Three fast facts that show you why publishing ebooks for Amazon.com’s Kindle are such a big deal, especially if you’re an expert in your field: 1. The New York Times is now adding ebooks to its best-seller list. 2. For every 100 hardcover books Amazon is selling, it sells 143 Kindle ebooks. 3. Every ebook… Read More
Publicity Blog
Churches, claim your free social media platform
Looking for a social media site where members of your church can recruit volunteers, share prayers on the Prayer Wall, and announce the next Friday fish fry? Compete to win one of 28 remaining slots offered by The TableProject and your church can have its own platform immediately. How to Enter First, host a get-together like a potluck… Read More
Letters to the editor offer clues to articles you can write
If you’re dying to write for a magazine, and you want to suggest an article topic that the editor will embrace, start by reading the letters to the editor. That’s what Publicity Hound Judy Soccio did. She specializes in historic window treatments and wrote an article that takes up several pages in the December issue of Victorian… Read More
Writing expert needs ideas for marketing online classes
This week’s “Help This Hound” question is from McKenna Donovan of Asheville, N.C.: “I’m the founder and executive director of To Write Well, which offers a wide variety of writing courses online. “Typically, the market includes professionals (journalists, lawyers, corporate communications officers), who need to improve their voice and style; and hobbyists, who are seeking higher… Read More
9 ways to use QR codes for PR, publicity & marketing
At first glance, it looks like a crossword puzzle that can appear almost as small as a postage stamp. It’s a QR code, short for quick response. And it can be one of the most valuable tools in your PR arsenal. QR codes, similar to bar codes that appear on packaged products, are used widely… Read More
So I’m in Fast Company this month? Big deal
I’d forgotten about Fast Company’s Influence Project until the tweets and emails started arriving last week, just after the November issue hit the streets. “Congratulations! Your photo is in the third row of The Influencer Project!” a friend wrote. I’d completely forgotten about the experiment, which started July 1, to identify the most influential person… Read More
How would you use this fun photo tool for publicity?
I found a very cool website where you can insert photos of yourself or others into other photos and create your own custom photos that really attract attention. It’s PhotoFunia.com. Insert your photo onto a billboard, turn it into a painting, or plaster it onto a big sign outside a sidewalk cafe, like a I did here. Turn it… Read More
LinkedIn lets users recommend products
Starting this week, LinkedIn is offering its more than 80 million members a chance to recommend products and services on other companies’ Company Pages, under the Product tab. The new feature includes only 40 large companies like Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Dell, JetBlue, AT&T, Citibank and Volkswagen. But LinkedIn will expand it to include all companies and small businesses during… Read More
Garden club needs help naming a winter gardening event
This week’s “Help this Hound” question is from me and my fellow members of the Port Washington Garden Club in Port Washington, Wisconsin: We’re sponsoring our first-ever daylong lecture series on Feb. 26, and we’re looking for a catchy title that will really build the buzz and draw a huge crowd. Guest experts from within and… Read More
Here’s a handy checklist for writing press releases
The next time you write a press release, use BusinessWire’s handy checklist so you don’t forget key elements of the release. Its 11 pointers include things that are easy to forget like HTML formatting, using keywords and hyperlinks, and including video. (A few days ago, I wrote about 19 opportunities to use hyperlinks in press releases.) The list is… Read More