2006 June

Worst Internet Marketer contest has $12,000 in prizes

6/13/2006 By Joan Leave a Comment

So you think your website stinks, and you need some big-time help?

Then join Suzanne Falter-Barns’ “Worst Net Marketer” contest and let the public decide how bad it realy is.

On June 24, four finalists will be chosen who have:

1) A functioning website or blog

2) A sound business concept

3) A clearly defined market and niche

4) Provide a useful product or service

Then in July, the public will be asked to choose the worst of the worst—”American Idol”-style. The winner can scoop up more than $12,000 in prizes, including a half-hour of consulting and three free special reports from The Publicity Hound.

What are you waiting for? Register today.

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Publicity on the Internet

PR stars sought for PR Week’s ’15 to Watch’ contest

6/13/2006 By Joan Leave a Comment

If I worked as a hot-shot PR person, was 20 years younger, and especially if I was job-hunting, I’d be trying to win one of the coveted “15 to Watch” annual awards from PR Week magazine.

Hiring managers love seeing awards like that on resumes. This year’s deadline is June 20.

It’s open to 15 budding PR leaders and creative practitioners age 35 and under. Nominees must be a practicing communications professional at any of the following: a corporation, PR firm, nonprofit/association, educational institution, government organization or industry supplier. Nominees may live anywhere in the world.

Download an entry form. And if you’re in the market for a good PR person, check out the list of past winners.

Filed Under: PR Consultants/Publicists

Family Circle editor wants lifestyle products, services

6/13/2006 By Joan 2 Comments

If you sell a product service that has an emotional connection with women and teens, you should be pitching your story idea to Family Circle magazine.

Lots of pitching tips from FC articles editor Darcy Jacobs are yours free when you sign up for a no-risk, no-obligation trial subscription to the Bulldog Reporter Lifestyle Media newsletter. The newsletter offers great advice on how to pitch lifestyle media and it’s available in print or digital formats.

Bulldog’s pricy newsletters probably don’t fit within the budget of many sole proprietors. But if you’re pitching mostly lifestyle media, a paid subscription is a worthwhile investment.

In the free April 14 issue, which is your bonus for the trial subscription, Jacobs explains what she wants from PR people to support her coverage of food, travel, nutrition, family finances and consumer technology.

FC reaches more than 4 million affluent women every issue, making it one of the most coveted hits in lifestyle media.

Bulldog says it’s giving away only 97 copies of the newsletter. To claim yours, sign up for a one-month complimentary subscription or call 1-800-959-1059.

Filed Under: Magazine Publicity, Pitching the Media, Publicity for Niche Markets

‘How to be a model’ seminars need promotion, publicity ideas

6/5/2006 By Joan 8 Comments

Roxie Hickman of Racine, Wisconsin asks:

“How can my daughter, a professional model, and I can promote our informational seminars for aspiring models? The target audience is girls ages 12 to 25, and of course, their parents. Lots of young girls want to be a model, but there is not much information readily available that explains the do’s and don’ts when trying to break into this profession.

“Our seminars are designed to save these girls and their parents, time, money, frustration, and to more readily point them in the right direction. The cost to attend is $95. They are held on Saturdays in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, from February through October, in college conference rooms that can hold about 500 people. What creative ideas do your Hounds have for promotion and publicity?”

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Special Events

Blog traffic can be yours if you use these 56 tips from Seth Godin

6/5/2006 By Joan 3 Comments

Seth Godin’s excellent list of “How to Get Traffic for Your Blog” includes lots of things I was taught to do when I worked as a newspaper reporter:

Use lists
Break news
Include polls, meters and other eye candy.
Point to useful but little-known resources.
Write about a never-ending parade of topics so you don’t bore your readers.
Don’t be boring.

And on and on. Godin’s list includes two recommendations that contradict each other. Number 27 says:

“Include comments so your blog becomes a virtual water cooler that feeds itself.”

Number 34 says:

“Don’t include comments. People will cross-post themselves.”

He doesn’t allow comments, by the way, and explains why: he doesn’t want want to write in anticipation of the commenters, and he doesn’t want to discipline himself to ignore comments. Rather, he’d be inclined to respond to every one of them.

I love the comments function and allow comments here. Comments, anyone?

Filed Under: Publicity on the Internet