Right now, as you’re reading this, a journalist could be nosing around at your website, looking for clues that will help determine whether you’re worth covering. Will the reporter find typos galore, outdated news releases or incomplete contact information? PR pro Carolyn Moncel said there’s a checklist of items you should have at your website–things… Read More
Media Relations
Interview reporters before they interview you
Nothing can be more exciting for a Publicity Hound than getting a call from a reporter who asks for an interview. But when the reporter starts asking questions, the worst thing you can do is immediately start answering them. If you do, without knowing what the story is about, you’re putting yourself at risk. Let’s… 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
When you miss your chance
What do you do when your competitor is featured in a story on the front page of the local morning paper? Or her face shows up repeatedly on the nightly news, commenting on an issue that you know more about? Do you retreat to the closet and silently lick your wounds? Or complain to your… Read More
Mustard museum fights Reader’s Digest
What do you do when you’ve been hammered by the almighty Reader’s Digest? That’s what happened to the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin when an article in the December issue placed the Mustard Museum on its list of “5 Museums Not to Plan Christmas Around.” “Want a fun vacation?” the article asked.… Read More
Put limitations on sensitive TV video
Night after night, we see stories on the local and national TV news about topics like obesity, alcoholism, drug abuse and mental illness. The reporter’s narration accompanies generic film footage of people walking on a crowded sidewalk, or students making their way to class on a college campus. No problem–except if the story happens to… Read More
5 places to look for freelancers
Publicity Hounds spend so much time and energy chasing after staff writers at national magazines, that they often overlook a much more valuable group of contacts–the freelancers that write for those publications. Why are freelancers more valuable? Because many of them already have key contacts at lots of major magazines and newspapers. That means if… Read More
TV Weatherperson’s Day
I’ve received so much great feedback from Publicity Hounds who have used my tip about “TV Weatherperson’s Day” on February 5 that I’m mentioning itagain. When it comes to celebrity status, the TV weather people are at the bottom of the totem pole. While the news anchor is invited to host a glitzy charity ball,… Read More
Newspaper editors’ pet peeves
When I worked as a newspaper editor for more than 20 years, I had my own pet peeves about people who were clueless about working with the media. They included: –Idiots who called to complain, “You’ve written about my competitor three times but you’ve never written about me!” –News releases that didn’t list the name… Read More
Invite reporter with a pet to cover vet clinic opening
Beth Ann Black of Coppell, Texas has a client, a large group of specialty veterinarians–all for animals–that will celebrate their fifth anniversary this spring. She wants fun promotional ideas, beyond the one they’ve already thought of: hosting an open house where current and potential clients bring teddy bears to be examined so the doctors can… Read More