."

Clarence and Ellen were doing a crisis counseling training for clients when I contacted them.

"We discussed the hotel glass story in our media training class today," Ellen said. "It was amazing how many people from all over the U.S. had seen or heard of this one story that was initially done by one local TV station. With YouTube and Internet connection to the TV's website, bad news like this is immediate worldwide...Many of our students today said they've been using bottled water in their hotel rooms since that story."

Jennifer's comment wins her $200 in Publicity Hound products.

All of you can win, too, by reading Clarence Jones' excellent book "Winning with the News Media: A Self-Defense Manual When You're the Story." It's the book I wish I had written. I referred to my copy so often that it eventually fell apart from overuse, and I had to order another one. Order yours at http://www.winning-newsmedia.com/bookordr.htm

In fact, order two. Give one to the Publicity Hound on your gift list.


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2. Say 'Buh-bye' to Journalists
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Right now, all over the U.S., there's an exodus of experienced, high-profile, high-priced journalists taking early retirement.

To boost profits, newspapers are offering buy-outs to some of their veteran staff members who will be replaced with cheaper, less experienced reporters and editors.

Here in Milwaukee, for example, the Journal Sentinel offered buyouts to about a dozen veteran writers and editors. The same thing is happening at radio stations.

During yesterday's private teleseminar with members of the Publicity Hound Mentor Program, I discussed a long list of ways Hounds can use this to their advantage.

If a beat reporter with whom you've established a great relationship leaves, make sure the reporter introduces you to the new person taking over the beat.

Then shift into the role of "educator" and help the new reporter understand your industry, its lingo, its idiosyncrasies and its trends.

--Invite the reporter to a "getting to know you" lunch.

--Ask "How can I help you?"

--Encourage the reporter to call on you for story ideas, background and commentary, day or night.

If you join my mentor program, you can listen to a replay of yesterday's teleseminar. And in our initial phone consultation, I'll help you create a plan designed to promote you and your business online and offline. Find out if you're a good candidate for the program at http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html


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3. YouTube Video Reminder
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Thanks to Publicity Hound Meryl K. Evans for reminding us not to use YouTube or podcasting as a replacement for any written content we currently provide.

"If you do, you could neglect a small but important audience-- those with disabilities. The deaf, like me, can't follow the video unless it's obvious from visuals.

"The blind miss out on visual cues."

She said Jeff Crilley, the FOX News reporter in Dallas, includes a link to his video in every newsletter, "but thankfully he continues to provide content in the same newsletter." (You can sign up for the newsletter at http://www.jeffcrilley.com/)

The number of people with disabilities has grown, especially with Baby Boomers losing hearing and eye sight as a result of getting older.

Not using video yet in your PR campaign? You should be. Learn how with the 2-CD set "How to Make a Fortune with Video" at http://tinyurl.com/y3b6wj


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4. Pitch This Week and Next
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I hated working the weeks before and after Christmas when I was in the newspaper business.

Schools are on Christmas break. Politicians recess until after the hol