Play Nice and Bring Food

The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #701 March 23, 2013
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. Play Nice and Bring Food

2. TV/Radio Deadline Today

3. Facebook Allows Calls to Action

4. Hound Videos of the Week

This Weekend in the Hound House:

They’re trucking snow out of the Miller Park stadium in Milwaukee, where the Brewers have an exhibition game next week. And I’m writing this wrapped in my sage green Snuggie. Some spring.
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1. Play Nice & Bring Food
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If you’re visiting a radio station for an interview, you can score major points with the host, the producer and the rest of the staff if you come with a dozen bagels and tubs of cream cheese, or a giant pizza.

Publicity Hound Margaret Larkin, a radio show producer for WGN in Chicago, says station personnel work odd hours for low pay and no perks. So they appreciate whatever you bring.

“People behind the scenes will talk about it even after your segment ends,” she said.

Margaret has wonderful tips and explained them all in two guest posts at my blog this week.

She reminds you that the show is the host’s. It isn’t yours. So don’t even THINK about promoting your book, constantly referring to your book, or refusing to take “no” for an answer if you pitch an idea and it lands with a thud.

Respect the staff, be extra polite, and apologize if you screw up like political commentator Ann Coulter did when she missed an interview on Margaret’s station and agreed to reschedule.

“I was impressed because she didn’t cop an attitude, which I assumed she would do based on her public reputation,” Margaret writes. “So if she can be considerate and accommodating, probably anybody has such potential to be the same.”

Learn how to be the perfect radio guest at and how to make hosts love you.

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2. TV/Radio Deadline Tuesday
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Dozens of radio and TV talk shows are looking for guests right now, and you might make the perfect interview for one of them, or several dozen of them!

But many of the producers and guest bookers aren’t wasting time listening to people pitch them over the phone.

They’re going straight to the RadioTour.com website and the printed Talk Show Guest Directory to find people who have the expertise that’s tied to the topic of their shows. When they find a perfect match, they contact the experts directly and invite them onto the show.

The deadline is Tuesday, March 26, for your profile to appear in the 2013 edition of Talk Show Guest Directory. You’ll have until Friday, March 29, to get your text and photo loaded for publication.

This directory will:

–Help the news media know and understand your expertise.

–Show them that you’re media-savvy and that you welcome interviews.

–Explain all the ways to reach you. (Include your day and night phone numbers. These broadcasters work round the clock and if news breaks, they’ll need you ASAP.)

To find out how to get into the 2013 directory and take advantage of a special offer for Publicity Hounds, continue reading at my blog.

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3. Facebook Allows Calls-to-Action
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Good news for marketers on Facebook.

The site has quietly changed its Facebook Page Terms of Service and removed a guideline that prohibits using calls-to-action in timeline photos.

This is huge news. So why in the world didn’t Facebook scream this from the rooftops? Dumb.

Hubspot outlines five big advantages for marketers. Read what this means for your Facebook Page.

 

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4. Hound Videos of the Week
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On the eighth day, God made a farmer. On the ninth day, God made a dog.