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How can author market her book to interior design students?

6/23/2009 By 6 Comments

frominteriordesignJeanette Simpson of Lakewood Ranch, Fla., writes:

“I have just published my first book, From Interior Design Intern to Employee: How to be a Keeper (Including Tips from Those Who Hire.)”

“It’s written specifically to help interior design interns transition from college to career.

“Aside from social networking, contacting university design departments and all vendors, reps, designers and architects I know, how can I reach my target audience—college students?

“Any advice from your Publicity Hounds would be greatly appreciated.”

Filed Under: Authors & Publishers, Facebook, Publicity for Niche Markets, Publicity on the Internet, Social media marketing, Social networking, Video Tagged With: , ,

Squidoo to limit number of outbound links to the same domain

6/17/2009 By 3 Comments

squidoo-logoStarting July 20, Squidoo lenses will be limited to no more than nine outbound links to the same domain.

What does this have to do with publicity? Plenty.

Squidoo, a content-sharing site, is a great place to promote your expertise. Google views it as an authoritative site and gives it a page rank of 7/10. You can create a Squidoo lens on one or more topics and share content such as articles, videos, photos and other resources.

Most lensmasters include outbound links to their own websites which is fine.  I’m guessing  that too many lensmasters have been including too many links to their own sites, thus generating too many reader complaints to Squidoo.

I’ll be going over to Squidoo later this week to update my own content and count the number of links at my own lens on how to get publicity. Lensmasters who don’t comply can have their lenses removed.  All that hard work down the drain! Don’t let that happen.

Read their policy update and the 4 things you can do to get ready for the changes.

Filed Under: Social media marketing, Writing Articles

20 social media tips point to four common mistakes

6/17/2009 By 4 Comments

socialnetworkingbubbles2Shane Gibson’s list of 20 social media tips under 140 charcters is a handy reminder for social media newbies as well as veterans.

Reading the list, I thought of four common mistakes people are still making, based on the questions I’m receiving from people who read my newsletter and comment here.

If you think of social networking as a giant backyard barbecue, it will be easier for you to realize immediately when you’re making a mistake.

How many of these mistakes are you making? 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

—You’re  more obsessed with racking up huge numbers of friends, followers and connections than talking to them. This is like having a Rolodex that you never use.
                                   
—You don’t understand that spending just a few minutes a week at sites like Facebook and LinkedIn and updating their status is a way of connecting with your friends. LinkedIn and Facebook both announce status updates to Friends and connections.

—You’re still using social networking sites as places to broadcast a steady stream of free commercials for whatever you’re selling. Glance at your Facebook feed and this may become painfully obvious.

—You’re still taking Twitter’s question “What are you doing?” literally and write tweet after tweet about when you’re walking the dog, eating lunch or closing up shop for the day. Your efforts would be better spent passing along helpful tips and advice, or trying to help people solve problems. LinkedIn’s Q&A section is an ideal place to find people who are asking pressing questions about your area of expertise.

Bookmark Shane’s list and revisit it periodically. It will keep you on track.

Filed Under: Facebook, LinkedIn, Social media marketing, Social networking, Twitter Tagged With: , , , ,

How should authors market a book on soft-sell marketing?

6/16/2009 By 10 Comments

heartofmarketingbookcover2Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski of Las Vegas, Nev., write:

“Already best-selling authors of five relationship books, we have turned our attention and expertise to soft-sell marketing. Our new book, The Heart of Marketing: Love Your Customers and They Will Love You Back, Morgan James Publishing, May 2009), already a best-seller at Amazon, promotes selling as spiritual service and marketing from the heart.

“This book is the voice for consciousness and conscience, caring and community in commerce—and has been released at this time when the aftershocks of hard-sell greed are being felt all around the world.

“Please don’t bother suggesting ‘get on Oprah.’  That is already a definite goal. Please DO suggest the biggest ideas you can think of to get the book standing on long legs so that word of mouth takes over and drives the book onto the New York Times Best Seller list.”

Filed Under: Authors & Publishers Tagged With: ,

Cheap PR tactics for independent restaurants

6/15/2009 By 1 Comment

One of the best PR tactics is dirt cheap, and I’m surprised more businesses don’t take advantage of it: offering free meeting space.

Banks do this all the time, and it’s particularly powerful for restaurants, which have been hit hard by the recession.

In the latest issue of RunningRestaurants.com, PR pro Jenny Brooks offers this tip and two more—promote your signature dish and feed local media outlets with a steady stream of press releases letting them know about things like which bands or musicians are playing at your restaurant, or local book signings that you’re hosting for a local author. 

I particularly love the idea of cooking your signature dish for local media people. Deejays LOVE this. So do TV people. But don’t offer free food to local newspaper journalists, who might consider it payola. 

Last week, I wrote about social media tips for restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Restaurants need to incorporate online PR into their publicity campaign, even if they only do business locally.

If you’re offering free meeting space, contact your local Toastmasters and your local chapter of the National Speakers Association and let members know. They might take you up on your offer.

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Social media marketing Tagged With: , , , ,
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