Tips, Tricks & Tools for Free Publicity
Ted Fuller of Lafayette, California writes:
“My friend has a gift store in the downtown area of Antioch, an older suburban city in California. At night, nearly all the shops shut down and the streets are almost deserted.
“She’s tried without success to stir up some action with the merchants association. After a brief period of remaining open at night, she gave up.
“Perhaps your readers can give her some tips.”
If you’re an author who does book tours or a speaker who’s looking for yet another way to spread the word about your speaking engagements, check out Book Tour, a free online service that connects authors with their audiences.
Authors can create a profile so fans never again miss your events and media appearances.
Love books? Sign up and find out when authors are coming to your town—or request that they do.
Run a speaker series? Sign up to connect with authors.
A tip of the hat to book marketing guru John Kremer’s ezine for mentioning this.
Few people have a harder job getting publicity than astrologers, fortune tellers and others of their ilk.
The media are naturally suspicious—except when their predictions or comments tie into a hot, timely topic.
Thanks to radio publicity expert Wayne Kelly for tipping us off to this great and super short press release written by Steve Allen Media for client Maria Shaw, the astrologer for the National Enquirer. It was written just before the final episode of “American Idol.” Here’s the release:
Who will win on “American Idol”?
Ask Hollywood astrologer Maria Shaw.
Shaw appears on VH1, MTV, E! And other national TV programs and is the National Enquirer’s weekly horoscope columnist. She says she knows who the next Idol winner will be.
Arrange an interview through Chris Tourigney: 661-255-8283.
Or send an email to chris@steveallenmedia.com
The PR agency said it got at least 20 media hits from that release, and at least 40 more from a release it wrote about Maria Shaw’s commentary on July 7, 2007, the luckiest day of the millennium.
Just for the heck of it, I Googled her name and found a great ad mentioning her in Radio-TV Interview Report. Look at all the ways she piggybacks her predictions onto the celebrities.
If you specialize in a New Age topic, check out Alex Carroll’s new media list of 213 broadcast and Internet radio shows that welcome guests who can speak on topics related to New Age, self- improvement, mind/body/spirit, and empowerment. It’s the only list of its kind, and because many of these shows reach very niched audiences, they have a loyal following.
If you’re an expert on any other topic, you might be able to tie your news into celebrity gossip. Learn more from “Special Report #50: How to Piggyback onto Celebrity News to Promote Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue.”
If you’re trying to get in front of CIOs and IT managers, your best bet is CIO magazine.
It has 120,000 readers, and a pass-along rate of four readers per copy. Their readers’ average IT budget is $230 million.
This week, Marketing Sherpa is sharing tips on how to pitch CIO magazine. You can access it for free until July 20.
In general, they are looking for exclusives only, comprehensive case studies, original user stories and novel developments. They don’t want product announcements or breaking news. (See “How to Create the Perfect 30-second Pitch.”)
Also, subscribe to CIO Magazine’s monthly PR newsletter that will tip you off to upcoming stories, their focus and the wrtiers’ contact information.
Important:
Paris Hilton can teach you a thing or two about how to interview on a national TV talk show.
During her exclusive interview with Larry King last week, Hilton mentioned that when she was behind bars, she read the Bible.
When King asked, “What’s your favorite Bible passage?” She hesitated a long time, then said, “I don’t have a favorite.”
That wasn’t a trick question. Interviewers frequently ask you to describe the “best” or “worst” of something, or your “favorite” or “least favorite” something, and she should have been ready for that one. Not having an answer made her appear even more disingenuous than she already is.
If you’re going to introduce a topic during your interview that’s sure to pique the interest of the interviewer, you had better be ready to elaborate. Or risk looking unprepared and foolish.
If you’re a media coach or a speech coach, by the way, exclusive interviews like that one provide a great opportunity for you to critique the performance of the celebrity. Many people who missed the interview on TV will be searching for it the next day online.
That’s why your blog is a great place to comment on it. You can also post comments at other influential blogs that discuss the interview. And offer commentary to the TV columnist at your local newspaper.
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The Publicity Hound
