Remember me telling you about Business Solutions, the hour-long Milwaukee radio show for entrepreneurs that hosted me as their guest expert on Saturday afternoon? I was disappointed that we didn’t get any calls from the audience. But here’s what happened and what I learned as a result of that program: —The host, Diane Chamness, was… Read More
Email pitches to journalists need these 8 elements
When you email a story idea to the media, does it include the eight key elements of the perfect pitch? A compelling, not cute, subject line No more than one screen of type Mentioning a specific section of the newspaper or magazine, or a specific part of a TV or radio show, where your story… Read More
Mother’s Day gift needs pitching tips from Publicity Hounds
Publicity Hound Jennifer Raaths of Barrington, Illinois writes: “I am working on a Mother’s Day gift idea for my client, DiCarlo Fine Wines & Spirits, a liquor store. The gift idea is a handmade purse by my friend, Carrie, a local stay-at-home mom. Each purse is unique. No two are the same. And they’re filled… Read More
Book marketing during the holidays will help book sales
Frustrated because your book isn’t selling as well as you had hoped? PMA Independent, the newsletter for members of the Publishers Marketing Association, includes a great article in its March issue on times of the year when sales spike. Publishers pass along these marketing tips that are effective during the holidays: —Market cookbooks during and after… Read More
Radio talk shows: 6 traits of ideal hosts, guests
If you’re trying to figure out how to be a great guest on a radio talk show, just exhibit the same traits that stations demand in their hosts. In the February issue of Talkers magazine, talk show consultant John Mainelli who also covers radio for the New York Post, lists these six traits of the best hosts: A sense… Read More
Food nutrition facts will beef up food pitches
If you’re pitching a story about a food product, offer the nutritional benefits of the product at the front of your pitch. That’s one of three tips offered by David Ward in his article in the March 20 issue of PR Week. Other PR tips for foodies include: —Look beyond newspaper food pages and the Food Network for… Read More
State of the Media Report shows journalists more stressed than ever—good news for PR people
It’s a great day to be a PR person and a bad time to be a journalist. So says the March 20 issue of PR Week, in an article commenting on the third annual State of the Media Report written by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. The report found that the newspaper industry, in… Read More
Parenting tips needed by the media, so pitch story ideas about children
If you’re an expert who can share advice, write a how-to article, create a quiz, take a poll or survey, dream up a clever holiday, offer a Q&A, or show someone how to do something, don’t forget the kids. I don’t have children. But while at the local library last week, I paged through three… Read More
Publicity for musicians, songwriters and bands on a budget
Update on March 23, 2018: I just discovered a wonderful step-by-step tutorial called The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing for Musicians by Ged Richardson. *** Musician Bob Baker says that unless you have friends in high places, your independent CD release barely stands a chance of getting radio airplay on commercial stations. You’ll even… Read More
Publicity for fiction titles requires creative thinking
Authors who write fiction think they face an uphill battle trying to get publicity for their books. That’s because most fiction authors see themselves as storytellers, not experts. Yet many of them do far more research before writing their books than authors of non-fiction. Here are five ways authors can get publicity for their fiction… Read More