Publicity goldmine: Magazine editors’ blogs (clues galore!)

June 6, 2013 by 4 Comments

Seven blogs, written by editors and feelancers for Redbook magazine, help with pitching story ideas

If you want publicity in magazines big or small, and you’re targeting a particular reporter or editor, are you checking to see if your media contact blogs?

You should be. 

While thousands of other publicists  and self-promoters are all competing for the journalist’s attention via email pitches, many of which end up in the Deleted folder, the smartest Publicity  Hounds are posting comments at the journalists’ blogs.

What a Magazine Editor’s Blog Can Tell You

Reading an editor’s blog will tell you:

  • What topics the editor thinks are important
  • Trends the publicaiton is following
  • Personal tidbits about the journalists that you can weave into a pitch
  • What they have already covered. If you have a story that ties into the topic, pitch it! Or perhaps your idea would work well as a “follow up” to something they’ve already written.
  • Whether anyone is commenting. If they’re getting few comments, start commenting! It’s a great way for them to get to know you before you pitch.

For example, if you want to get into Redbook, you can choose from seven Redbook blogs.

bella magazine publicity tipsI snooped around there and found Janene Mascarella,  who is also the beauty editor for Bella magazine and writes freelance articles for many other publications. Then I went over to her blog at JaneneMascarella.com where she actually displays and links to many of the articles she has written.

I learned she also writes for The Washington Post, CNN Money, Self, Glamour, Cooking Light, Women’s Health, Woman’s Day, BabyTalk, Parenting, Parents, Family Circle, AARP Bulletin, Arthritis Today, American Baby, American Way, iVillage, Salon City, Shop Etc., Sweet 16, Relate, The Tyra Show, NY Metro Parent, Mint.com, AOL Travel News, WalletPop, Currency, AOL Real Estate, Kaboose.com, Everyday Health and many others. She’s also the Parenting and Family Life columnist for the Long Island Exchange.

Publicity Hounds, info like this is like striking gold! If you want to see who else blogs, do a Google search for “magazine editors blogs” and see what you get. 

To-do: The next time you pitch a magazine, check to see if the writer blogs.

More Resources for Magazine Publicity

Tips for a compelling subject line for your magazine pitch

Want publicity in magazines? Research, then pitch

How to find your way into the glossy magazines 

How to use magazine editorial calendars

Filed Under: Print Media Tagged With: , , ,

Do expert authors need to know this list of 100 words?

May 28, 2013 by 19 Comments

The blog post below took less than 15 minutes to write and publish. It’s one of 21 examples I’ll be sharing during a webinar on Thursday, May 30. You can read more about it and register for “21 Ideas for Quick & Dirty Blog Posts When You Don’t Have Time to Write.”  

*     *     *  

 

The editorial team at EzineArticles.com has published a fascinating and controversial infographic that includes 100 Words Every Expert Author Should Know.

100 words expert authors should know3 

I’m curious about what you think about this list.

Would you use words on this list in your writing if you didn’t know what they meant and first had to look up the definition?

Do you think long words make the writer sound more intelligent or more of an expert?

Or do you think the words sound pretentious? 

What I like best about this list is that it attracted a flood of comments. 

Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

Filed Under: Content Creation Tagged With: , ,

Dog Tweets– 10-point checklist for editing your own copy

May 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Here aretwitter bird my Top 10 tweets from this past week, great for retweeting! If you missed these, follow The Publicity Hound on Twitter.

10-point checklist for editing your own copy.
What do you include in your Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar Revision Checklist? What resources do you keep (and use!) in your writing space?

5 things that have changed in media relation, and 5 things that remain the same.
The public relations tactics needed to sweet talk editors and writers into covering your news have remained surprisingly constant. What’s changed more than anything are the pitching targets and pitchable opportunities. Here are five things that haven’t changed about media relations, and then five things that have.

How to close a LinkedIn account, or merge two of them.
If you find yourself with two LinkedIn accounts, you can close one and move your connections to the other account.You can close a LinkedIn account by logging into it, clicking your name at the top of the page and choosing Settings from the menu.

Comment on Facebook directly from Bing.
Users who have connected their Facebook accounts to Bing are now able to comment and like friends’ relevant status updates directly from the search page.

5 reasons your search traffic is declining. [And more in Comments section.]
You might have noticed that your website traffic is slightly diminished but can’t seem to put your finger on just why. Here are a few things that might help explain this decline.

Top 75 Must-Read Online Marketing Blogs.
75 MORE must read blogs for you to consume that cover marketing and business inspiration!

How Marketing Legend Guy Kawasaki Manages His Social Media Presence
This is how Guy Kawasaki manages his social media presence as of May 2013.

Short video on how YouTube’s new paid channel works.
YouTube just turned on their PAID CHANNELS program. That’s right, you are now able to pay for content at YouTube. What this means to future content developers is not yet known.

