Better Product Photos

Issue #868 Nov. 11, 2014
Publisher: Joan Stewart

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

In This Issue

Better Product Photos
Healthy Niche Newspapers
Promote Small Business Saturday
Hound Video of the Week

This Week in the Hound House:

Most of my climbing rose bush, which I planted this year, has disappeared. All that remains are a few six-inch stems poking out of the ground. The culprit? Deer. Here’s what I want to know. How do they eat around those nasty prickers?

1. Better Product Photos

The next time you promote a physical product, don’t take only one photo for your website or press release.

Let people see what it looks like from multiple angles.

“Consumers who are looking to make a purchase, especially if it’s an expensive one, are going to spend time pouring over every detail of your product pages before they make a decision,” writes blogger Nicole Kohler.

She recommends you use multiple product photos to let consumers know about these details:

–The size or scale of your item.

–What’s included in the packaging.

–If assembly is required. Show a photo with all the pieces and parts, and one photo of the assembled item. A magazine editor would love these!

–How it looks from all angles.

If you’re writing a press release about your product, link to the photos at your website. You can create one album of photos per product on Facebook. Create a board per product on Pinterest. You get the idea.

2. Healthy Niche Newspapers

While plunging ad revenue and high labor costs decimate big newspapers, a handful of much smaller niche papers are not only surviving but thriving.

The gay press, alternative weeklies and ethnic newspapers throughout the U.S. have found ways to give their target markets exactly what they want, despite cutting costs.

–¡Hola! Arkansas in Little Rock publishes articles in Spanish and English. It sponsors community events like health fairs and business expos that pull crowds. It cross promotes with a local TV news station.

–Windy City Times, the oldest LGBT newspaper in Chicago, moved out of its offices to save money. The entire staff works remotely. And 2014 is shaping up to be one of its best years.

–The Seattle Medium, which has covered the region’s African-American community since 1970, maintains a loyal readership. It has higher circulation and distribution. Ad revenue is healthy.

What does this mean to you?

Don’t assume that niche newspapers are dying. Add them to your list of targeted media. Customize your pitches to appeal to their audiences.

Read about the other niche publications that are thriving in the article Weathering the Storm at the Editor & Publisher website.

3. Promote Small Business Saturday

You still have more than two weeks to promote Small Business Saturday, the special day created by American Express to encourage people to shop locally. this year, it’s on Nov. 29.

Find free marketing materials, promotion ideas, success stories from small retailers and more at the Small Business Saturday website.

The day encourages people to shop at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The single day has grown into a powerful movement.

Here’s an idea. Give away something valuable to everyone who visits, and make that part of your promotion. It doesn’t have to be a physical item. It can be digital. But the only way they can find it at your website is to get a small card with the URL.

You can find examples of valuable freebies in my Special Report #51: 66 Free Things You can Offer to Generate Publicity or Capture Email Addresses. Examples include starter kits, cheat sheets, checklists, a comparison chart, pocket reference, recipes and a trouble-shooting guide. You can use these ideas to create products and special promotions, too. Only $15.

4. Hound Video of the Week

Thanks to Publicity Hound BL Ochman of New York City and Pawfun.com for this wonderful compilation of Weird Things Dog Owners Do. I love the Google search.