Publicity Tips–Your YouTube Channel Ruined
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #726 June 18, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. Your YouTube Channel Ruined
2. USA Today Journalist Profiles
3. A Quiz Can Sell Your Pitch
4. Hound Video of the Week
———————————–
This Week in the Hound House:
If you visit Milwaukee, don’t miss Maria’s Pizza, one of my all-
time favorite dives. Paint-by-number paintings combine with
framed religious photos, Elvis clocks shaped like guitars, silk
flowers, and red and white checked plastic tablecloths. Flashing
lights everywhere make the joint look like the inside of a
casino. Best pizza in the city. It resembles a giant amoeba and
hangs several inches off the tray. You can see it all in the
YouTube video I found.
==================================
1. Your YouTube Channel Ruined
==================================
If you haven’t visited your YouTube channel in awhile, it’s time
to take another look.
YouTube is forcing you to adopt its new channel design. That
means that if you spent money on a fancy background design that
appeared on the top and sides of the channel, it’s gone.
You’re now limited to “Channel Art,” one long horizontal image,
2120 x 1193 pixels, across the top of the page. If you haven’t
converted to it, you’ll see an ugly black and gray box with your
small profile picture on the left.
I like the look of the old design a lot better. But the new
channel art and other features definitely have advantages:
–The new image, a little tricky to create, is scaled so it looks
good on all devices–desktop, mobile, tablet and even large
screens. Here’s a video that explains how to create the 2013
YouTube channel art. If you don’t want to do this yourself, you can
get an image created for you for $5 at Fiverr.com.
–You can link from within the image to your website (use
keywords) and up to four social media profiles.
–You can create a featured video called a “trailer” that
welcomes visitors to your channel and tells them what they’ll
find.
I’m creating my trailer this week. I’ll also be creating
playlists devoted to topics such as press releases, pitching,
social media, free PR tools, etc. Don’t miss any of these!
Subscribe to my channel now and see my new channel art. To
subscribe, you must have a YouTube account.
=====================================
2. USA Today Journalist Profiles
=====================================
Here’s a tip from the new fourth edition of my “How to be a Kick-
butt Publicity Hound” ebook.
If you’re dying to get into USA Today, start by checking the
profiles of journalists who work for the newspaper’s News, Money,
Sports, Life, Tech and Travel sections.
Determine which is right for you, and pitch.
What a shame that the newspaper didn’t include email addresses
with the profiles. But they’re easy enough to find.
Google the journalist’s name, the name of the newspaper and the
word “email,” like this: “Marisol Bello email USA Today”. I found
her email without even clicking on one of the search results.
You can find the USA Today journalist profiles.
Next week, you’ll find details on how to get a discount coupon
for the new edition of my ebook.
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3. A Quiz Can Sell Your Pitch
====================================
When you pitch a journalist, don’t offer everything.
Hold a few things back so you can use them when you follow up.
For example, if you pitch and hear nothing, you might try
following up with an email that offers a quiz related to the
topic of the story.
It sends the message “I can help you” instead of “I want
something from you.”
You can also offer a map, an infographic, a how-to video or other
little “extras.” I listed them all on the bonus handout that
accompanied last week’s webinar on “The New Rules of Following Up
Pitches to Journalists.” I emailed the video replay and all the
other materials to everyone who registered. If you missed them,
you can buy the entire package.
====================================
4. Hound Video of the Week
====================================
Did you see the one about the litter of puppies that have a cat
for a mom?
Publicity Tips–Don’t Nudge with a Sharp Stick
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #725 June 15, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. Don’t Nudge with a Sharp Stick
2. Washington Post Opinion Page Ads
3. New Posts at My Blog
4. Hound Video of the Week
———————————–
This Weekend in the Hound House:
I’ll be in the garden all weekend, fighting with the garlic
mustard. So far, it’s winning.
==================================
1. Don’t Nudge with a Sharp Stick
==================================
When event promoter Tim Kern pitched three ideas for a guest blog
post back in November, I set aside the email and made a mental
note to return to it later and review his ideas. I thanked him
and said I’d get back to him.
That never happened.
