Help This Hound, a regular feature in my twice-a-week email tips, was one of the most popular sections of my newsletter.
Readers loved it, because they could submit a question about a publicity problem that stumped them. I featured the question here and then included it in the newsletter. Other readers, who welcomed the challenge, would come here and offer their best ideas.
I was bowled over by their creativity. But I sometimes wondered if an obscure question would result in enough answers to make it worth my time and my readers time, like the question from John Cicale of Deptford, N.J.
He wanted to know how to promote the Glare Eliminator, his new invention. It’s a reusable static cling headlight window tint that cuts glare from your driver’s side window.
Readers responded with tips that included cross-promotion with ophthalmologists, visiting local car shows, sending a press release and photo to the New Products sections of magazines, and marketing the product to independent truck drivers. If I did a brain dump, I could never come up with as many ideas as they did.
This week, when I was researching newsletters from authors for an Author Email Boot Camp I’m teaching, it dawned on me how many of the newsletters I discovered involve readers. How could I have let Help This Hound fall by the wayside, I asked.
I’m happy to say it’s back. But I need your help:
- If you don’t subscribe to my tips, you can do so on this page. It explains the kind of tips I send, and rewards you with two freebies to thank you for signing up: my cheat sheets on my Top 10 Tools for Free Publicity and 89 Reasons to Write a Press Release.
- When you see a Help This Hound question within the tips, and you have an idea, click on the link, and submit it in the comments section at this blog.
- Send me your own question when you have a publicity problem that’s bugging you. Offer enough details so my readers understand the problem. Explain what has and hasn’t worked. Link to a webpage where we can find more information. Include a good-quality head shot, along with your town.
- Let your social media groups know about this feature. You can send them to this page.
I’ll post the first Help This Hound question tomorrow. Stay tuned.