When I found a big splotch of dried chocolate ice cream on the bottom of my Coach purse last week, I was mortified How long has THAT been there, I wondered. And how many people have seen it and said nothing? The next day, I read the first item in Marilee Tolen’s ezine, titled “Can Your Purse Make… Read More
ezines
Newsletters engage customers
Instead of always hunting for more customers, spend some time on keeping the ones you already have. I love this story at the Vario Creative blog about how a product manager for a legacy software product created a newsletter that really scratched an itch that her customers had—and won their loyalty. I’m assuming she published an ezine, not… Read More
Find blog content from these 17 sources
If you’re at a loss for something to blog about, check out blogger Patsi Krakoff’s list of 17 sources of inspiration. Patsi and Denise Wakeman, aka The Blog Squad, joined me several weeks ago to host a teleseminar called “How to Pitch the Best Bloggers and Create a Publicity Explosion.” We explained not only how to pitch bloggers with… Read More
Press releases or news releases? Which is it?
After I announced my free 89-day tutorial this week called “89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases,” Publicity Hound Jim Nugent emailed me with this question: “In keeping with what you say about press releases, shouldn’t this series be renamed either ’89 Ways To Write Better News Releases?’ or maybe ‘Media Releases’ or perhaps, ‘Universal Information Pitches?’ After… Read More
Food nutrition facts will beef up food pitches
If you’re pitching a story about a food product, offer the nutritional benefits of the product at the front of your pitch. That’s one of three tips offered by David Ward in his article in the March 20 issue of PR Week. Other PR tips for foodies include: —Look beyond newspaper food pages and the Food Network for… Read More
Research media outlets before sending expensive press kits
Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London and New York sent me a copy of their slick, beautiful 2006/2007 course catalog, which must have cost a fortune to produce. I plucked it from my mailbox this morning. As soon as I opened the envelope, I asked myself, “Why are they sending this to me?” I’m not… Read More
Sliding newspaper circulation makes papers less relevant
Newspaper circulation is continuing its slide, with the biggest declines in Boston, San Francisco and Atlanta. Eighteen out of the top 20 papers reported weekday circulation losses in the most recent FAS-FAX report. What does this mean for Publicity Hounds? Newspapers are becoming less relevant, and you must pay more attention to other media, namely:… Read More
CDs, tapes available from Media Relations 2005
If you missed the Media Relations 2005 conference in San Francisco in April, you can still learn terrific PR and publicity tips by buying the CDs or cassette tapes for $15 each. Read the entire list here. It includes the panel I participated in titled “The 10 worst Journalist Faux Pas You Can Make.” I… Read More
“Side door strategy” relies on not-so-obvious angles
Proteges in The Publicity Hound Mentoring Program heard me lecture recently on the “side-door strategy” to publicity during a teleseminar I hosted just for them. Even though I’ve always understood and promoted the concept, I first heard the phrase “side-door strategy” when I read an article by publicist Jodee Blanco. The “side-door strategy” means pitching… Read More
Alternative publications
The more you pitch to large magazines and newspapers, the stiffer the competition for an editor’s attention. That’s why placing stories in alternative publications can be so much easier–and sometimes more effective. They have a ready-made audience for your topic, regardless of how obscure it is. Check out the New Pages Guide to Alternative Periodicals… Read More