Yesterday, he emailed me again with a very short follow-up:
“I just thought I’d email you again. When we last talked you were
deciding whether the posts I mentioned below would be a good fit
for your blog. So, I just wanted to follow up and see what you
thought.
“I’m happy to contribute different content related to the events
space, as well, so let me know if you’d prefer anything else. I’m
flexible.
“Thanks,
Tim Kern”
He included the original email so I could see the ideas.
He offered different content and asked for my suggestions. He
said he was flexible. And he didn’t waste my time.
It was a perfect follow-up and it worked! I replied immediately
and told him which of his three ideas I like best.
Thanks to that follow-up, he’ll get what he wants: a chance to
get in front of my Publicity Hounds. I’ll get what I want: A
guest blog post on a topic I know you’ll love–how to fill seats
at special events.
And everybody’s happy.
Some people who follow up with bloggers and journalists make the
mistake of using a sharp stick. They put “Urgent” in the subject
line when there’s no urgency. Or they write “This is the third
time I am contacting you,” which sounds condescending. Or they
send a barrage of emails and voicemail messages.
Don’t do that.
There are many ways you can catch the attention of people you’ve
pitched, without being a pest. I explained them all during
Thursday’s webinar on “The New Rules for Following Up Pitches to
Journalists.”
The video replay and the big package of bonuses, including step-
by-step advice from three top publicists, will be ready tomorrow
and I’ll email the download links to everyone who registers.
Don’t miss this one. Journalists and bloggers love Publicity
Hounds who make their jobs easy.
=====================================
2. Washington Post Opinion Page Ads
=====================================
Shrinking newspapers are looking under every rock for new
revenue.
That’s why it’s no surprise that The Washington Post is now
selling space on its online editorial pages to organizations that
want to tie in their message to the paper’s opinions.
“Sponsored Views” invites groups to post commentary related to,
or in response to, content from the paper’s Opinion section.
Sponsored Views appear at the bottom of an online column from The
Post’s Editorial/Op-Ed pages.
The product is ideal for advocacy, communications and government
affairs professionals to place their message in front of their
target audiences.
====================================
3. New Posts at My Blog
====================================
Ignore journalists who say, “We don’t want follow-ups”…Here’s
what they REALLY mean
Following up pitches to journalists? 3 mistakes to avoid
Dog Tweets: The difference between a press release and a pitch
====================================
4. Hound Video of the Week
====================================
This series of clips from “America’s Funniest Home Videos” is
hysterical. I love the one of the dog with the Roman candle in
its mouth.
Publicity Tips–3 Mistakes When Following Up
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #724 June 11, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. 3 Mistakes When Following Up
2. How to Grow Your Twitter Following
3. Help Journalists Quote You
4. Hound Video of the Week
—————————————–
This Week in the Hound House:
Had a blast at my niece’s wedding in Ohio on Saturday. The old
farts boogied to Michael Jackson, Van Halen, The Doobie Brothers
and Earth, Wind & Fire. Then the DJ played “club songs” the old
farts couldn’t recognize. So we sat down and the kids took over.
Back and forth it went, the whole night. Note to Family: What
happens in Mansfield STAYS in Mansfield, including all those
videos of us dancing.
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1. 3 Mistakes When Following Up
======================================
Here are three major mistakes people make after they pitch a
story to a journalist or blogger, and then follow up:
–Expecting an answer within a day or two.
If you hear nothing but silence after pitching, never assume the
journalist isn’t interested. I’ve heard of cases in which
business owners and publicists pitched ideas, heard nothing, and
got a call from a journalist two years later!
–Continuing to follow up until you receive response.
This is the surest way to convince a journalist or blogger to
blackball you. They hate being pestered. The only thing they hate
more is being stalked.
–Calling or emailing and saying, “I’m Mary Jones and I’m just
following up to see if you got the story idea I sent you a few
days ago.”
“Who’s Mary Jones? What story idea? Why are you bothering me?”
If you pitched, never assume the journalist received it. If you
suspect your email pitch ended up in a spam folder, you’ll have
to try another method of contact.
