I know. I know. You’re sick of Michael Jackson. I am too. But true Publicity Hounds who have something to offer the media don’t stop here. They think of ways to piggyback onto the not guilty verdict. Some examples: —What do child advocates have to say about the pop star, who admitted on camera that… Read More
Marketing Sherpa announces 10 best blogs of 2005
If you aren’t blogging yet, or even if you are and want pointers on how to make your blog even better, you’ll learn lots by studying “The Top 10 Blogs of 2005” as chosen by readers of Marketing Sherpa, the nifty ezine about marketing. When you’re done, check out Don Crowther’s excellent ebook Blogging for… Read More
How a freelance business writer can get more clients
This week, Cheryl Beck asks: “I am a freelance writer and I am trying to get more business writing clients. I also offer some publicity services because writing is so heavily involved. What I need are ideas to promote myself to get the ball rolling. I can think of campaigns for other companies, but not… Read More
Pitch ethnic media
When publicist Miriam Silverberg took on Meli Melo, a French restaurant in New York City, as a client three years ago, she immediately got to work pitching ideas that would result in the greatest publicity possible. She dreamed, of course, of a four-star restaurant review in the New York Times. But she’s realistic enough to… Read More
Boulder newspaper trains citizen journalists
One of the things I hated about the newspaper business was our failure, as a whole, to teach people how to use the newspaper. That’s why I welcome a new program started by the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado. It’s sponsoring an in-person training session for its MyTown site. It’s running full-color, half-page ads in… Read More
L.A. Times changes editorial pages
The L.A. Times, in yesterday’s editions, announced a variety of changes to its editorial pages. Next week, it will announce the introduction of “wikitorials” — an online feature that will let readers rewrite Los Angeles Times editorials. Letters to the editor and opinion columns are a terrific way to promote your product, service, cause or… Read More
Why Publicity Hounds must have good-quality publicity photos
I’ll bet at least 3 out of 4 of you who are reading this right now don’t have a good-quality photo of yourself that you can give to a reporter or editor who asks for it. Photos are often far more powerful than articles. Every time my photo appears in the newspaper along with a… Read More
PR tips at AMA website
PR Newswire is now providing educational PR content to the American Marketing Association’s website. It includes writing tips, frequently asked questions and educational articles including: Using Your Website as an Effective PR Tool; Six Simple Steps for Turning Your Company into a Heavily Quoted Source; Tips on Writing an Effective Feature Article; Press Release Writing… Read More
Don’t take boring check-passing photos
A Publicity Hound who just started reading this newsletter emailed me last week, asking if I have any clever suggestions for an interesting check-passing photo. Sorry, I said. There is no such thing. Every check-passing photo looks alike. Two people stand shoulder-to-shoulder, each clutching one end of a check and staring into the camera with… Read More
Don’t overlook ethnic media oulets
When you’re creating a media plan, don’t overlook the numerous ethnic media outlets, from small weekly newspapers to specialty radio shows. This article at WashingtonPost.com says the landscape of ethnic media has grown more crowded in recent years, reinforced by the same immigration patterns that are driving the nation’s population growth. It has been particularly… Read More