Facebook Helps Marketers

Issue #878 Dec. 13, 2014
Publisher: Joan Stewart

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

In This Issue

Facebook Helps Marketers
FedEx Small Biz Contest
Your Gift is Almost Ready
Hound Video of the Week

This Weekend in the Hound House:

At my Weight Watchers meeting this week, the theme was “how to interview your food” to determine if it’s worth putting in your mouth–one more way to avoid overeating during the holidays. We had to brainstorm questions we’d ask our food. I offered this one: “Where, exactly, do you plan to park yourself on my body?” The next day, I made a batch of caramel corn for a party tonight. I asked the caramel corn that same question. It refused comment. So I ate it.

1. Facebook Helps Marketers

Facebook business pages will soon offer you the ability to drive more traffic to your website by including one of seven call-to-action buttons on the page:

–Sign Up

–Shop Now

–Contact Us

–Book Now

–Use App

–Watch Video

–Play Game

Facebook is rolling this out now and it will be available to everyone starting in 2015. This is great news for anyone who has had trouble driving traffic to their websites. As you’ve heard me say before, a call to action is imperative on almost every marketing piece you create.

The button will be located at the top of your page, to the left of the Like button.

2. FedEx Small Biz Contest

Win a grant for your small business, and you can generate publicity.

Win a $25,000 grant from FedEx, and the company’s giant PR team will help spread the good news about you all over the globe.

FedEx’s Small Business Grant Contest will begin accepting entries on Jan. 12. That gives you plenty of time to start gathering these materials:

–A short company profile–how you started, your goals, what a grant could help you accomplish.

–Four photos of your business or product, including one of your logo.

–Optional one-minute video.

–A website for your business.

Voting will be under way from February 13 to March 17, and you’ll be encouraged to promote your entry on social media.

Winners will be announced April 21.

Read the rules, as well as profiles of past winners.

Thanks to Michelle Wicmandy of Collective Changes, who’s in The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, for sharing this link. Michelle uses me as her writing coach and marketing mentor. Learn how you can, too. Read more about the program and whether you’re a good candidate.

3. Your Gift is Almost Ready

“The Best of The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week of 2014” has been compiled, and I’m spending this weekend putting the finishing touches on the book so it’s ready for you to download on Tuesday.

Wait until you see my round-up of more than two dozen helpful tips! You can read about free PR and publicity tools, social media tricks, ways to build relationships with journalists and bloggers, and book marketing and publicity tips.

Here’s the best part. You can regift the ebook to your clients and friends. No email-opt in required.

More details on Tuesday…

4. Hound Video of the Week

Thanks to Publicity Hound Dan Poynter of Santa Barbara, Calif., for this video that shows that there’s more going on than splashing when a dog’s tongue hits the water. Watch it on your coffee break.