There’s no one perfect formula for following up. But there’s a
long list of things you should never do, and another list of
little tricks and workarounds that, if used correctly, could get
you the story you want.
Join me this Thursday, June 13, for the webinar “The New Rules of
Following Up Pitches to Journalists.” This includes bloggers.
It will be from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. If you can’t make it,
register anyway because I’ll email you the video replay and all
the bonuses within 72 hours. Register for the webinar on how to
follow up pitches.
Publicists, if you’d like to share your own experiences with me,
and how many times you follow up, I’d love to hear from you.
=====================================
2. How to Grow Your Twitter Following
=====================================
Do those big infographics, crammed with a ton of hard-to-read
information, make your eyes glaze over?
If so, you’ll be entranced by this gorgeous infographic on “How
to Grow Your Twitter Following” from social media trainer Chris
Voss. The design is by @BlinR. Love the colorful parrots!
====================================
3. Help Journalists Quote You
====================================
Subject matter experts are under every rock.
That’s why you should do everything possible to help journalists
quote you:
–Concentrate on short, pithy quotes. And remember that some
journalists will be reading your quotes on a mobile device.
–If responding by email, let the journalist copy and paste your
quote.
–Don’t ever send a link to an article you’ve written and expect
the reporter to visit the website and spend time reading the
article. Excerpt two or three quotes to accompany the link.
These tips are from Dan Janal of PRLeads.com. Read more in the
article he wrote on “11 keys to getting a journalists to quote
you”.
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4. Hound Video of the Week
====================================
Thanks to Publicity Hound BL Ochman for this beautiful webcam
video of Olive and her eight newborn pups. Mom looks exhausted as
the pups suck, lick and frolic.
Publicity Tips–How to Follow Up After Pitching
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #723 June 8, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. How to Follow Up After Pitching
2. Your Vine Videos
3. New Posts at My Blog
4. Hound Video of the Week
—————————————–
First, This Weekend in the Hound House:
No work at all this weekend for me. I’m spending it with my
siblings. The more than 50 plants behind my house that still need
to go into the ground will have to wait.
======================================
1. How to Follow Up After Pitching
======================================
You deliver a pitch, either by phone or email, and then you wait.
And wait. And wait. And wait.
Silence.
Now what do you do?
Eleven years ago, when I first presented this topic as a
teleseminar, the rule of thumb was to follow up with journalists
seven times. Some publicists said they followed up even more than
that.
Do that today, and you’re toast.
Almost all journalists don’t want phone calls. Most hide behind
voicemail. Most say they want email pitches, but most of them
will never respond if they aren’t interested in your story.
Nobody I know wants a barrage of follow-up messages.
What’s a frustrated Publicity Hound to do?
These days, you have a variety of tools beyond the phone and
email to contact journalists. Hint: They’re all over the social
media sites, trolling for story ideas and sources.
But knowing how to connect with them, and knowing what to say to
someone who hasn’t responded to you the first time, is confusing
and sometimes risky.
Join me next week for the webinar “The New Rules of Following Up
Pitches to Journalists.” This includes bloggers.
It will be from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, June 13. If
you can’t make it, register anyway because I’ll email you the
video replay and all the bonuses within 72 hours. Register for
the webinar “The New Rules of Following Up Pitches to Journalists.”
Publicists, if you’d like to share your own experiences with me,
and how many times you follow up, I’d love to hear from you.
====================================
2. Your Vine Videos
====================================
I’m curious about whether you’re using Vine, the mobile phone app
that lets you shoot six-second videos, as part of a publicity or
marketing campaign.
Big brands are finding all kinds of interesting ways to use them.
I love the Vine video from McDonald’s, to build awareness for its
Fish McBites. It’s the second example in this SlideShare
presentation of Great Examples of Twitter Vine videos.
Send the link to your video to JStewart@PublicityHound.com and
explain how you’re using it.
====================================
3. New Posts at My Blog
====================================
Publicity goldmine: Magazine editors’ blogs (clues galore!)
12 bridging statements to use in tough media interviews
7 best articles on how to use “new” press releases
Safety net saves you from Internet marketing ripoffs
Dog Tweets–Press release, news release or media release?