Helpful recap of major announcements at Google’s annual conference.
See what the critics have to say at Google’s IO conference. Last year’s over hyped skydiving was replaced by down to earth by grounded product enhancements.

 

Filed Under: Content Creation Tagged With: , , , , ,

Dog Tweets – Twitter Self-Service Ads 101

May 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Here aretwitter bird my Top 10 tweets from this past week, great for retweeting! If you missed these, follow me on Twitter.

Twitter Self-service Ads 101.
After spending a year in limited release, Twitter has finally opened its self-service advertising program to the public.

The ultimate guide to finding and using images online.
Images are a great way to enhance a website and compliment the awesome content that you’re already publishing on it.

600 journalists surveyed on how they use Online Newsrooms.
Each year the TEKGROUP Online Newsrom Survey Reports highlights the expectations that journalists have for organizations and and their online newsrooms. This year was no different, however, two key ares saw dramatic increases, socail and mobile. Download you free report now.

8 link-building no-no’s from Website Magazine.
While getting links is an essential task for website owners, they should also make sure that they’re doing it the right way. Otherwise, their brand can be seriously (and in drastic cases, even irreparably) damaged.

How to go the extra mile when answering a HARO query and increase chances you’ll be quoted.
What a difference it makes when authors, publishers and even some publicists go the extra mile. Here is a perfect example of what I am talking about: Just yesterday, I saw a journalist’s query on HARO. (HARO is a FREE service where journalists daily post their need for experts on a wide variety of experts.

7 tips on how to write sticky, memorable blog posts.
These 7 simple tips will help you write sticky, memorable blog posts. The kind of posts that make your reader say, “Hey! I gotta read this!”

Travel tips: How to work and relax while you fly.
Check out this handy graphic on travel essentials, tips for improving in-flight work efficiency habits and perhaps the hardest part of it all: Learning how to let go and just relax.

5 questions to ask PR job candidates. 
Hiring in the PR field seems to be picking up, as communications moves closer to the core of marketing strategy and both companies and agencies bring in new blood. And if the economy continues to improve, hiring in PR is likely to accelerate.With that in mind, here are five questions for PR managers that may help them determine the best job candidates

Scribd: Not Just Another Document Sharing Site
Scribd.com is the most popular document sharing site available, with over 50,000 uploads each day. Yes, that number is correct. This is key for those of us that use content marketing online to get found, get known and get clients.

12 blog posts that will help you improve your customer testimonials.
These 12 posts will cover all your burning questions on customer testimonials and then some. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Twitter Tagged With: , , ,

Dog Tweets–7 tips on how to write sticky, memorable blog posts

April 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Here aretwitter bird my Top 10 tweets from this past week, great for retweeting! If you missed these, follow me on Twitter.

Is using YouTube for business a mystery to you?
Free cheat sheets + video training and 15 YouTube Ranking and Discoverability Factors Checklist

Will you use the F-bomb in blog posts and on social media, now that the FCC has defused it?
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski has significantly defused the power of America’s favorite dirty word. According to TALKERS publisher, Michael Harrison, Genachowski has changed the nature of ‘f***’ forever…

Need a celebrity to appear at your event? Database of 67,000 celebs offers 7-day test drive.
Get verified celebrity addresses and contact information for over 67,300 celebrities and public figures, 12,600 representatives (agents, managers and publicists) and 6,900 entertainment companies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Short story contest by WritersWeekly. 85 prizes, including cash.
Register for the Summer 2013 24-Hour Short Story Contest. Start time is July 13, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) central time. Held quarterly and limited to 500 entrants.

Why Forbes’ “Top 25 Social Media Influencers” is a sham.
Once a year, a fellow named Haydn Shaughnessy shows up on the social media scene and creates a list of the “50 Top Social Media Influencers,” which is published via the online version of Forbes.Here is this year’s list. What do tou think?

Authors: 7 ways to send more traffic to your website during a radio interview.
Imagine you are doing a radio interview and you hear the closing music start to play. The host asks you to give your website one more time. What do you say? Here are 7 must-do’s.

Amazon targets seniors, Baby Boomers with new store. 
It seems Amazon has caught wind of post 50s’ buying power. The e-commerce giant announced earlier this week a new store on the site targeting older adults. Called 50+ Active and Healthy Living Store, the online storefront is being billed as a one-stop shop for items that appeal to Amazon customers older than 50.

Chicago Tribune sends pizzas to Boston Globe newsroom.
We can’t buy you lost sleep, so at least let us pick up lunch,” a note from the Tribune’s newsroom says. Boston Globe Magazine writer Scott Helman confirms to Poynter the lunch in question is pizza from Regina Pizzeria.

