The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #634 July 31, 2012
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. Late-summer Story Ideas
2. How to Pitch Chicago Editors
3. Bigger Facebook Photos
4. Hound Video of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
With all this hot weather, my basil is growing like something out
of “Little Shop of Horrors” and my freezer can’t hold all the
pesto we’re making. My recipe is at
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8981.
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1. Late-summer Story Ideas
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Here are five story ideas to consider pitching this month and
next. Smart Publicity Hounds will notice that all are evergreen,
which means you can pitch them from year to year:
–State and county fairs are everywhere. What are vendors doing
to spur sales in a bad economy? Can your family “do the fair” on
a shoestring budget? Nutritionists, can those “anything on a
stick” concoctions, wrapped in bacon and deep fried, really kill
you?
–Piggyback onto the “labor” angle in the weeks leading up to
Labor Day in the U.S. Hospitals, are you noticing trends in the
labor room? What perks has your company introduced this year to
keep your excellent labor force intact? Have you turned your
hobby, a labor of love, into a business?
–How has the summer weather affected your sales, tourism,
classes, utility bills, car repairs, food budget or vacation?
–What are the hot back-to-school fashion trends this year? Even
students who wear uniforms want accessories to make their
traditional uniforms unique.
–Some people are still trying to squeeze in a close-to-home
vacation. Pitch your hotel, tourist attraction, restaurant,
festival or event.
Want 98 more ideas to carry you through the end of the year? TV
producer Shawne Duperon and I brainstormed “103 Sizzling Story
Ideas from July through December,” and you get them all on a 7-
page handout when you order the CD. Read more about how you can
use these ideas at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes/JulyIdeas.htm
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2. How to Pitch Chicago Editors
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PR pros will have a rare opportunity to hear from the editor-in-
chief of the Chicago Sun Times who will share tips on how to form
valuable relationships with his journalists, and pitch them, at
the Aug. 8 meeting of The Publicity Club of Chicago.
Editor Jim Kirk will discuss how the media company will execute a
revised business plan in one of the few major cities with two
daily newspapers. Sun-Times Media Group also has six suburban
dailies and dozens of weeklies.
Read more about the event and how to register at
http://www.publicity.org/?p=4265
If you can’t make it to Chicago, here’s the next best thing. My
webinar on “How to Use Social Media to Connect with Journalists”
explains guidelines to follow, mistakes to avoid, and little-
known tricks you can use to track down, research and connect with
journalists and bloggers, many of whom use social media sites in
very different ways. Learn how to help them, impress them and
build the relationships so they’re receptive to your pitch. Read
more about the video at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes/journalistsonsocialmedia.htm
Also, if you’re angling for really big national publicity, don’t
miss tomorrow’s free webinar with Steve Harrison on “How to
Become a Regular Guest on National TV and Other Secrets of
Publicity Superstars.” Register at
http://budurl.com/publicitysuperstars.
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3. Bigger Facebook Photos
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With so much attention on Pinterest, Facebook is figuring out
ways to keep your attention on Facebook photos.
Yesterday, it rolled out improvements to the photo section. When
you click photos at the top of your timeline, you’ll see larger
pictures that fill up the page. You can use the menu to find
shots you’re tagged in, pictures you’ve shared and albums you’ve
created.
With your Facebook photos all in one section, it’s easy to show
friends your favorites. If you want to make important photos
really stand out, click the star button.
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4. Hound Joke of the Week
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Thanks to Publicity Hound Tracey Bennett of Honolulu, HI, for
this list of 14 reasons why some men have a dog, but no wife.
http://dorazsays.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/why-some-men-have-dogs-
and-not-wives-laugh-with-doraz/
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: http://publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
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