If your company is switching from paper to ceramic coffee cups, from paper to cloth napkins in the cafeteria, recycling almost everything, or doing anything else in the category of “going green,” be sure to spread the word. Journalists, in particular, love to jump on almost any story about saving the environment. You can pitch to business… Read More
Photos & Graphics
‘Fittest CEO’ contest great chance for publicity
Business newspapers and magazines like to sponsor contests for readers. The contests are also a great way to generate publicity, even if you’re not sure you’ll win. Here’s a great example. On a lark, Jo Steinberg, president of Midland Health Testing Services Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, joined the “Fittest CEO” contest sponsored by the Small Business… Read More
Photo tips to make your product look its best
If you need a photo of something you’re selling on eBay, or a product photo for your media kit or website, and you don’t have a bucket of money to spend on a professional photographer, check out this great list of photo tips courtesy of AuctionBytes.com. They explain how to buy inexpensive lights and other gadgets that will help you… Read More
Do Business in Your Bathrobe Day Feb. 12
If you’re one of those entrepreneurs who’s luck enough to have a home office, and you enjoy the luxury of doing business in your bathrobe, generate a little publicity. Kristie Tamsevicius, at left, founder of Webmomz.com, has chiristened Monday, Feb. 12, has Do Business in Your Bathrobe Day. “Bathrobe Day” has generated publicity for her and other entrepreneurs in… Read More
Free ebook of publicity tips (consider regifting)
Put your 2007 publicity campaign on steroids with my special holiday gift to you—“The Best of The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week of 2006” ebook. I reviewed all 52 of my newsletters from last year, hand-picked the top two dozen items that generated the biggest response from readers and included them in this ebook. It will… Read More
Balloon artist sculpts Borat
When I wrote my latest special report titled “How to Piggyback onto Celebrity News to Promote Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue,” I gave lots of examples of smart Publicity Hounds who have done just that. Here’s another. When Russian-born balloon artist Irina Patterson of Miami, Florida noticed that the movie “Borat” was quickly becoming a hot… Read More
Photo tips: It’s a camera, not a gun
If you’re taking publicity photos for your organization, or you’re hiring a freelance photographer to do it for you, keep in mind these photo tips courtesy of Sean McManus. I particularly like the one titled “No firing squad”: “It’s a camera, not a gun. Smile. Or at least, don’t look so terrified. People often shoot photos… Read More
Embedded cartoon animates press releases
If you want a good example of how to embed video into your press release, take a look at this release from Marketwire, one of the Big Three press release distribution services. It features a two-minute cartoon that ties into the company’s “Retire Your Old Newswire” campaign. I like the fact that it piggybacks onto the 100th anniversary of the press… Read More
Big magazines want your briefs
Aching to get into a major magazine like Time, Cosmopolitan or AARP? The easiest way is to start writing short items, or briefs, on timely, controversial or fun topics, then submit them to magazines on your media list. When editors are creating a particular issue of the magazine and place a story onto a page,… Read More
How to write a social media press release
Blogger and PR pro Brian Solis has an interesting commentary about social media press releases and how they differ from the traditional press releases that litter the landscape. Social media press release are written specifically for blogs, digital stories, RSS feeds, wikis and other social networks that generate conversation online. Solis offers a tidy summary of the SMPRs and… Read More