Issue #794 Feb. 18, 2014
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- Get an “In” with Local TV
- Your Copywriting Problems Solved
- Help This Hound
- Hound Video of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
The only thing getting me through this winter is my new “woman sized” Simplicity Single-Stage Snowthrower. You should see me whip that baby up and down my driveway, along the entire sidewalk on my side of the street, and even up and down my neighbor’s driveway!
1. Get an “In” with Local TV
The local FOX station in Milwaukee featured a long segment on Sunday night about a family that found raccoons, looking for a place to keep warm, living inside their attic.
That’s what they call a REALLY slow news day. On Sunday, many TV newsrooms scrounge for almost anything good enough to put on the air.
If you want an “in” when you pitch your local stations, follow these tips from TV producers who were part of a panel last week at The Publicity Club of Chicago luncheon:
–If you’re an expert, or you’re a PR person pitching an expert to appear on one of the early morning shows or newscasts, mention that the guest has no time constraints and can arrive at the studio at 4 a.m. if necessary.
–Suggest ideas for “B roll,” the secondary footage a TV station can shoot to accompany the main video interview. For an example of B-roll, look at the clip of me walking Bogie along the lakefront in the video that’s on my homepage.
–If you or the person you’re pitching has a huge social media following, mention that during the pitch and explain that you’ll blast out tweets, links and other information about the news segment.
–If the TV station can’t shoot your event, take your own good-quality video and offer it. Many Publicity Hounds are doing this with nothing more than the camera on their mobile phone or iPad.
I have dozens more tips to share from this panel. Stay tuned…
Want to learn how to produce video with nothing more than an iPad and a $5 app? Mike Stewart shows you how in this free webinar. Sign up to watch the replay at your choice of times and dates.
2. Your Copywriting Problems Solved
One of the most difficult tasks in a publicity campaign is copywriting.
You can generate a mountain of publicity for a new product you’re selling, but if you lose visitors at your website with confusing or lackluster copy, you’ve wasted a lot of time.
Copywriting expert Colin Martin has three simple formulas that will help you build trust, create empathy, and provide a solution to a problem.
A professional copywriter costs several thousand dollars. But with Colin’s tips, you can write your own copy that gets results. He’ll show you how during a free webinar from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time (4 Pacific) on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
Register for the free webinar and feel free to invite your friends. I’ve been working with Colin for 10 years, and he delivers the goods! I give him two paws up, way up.
Everyone who attends the webinar will receive a free gift from me.
3. Help This Hound
Publicity Hound Bridget Weston needs help coming up with an idea for a grand opening for a music school she’s helping to publicize.
This another one of those “Help This Hound” questions that I featured many times several years ago. I’m resurrecting the service because so many people loved it. If you can help Bridget, go to my blog, read her question and offer your best ideas in the Comments.
Publicity Hound Anne Roos jumped on this one and already offered a very clever idea that’s better than what I could think of on short notice.
If you have your own PR dilemma, email the question to me at JStewart@PublicityHound.com.
4. Hound Video of the Week
When you’re trying to do a difficult task and you think, “I just can’t do it,” you’ll get inspiration from this plucky pup who, with persistence, figures out a way out of his pen.
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