Which is right?
====================================
4. Hound Video of the Week
====================================
So you think your dog obeys when you tell it to come, sit and
stay? That’s nothing compared to the way this smart dog follows
commands.
Publicity Tips–When It’s OK to Quit
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #722 June 4, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. When It’s OK to Quit
2. Why Alt Text Is Important
3. Guest Bloggers, Finish the Job
4. Hound Video of the Week
—————————————–
First, This Week in the Hound House:
Eleven bucks. Eleven measly bucks! That’s all I made on
Saturday’s rummage sale. Lots of “drive-bys” but few people
bothered to even get out of their cars. I spent part of that
money on gas, driving to St. Vincent de Paul to donate the entire
pathetic load. Live and learn.
======================================
1. When It’s OK to Quit
======================================
When you find yourself struggling to write a blog post, and the
words just won’t come, it’s OK to quit. Really.
Here are three instances when I bail out:
–When the problem isn’t writing. It’s that I haven’t done enough
research on the topic to present it well, and I have no time to
research.
–When I feel as though I “ought to” write on a certain topic
simply because you expect me to, but I lack the enthusiasm
necessary to do it well. I start writing. But I’m bored to death
by what I see on the screen.
–When the post screams for a photo or illustration but I don’t
have one. I usually save it as a draft and come back to it later,
when I have time to search the stock photo sites. Why bother with
this? Because I can use the photo on sites like Google+ and
Facebook to catch people’s attention and promote the post.
Sometimes, I can still get the job done, but I rely on other
people’s writing instead of my own. This happens when I research
a topic and it’s clear that several other experts have already
covered it in far greater detail than I could.
The solution: Write a short introduction, and give readers a list
of the terrific posts I’ve found elsewhere, with links. You can
see how I did this in the post I wrote last week on “7 best
articles on how to use ‘new’ press releases.”
That solution is one of 21 I presented Thursday on how to write
super-fast blog posts. I threw in two more ideas I came up with
at the last minute. And instead of offering a bonus package of 10
cut-and-paste templates, I offered 11 because there was one more
I didn’t want you to miss.
If you registered but couldn’t attend live, and you missed the
email I sent Sunday with all the download links, contact my
assistant, Christine Buffaloe, and she’ll send it.
If you missed registering and you want all the materials, you can
order the webinar replay and the bonus package for “21 Ideas for
Quick & Dirty Blog Posts When You Don’t Have Time to Write.”
====================================
2. Why Alt Text Is Important
====================================
Here’s something that will help you pull more people–including
journalists, meeting planners and potential customers–to your
website or blog.
Alt text is an attribute you add to an HTML image element to
describe the image. If you write it well, the search engines will
better understand the content of the photo.
I sometimes give alt text short shrift, especially when I’m in a
hurry. But no more!
Blogging expert Marie Mosley explains it very well in her post
“All About Alt Text.”
====================================
3. Guest Bloggers: Finish the Job
====================================
When someone invites you to write a guest blog post, that’s
valuable free publicity.
But your job isn’t done when the post has been published. Pay
attention to the comments so you can reply and cement the
relationship with people who took time to react.
My post “Do You Know These 9 Huge Opportunities Even Smart
Authors Miss?” at Joel Frielander’s blog last week and it resulted
in more than a dozen comments, some from people
asking questions. I spent a lot of time over the weekend
replying, but it paid off.
Several of those people also emailed me to comment.
By the way, if you don’t reply to comments at your blog, you’re
missing a chance to show your readers you care about them. To
enable comments, do a Google search for “How to reply to comments
at a WordPress blog” or whatever platform you are using, and
you’ll find tutorials galore. Or, better yet, check with your
techie.
If you’re blogging, but you aren’t making money from your blog,
check out “27 Ways to Monetize Your Blog,” a training program I
hosted that includes ideas, tactics, tools and advice on how to
turn your blog into an ATM machine, without annoying your
readers.
====================================
4. Hound Video of the Week
====================================
Who says dogs can’t fly? Check out the DockDogs that fly through
the air with the greatest of ease, trying to catch a Frisbee in a
swimming pool.
