Issue #1168 Oct. 24, 2017
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- Avoid These Types of Media Interviews
- 25 Must-read PR Blogs
- LinkedIn in 15 Minutes a Day
- Hound Video of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
I’m canning the last batch of organic cinnamon applesauce today, stocking my larder with homemade these gifts that people tell me they love receiving. Once you’ve made homemade applesauce, you’ll never go back to the supermarket version.
1. Avoid These Types of Media Interviews
During an in-person or telephone interview, the journalist asks a question and you give an answer.
The journalists ask another question and you answer it, sticking to the journalist’s script.
And so it goes: question and answer, question and answer. The journalist controls the interview while you try to be a good interviewee and never wander off course.
The problem, says media trainer Brad Phillips, is that unless you are weaving your key message and other pertinent information into your answers, you’re missing opportunities for better coverage and publicity. He calls this “call and response” media interviews and you should avoid them at all costs.
To do: Read his article “Why You Should Avoid ‘Call and Response’ Media Interviews” and what to do instead. Before your next interview, be ready to intersperse your key messages throughout your answers.
#MediaInterview #MediaTraining
2. 25 Must-read PR Blogs
If you can’t afford a media trainer or professional publicist, the next best thing is teaching yourself about PR.
One of the quickest ways to start is by subscribing to several excellent PR blogs that cover everything from how to work with journalists to how to use video in a publicity campaign. I’m familiar with many of these blogs. Regardless of which ones you choose, you can’t miss.
Look through the list and pick only three or four–or risk becoming overwhelmed.
To do: See MuckRack’s “Top 25 must-read public relations blogs.”
#PRBlogs #PRTips
3. LinkedIn in 15 Minutes a Day
During a Rent My Brain call with a client yesterday, I critiqued his LinkedIn profile because that’s the best social networking site where he can create a gusher of leads if he starts doing only a few things differently.
First, I recommended he upgrade to a paid account so he can send emails to anyone on LinkedIn without being connected. The other big benefit to an upgrade is he can see a list of all the people who have viewed his profile. That’s a huge plus because he can follow up and offer a free 15-minute consulting session that helps solve their Number One problem.
My friend Wayne Brietbarth, one of the foremost experts on LinkedIn, says following up on “Who’s Viewed Your Profile,” which takes just four minutes a day, is perhaps the most powerful tool on the world’s largest social networking site for business.
To do: Read the other three things he recommends you do daily. They’re in his article “LinkedIn in 15 Minutes a Day.” Then, consider renting my brain for an hour to help you with your publicity struggles.
#LinkedIn #LinkedInProfile
4. Hound Video of the Week
Watch as this Bichon Frise dances to his favorite Chinese song. He lasts even longer than the Energizer bunny!
[Tweet “#PublicityTips — Avoid These Types of Media Interviews #MediaInterview #PRBlogs”]
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