Publicity for Startups

Issue #758 Oct. 12, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

In This Issue

Publicity for Startups
Links in Press Releases
Help for Authors
Hound Video of the Week

This Weekend in the Hound House:

Congrats to Publicity Hound Roger Nielsen for correctly identifying the big white blob that I found in the Kettle Moraine State Forest in Wisconsin last weekend. It’s a giant mushroom known as a puffball. You can slice it and fry it in butter for some tasty eating. Roger wins a $20 Amazon gift card. “I may have a disadvantage on the mushroom front,” Roger says. “I am a former Scoutmaster who has spent an inordinate amount of time camping in Midwestern forests.” No hiking for me this weekend. During tomorrow’s Packers game, I’ll be slicing and dicing two giant bags of Cortland apples for applesauce.

1. Publicity for Startups

Know a friend who’s starting a business?

Tell the entrepreneur about a program I recorded for School for Startups Radio with Jim Beach.

During the first part of the show, Jim interviews Roger Wu, who has created Cooperatize, an online platform that promotes “cross-pollination” of content between blogs of all types.

I’m up next, and I outline a strategy on how to promote not only a startup business, but any business.

The gist of my message: Target narrowly.

If you try to get into too media outlets or blogs, you don’t have the time to research journalists and bloggers, and you end up delivering a one-size-fits-all pitch that isn’t customized for a particular audience.

Your goal with each pitch is to prompt the journalist or blogger to think, “This is PERFECT for my audience.”

See my tips for following up your pitch.

2. Links in Press Releases

If you’re among the more than 6,000 people who took my course on “89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases,” ignore what I taught about using keywords with hyperlinks.

Until recently, linking from a keyword phrase within your release to your website was one way to boost your ranking in Google’s search results.

But so many press release and article writers did it–and they did it so often–that it turned into a way to game the system. Google noticed and changed the rules.

Today, Google can penalize you for using all those links in your press releases unless you link correctly. My webinar on “Google’s New Rules for Press Release Links” has been rescheduled for 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time this Thursday, Oct. 17. Everyone who registers will receive a bonus handout of links to press releases written correctly by the professional press release writers. I’ll also discuss some of them during the training.

This is a major change affecting how you use press releases.

3. Help for Authors

Publicity Hounds are casting their votes in my slogan survey.

If you hear one of these phrases from a book publisher or book consultant, beware. You might be the victim of a wolf in sheep’s clothing:

–“If you sign with us, a senior editor with our affiliate New York publisher will look at your book.”

–“We will get your book in the major bookstores.”

–“We are New York publishers.”

–“We will get your book on our front list.”

All those phrases sound good, but they’re usually lies meant to intentionally fool you into turning over your credit card number so they can publish your book “for only $597.” Once they have your credit card, they’ll pester you to death with upsells that include $20,000 marketing packages and offers “to print as many books as you need.”

Don’t fall for it.

If you have some time this weekend, invest in your publishing career by listening to two free webinars I hosted with four other book publishing experts. Combined, these two webinars are a crash course in what you need to know to avoid being fleeced.

You can register to listen to the free replays at your choice of times and dates.

“Authors Beware: What You Must Know to Avoid Being Fleeced by the Publishing Predators” is here.

“The 7 Deadly Sins Authors Commit in Book Publishing Today” is here.

But that’s not all.

Join us for a third free webinar this Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 8 to 9:15 p.m. Eastern Time. The entire 75 minutes will be devoted to answering all your questions about your next book, or how to jumpstart a stalled book marketing campaign. Register for the free session.

4. Hound Video of the Week

Thanks to Publicity Hound Tracey Bennett of Honolulu, HI, for sharing this video of the world’s gentlest dog befriending a little boy who has Down Syndrome. At around the 3:17 mark, watch what the boy does to the dog. Grab the Kleenex!