Offer Hard-to-Find Sources

Issue #943 Aug. 18, 2015
Publisher: Joan Stewart

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

In This Issue

Offer Hard-to-Find Sources
Christian Blog Directory
Grab the National Spotlight
Hound Video of the Week

This Week in the Hound House:

I’m sauteing patty pan squash, snacking on goat cheese bleu cheese, and popping the black popcorn–part of my haul from the Madison (Wisc.) farmer’s market on Saturday. I even bought squeaky cheese curds that I’ll take back to Ohio when I visit in a few weeks. The discovery of the day was The Pink Poodle, a 12,000-square-foot consignment shop of good-quality women’s clothes. I wanted to stay overnight in the store.

1. Offer Hard-to-Find Sources

If you pitch a story to journalists and no one responds, it’s time for Plan B.

That means following up with them, even though most tell you “don’t follow up.”

Let’s say you do PR for a plastic surgeon. You pitch a trend you’re seeing to the editor of a woman’s magazine. But you hear nothing.

Email her again, this time with names and contact information for three patients who had success with your surgery and would agree to be interviewed. If I were a reporter, I’d call you in a minute because it’s so difficult finding people like that who would agree to talk. That’s only one of several tricks up my sleeve on how to gain an edge on everyone else pitching.

Join me for a webinar from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Aug. 20, on “The New Rules of Following Up Pitches to Journalists.” You’ll learn the maximum number of times to follow up so you don’t anger or alienate your media contacts. I’ll share some sneaky “back door” ways to get a blogger’s attention. You’ll learn when to use regular email vs. direct messages on social media sites.

Following up gets publicity. Period. Don’t believe otherwise.

2. Christian Blog Directory

If you blog about Christian topics, or you’re targeting Christian bloggers for publicity, check out FaithfulBloggers.com.

It’s a handy directory of several hundred blogs that deal with a wide variety of topics. They include adoption, the arts, business, food, money, humor, men’s resources, parenting, natural living and relationships. You’ll even find bloggers who review books. You can post your blog for free.

Kelly McCausey and Tishia Lee manage the directory.

3. Grab the National Spotlight

While getting big-time publicity isn’t that easy, the truth is most people make it a lot harder for themselves than it needs to be.

You can secure major media coverage much more quickly when you know how to put a few simple pieces together.

Find out on a free training telephone seminar on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 2 or 7 p.m. Eastern Time, and listen as Steve Harrison interviews six special guests on how to speed up the publicity process and grab the national spotlight.

Together they’ll share five specific shortcuts for landing your first (or next) national media appearance.

4. Hound Video of the Week

Buffalo Bills Owner Terry Pegula & Head Coach Rex Ryan take the Dog Biscuit Challenge.

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