Companies and nonprofits everywhere are scrambling to create social media policies. But before you appoint a special committee within your organization to do weeks of research, and then summon your expensive attorneys, scan this helpful list of more than 80 sample social media policies. If you have your own policy that isn’t listed here, add it to the list… Read More
Free PR Tools
Wanted: Testers for my publicity tips newsletter
I’m looking for about 10 Publicity Hounds to test my newsletter, The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week, before I start distributing it through AWeber, my new list management company, next week. If you’re on a Mac and you also use MacMail, Eudora or Entourage, I need you as part of my test group. What’s in it for you? Two free… Read More
Subscribe to my publicity tips? I don’t want to lose you!
I’m eternally grateful to the thousands of Publicity Hounds who read “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” my free ezine, every week. You contribute incredible tips, helpful links, intelligent questions and doggone good dog jokes and videos, one of the most popular parts of the ezine. It’s time for me to change over to a AWeber,… Read More
Promote anything by creating quick videos with Animoto
If you want to create a video for an upcoming event as part of your publicity campaign, or for a product or service you’re launching, and you’re on a tight deadline, here’s a great alternative to a talking-head video where you have to look good. Animoto lets you produce TV-quality music videos using your own photos, or… Read More
Publish an ezine? Submit it to BestEzines.com
Smart Publicity Hounds promote their product, service, cause or issue with an ezine, short for “electronic magazine”—one of the most powerful marketing tools ever invented. That’s because you have a ready-made list of people who have given you permission to market to them until they say “stop.” If you already publish one, make sure it’s listed… Read More
Can’t sell your house? Bury St. Joseph for an offer & publicity
With a glut of houses on the market and few buyers, here’s an almost guaranteed way for you to get free publicity for a house you’re trying to unload—and maybe even a quick sale. This is just one of several great publicity ideas for real estate agents, too. An old superstition says that burying a St. Joseph statue upside down… Read More
Find a freelancer with SPJ freelancer directory
Here’s another great resource for Publicity Hounds who need to outsource work to freelancers. Consult the Society of Professional Journalists’ online freelancer directory, a listing of more than 600 members. You can search by state or specialty. Members include writers, photographers and graphic artists. The trade group also has a new “Editor of the Moment”… Read More
Write a letter to the editor to promote your expertise
When you can’t think of a story idea to pitch, and you’re dying to get into a certain online or print publication, write a letter to the editor. That’s what I did just now after reading the August issue of Independent, the excellent newsletter (it’s more like a magazine) published by the Independent Book Publishers Association. An article… Read More
Use spam checkers for ezine copy and pitches
Your ezine might be packed with free content and do excellent job promoting your expertise. But it’s worthless if it ends up in the recipient’s spam folder, or in one of several other spam traps that have been set by Internet service providers. That’s why it’s worth the extra time to run your ezine or important email you’re sending, like pitches to… Read More
7 resources make it easy for journalists to find you
Even the most carefully written publicity plan can be downright frustrating if you pitch journalist after journalist and you hear nothing back. I just finished a free article Find Journalists Using These 7 Resources. It lists seven resources that Publicity Hounds can use to get in front of journalists. One is a free leads service. Four are subscirption-based leads services.… Read More