The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #569 Aug. 23, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://publicityhound.com
http://www.publicityHound.mobi
http://www.publicityhound.net (Blog)
http://www.publicityarticles.net (Ezine Archives)
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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 Follow Up a Pitch
2. Reader’s Digest Wants Your Story
3. How Not to Walk Off the Set
4. Tips for Pitching Local TV News
5. Help This Hound
6. Hound Video of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
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1. How to Follow Up a Pitch
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In the old days, a decade ago, PR experts advised that after
pitching a journalist, you should follow up seven times before
you give up and move on.
No more.
Today, smart Publicity Hounds also spend their time doing things
they didn’t have to worry about back then: managing their
Facebook pages, bookmarking, tweeting, sharing industry news on
LinkedIn, blogging, and commenting at other people’s blogs. It’s
impractical and next to impossible to do all that and follow up a
pitch seven times.
When I presented last week’s webinar on “A Simple 5-Step Formula
for Delivering the Perfect Media Pitch & Hitting It Out of the
Park,” I recommended you follow up three or four times.
But when you do, don’t call and say, “Hi, I’m calling to follow
up on….”
It’s better to say, “I sent you information on…” and then offer
something else. That could be a photo opportunity, a graphic, an
additional source or two, or statistics for a sidebar. Sometimes
that extra little nugget will tip the scales in your favor and
encourage the journalist to say “yes.”
One Publicity Hound who attended the webinar already has gotten a
“yes” from two reporters, after using my 5-step formula. Learn
how to access the video replay, handouts and other materials at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/pitchingformula.htm
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2. Reader’s Digest Wants Your Story
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Can you write your autobiography in 150 words or less, and
include advice or a life lesson?
If so, you should enter “Your Life…The Reader’s Digest
Version,” a campaign on the magazine’s Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/ReadersDigest
Grand prize is $25,000 and lots of exposure. The winning entry
will be printed in the magazine (circulation 17 million).
Jane Lynch, of the TV hit show “Glee,” is spokesperson for the
campaign and submitted the first entry.
After you write yours, you can encourage your friends to vote for
it. The page is a little clunky, and you can’t see all the
entries. But you can search for them by name or topic.
Share a lesson, simple advice, funny moment, or a story about
your life. You can also upload a photo or video.
If you’d rather skip this and spend your time acquiring more
Facebook fans, use the helpful handout I compiled on “33 Ways to
Find Facebook Fans, Provide Sterling Content & Keep Them Coming
Back for More.” It comes with the video replay, MP3 and other
bonuses from the webinar I hosted with Mari Smith recently. she’s
the world’s Number 1 Facebook expert.
Read more about what you’ll be able to do at
http://publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm
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3. How Not to Walk Off the Set
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Former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell blew it big time
when she walked off the set of CNN last week while being
interviewed by Piers Morgan.
He asked her opinion on gay marriage. But she said she wanted to
talk instead about her new book. From there, things got really
ugly.
Here’s an entertaining video compiled by CNN reporter Jeanne Moos
on how not to walk off the set of an interview.
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4. Tips for Pitching Local TV News
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The local TV newscast that typically pulls the biggest audience
is at 10 or 11 p.m. on Sunday.
I can’t remember where I heard that statistic, but it’s true in
my house. I never watch the local TV news during the week. But I
always watch it on Sunday night, mostly because I want to see the
weather forecast for the coming week.
Feature stories abound on Sunday night because there’s so little
hard news to report. If you’re pitching local TV, try to figure
out an angle that ties into the coming week. Can you tie into the
changing of the seasons? The weather? An upcoming holiday?
Are you the local angle to a national story that will be in the
news during that week? Is your company or nonprofit doing
something that week that’s newsworthy?
Shawne Duperon, a TV producer, knows all the inside tips on how
to catch the attention of local TV news producers. She shared
them all during the teleseminar “How to Get on the Local TV News
Tomorrow.” Read about what she discussed and how you can access
the audio replay or the downloadable transcript, at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/getinthenews.htm
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5. Help This Hound
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This week, five Publicity Hounds responded to Dr. Karen Hoving’s
question about whether she should continue to use social media to
market her psychology practice in Aurora, Colo.
From Kevin Green:
“Trust. It’s important for your business. Blogs can be used to
show you know your stuff and are likable, which leads to trust.
Ask for newsletter sign-ups at your blog.”
From Mary Jane Hurley Brant:
“Write articles on topics that you’re an expert in, and then post
on Facebook, LinkedIn and everywhere you can think of. Articles
addressing important topics today drive traffic and it’s
different than a blog. Submitting our articles to credible sites
as Ezinearticles.com (to name one great place) is always helpful
especially when one becomes recognized as an expert.”
From Bruce Bair:
“Twitter is helpful for letting followers know your schedule and
to get them to come to your main site.
“Facebook is a place you can get a following. Be sure you have a
landing page there and that you have content only available
there. Create some video on the problems of prominent people in
the news: Mel Gibson, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears.”
The Publicity Hound says:
Read all the responses to this “Help This Hound” question at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9172
Send your own “Help This Hound” question to:
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com?subject=HelpThisHound and
include your city and state.
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6. Hound Video of the Week
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You think dogs can’t spell? Watch this German Short-hair Pointer
listen intently for its owner to drop the clue that signifies
good times ahead. Bogie, my German Short-hair, tilts her head to
the side, just like this one does, when I’m talking to her. Too
cute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m78V6ub4ao&feature=related
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 Blog & Mobile Site…
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3 ways to customize a pitch to journalists and get a “yes!”
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9216
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Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
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