Tips, Tricks & Tools for Free Publicity
by Joan Stewart
Publicity expert Paul Hartunian says there's no reason you can't write a succinct one-page news release.
His advice makes sense. Scientific studies inside newsrooms have shown that reporters and editors spend an average 5 seconds reading a news release before deciding whether to use it or trash it.
Why, then, do so many … [Read more...]
by Joan Stewart
--Business Wire is waiving its annual $120 membership fee starting January 1. That means you only have to pay a fee if you want the company to distribute your news release, or provide other services. Business Wire also will reduce rates on premier multimedia services.
by Joan Stewart
Too many Publicity Hounds are much too nice when introducing a new product or service that's heads above the one offered by the competition.
Afraid of stepping on toes, they issue a bland news release with glowing quotes from the CEO about the wonders of the new offering. But never once do they mention what makes it better than the … [Read more...]
by Joan Stewart
What do you do when you’ve been hammered by the almighty Reader's Digest?
That’s what happened to the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin when an article in the December issue placed the Mustard Museum on its list of "5 Museums Not to Plan Christmas Around."
"Want a fun vacation?" the article asked. … [Read more...]
by Joan Stewart
When I worked as a newspaper editor for more than 20 years, I had my own pet peeves about people who were clueless about working with the media. They included: --Idiots who called to complain, "You've written about my competitor three times but you've never written about me!" --News releases that didn't list the name or phone number of a … [Read more...]
by Joan Stewart
Smart Publicity Hounds know about the Associated Press Stylebook, "the journalist's bible."
It's the 427-page, spiral-bound book, organized liked a dictionary, that journalists throughout the world consult when they need to know the correct acronym for a government agency. They … [Read more...]
by Joan Stewart
I just read a scrumptious news release about an unusual new package used to hold a well-known brand of food.
(The brand will remain anonymous to protect the guilty.)
The copy provided a detailed description of the package and gushed about its unusual shape, and how it shimmers and shines when the package is moved.
The … [Read more...]
by Joan Stewart
Inexperienced Publicity Hounds make the frequent mistake of inundating media people with too much information. For example:
--Sending an unsolicited media kit along with a pitch letter, with grand illusions of the journalist spending hours poring over your materials. (Dream on).
--Sending an unsolicited book, with hopes that a … [Read more...]
by Joan Stewart
If you're trying to position yourself as an expert, you can often attract media attention if you're in the right place at the right time. Specifically, near the top of the list that a search engine produces when a journalist is searching online for someone with your expertise.
Marilyn Anderson, author of "Never Kiss a Frog, a Girl's … [Read more...]
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