7 tips on how to write sticky, memorable blog posts.
These 7 simple tips will help you write sticky, memorable blog posts. The kind of posts that make your reader say, “Hey! I gotta read this!”

The hidden secret to zooming in closer on Google maps. [Lt. Columbo would have LOVED this.]
Google Maps lets you zoom in pretty close for its mapped locations, but there’s a secret way you might be able to zoom in even closer. Here’s how.

Filed Under: Content Creation Tagged With: , , ,

Dog Tweets–How to turn off LinkedIn endorsements

April 19, 2013 by 2 Comments

Here aretwitter bird my Top 10 tweets from this past week, great for retweeting! If you missed these, follow me on Twitter.

How to turn off LinkedIn endorsements.  
Skill endorsements are a great way to help build your professional brand. But not all people agree that the feature is useful. Some say it can be a false representation of your skills, since connections you may not know well can vote up any skill and add new ones that you may not want on your profile. Luckily, turning off LinkedIn Endorsements is easy.

Best times to tweet and post LinkedIn status updates for B2B vs. B2C audiences.
I found this great infographic from Compendium. After tracking 200 companies’ stats, Compendium discovered the best social sharing practices. They’ve also depicted the significant differences between what works for B2B companies and B2C companies, so you’re covered either way. Check it out!

Musicians are using the iPad for their press kits & lots of other cool tasks. [Infographic]
Several years ago, when the iPad was in its early days, I wrote a post on how musicians could use the iPad. Well, after years of gradual adoption from the music community, the guys at Kensington have compiled this infographic on how musicians are using the iPad and what some of the most popular apps are. Enjoy!

Bloggers: Don’t force readers to log in before commenting.
I love commenting at blogs and do so several times a week. I try to write succinct, well-thought-out comments. I double-check what I’ve written for typos. When I click “Post Comment” and see the box that tells me I must log-in, I bail out.

How to write great/awful tech press releases. [Satire]
Today, we’ve rounded up some gladiators, Scottish marksmen, and dogs without a home. Our gut tells us the dogs will fly off the shelves, but the three-day hunting spree? We’re a wee bit skeptical.

Pros & cons of enrolling your ebook in Amazon’s KDP Select Program.
I’m trying out a new microphone, so I thought I’d record a quick episode of Ask Paul Colligan. In this episode I answer the age old question, “Should I Enroll My Kindle Book In The Amazon KDP Select Program.”

6 tips to discourage Google from classifying your press releases as spam.
As Google continues penalizing websites using manipulative tactics to artificially boost their search rankings, PR pros should be jumping for joy. After all, the whole point of the year-old Penguin algorithm update is to reward websites that are producing valuable content on a regular basis by making them easier to find.

Tragedy in Boston: What the hell was Epicurious thinking with this promotional tweet? 
After every national tragedy, you can be sure that some clueless brand will try to exploit it. In today’s episode of “What the hell were they thinking,” the food website Epicurious sent out these tweets to its 385,000 followers.

20 best WordPress themes for ecommerce sites.
Choosing the proper WordPress theme to communicate the message and products of your E-Commerce site is crucial. There are many different E-Commerce templates out there, and it can be intimidating, so we compiled a list of successful templates to choose from.

Authors: Hear tips galore selling books galore on Amazon, using little-known tools and tweeks.
Do you lay awake at night trying to figure out how to get Amazon to work for you instead of your working for it? As an author, Amazon is an amazing and powerful marketing tool. It’s not just a “book store.”

Filed Under: LinkedIn Tagged With: , , ,

Don’t force blog readers to log in before commenting

April 18, 2013 by 24 Comments

go away sign by bigstock2

I love commenting at blogs and do so several times a week. I try to write succinct, well-thought-out comments. I double-check what I’ve written for typos. When I click “Post Comment” and see the box that tells me I must log-in, I bail out.

Why not just hold up a sign that says, “Go Away”? 

It happened again this morning at the blog published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Ian Campbell offered helpful advice on “How to Become a Science Celeb: Tips for Being Interviewed and Writing Press Releases.”

He advised, correctly, to never ask journalists to read the story before it’s published. I added this comment:

Ian, your tips are right on the mark. I’m a publicity expert who worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for two decades.

Even though scientists should never ask to see a story before it’s published, it doesn’t hurt to ask if the writer will call you to double-check direct quotes for accuracy. Not all journalists will agree to do this, but some will. I usually did if I had the time.

Tell the writer you understand that you don’t have the right to change the quote if you don’t like the way it sounds. But you’re asking strictly to ensure accuracy.

I hit “Enter” and saw the dreaded log-in box. 

If you’re forcing me to log in before commenting, tell me that before I start writing! Instead of logging in, I left in a huff, and I’m writing this.

Other Bloggers Grumble Too

This is a pet peeve, but I’m not alone. 