Publicity Tips–The #1 Question They Ask You
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #720 June 1, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. The #1 Question They Ask You
2. 9 Mistakes Authors STILL Make
3. New Posts at My Blog
4. Hound Cutie of the Week
This Weekend in the Hound House:
Right now, I’m out in the front yard trying to get rid of my
“junque.” That means it’s slightly better than junk. I’ll let you
know how I did on Tuesday.
======================================
1. The #1 Question They Ask You
======================================
Think for a minute. What question do people ask you most
frequently about your area of expertise?
It usually begins like this: “How can I…..?”
In my case, they ask, “How can I publicize my business?” or “How
do I know what topic to write about in a press release?”
The questions they ask us most frequently appear in the same
place: in our email.
Your email is a goldmine of ideas for blog posts. One very easy
post to write quickly is “the difference between A and B” or “the
difference between A, B and C.”
A cook might write about the difference between arrowroot and
cornstarch. A nutritionist might explain the difference between
vitamins and minerals.
In a blog post that took me only 15 minutes this week, I wrote
about “Press release, news release or media release?”
I then turned that blog post into a fill-in-the-blanks template
you can use when your blog needs copy but you need a break from
constantly churning out content. That template and nine others
are part of a bonus package I’m offering to everyone who orders
the video replay of the webinar I hosted Thursday on “21 Ideas
for Quick & Dirty Blog Posts When You Don’t Have Time to Write.”
I’ll be emailing all the download links tomorrow.
Once you start using the templates, you’ll be amazed at how much
more frequently you’re blogging.
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2. 9 Mistakes Authors STILL Make
====================================
Yahoo, Hotmail and AOL email addresses used for business.
No email opt-in box at their website.
Not being able to describe the target audience for their books.
Authors are still making those mistakes. And then they wonder why
they’re stuck with boxes of books.
At an authors conference several weeks ago, book cover designer
Joel Friedlander invited me to guest blog for him. I jumped at
the chance.
See “9 Huge Opportunities Smart Authors Miss” and tell me if I’ve
left anything out. I’d love to read your comments at Joel’s blog.
If you attend conferences and trade shows, do what Joel did. I
saw him working the room, inviting other experts he knows to
guest blog. That’s one smart Publicity Hound!
====================================
3. New Posts at My Blog
====================================
7 best articles on how to use “new” press releases
Press release, news release or media release?
Do expert authors need to know this list of 100 words?
====================================
4. Hound Cutie of the Week
====================================
Meet Ray Charles, a rescued Golden Retriever that was born blind
in December. The puppy is winning over hearts on the Internet
with his smiling face and adorable outfits. I love the blue and
white striped jammies.
Publicity Tips–When There’s No Time to Blog
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #719 May 28, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. When There’s No Time to Blog
2. Old vs. New Media Relations
3. Business Photo Tips
4. Hound Video of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
I love long holiday weekends. But the short weeks that follow are
a bear. Racing to play catch-up.
======================================
1. When There’s No Time to Blog
======================================
I started writing this newsletter three hours later than usual
this morning because of a computer glitch and had almost no time
to blog.
But that’s no excuse.
I remembered a fascinating infographic I saw on Friday about 100
Words Every Expert Author Should Know. I even commented on it,
and I checked back during the day to see how other people had
commented.
I wanted to share it with you at my own blog to show you how
quick and easy it is to use someone else’s infographic, with
permission, and crank out a blog post in less than 15 minutes.
You can see my post, and the list of 100 words here.
If you missed Saturday’s newsletter, I linked to another blog
post I wrote in record time on “5 more things you didn’t know
about me” and it even includes a fun video for all you
Mouseketeers.
Both are examples of super-fast posts you can write off the top
of your head, with little or no research required.
They are two of the 21 shortcuts I’ll share on Thursday when I
present the webinar “21 Ideas for Quick & Dirty Blog Posts When
You Don’t Have Time to Write” from 3 to 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time on
Thursday, May 30. In addition to all my other tricks,
workarounds, quick fixes and time-savers, I’ll send you 10 fill-
in-the-blank templates that will let you fly through a post in
record time. Just use my format and cut and paste.
