The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #540 Feb. 1, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
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“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
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In This Issue
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1. How to Find a Missing Fan Page
2. LinkedIn Correction
3. Blizzard Story Ideas
4. Remember the Meteorologists
5. Media Lead: Big Butts
6. Hound Joke of the Week
7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
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1. How to Find a Missing Fan Page
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If your Facebook Fan Page disappeared tomorrow, taking with it
all your valuable content and hundreds or thousands of fans, what
would you do?
I’ve been writing about my Fan Page nightmare for several weeks,
poring over suggestions on how to find the elusive Page, and
connecting with social media experts to ask their advice.
Facebook was of no help whatsoever. And it was only through my
social media connections that I was able to finally find Dave
Kerpen who earned his wings in Social Media Heaven by solving my
problem.
Now that it’s over, I want to help you avoid the many sleepless
nights I had the last few months. Had I known then what I know
now, I could have found the Page on my own.
I also could have enlisted the help of a PR agency to contact
Facebook on my behalf. But you don’t need a big budget to find a
missing Fan Page.
You’ll find five tips at my blog at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7720
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2. LinkedIn Correction
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One of the things I love about social media is the instant whack
on the head you get when you screw up badly.
But after somebody knocks you down, you can stand up, brush
yourself off and get on with it.
One of my LinkedIn connections whacked me, rightly so, when she
pointed out a really dumb mistake I made a few weeks go–one that
you may have made, too, after reading about it here.
I wrote a blog post about the clever LinkedIn headline I created
for my profile: “#1 Publicity Expert on Google. President, The
Publicity Hound. Call me at 262-284-7451 & ask how I can help
you?
But she said that the phone number in the headline violates
LinkedIn Terms of Service. Indeed. So I removed it.
LinkedIn says you cannot “Include information in your profile or
elsewhere, except in designated fields, that reveals your
identity or sensitive personal information such as an email
address, phone number or address or is confidential in nature.”
I’d link to the long list of other do’s and don’ts, but the Terms
of Service prohibit users from deep-linking into the site.
After I published the blog post, I wrote about it in last week’s
newsletter, then tweeted it, and then it appeared on my Facebook
Fan Page. That means I need to set the record straight in each of
those places, and here.
So if you followed my lead, correct it. Or risk having your
LinkedIn account suspended temporarily (I’m told they seldom
suspend it permanently).
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3. Blizzard Story Ideas
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The blizzard that’s making its way from the Rockies to New
England is creating havoc for travelers and commuters. But it’s
an ideal opportunity for Publicity Hounds to promote a product,
service, cause or issue that ties into the snowstorm.
Piggyback onto the weather by sharing tips, Good Samaritan
stories, videos, photos and other content.
I posted a note to my Facebook Face Page this morning that
includes five story ideas that tie into what could be the worst
snowstorm of the decade, according to the National Weather
Service.
A few fans added their own terrific ideas. Take a look:
“Special Report #37: How to Tie Your Product, Service, Cause or
Issue to the Weather” is one of 52 reports chock full of tips on
how to convince traditional media and bloggers to tell your
story–a steal at $10 each. See them all at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html
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4. Remember the Meteorologists
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This three-day blizzard is the kind of weather that TV
meteorologists live for, so they probably won’t have time to
listen to your pitch. So call the news department.
But on any other ho-hum day when it’s partly cloudy and 50
degrees, and the five-day forecast calls for much of the same,
don’t forget the weather guys and gals.
If you can tie your story idea to the weather, even boring
weather, you could score a publicity hit.
For example, a psychologist could talk about the long-term
effects of cloudy weather and how it affects our moods. Tie the
weather to an upcoming holiday or the first day of winter,
spring, summer or fall, and you could score again.
Those are some of the tips that Shawne Duperon and I brainstormed
during the teleseminar we hosted called “116 WOW Story Ideas from
January Through June.” Read about it, and the handout that
accompanies the audio, at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes/JanIdeas.htm
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5. Media Lead: Big Butts
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I can’t help it. I just have to share this with you after I
learned about it on Twitter.
From Jenice Armstrong of the Philadelphia Daily News:
“Has anyone authored any books on America’s current preoccupation
with booties, or given much thought as to what’s behind all the
Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian phenomena? I’m on a tight
deadline, so please e-mail me your thoughts directly. Contact:
Jenice Armstrong at heyjen@phillynews.com”
Note: It’s Jenice, Not Janice. And she’s a woman.
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6. Hound Joke of the Week
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Thanks to Publicity Hound Kerry Hargraves of Oakland, Calif., for
this one:
Little Harold was practicing the violin in the living room while
his father was trying to read in the den.
The family dog was lying in the den, and as the screeching sounds
of little Harold’s violin reached the dog’s ears, he began to
howl loudly. The father listened to the dog and the violin as
long as he could. Then he jumped up, slammed his paper to the
floor and yelled above the noise, “For Pete’s sake, can’t you
play something the dog doesn’t know?”
DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes,
perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few
good laughs.
BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50
best websites for dog humor.
http://publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
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7. And at My Blogs & Mobile Site…
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5 things to do if your Facebook Fan Page disappears
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7720
Help me with a creative wager for the Super Bowl
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7746
5 ways to spark more comments at your blog
http://publicityhound.net/?p=7708
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Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/PublicityHound
Join my Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/publicitytips
Connect with me on LinkedIn (and tell me how we know each other):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/publicityhound
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Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
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