Veterinary journalist Lorie Huston writes about her disdain for log-in boxes, those annoying captcha codes, and  Livefyre. 

Livefyre’s real-time apps turn your site into the hub for your community and curate live content from around the social web.

Some bloggers prefer Lifefyre and Disqus because they can add a social layer to their comments. Readers can follow conversations across multiple platforms, tag friends and alert them to the content, and accurately flag other comments as spam.  

I’m a Type A. The second I see the words Disqus or Livefyre near the comments section, I’m out of there. So are those apps worth enhancing the commenting experience for your fans even though they’re driving other readers away?  

What Do You Think?

Bloggers, do you force your readers to comment?

Blog readers, I hope you weight in, too, in the Comments section. Do you take the time to log in, or are you like me?

Filed Under: Content Creation Tagged With:

Blog traffic is yours with a guest blogger contest

April 4, 2013 by 4 Comments

Blog--Letters spelled out on blue keyboard2Here’s a clever idea that solves two problems at your blog: too few people pitching decent ideas for guest posts, and too little traffic.

Sponsor a contest for guest bloggers like the first Career Confidential Guest Blogging Contest that’s starting soon.  They’re not even requiring entrants to have their own blogs. 

Create a text or video post on the topic of finding a job. Example: “Find a Job Using These Strategies on Twitter.” Then drive as much traffic as possible to your post during a 10-day period, using social media and other marketing methods. 

I love the seven-question survey they’re offering, to help them know what kinds of prizes would motivate you to enter. The three bloggers who drive the most traffic will win.

They say their site gets about  400,000 visitors every month. If you’re a career or job expert, winning could bring lots of traffic to your own blog or website, and give you exposure to a target market that doesn’t already know about you.

Would you enter a contest like this? Have you ever sponsored one? If so, comment below. And share this URL with your own friends, followers and fans.

Filed Under: Online Marketing Tagged With: ,

Last chance to hear Danny Iny’s tips on Jan. 29 webinar

January 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment

danny iny of firepole marketingI love hearing rave reviews from Publicity Hounds when I offer them free tips from a guest expert who I know they will love.

Danny Iny of Firepole Marketing did a training event for my audience on Jan. 10, about what it’s really going to take to build a thriving audience and business this year.

Just one little exercise he walked us through on the call, using only a sheet of paper and a pen, is forcing me to rethink the way I approach my business. As a result of that exercise, I’m strongly considering going after a target audience that many of my competitors are leaving behind. 

Unfortunately, a lot of Publicity Hounds missed the call, and Danny didn’t offer the replay like he usually does. 

That’s why I wagged my tail when Danny told me he’s delivering the same training, one more time: at 3 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Jan. 29. And there will be a live replay the next day, at  8 p.m. Eastern. It’s free, but you do have to register, and you do have to show up. A recording will NOT be made available.

Click here to register for this LAST CHANCE to attend. 

Here’s a small sampling of what Danny shared on the training. You’ll hear this when you reserve your seat and tune in:

  • The step-by-step blueprint that Danny used to grow Firepole Marketing from *nothing* to a multiple-six-figure business (that you can use, too!)
  • The most important traffic strategy that *real* experts use (but aren’t teaching)
  • Why being authentic and doing what you’re passionate about is the BEST way to make the MOST money (and the *only* safe strategy in 2013)
  • The counter-intuitive (but totally legit) way to get better results by doing much *less* work (this is the exact OPPOSITE of what most “gurus” are teaching!)
  • The two most important metrics for any online business (hint: *neither* of them is traffic)
  • How you can *realistically* replace a full-time income THIS YEAR

Don’t miss this one, Hounds. Register for the Danny Iny training here.

Filed Under: Online Marketing Tagged With:

Dog Tweets—10 blogging commandments for a successful year

January 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Here are my Top 10 tweets from this past week, great for retweeting! If you missed these, follow me on Twitter.

10 blogging commandments for a successful year. http://ow.ly/gsv0A

“Twitterverse” is fifth most annoying word of 2012. Guess which word is #1 most annoying? http://ow.ly/gsxtq

3 reasons you should never apologize for a lack of blog posts. [Stop whining & start writing!] http://ow.ly/gtF0x

31 must-read social media blog posts from 2012. [Great stuff here!] http://ow.ly/gtQTL

7 shortcuts for fast blog posts. [Add yours to the list & link to your blog] http://ow.ly/gu4IP

20 reasons why Google+ is a must. [Infographic. I'm convinced.] http://ow.ly/guYd0

10 timely January story ideas for publicity, blogging, videos. http://ow.ly/gwxij

How to pick the perfect call to action for every blog post. http://ow.ly/gwvz3

Another justified rant about how LinkedIn’s endorsements have become meaningless. http://ow.ly/gxDAA

 

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