You’ll get the templates, as well as the video replay and all the
other bonuses, within 72 hours after the call.
So if the time doesn’t work for you and you can’t attend live,
register anyway and you won’t miss a thing.
====================================
2. Old vs. New Media Relations
====================================
One big mistake people make when self-promoting is lumping
journalists who work for traditional media outlets (newspapers,
magazines, radio, TV) into one category, and online journalists
and bloggers into another.
You can’t do that because many newspaper reporters, for example,
also blog.
That’s one of the biggest changes in media outreach in the last
two decades. Another is the proliferation of “new media” like
bloggers, podcasters, ezine editors, LinkedIn Group moderators
and discussion forums. All have the ability to reach very narrow
audiences.
When iAquire.com asked me to comment on the difference between
old and new media outreach, I said yes immediately. The responses
from the nine other publicity and PR experts they asked were
fascinating.
Read them all, including the one-paragraph summary at the end, at
“Ask an Expert: Online Media Relations 3.0″.
These major changes are all reflected in the fourth edition of my
ebook, “How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound.” I’m launching
soon, and I’ll offer Publicity Hounds a special deal on the book.
Stay tuned for more…
====================================
3. Business Photo Tips
====================================
If you’re having your business photo taken, don’t hire anyone
until you read this super list of professional photo tips.
It’s at Quora.com, the giant question-and-answer site. This topic
is so important that I even offered my own tip: hire a hair and
make-up artist.
====================================
4. Hound Video of the Week
====================================
Nothing says “rejection” more than a dog that doesn’t want to
kiss you.
Publicity Tips–21 Blogging Shortcuts
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #718 May 25, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. 21 Blogging Shortcuts
2. 40+ Ways to Contact Google
3. New Post at My Blog
4. Hound App of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
You told me to go ahead with the rummage sale next weekend. I’m
spending this weekend in the basement–plucking, sorting,
cleaning and pricing. I’m also preparing for the launch of the
fourth edition of my “How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound”
ebook. Stay tuned…
======================================
1. 21 Blogging Shortcuts
======================================
When it dawns on me that I haven’t blogged in awhile, a feeling
of dread sets in.
I think about all that research, all that writing, the three
rewrites, then the proofreading, then hunting for an image to
dress up the post. I must assign tags to the post. And place it
in the correct category. And hit Preview to see if it looks OK.
If it doesn’t, I keep tweaking and tinkering until it looks
perfect. All before I hit the “Publish” button.
Is it any wonder that I sometimes can’t bear the thought of
blogging? I’ll bet you feel the same way I do some days.
One of my big breakthroughs was finally accepting the fact that
each post didn’t have to be a treatise on that topic. I found
myself reading the super-short posts at some blogs and actually
LOVING the fact that I could breeze through each one in just a
minute or two.
So I started using some of the shortcuts other bloggers use. And
I kept looking for other tricks I could keep in my back pocket
for those days when I’m bored with my blog, my job and my life.
Admit it. You’ve been there too.
Here’s a post I cranked out in about seven minutes, explaining
the difference between a press release, a news release and a
media release.
It took another four minutes to find a photo on my hard drive,
insert it, proofread the post, tag it, preview it, and publish
it.
Eleven minutes in all! And that includes about a minute and a
half of research.
I gathered up my shortcuts, tricks, workarounds, quick fixes and
time-savers for you. I’ll present them all from 4 to 5:15 p.m.
Eastern Time on Thursday, May 30, during the webinar, “21 Ideas
for Quick & Dirty Blog Posts When You Don’t Have Time to Write.”
It comes with 10 fill-in-the-blanks templates that let you fly
through a post in record time.
Register even if the time doesn’t work for you because I’ll email you
the video replay and all the bonuses.
====================================
2. 40+ Ways to Contact Google
====================================
If someone has used your trademark on their YouTube channel, who
do you call other than your attorney?
What if someone keeps sending harassing messages to your Gmail
account?
