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
Press Releases
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
Virtual assistants can help with publicity
Virtual assistants can be one of the most valuable tools in your publicity campaign, freeing you from routine tasks that take time away from the really important duties like building strong relationships with the media. You can hire a virtual assistant for as little as $30 an hour. And here’s the best part. Your VA… Read More
Writing press releases: 9 out of 10 miss this critical element
One of the most valuable elements of a press release—a link that lets the reader click through to a website—is missing from 9 out of 10 press releases submitted to BusinessWire.com, one of their own press releases says. I find that statistic difficult to believe. But based on the press releases that people email to me, I… Read More
Write press releases for spiders, not just for humans
When you write a press release, who is your target audience? a. Journalists b. Search engine spiders that crawl the Internet looking for copy that includes the keywords people are using to search for certain kinds of information c. Consumers and end-users who can find the release online, visit your website and download a free ebook, or… Read More
Writer of ghoulish Anna Nicole press release responds to criticism
Because this is a business blog, I have to be careful to mind my manners and not say anything that I wouldn’t say in the executive suite of the same CEO who might be reading what I write here. I just learned another lesson about manners and good business. Respond thoughtfully and professionally when other bloggers or… Read More
Press release tips from a Tennessee city editor
So you think your computer is ancient? Many journalists are working on computers that are even older than yours. So says John I. Carney, city editor of the Shelbyville Times-Gazette in Tennessee in his list of tips titled “Have Pity on Your News Staff.” It’s must reading, even if you’re dealing with journalists who work on… Read More