The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #547 March 29, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. News Powerhouse You’re Not Pitching
2. Increase Your Klout Score
3. 109 Ways to be Irresistible
4. Meet Me at Author U May 6-7
5. Rewarding Facebook Fans
6. Hound Photos of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. News Powerhouse You’re Not Pitching
=====================================
Quick. Find your media hit list–the list of media you have
pitched recently either for your own story idea or for a PR
client.
Now, scan the list. I’ll bet you a bag of dog treats that the
Associated Press isn’t on the list.
PR people frequently forget that news powerhouse. Yet the AP was
ranked first in terms of how often their reporting is cited on
Google News and Google Blogs, according to a chart compiled by
Nate Silver, a New York Times blogger who loves analyzing
statistics.
I found the chart eye-opening from a PR perspective, and many
times, I’ve reminded Publicity Hounds that they should remember
to pitch the AP if they have significant news stories or photos
to share. While the AP gets most of its content from its own
member newspapers, it likes a scoop as much as other news
outlets.
So how, exactly, do you pitch the AP? You’ll find some valuable
tips in a video the AP produced for Publicity Hounds. It’s at my
blog, along with the chart showing influential media:
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8084
Don’t forget to follow up after you pitch!
Jill Lublin, who interviewed dozens of journalists on exactly how
they want you to follow up, explained their tips when she was the
guest expert during a teleseminar I hosted on “Fail-proof Ways to
Follow Up After Sending a News Release or a Story Pitch.” Learn
more about what we discussed and how to access the recording or
transcript at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/failprooffollowup.htm
======================================
2. Boost Your Klout Score
======================================
A few weeks ago, I told you that if you’re curious about how much
online influence you have vs. your competitors, it will take you
just a few minutes to compare at Klout.com.
Once you know your score, how can you improve it? By following
these three tips in a Klout blog post at
http://klout.com/blog/2011/03/3-tips-for-increasing-your-klout-score/
–Create content worth sharing on Twitter and Facebook, the two
sites Klout currently uses to measure influence.
–Start discussions on those sites. Don’t just push out content.
–Register for a free account on Klout.
I also noticed that Klout says it will be adding other social
media networks regularly, but it doesn’t say which ones.
I’m betting it will eventually add LinkedIn, the world’s largest
business networking site, and Quora, a continually improving
collection of questions and answers created, edited and organized
by everyone who uses it.
But half the people who have LinkedIn accounts aren’t active on
the site. Amazing, especially considering that the advanced
search function is where all the gold is buried. Watch this
three-minute video, in which LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth
demonstrates how to use advanced search to find CEOs and company
presidents:
http://www.youtube.com/publicityhound#p/a/u/1/Sik1pu5deaU
That clip is an excerpt from the webinar I hosted on “Your
LinkedIn Power Formula: How to Make Killer Contacts, Pull Crowds
to Events, be a Star in Your Industry & Track Down Leads Like a
Bloodhound.” Find out what else Wayne taught and how you can
access the webinar replay:
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/linkedinpowerformula.htm
=====================================
3. 109 Ways to be Irresistible
=====================================
Print this list of “109 Ways to Make Your Business Irresistible
to the Media” at http://www.copyblogger.com/irresistible-pr/
Patrick Garmoe, a former journalist, really nails it.
I love #62: Frame your story as a local example of a national or
international issue currently in the news. If Congress is
debating health care, and your clinic has developed a unique
program for handling people without insurance, you’ve got a
pitch.
That’s called piggybacking off breaking news. And nobody does it
better than publicist Michelle Tennant, who got one of her
clients on “Larry King Live” the same day she and the client
signed a PR contract!
Michelle was my guest during the webinar on “How to Tie Your
Pitch to Breaking News and Make the Media Interview YOU.” Find
out what she taught Publicity Hounds to do, and how you can
access the webinar replay, at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes/breakingnews.htm
=====================================
4. Meet Me at Author U May 6-7
=====================================
Authors, don’t miss this one.
I’ll be presenting a program on how to use traditional and social
media to sell books, on Saturday, May 7, at Author U in Colorado.
I don’t travel much anymore, so this is a rare opportunity to see
me live.
Judith Briles, a book coach and sponsor of the event, has created
an all-star line-up of speakers. Register today before all the
seats are taken.
http://authoru.org/author-u-annual-extravaganza-may-6-7-2011.html
======================================
5. Rewarding Facebook Fans
======================================
This week, two Publicity Hounds responded to Heather John’s
request for ideas on how to reward people for becoming fans on
her company’s Facebook fan page. I’m including only social media
expert BL Ochman’s comment because she says rewarding fans is
against Facebook’s terms of service:
“Besides being against Facebook?s policies for fan pages,
rewarding people for liking your page is a bogus way of earning
numbers of people who are not likely to come back and engage with
your brand beyond the reward. Yecch, blecch.
“If you have good content, and great products or services, people
will like you for real. Yes, you need to drive traffic to your
fan page, but that?s not the same as rewarding people for liking
you.”
The Publicity Hound says:
I guess that settles it. BL is right. Provide great content. And
interact with your fans!
Did you know that Facebook actually has a formula that determines
whether your status update goes into the news feed of your
friends and fans? I explained exactly what it is, and how you can
push more of your content into the feed, when I hosted the
webinar, “12 More Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on the New &
Improved Facebook,” with Christine Buffaloe. Read about what we
taught, access the replay and 14 pages of handouts, and check out
the rave reviews from Hounds who attended, at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/facebook12ways.htm
======================================
6. Hound Photos of the Week
======================================
Thanks to Publicity Hound Lisa Fahoury of West Orange, NJ, for
these funny photos of basset hounds wiggling, jiggling, smiling
and having a blast while running:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/basset-hounds-running
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/
=====================================
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
====================================
AP: The news powerhouse you probably aren’t pitching
http://publicityhound.net/?p=8084
——————————————-
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
================================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
Share Your Two Cents