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‘Top 10 Tips’ lists: Great year-end publicity

11/29/2006 By Leave a Comment

Here’s a great end-of-the-year idea for your publicity campaign.

They’re short, punchy lists of “the best” or “the worst.” The number doesn’t even have to be 10. Your list can include 5 items. Or 7. Or 9.

Just now, I googled and found these lists: 

  • The Top 10 Best Blogs, as chosen by MarketingSherpa.com 
  • Best and Worst Dressed Celebrities of 2006, according to People magazine.
  • The Top 5 books on public relations, as published in the Wall Street Journal last week
  • The Top 10 Best Jobs according to Money magazine.
  • Golf’s Best and Worst of 2006, as chosen by MSNBC.com.
  • The Top 10 Green Projects of 2006, courtesy of the American Institute of Architects

I’ll bet all of you can create lists just like these, whatever product, service, cause or issue you’re promoting.

Several Publicity Hounds emailed me recently asking if these lists can substitute as press releases. During the teleseminar I conducted on how to write and distribute “Briefs, Fillers & Quizzes,” I explained that they can.  

You can distribute them just like a press release and even use the online press release distribution services like ExpertClick.com at and PRWeb.

Filed Under: Magazine Publicity, Newspaper Publicity, Pitching the Media, Press Releases/News Releases, Publicity on the Internet

Information products: A major revenue stream

11/29/2006 By Leave a Comment

If you’ve toyed with the idea of turning your knowledge into a product other than a print book, take a look at the new book “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur” by Stephanie Chandler, due out in December.

A copy arrived in the mail today as a thank-you for contributing to Stephanie’s book. In it, I discuss my special reports, ebooks, CDs and electronic transcripts, and other products that have become a major souce of revenue.

I don’t know it all, so I’ll be reading the book closely to see what other infopreneurs are doing in hopes of adopting their strategies. There’s plenty of information on how to publish a print book, but the meatiest content discusses how to:

  • Become a recognized expert in your field.
  • Create ebooks and special reports for electronic download.
  • Develop other information products including audio and video programs, tips booklets, workshops, teleseminars, and more.
  • Maximize back-of-the-room sales.
  • Find handy tools like a shopping cart that can automate product sales and delivery. I recommend KickStartCart. (Email me and ask for the free ebook I have on how to compare shopping carts.)
  • Market info products online and offline.

By the way, there’s an entire category at this blog devoted to information products.

If you’re thinking of becoming an infopreneur, you can shorten your learning curve by joining one of my trade associations, the Internet Association of Information Marketers.

Filed Under: Authors & Publishers, Business Promotion, Information Products

Free family fitness ebook needs marketing tips

11/28/2006 By 7 Comments

Howie Jacobson of Durham, North Carolina writes:
 
“I teach parents how to raise healthy children in a crazy and busy world, and be a good role model. I’ve written a free 27-page guide called ‘Uncle Howie’s Fit Family Gift Guide 2007.’ It includes helpful information about the four cookbooks that can change your life, the best meditation CDs on the planet, three great healthy snacks for kids, how to get really clean drinking water, and how to train yourself to wake up earlier.

“I want to encourage people to download the ebook and pass it along to friends. Can your Publicity Hounds give me some ideas on how to spread the word online and offline about my ebook and really reach parents who need this kind of advice?”

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Information Products, Publicity on the Internet

Company anniversary? Use this clever publicity hook

11/27/2006 By 1 Comment

Here’s a great idea on how to get media attention for your company’s anniversary. The longer you’ve been in business, the more effective it will be.

Let’s say you’re celebrating your 20th anniversary. Find one or more employees who have been with you all 20 years to comment on the changes they’ve seen the past two decades. 

If you have photos of what they looked like years ago, and it’s OK with them, offer the photos to the media. You can even mention this when you pitch. The media—and readers—love “then and now” photos.

The idea comes from Vicki Vaughan, a reporter at the San Antonio Express-News. I found it in this great post at Alan Weinkrantz’s PR Weblog. The post recaps tips from a media panel and includes lots of advice on how to write and distribute press releases. 

For more anniversary tips, read my article “How to Create Publicity for a Company Anniversary.” For more press release tips, sign up for my free email tutorial “89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases.” 

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Photos & Graphics, Pitching the Media, Press Releases/News Releases, Publicity on the Internet

Black Friday or Jack-ass Friday?

11/26/2006 By 2 Comments

Sick of all the hoopla over Black Friday, the day-after-Thanksgiving media frenzy that’s the “official” start of the Christmas shopping season?

A blogger named Chris apparently is and wrote an interesting post about how shameful the media act when they give “free advertising” to the retailers that keep opening their stores earlier and earlier so shoppers can get a jump on all the big sales and buy what they need “while supplies last.”

I disagree. This is a legitimate news story and will continue to be simply because it affects so many people. Any time lots of people gather someplace, and spend lots of money, it’s usually newsworthy.

Some of the Black Friday stories I’ve seen have included valuable consumer tips, from how to avoid crime in places like shopping malls, to tips on how to avoid identity theft. 

This year, at least, the strategy of opening earlier and earlier has resulted in a ton of great publicity. My hat’s off to the retailers who were able to capitalize on it. But at some point, this tactic will get old, and they’ll have to think of another trick to lure the TV cameras into their stores.

If you’re a bricks-and-mortar store or an online retailer, you still have plenty of opportunity between now and Christmas to join the media frenzy. Be willing to comment on how your sales are doing, the hottest items that are most in demand,  trends you’re seeing, etc. 

And don’t forget to pitch the bloggers! Read my article “Let Bloggers Create Publicity for You.”

 

Filed Under: Blogs, Business Promotion, Publicity on the Internet
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