My skin crawls every time I see somebody “announcing” something in a press release or a news story. They act as though the announcement is the news when, in fact, it isn’t. The content of the announcement is all anybody cares about. That’s why I’d love to ban the words “announce, announced, announcing” and “announcement”… Read More
Press Releases
Papa Jack Weil, the oldest CEO, great Labor Day story
Thanks to professional speaker Robin C. Johnston, an expert at sales, marketing and fundraising, for tipping us off to a perfect Labor Day story: “A news article just aired on TV about Papa Jack Weil, CEO of a Denver-based company. Papa Jack recently turned 106 years old and is believed to be the world’s oldest working… Read More
Attract more clients with these 6 strategies
During these slow days of summer, I hear people complaining that business is flat. If you need more clients, consider these six ideas: Start blogging. The search engines love timely, content-rich blogs, particularly on niche topics. The more you blog, the more traffic you’ll get. Also, start posting comments at blogs written for the same target… Read More
Correcting press releases difficult with free services
Here’s a great example of what can happen when you’re writing a press release in a hurry. I was writing a release about my August 14 media relations and press release writing workshops, in Norfolk, Virginia, to be distributed by Expertclick.com, where it would be picked up by the Google News feed. So I sent the release… Read More
Online games, quizzes great for website promotion
If you’re trying to attract traffic to your website, a simple link in your online press release often isn’t good enough. You have to give people a good reason to visit. Thanks to the Wylie’s Writing Tips ezine for tipping us off to the cool quizzes and games in the Gotham Gazette, a website with daily content offered each weekday by… Read More
Words That Sell: Inspiration-on-demand
Have you ever found yourself writing a great article, or website copy or even a press release, and suddenly you’re hopelessly stuck because you can’t think of a better way to say a word like “authentic” or “beautiful” or “free”? I’ve been known to sit there for 20 minutes staring at the screen. My friend Denise Wakeman, half… Read More
Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest
This is in honor of June brides everywhere. It’s the Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest, sponsored by Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com, a home-based business in Boca Raton, Florida that exists primarily to generate revenue from Google Adsense ads, sell a few products in its small online store, and sing the praises of cheap weddings. To draw traffic to… Read More
Great lobbies, receptionists worth bragging about
Does the receptionist at your company make visitors feel welcome by offering a bowl of M&Ms? Or a dry towel for people who walk in a torrential downpour from the parking lot into the lobby? Is there a TV in your reception area so visitors who have to wait can enjoy the Three Stooges on DVD? I’ve… Read More
Need a proofreader? I found a great one
I write so much copy, that I could keep a proofreader busy 24 hours a day. I seldom use proofreaders. But I found one who did a fabulous job reviewing my sales page for Publicity Hound University, my new training course for assistants, virtual assistants and summer interns. She’s Philippa Jarecki, at left, of AwaywithWords.ca, and… Read More
Copyrighting press releases on ’10 dumb things’ list
A copyright symbol conveys the message “if you copy this without attribution you’re in big trouble.” So why would a PR person put a copyright symbol on a press release? Enough of them must because it turned up as one “10 dumb things that smart marketers do,” a helpful list written by freelance writer and marketing pro Joy Jennings and posted at… Read More