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Copycat TV news story: Buy a diamond, get a gun

It pays to be a copycat, especially if you’re after free publicity. When jewelry store owner Harold van Beek, near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, heard that a jeweler in Georgia had gotten publicity for offering a hunting rifle to every customer who bought diamond jewelry, he copied the marketing tactic and found himself on the local news.… Read More

Do you buy ads? Offer a testimonial for free publicity

I’m all about generating free publicity, so you don’t have to pay for ads. But if you buy ads,  here’s a little trick that may very well give you more space—this time for free—in newspapers and magazines, and even online. Offer a testimonial on the power of the ad—how it generated more customers, phone calls,… Read More

Nonprofits: Patch.com offers volunteers, free ad space

Don’t view Patch.com only as a news-gathering website for hyer-local news. Last month, when I shared 6 tips for pitching Patch, I didn’t know that nonprofits, community groups and anyone dedicated to a worthy cause can apply for free advertising space and volunteers that come directly from Patch’s staff. It’s called the Give 5 program and… Read More

BBQ restaurant in Philly needs ideas for promotion

Michael Smith of Philadelphia writes:     “My brother is the chef/owner of Fletcher’s BBQ, a restaurant that opened in September in a working middle-class neighborhood in the Philadelphia suburbs.    “It offers take-out and delivery only. The motto, emblazoned on T-shirts and the menus, is ‘Dig the Pig!’     “My brother already has landed a great story… Read More

11 ways for small business to use Yelp, respond to bad reviews

If you do business in your own community, start participating on Yelp, the popular social media site that helps people share the best (and worst) of businesses like dentists, hair stylists and car mechanics. If you’re a  PR person whose clients are small business owners, incorporate this site into a publicity or marketing campaign. But… Read More

Italian restaurant in Texas hurting; needs marketing tips

Deborah Lott of Giddings, Texas, writes:    “My husband and I opened a casual pizza and Italian restaurant in the small Texas town of Giddings, population 5,000, on Hwy. 290, a major highway between Austin and Houston.     “We have been open for only six months and are having a hard time getting local residents to… Read More

Definitions of advertising, promotion, publicity and PR

If you work in PR, and you’re trying to explain to somebody what you do, and they look at you with a blank stare, explain it this way: “If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying ‘Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday,’ that’s advertising.  If you put the sign on… Read More

‘The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week’ now accepts ads

I’ve been publishing a free weekly newsletter for almost 10 years, and accepting paid ads never appealed to me. I hated reading them in text-based newsletters but never minded them at all in HTML newsletters where they aren’t obtrusive. Since I’ve always published in text-only, I never gave ads a second thought. But when I… Read More

Magazine turns typo in an ad into a contest

Here’s a great example of how to generate publicity from an embarrassing mistake. When the editors of Texas Dogs & Cats magazine discovered a typo in a paid ad in the April issue, they invited readers to find the typo. Everyone who emails the editor with the correct answer gets a coupon for $5 off an order of $10… Read More

Membership directories could include social media URLs

If your organization publishes a membership directory, allow members to include URLs for social media sites like Facebook Fan pages, Twitter profiles, YouTube channels and LinkedIn profiles, not just URLs for their websites. That would be a nice value-added feature for chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, health care associations, school groups, etc. and it would distinguish… Read More

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Publicity expert Joan Stewart, a PR mentor aka The Publicity Hound, works with small business owners who need free publicity, and with PR pros who tell their clients' stories to the world. She shows you how to establish your credibility, enhance your reputation, position yourself as an expert, and sell more products and services. To receive her free DIY publicity tips twice a week, subscribe here. See all the ways you can work with Joan. Or contact her and ask a burning question about PR, self-promotion or social media.

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