The Publicity Hound’s
Tips of the Week
Issue #570 Aug. 30, 2011
Publisher: Joan Stewart
==========================================
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
===================================
In This Issue
===================================
1. Surprising Source of Traffic
2. Write Razor-Sharp on Facebook
3. Pitch a “Follow Up”
4. Don’t Share Photo Albums
5. Sell My Products & Services
6. Hound Joke of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site…
=====================================
1. Surprising Source of Traffic
=====================================
Which website is the biggest referrer of traffic on the Internet?
You get three guesses.
Nope, it’s not Twitter. It’s not Facebook either. And it’s not
LinkedIn.
If you guessed Google, that’s wrong, too. Google is a search
engine, not a website.
The one site that drives more traffic than any other is
StumpleUpon.com, a social bookmarking site.
I was shocked when I saw that statistic recently. But when you
stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense. Social
bookmarking sites exist to share links to interesting content on
the Web. Sites like Facebook exist to keep you on Facebook,
interacting with your friends.
Why is StumbleUpon important for Publicity Hounds?
Because if you create a StumbleUpon account and share terrific
content, other “Stumblers” will view you as a reputable source.
You can then–very infrequently and very carefully–share your
own content, even though it’s better to have someone else share
it for you.
Colin Martin, a social bookmarking expert, says sites like
StumbleUpon also help you become a recognized expert within your
field. He explained how to use that site and Delicious, Digg and
Reddit, the three other major sites, during a teleseminar called
“How to do Social Bookmarking to Promote Your Expertise, Attract
Followers & Pull Massive Amounts of Traffic.” The audio replay or
electronic transcript comes with four short videos that show you
how to create your accounts at bookmarking sites, bookmark
content, make friends and join groups, and find everyday uses for
this powerful marketing tool.
Read more about what you’ll learn to do at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes/social_bookmarking.htm
=====================================
2. Write Razor-Sharp on Facebook
=====================================
If you’re searching for a compelling topic to write about in your
next Facebook Status Update, and you’re in a hurry, consult this
infographic that lists eight clever ideas:
http://www.allfacebook.com/infographic-8-ways-to-conquer-
facebook-statuses-2011-08
Here’s one of them. Write a fill-in-the-blank sentence, like
this: “___________ always makes me smile.”
I used to think status updates like that were nonsense. But
people love responding to them. And as the infographic I linked
to above explains, the more Likes and Comments your content
receives, the higher your Edgerank score. And the higher your
score, the more your content will appear in your friends’ and
fans’ news feeds.
Of course, the fill-in-the-blank tactic can be used on your Pages
as well. One of the most frequent questions I receive is, “How
can I get more people to Like my pages?”
I hosted Mari Smith, the world’s Number One Facebook expert,
during a webinar recently on “33 Ways to Attract Facebook Fans,
Provide Sterling Content & Keep Them Coming Back for More.” The
webinar replay comes with a handy cheat sheet that lists all 33
tips. Follow one tip each day, and watch the number of “Likes” on
your Page skyrocket.
Read more about how to access the replay and the cheat sheet at
http://publicityhound.com/facebookpages.htm
======================================
3. Pitch a “Follow Up”
======================================
One of the easiest ways to generate publicity is by pitching a
story that’s a “follow up” to a story about you that a media
outlet already has covered.
Let’s say you’re a nonprofit that received publicity a year ago
for several new partnerships you formed with local businesses to
place people with disabilities in jobs at those companies.
Don’t let the publicity end there. Return to the same media
outlets and let them know the rest of the story. How are the
employees doing?
Do they have good attendance records? Have any of them been
promoted? Have you placed additional people with disabilities in
jobs?
These stories are easy to place because the media already have
covered you. “Follow up” is media lingo, so use that phrase when
you pitch.
Publicity Hound Mary Castillo of Orange County, Calif., used the
other pitching tips I shared during a webinar earlier this month
and, within 15 minutes of pitching, received two confirmations
from reporters who agreed to run her story. A radio show that
she’s been trying to get her client onto for a year also
expressed interest.
Read more about what I taught Publicity Hounds how to do, and
access the video replay and handouts that include pitches that
received media attention:
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-
tapes/pitchingformula.htm
=====================================
4. Don’t Share Photo Albums
=====================================
If a family member or employee who is very famous in your
community dies, and the local newspaper or TV station asks you
for photos, don’t hand over your entire photo album when they ask
for it.
This is an old reporter’s trick, and the media will sometimes try
to pull this off so competing media can’t get access to your
photos.
Offer a few photos, but save several for other media. One way
around this problem, of course, is to offer digital photos.
This tip comes from my ebook, “How to Use Photos & Graphics in
Your Publicity Campaign” at
http://publicityhound.com/publicityphotos.htm
If you’re only pitching stories, you’re missing half your chances
for publicity.
=====================================
5. Sell My Products & Services
=====================================
If you love my products and services and want to recommend them
to your own followers, and earn a hefty commission for every
sale, sign up for my affiliate program at
http://publicityhound.com/affiliateinstructions.htm
And stay tuned for a webinar I’ll be hosting next month, filled
with helpful tips that will explain the best ways to promote, all
within guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission.
======================================
6. Hound Joke of the Week
======================================
The Publicity Hound asks:
When dog food is “new and improved” and better tasting, who tests
it?
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…
======================================
Promoting fiction: Should authors fake a memoir?
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9252
Prepare your PR company for hurricanes, earthquakes
http://publicityhound.net/?p=9233
=======================================
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
Share Your Two Cents