It’s too late for most of you to get into the news today by using a Valentine’s Day pitch, but remind yourself to start pitching Valentine’s Day ideas early enough next year. Here are some creative ways others have piggybacked onto Valentine’s Day: —Friday’s Wall Street Journal included an interesting article about how February 14… Read More
Publicity Blog
How to use Craigslist for publicity
If you’re looking for a job, an apartment, a date, or people in your own community with common interests, you probably already know about Craigslist. But did you realize you can also use these free online community classifieds and forums to promote an event, announce a new employee, advertise a workshop months before it will… Read More
How do you pitch an idea to McDonald’s, Burger King?
Publicity Hound Jon Merz of Albany, New York writes: “I have an idea for a great publicity campaign for McDonald’s or Burger King that involves a joint venture with my business. The problem is, these companies say they don’t accept unsolicited publicity ideas. “My question is this: how do I get some type of audience… Read More
Blogging for publicity? 5 tips on how to write a better blog
I’m at the winter workshop sponsored by the National Speakers Association, and I attended great presentations yesterday and today by Tom Antion, my Internet marketing mentor, and blogger Kim Snider. Both spoke about blogs. And based on their tips, here are 5 mistakes I’ve identified that Publicity Hounds make when blogging: They don’t use keywords in their… Read More
New publicity leads for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day gifts
The Gift List has just posted 75 new “short leads” for Publicity Hounds who want to promote products that would make great gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation. Several of those have deadlines this week. Getting your product mentioned in these guides is often far easier than convincing an editor to feature it in any other… Read More
Fitness, weight loss still big during February sweeps
Several weeks ago, I posted an item about how January was a big month for fitness and weight loss stories, because people were trying to get back on track after the holidays. The media’s love for these stories spills into February, one of three Sweeps months. Today, for example, “Oprah” is supposed to feature a woman… Read More
Alternatives to the cliche ribbon-cutting photo
A friend whose company is opening a new addition called to ask for my best tips on how to stage a ribbon-cutting ceremony the media will love. “That’s an oxymoron,” I said. “The media don’t love ribbon-cuttings. They despise them.” As I’ve explained in the ebook I wrote last year titled “How to Use Photos & Graphics… Read More
What to do when you pitch a story idea, the reporter stalls and won’t cover it
A publicist emailed me last week, asking my advice on this dilemma. She pitched a story about her client, whose company is the local angle to a major national business story. A reporter from a big newspaper (one that most Publicity Hounds would give their right paws to get into), bit on the idea in… Read More
Spy on your competitors in their online media rooms
Thanks to Publicity Hound George McKenzie for this tip, which you’ll find in his “Free Publicity Action Plan.” Use your competitor’s online media room to generate publicity for yourself. Simply check the media room on their website. George says they’ll probably be crowing about their media successes (as they should). You can contact the media… Read More
How to promote networking seminars
Corinne Donlin, San Francisco, California writes: “I am looking for recommendations as to how to get publicity to promote seminars which will present how individuals (real estate agents, financial planners, salespeople, insurance agents, etc.) as well as small business owners can increase their sales through networking. I’d like ideas as to 1) Where to start,… Read More