If only Publicity Hound Joni Hubred-Golden could have been around to help avert a PR disaster for Ellen DeGeneres and the dog rescue group Moms and Mutts. Ellen, you may have heard, adopted a terrier mix dog named Iggy from the nonprofit dog rescue group Moms and Mutts. When the dog didn’t get along with her cats, she… Read More
Publicist
Online event calendars: Which are your favorites?
OK, all you publicists and self-promoters. I’m in the market for the very best online calendar directories, preferably free, where you can post blurbs about your events. I’ll trade you six of mine for six of yours—or even just one of yours. Here are some of the sites we’re using: Full Calendar costs $19.95 per post, but… Read More
Restaurants entice food bloggers with free meals
What’s behind that four-star rating of a restaurant review at your favorite foodie website? Diners can’t always know for sure. That’s because as online food sites become increasingly influential in the restaurant business, chefs and owners are offering bloggers complimenary meals to get good write-ups, explains an article in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal. In fact, publicists across… Read More
Press clubs: Logical place to meet journalists
If you’re looking for ways to meet your favorite local journalist in a relaxed a relaxed social setting, join your local press club. Press clubs promote journalism excellence through a variety of programs, activities and monthly meetings. Most members are from the working press, but plenty of PR people also belong. David Niles, former editor of… Read More
Promote books with a contest like this one for Packers fans
If you’re doing PR for a new book, here’s a great idea you can borrow, courtesy of Dorothy Molstad, marketing manager for MBI Publishing Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. Create a fun contest for the media, including ezine publishers and bloggers. That’s what she did to promote their book “Green Bay Packers: The Complete Illustrated History” by… 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
Denver Business Journal: Who’s oblivious?
I used to work in the newspaper industry, and I’ll admit that some of the criticism that journalists are arrogant and holier-than-thou is justified. Take, for example, the smart-aleck news brief that appeard on Page 3 of the July 6 issue of the Denver Business Journal. The headline read “Another episode: Bad Press Release Theater.” “Don’t imply that… Read More
Thank-you notes make a lasting impression
It’s a publicity tool that’s as old as dirt, so I was pleased to see it mentioned in a case study written by Marketing Sherpa, about how a successful Publicity Hound reaches out to bloggers and uses a variety of online marketing strategies to sell her books. It’s a handwritten thank-you note, and it never goes out of style. You should be… Read More
Special event publicity: Try for a Guinness World Record
If you’re planning a special event, generate publicity by staging a fun publicity stunt, and try to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. Philadelphia is really turning up the heat for its annual Fiesta on the Parkway, part of the Sunoco Welcome America! Independence Day festivities on July 3. They will assemble thousands of salsa… Read More
Pitch freelancers to increase your publicity hits
Start forming relationships with freelance writers if you want publicity. Many of them write articles for a variety of publications, which increases your chances for publicity. If they interview you for one article, they might rely on your expertise for another article for a different publication. Stacy DeBroff, also known as The Mommy Expert, got a nice spike… Read More