When I checked my website and blog statistics recently, I noticed a huge spike in traffic since January 1.
Since I wasn’t doing any special promotions, I forgot about it until Diana Ennen, a virtual assistant in Florida, congratulated me for being mentioned in the January issue of Family Circle magazine.
“Family Circle?” I asked. “That’s one of the last places I’d expect to be mentioned.”
Right there, at the bottom of Page 61, I’m mentioned in the article titled “Mothers of (Re)Invention.” The writer, Suzanne Chazin, shares a variety of tips for women who want to switch career gears, rejoin the ranks of the gainfully employed, or start a business. The last tip is to “build buzz” by giving free workshops in libraries and community centers and sending press releases to local papers.
See PublicityHound.com for tips
That’s it. Just four words. And a rush of traffic to my website and this blog. I can think of several ways to piggyback off this publicity:
—Write a press release noting the mention in Family Circle, include several of my own tips, and post it online. I have a subscription to Expertclick: The Online Yearbook of Experts which lets me post up to 52 press releases a year. (Tell them I sent you and they’ll knock off $100.)
—Send a letter to the editor commenting on the article.
—Send a press release to my local newspaper about the mention in Family Circle magazine.
—Post an item to Craigslist.
—Add the information to my MySpace and Facebook pages.
I don’t remember the writer contacting me, so I have to conclude that she found me through the search engines, or somebody told her about me.
Bottom line: When you’re considering media to target with your message, think beyond the obvious.
Congratulations, Joan, on the mention in Family Circle. Very nice. It’s wonderful to have surprises like that. Incidentally I’m going to be giving a workshop on blogging at our local library.
Joan:
This triggers a bit of advice I give people who are in the process of naming their business. Create your business name to be so clear that if it is ever mentioned in print it will be a mini-ad. The perfect example I use is Chuckwagon Catering. If you never get asked “So, what do you do?” when handing out your business card, you have got it right.
This is double-duty if your name is listed with no other information, “pictured: John Smith of Chuckwagon Catering” Voila! an ad. Great for the Family Circle four little words.
Joan,
So true!
My product, The Ah Ring, was shown on the O List in O Magazine, with a short blurb, and it is STILL generating business for me 7 years later at divinediamonds.com!
Well deserved!
I’ve been following this blog for some time now. I love the community you’ve built here, and the concrete tips you’re able to deliver.
We’ve seen very good results from magazine publicity as well. A few months back, Manufacturing.net published a tips article we ghost-wrote for one of our clients. It still sends consistent traffic even months later.
I’m always excited to see people enjoy the recognition they deserve. I greatly appreciate the efforts you go to for this blog, and hope you continue to enjoy recognition for them.
Best wishes,
~ Jessica
Congratulations Joan on the metion in Family Circle. I have also told a lot of people about your blog. I find a lot of great and useful information and pass it on.
Way to go, Joan! That’s such a fantastic plug, and I loved your ideas after of how to piggy back on the idea. The best one, I think, was to offer the tips and mention the plug – Family Circle would be wise to pick up the tips and publish them, as clearly their readers responded to those four words!
🙂
Mystery Maiden
Shot In The Dark Mysteries
http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com
I recommend your site to many of my friends/colleagues.
I can certainly understand why you were quoted…your tips, tricks and tools are superb.
I regularly recommend your newsletter to my clients.
Congrats on the mention and on showing us, once again, how to leverage press!
~Liz
Hi Joan!
I love your site, truly. Have referred many friends and colleagues since my good friend Denise Wakeman of the Blog Squad referred me a few years ago.
My name and company are in Better Homes & Gardens this month (March, 2008). I have done, or will do what you suggest above to promote this mention. But I am curious as to what you mean by posting something on Craigslist? Can you give me an example?
Thanks! – John
John, you can post a wide variety of information to the Craigslist that’s closest to the city where you are located.
For example, I live in Port Washington, Wisconsin, about 30 miles from Milwaukee. So I would post an item, or a press release, about my mention in Family Circle to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Craigslist.
Where on Craigslist would I post it? I could post it under “Local” News in the “Community” category. Or I could post it in “Small Business Ads” under the “Services” category and include within it information about my services.
It’s important that you understand the rules on Craigslist. You cannot post the same item to more than one city’s list. And you cannot post the same item to more than one category on a city’s list. Violate the rules and you could be banned forever.
You can read more about Craigslist in the free article I wrote here: http://publicityhound.com/free_publicity/Articles/Craigslist.html
Joan— Thanks for the info!
– John