Or Google maps is listing the location of your store at the wrong
address and you can’t fix it?
Contacting Google is a lot easier, thanks to this list of more
than 40 forms and links from blogger Kristi Hines.
She seems to know a lot about Google. I’m now following her on
Google+.
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3. New Posts at My Blog
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Press release, news release or media release?
5 more things you didn’t know about me
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4. Hound App of the Week
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Dogs finally have their own version of Yelp.
Where My Dogs At is a new social networking app that allows dog
owners to connect with one another and share things like dog
friendly spots and photos of their four-legged friends. It asks
users to “Mark their territory” at restaurants, parks,
businesses, etc. and give their “paw of approval” to the places
that were most accommodating to their pets.
Thanks to Publicity Hound Katrina Fox aka @katrinafox on Twitter
for sharing this one.
The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week
Issue #717 May 21, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- Fast, Easy Research Tools
- Don’t Offer an Embargo
- Share Your Expertise & Coach
- Hound Video of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
Prayers, prayers and more prayers going out to the victims of
yesterday’s tornado in Oklahoma.
1. Fast, Easy Research Tools
If you read this newsletter only on Tuesdays, and you skip the Saturday edition, you missed a golden nugget of a tip I shared over the weekend.
“50 Tips for Pitching A Story to the Media,” written by PR pro Alison Kenney, an independent PR practitioner, is must reading for publicity pups as well as for grizzled Publicity Hounds who have been pitching for decades.
The post is filled with a variety of tips, strategies and creative ideas on how to connect with journalists. Here’s an example.
Alison recommends that before pitching, you read a writer’s LinkedIn profile, Twitter stream and acebook page, if it’s public. I’ll add three more social media sites to that: the writer’s blog, Google+ profile and Pinterest.
You don’t have to read them all. Two or three are better than nothing. I blog, and I’m also on those five social media sites. If someone pitches me without checking me out on at least one of those resources, they haven’t done their homework, and it shows.
A blogger’s Twitter feed alone can give you so many leads about what that person wants that your pitch can be right on target. Social media profiles and feeds are fast, easy research tools.
Here’s another great tip from Alison’s list.
Follow the @AP_Planner on Twitter. That’s the feed for the Associated Press Planner, the giant calendar of upcoming events. You can buy a subscription to the package and get a heads-up on the types of events that interest you.
Or, pay nothing and follow them on Twitter where they post several times a day.
Yesterday, for example, I found this:
“100 days away: 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech (28 Aug)”
If you have a story or an expert who can tie into that anniversary, knowing about it three months ahead of time can help you craft a great pitch and be far ahead of your competitors.
If you need help building relationships with journalists BEFORE you pitch, as Alison recommends, find out how to access the video replay of a webinar of my best tips on “How to Use Social Media to Connect with Journalists.”
2. Don’t Offer an Embargo
Nothing dates a Publicity Hound more than offering an embargoed
press release or story pitch to the media or bloggers.
An embargo is an agreement between you and a news organization to
keep a story secret until a specific date and time.
Giving a “heads up” to one journalist weeks before you want the
news released lets the journalist spend time researching the
story before it’s published. It also lets them have a scoop.
Two or three decades ago, PR people offered embargoes when they
had big news to break, particularly on complicated issues. They’d
choose a favorite journalist or journalists, and then work with
them, to make sure the story was detailed and accurate.
If you were the journalist breaking the story, you loved the
embargo. But everyone else who missed the story hated it.
Besides, embargoes didn’t always work because some writers jumped
the gun and released the news anyway.
Today, during our 24/7 news cycle when anyone with a Twitter feed
can scoop a professional journalist, embargoes don’t work at all.
So don’t even think about putting an “embargo” notice at the top
of a press release and then distributing it to your contacts.
If you really want publicity results, don’t treat all the media
the same. Use “A Simple 5-Part Formula for Delivering the Perfect
Media Pitch and Hitting it Out of the Park.” It’s a video replay
of a webinar I hosted and it comes with 27 angles for stories,
and an example of a pitch that’s customized for three different
media outlets so you can see exactly how I’ve changed it, and
understand why.
