Barb Bartlein of Bayview, Wisconsin, author of the book Why Did I Marry You, Anyway? 12.5 Strategies for a Happy Marriage , says she’s had great success with 99PR.com, a service that emails your pitch to radio talk show hosts and other journalists. The pitch looks like it came directly from you. If a journalist responds, the response comes directly to you. “I have been averaging 10-15 radio shows per release, many in the larger markets,” Barb says. “At one point, my book was in the top 5,000 on Amazon. Many of the producers book me again for future segments, so I often get repeat business from each release.”
Linda Watson of Pretty Pony Pastures in Davisburg, Michigan, says she found a great way to generate publicity for her therapeutic riding lessons.
"One of The Publicity Hound’s tips is to tie into an event or an occasion.
As luck would have it, Congress declared December 13 as National Day of the Horse. I immediately came up with the idea of doing a presentation at ourbarn on ‘The Making of a Therapeutic Horse’ and schedule the presentation for December 13th. I sent out press releases to seven local papers. The press release was published in four. Three of the four papers are doing stories on our facility and today I received a call from an organization that would like me to come and speak at one of their meetings. They donate to places like mine that provide activities for persons with disabilities. I also ceived calls from three people who would like to volunteer their time.”
The Publicity Hound says: Consider incorporating these two ideas into next year’s media plan. Also, don’t discount the power of using briefs and other short items. They’re one of the best ways to get into national magazines and newspapers. Read more about “Briefs, Fillers & Quizzes–How to Write Them and Why Editors Love Them” .