The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #485 Dec. 30, 2009
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
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In This Issue
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1. Meet My (Unlikely) Business Partner
2. Dumbest Excuses for Not Blogging
3. Media Leads
4. Regift My ‘Best of’ Ebook
5. Promoting a Web Design Company
6. Help This Hound
7. Hound Video of the Week
8. And at My Blog…
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1. Meet My (Unlikely) Business Partner
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If you asked me to describe my ideal business partner, never in a million years would I envision someone with a PhD in sociology.
Such degrees, I always believed, are expensive pieces of paper printed by the diploma factories otherwise known as universities. They seldom lead to “real world” jobs outside of academia.
I certainly wouldn’t want a Phi Beta Kappa tagging along with me. Such a highfalutin academic would be horrified to hear that I flunked five college courses and almost didn’t graduate because I was three credits short of a diploma just six weeks before graduation.
Meet Jeanne Hurlbert, a PhD sociologist at Louisiana State University, a survey expert and Phi Beta Kappa, who was studying social networks long before Facebook?s Mark Zuckerberg was born. When I heard her on a teleseminar in January this year, I was hooked less than 10 minutes into the call. I emailed the teleseminar host immediately and gushed, “This woman is brilliant! Where did you find her?”
She’s my new business partner. Continue reading more about her, and what we’ve cooked up for you, at my blog.
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2. Dumbest Excuses for Not Blogging
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If you aren’t blogging yet, or you’ve stopped blogging, you can’t use these three excuses:
–It takes too much time.
–I don’t know what to say.
–Nobody comments at my blog.
Let’s address them one by one.
Of course it takes time. But if I had to choose just one social media tool, I’d probably choose a blog. It positions you as an expert in your field far better than noisy sites like Twitter and Facebook can.
You don’t know what to say?
Finding content is one of the biggest complaints I hear from Publicity Hounds. But once you know about shortcuts like creating Google Alerts and checking them each day for topics you can write about, you’ll have more content than you’ll ever need. That’s what I do.
Nobody’s commenting at your blog?
It could be because your content isn’t compelling. Or perhaps you aren’t feeding your blog into sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, where thousands more people can share your information with friends, followers and fans. Or maybe you aren’t ending your posts with questions like “Am I wrong?” or “What’s your take?” or “Share your best tip here and let’s see how long a list we can create.”
Results of my customer profile survey earlier this year show many Publicity Hounds are hungry for time-saving tips on how to blog. So I asked Patsi Krakoff of The Blog Squad to join me for a teleseminar at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Jan. 13, called “Time-saving Tips for Smart Business Blogging.”
Make 2010 the year you finally commit to a blog and build in efficiencies that will make the job go faster.
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3. Media Leads
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–Are you chronically late? Read on. Diana DeLonzor, author of the book Never Be Late Again: 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged, will be featured on CBS News in the next few weeks. The producers have asked her to help them find one or more people who are chronically late and would agree to be interviewed and possibly followed around for a day by a camera crew. The segment will likely be shot sometime in the first few weeks of January. The ideal interview subject is a woman in her 30s or 40s who must balance a job with kids, doctors appointments, chauffer duties, etc. But anyone chronically late can apply. If you?re not chronically late, don?t respond. Please, no time management experts either.
–Mildred Culp, who writes the syndicated column Workwise, is looking for a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker who can comment on revenge in the workplace. After the holidays, you must have a digitized action photo taken by a colleague, friend or relative. Email Mildred at workwise@comcast.net
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4. Regift My ‘Best of’ Ebook
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If you’re looking for a New Year’s gift for your clients, customers or friends, consider “The Best of the Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week of 2009,” my gift to you.
It includes the top 26 tips from this year’s newsletters, or tips that generated the most response from readers. Several thousand people already have downloaded it, and many are retweeting this link and sharing it on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Also consider giving this ebook as a bonus along with any promotions you’re planning.
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5. Promoting a Web Design Company
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This week, 16 Publicity Hounds have tips for Alissa Rothstein of Alissa Rothstein Design Studio in Woodbridge, NJ. She’s a graphic/web designer who says small businesses can’t afford her, or don’t want to pay for her services, and she’s looking for marketing ideas.
From Mary Jane Hurley Brant:
“I would begin by offering to present a talk to your Chamber of Commerce, then branch out to other areas because your business can be accomplished via the Internet. They are always looking for interesting speakers and you won?t have to write a different talk each time.”
From MaAnna Stephenson:
“One of the best ways to meet these clients is to get busy posting on the social media sites on which you already have accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter. And, it?s a great way to meet other folks that offer complementary services to these clients, like Joan here at Publicity Hound. There are thousands of people who consult blog users. Perhaps, following and making friends with these folks would lead to some cross-promotion and possibly, joint ventures.”
From Phyllis K. Twombly:
“You may want to consider linking with another company or business such as a local printer who recommends you. You might have to design one or two sites at a special deal (or even, gasp, free!) just to get your name out there. Make sure those sites give your company credit for their design.”
The Publicity Hound says:
Response to this simple question was overwhelming, and it’s gratifying to see so many creative ideas from you Hounds. Well done! Many of the comments apply to other businesses, not just web design. You can read all the responses to this question.
Send your own “Help this Hound” question to and include your city, state or province.
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6. Help This Hound
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Jeanne Krieg of Savage, Minnesota writes:
“DryMate is a manufacturer in Minnesota with a line of absorbent and washable mats for home, pets, autos, hunting, garage and outdoors. We even sell a mat that goes under your Christmas tree stand to catch spills, dirt, etc.
“Since our product is made from a fabric with a bonded backing, do we want to reach textile editors of publications? Or category- specific editors? Or both? To whom do we send pitches and press releases?
“And can your Hounds suggest ideas on how we can pitch our product to either consumer or industry publications?”
The Publicity Hound says:
I see lots of possibilities for trade and consumer publications, as well as numerous opportunities at the social media sites. How about it, Hounds? Let’s help Jeanne pitch this one and hit it out of the park. Post your best comments to my blog.
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7. Hound Video of the Week
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Thanks to Publicity Hound Tracey Bennett of Honolulu, Hawaii for this or this great video of the surfing dog that raises money for a quadriplegic surfer. Have you seen it?
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8. And at My Blog…
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