Online PR and social media expert BL Ochman reminds us to Google reporters and bloggers whom we’re targeting with pitches and press releases, so we’ll know if they’ve covered our competitors. Her eight-question quiz for PR people is a dandy. It includes a question I can’t ever remember anyone asking: Are you reading your competitors’ press releases? If not, start. Subscribe… Read More
Pitching
Ditch the Shovels, Scissors & Checks
This week’s edition of my local weekly newspaper had another one of those ghastly ground-breaking photos. You know what it looks like because you’ve seen hundreds of them. Four guys wearing business suits and hard hats are posing, each with their foot on a shovel, looking very uncomfortable and out of place. These photos belong… Read More
Hollywood bad girls provide pitching opps galore
Piggybacking onto celebrity news and gossip is one of the best ways to generate publicity for your own expertise. Commenting on Britney Spears’ lousy parenting skills, her mother’s apparent absence of parenting skills, or celebs bouncing in and out of rehab has never been easier. The article “Rise of the Hollywood Bad Girl” at GlobeandMail.com explains what’s behind… Read More
Product launch publicity: 7 steps if you have a small budget
If you’re rolling out a new product or service, make sure you have a plan in place to promote it online and offline. No budget? That’s OK. Maria Reyes-McDavis has a 7-step plan for those with just a small budget. Many of the tips require no money at all. As you’re working the plan, remember to… Read More
Newspaper, radio layoffs, buyouts can work to your advantage
It’s time to say buh-bye to some of your favorite reporters. Right now, all over the U.S., there’s an exodus of experienced, high-profile, high-priced journalists taking early retirement. To boost profits, newspapers are offering buy-outs to some of their veteran staff members who will be replaced with cheaper, less experienced reporters and editors. Here in… Read More
‘Best of ProfNet’ list promotes PR agency
‘Tis the season for “Best of” lists. The Morris + King Co., a New York City PR firm, issued its own Top 10 “Best of ProfNet” list. ProfNet is a subscription service that forwards leads from working journalists to PR people. M + K chose the funniest and most peculair reporter leads of this past year.… Read More
Follow-up calls to journalists can brand you as a pest
The next time you send a press release to a journalist, and you’re tempted to make a follow-up call to see if he’s using it, read this article by Washington Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten. It’s a perfect example of what it’s like to be on the receiving end of those annoying follow-up calls from PR people. I took… Read More
Leah Ingram’s blog, The Lean Green Family, needs “lean, green” story ideas
Leah Ingram’s blog, The Lean Green Family (formerly Suddenly Frugal), will soon be syndicated nationally through a third- party syndicator whose clients include the Associated Press, The New York Times, CNN, LexisNexis and other major media outlets. She is looking to the PR community to keep a steady stream of “lean and green” story ideas… Read More
Help promote ‘donations instead of gifts’ campaign
Harry Hoover of Charlotte, North Carolina writes: “I’d like to tap into the collective brains of Publicity Hounds. Since 2002, I have promoted a project each holiday season called Holiday For Charity. It encourages people to ask for charitable donations in their name in lieu of gifts. I’ve gotten solid local coverage of this program,… Read More
Black Friday can be like gold for Publicity Hounds
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is aptly named as the day when retailers shift into profitability or move “into the black.” But it can be like gold for Publicity Hounds. Here’s why: First, the media are often working with skeleton staffs. Second, PR people and even some publicists take the day off. That means less competition for your… Read More