You’ll also get a list of “10 Magic Phrases the Media LOVE.”
Publicity Hound Mary Castillo watched the webinar, used my
pitching tips and immediately got callbacks from two media
outlets interested in her story. She said the webinar “empowered
me to be more straightforward and peppy in my pitches.”
Grab the pitching tips webinar and bonuses here.
3. Share Your Expertise and Coach
After speaking at two authors’ conferences in the last month, I
was struck by how many authors rely only on their books for
revenue. There are two big problems with that:
–The vast majority of books aren’t money-makers. They’re money
pits.
–If you know enough about a topic to write a book on it, or
speak about it, you can probably teach it. Teaching and coaching
are far more profitable than publishing.
You can reach a lot more people with your message, have a greater
impact, encourage others to promote you and your work, and
sometimes enlist the services of people who can help you with PR
and marketing for next to nothing. But it requires a shift in
thinking.
Steve Harrison, who has worked with thousands of authors, has
created a video on how “The Shift” can change everything.
His tips are free, and I’m offering them as one of his
affiliates. Go here now to watch it.
4. Hound Video of the Week
A CBS news segment of Monday’s devastating tornado in Oklahoma
shows storm victim Barbara Garcia reunited with her dog, Cathy,
during an on-air interview.
As a reporter was interviewing Barbara, someone off-camera
noticed the dog under the rubble. Don’t miss this one.
The slideshow below the video shows pets being rescued during
Hurricane Sandy.
Publicity Hound–50 Pitching Tips
The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #716 May 18, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. 50 Pitching Tips
2. Helpful Summary: Google+ Updates
3. New Boston Globe Arts Section
4. Hound Video of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
Is having a rummage sale worth the time and trouble of
decluttering, washing, haggling over prices for eight hours, and
then hauling the junk that didn’t sell to the local Goodwill? I
always say “no” afterward, but I meet the nicest people. My town
is having its first citywide rummage sale June 1. Should I or
shouldn’t I?
======================================
1. 50 Pitching Tips
======================================
Pitching remains one of the top three problems among Publicity
Hounds.
That’s why I’m sharing a fabulous post written by Alison Kenney,
an independent PR practitioner. It’s titled “50 Tips for Pitching
A Story to the Media”.
It includes tips on pitching by phone or email, how to research
media outlets and journalists, how to review your pitch, critical
elements to include within it, how to follow up, ideas for clever
angles, how to find out about hot topics you can tie into, and
more.
Here are three tips from her list:
–Explain to your kids what you do and what story you’re trying
to tell and then ask them to explain it back to you.
–Remember “if it bleeds, it leads.” How does your story angle
play into readers’ deepest concerns?
–Can your story be pitched as a video interview? The Publicity
Hound loves this idea when pitching bloggers, many of whom might
love to use Google Hangouts.
If you need help building relationships with journalists BEFORE
you pitch, as Alison recommends, find out how to access the video
replay of a webinar of my best tips on “How to Use Social Media
to Connect with Journalists”.
====================================
2. Helpful Summary: Google+ Updates
====================================
At the annual Google conference this week, Google announced 41
new features for Google+. Among them:
–A bigger cover photo (2120 x 1192 pixels) and profile image
(250 x 250).
–A simpler, more beautiful stream.
–A new version of Hangouts, the free online videoconferencing
service.
–New ways to make photos look great.
Here’s an easy-to-understand summary of the changes:
I’m on Google+. Add me to your circles and I’ll add you as one of
my Publicity Hounds.
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3. New Boston Globe Arts Section
====================================
Good news for authors and others with stories about the arts,
particularly in Boston.
The Globe is launching a new 20-page Arts section tomorrow, May
19.
It will include enhanced restaurant, style and books coverage,
with a stronger emphasis on New England authors. The section will
also include “The Ticket,” the central dashboard for Boston’s
cultural scene.
Other topics include video games, visual arts, music, dance,
food, fashion, shopping and restaurants.
Read more about the new Boston Globe Sunday Arts Section.
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4. Hound Video of the Week
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Watch this dog balance a basketball on her nose and run across
the yard.
