How Millennials Affect You

Issue #849 Sept. 6, 2014
Publisher: Joan Stewart

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

In This Issue

How Millennials Affect You
Danny Iny Returns
Quickie Pinterest Tip
Hound Video of the Week

This Weekend in the Hound House:

I love the blues. How appropriate, then, that I’ll be saying good-bye to this gorgeous Wisconsin summer while relaxing with friends at the Paramount Blues Festival this weekend in Wisconsin. The special attraction: they’re promising plenty of footstompin’ music from groups that will be bringing lots of harmonicas.

1. How Millennials Affect You

When Cheerios produced an ad featuring a biracial couple and their mixed-race daughter, many older consumers–mostly Baby Boomers–cried foul.

But much younger consumers who saw the commercial were unable to identify, even when pressed, what made it so controversial.

That’s because many of them are Millennials, the generation immediately following Generation X. The first Millennials were born in 1980 and are celebrating their 34th birthday this year.

They’re the most diverse generation in the history of the U.S. Among those who are adults today, 45 percent are racial or ethnic minorities.

Millennials are less trusting than Generation X, not as religious, and generally support same-sex marriage.

What does this have to do with publicity and marketing?

Plenty.

A fascinating White Paper from Experian Marketing Services, says that never before has the U.S. seen a generation that is so diverse, so informed and as well connected. Marketers, including those looking for publicity, must understand the way Millennials view the world and adapt accordingly.

Whether you’re pitching a 30-something journalist or trying to connect with an influential blogger who’s a Millennial, you must leverage technology to connect with them in a way that feels personal and authentic.

“Companies that don’t operate or communicate in a way that Millennials expect risk being passed over as irrelevant,” the White Paper says.

Read “Millennials Come of Age.”

As for those Millennial journalists, learn how to pitch them on social media where they’re trolling for sources, story ideas and experts like you. I explain “How to Use Social Media to Connect with Journalists,” a video replay of a webinar I hosted. It comes with a handy, one-page checklist of all my tips. You can refer to them every time you pitch.

2. Danny Iny Returns

Of all the guest experts who I introduce to you, my Publicity Hounds give Danny Iny of Firepole Marketing two paws up, way up!

Danny will be back for his fourth–or is it fifth?–free live interactive training session on how you can fuel your passion, to drive your purpose, and become more prosperous.

This is your opportunity to build something real, rewarding and profitable…using proven strategies, by (or before) the end of the year.

A year from today, you’ll be in a place of greater financial comfort, gratitude and freedom!

Danny is running one of the fastest growing value-driven businesses on the net, and he’s considered by many to be one of the most respected business leaders in our space.

He’s also someone I’ve done business with, and have learned a lot from, so I can personally vouch for the effectiveness of his practical strategies and easy-to-adopt principles.

This online workshop is at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (10 Pacific) on Wednesday, Sept. 10. Register for “Passionate, Purposeful, and Prosperous…This Year!”

I’ll send you email reminders as we get closer to the date. I’m really excited that he has agreed to return.

3. Quickie Pinterest Tip

Wouldn’t it be great if, every time you pinned an image on Pinterest, people could see your website address as well as your name?

In less than a minute, you can make it happen.

Look at how I added PublicityHound.com to my Pinterest profile. Simply log into your account and click on the little pencil on the bottom right side of your profile. Add the URL.

Thanks to blogger Melissa Ringstaff who includes this tip in her list of “15 Ways to make Pinterest Work for Your Blog.”

While you’re on Pinterest, check out my board “50 Tips for Free Publicity.” If your topic is difficult to illustrate, this is a clever workaround. The board still claims one of the top spots on Google for “free publicity” and even beats my own website. And people love repinning the tips.

Grab the video replay “How to Create How-to Tips for Non-visual Topics on Pinterest” and the handy step-by-step cheat sheet that walks you through how to create this type of board for your tough-to-illustrate topic.

4. Hound Video of the Week

Thanks to Publicity Hound Sophie Wajsman of Melbourne, Australia for this wonderful video of a stuffed dog–a pup, no less–scaring much bigger dogs that try to steal his bone. How do you think they made the dog move and bark?