Why is it that some people have so much trouble generating interest in their Facebook pages? Yet other people, like Mari Smith, one of the world’s foremost experts on Facebook, seem to have a big pot of glue that they slather onto their pages and capture whoever happens to stop by?

Mari’s glue is in the form of interesting videos, status updates that tip off fans to other people’s how-to articles about Facebook and Internet marketing, and compelling polls and surveys.

She promotes other people’s webinars, teleseminars and products that she thinks her fans will find valuable. And she sparks lively discussions that make readers stick like glue to the page and, often, participate.

Mari does something else that keeps those fans coming back for more—and this is the page’s real value.

Almost every day, she answers people’s questions about Facebook and a variety of other topics. Sometimes the same questions keep popping up. And she keeps giving the answers.

She travels the world, speaking at conferences and working with corporate clients. When she’s away, she recruits someone else to answer questions for her.

Need to contact Facebook about a knotty problem? Mari leads readers her directory of more than 120 forms for contacting Facebook.

Confused about the best webinar service to use for your own webinars? Or other products and services? She shares her recommendations for vendors, and explains why.

And what about those unlucky souls who appeal to her when they try to log onto their Facebook pages, but the pages seem to have vanished into thin air? She has linked, many times, to the blog post I wrote on 5 things to do if your Facebook fan page disappears.

Befuddled by all those Facebook apps and how to use them?  Mari is standing by, ready to help.

Is it any wonder she has amassed more than 43,000 fans?

That’s why I’ve invited her to be my guest guest on a webinar at 4 p.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, June 29, on The Best Ways to Attract Facebook Fans, Provide Sterling Content and Keep Them Coming Back for More (Just Like the Celebrities Do).

If the time is inconvenient for you, register anyway, because you’ll get the link to the video replay within 48 hours.

She will discuss a wide variety of topics, including the value of a Welcome page, when to use Facebook ads, how to use email to generate Likes, tagging, autographing and more.

I’ve asked her to address the topic of Facebook contests and the rules that govern what you can and cannot do.

Join us! Register here, and bring your questions.

I’m all about generating free publicity, so you don’t have to pay for ads.

But if you buy ads,  here’s a little trick that may very well give you more space—this time for free—in newspapers and magazines, and even online.

Offer a testimonial on the power of the ad—how it generated more customers, phone calls, orders or whatever. Several people I know have been featured in full-page testimonials in daily newspapers, magazines and business journals.

Here’s one I saw this week.

On Page C6 of Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal, Christa Carone, corporate vice president and chief marketing officer for the Xerox Corp., was featured in a full-page ad touting how a partnership with The Wall Street Journal helps Xerox attract corporate customers who are “Ready for Real Business.”

“Ready for Real Business” was the name of the expensive ad campaign Xerox launched in September last year. It focused on the company’s  relationships with clients like Procter & Gamble Co., Target Corp., Ducati, the New York Mets, the University of Notre Dame and Marriott International Inc. All allowed their brand names to be used in the campaign.
    
    
Results of WSJ Ad

Here’s part of Carone’s testimonial:

“When we launched our ‘Ready for Real Business’ campaign, we did it in a big way in The Wall Street Journal, and with high-impact front-page units in The Wall Street Journal Digital Network.

“In print and online, the Journal allows us to engage decision-makers in relevant Xerox case studies. When these readers click through to our RealBuisness.com website, they are already attuned to our content and ready to take action.

“It’s the right audience. The most relevant content. And it gets results.”

Display and Classfieid Ads

I’m guessing that the WSJ ad rep for the Xerox account asked to feature Carone in the display ad testimonial . But newspapers don’t always follow up like that.

Remember this the next time you buy an ad and it generates great results. That includes classifieds, which have been desimated by Craigslist. Newspapers will be more than eager to let you tell the world that it was money well-spent. 

Also see:

Offering testimonials can pay publicity dividends for years

Special Report #48: Smart Tips for Free, Cheap and More Effective Ads

Don’t view Patch.com only as a news-gathering website for hyer-local news.

Last month, when I shared 6 tips for pitching Patch, I didn’t know that nonprofits, community groups and anyone dedicated to a worthy cause can apply for free advertising space and volunteers that come directly from Patch’s staff.

It’s called the Give 5 program and here’s how it works.

Patch gives 5 percent of its advertising space, free of charge, to local charities from the communities it serves.  All Patch employees spend five working days each year volunteering in their communities.

For example:

• Patch volunteers tutored children in need in downtown Los Angeles.
    
• In Norton, MA, volunteers helped herd runners and feed them snacks during the New Balance Reach the Beach Relay.
    
• In Fairlawn-Bath, Ohio, editor Kymberli Hagelberg wrote about her volunteer stint at Stewart’s Caring Place in Fairlawn, a non-profit organization that provides free wellness services people who have been touched by cancer. Other editors do, too, and that means extra publicity for the organization that’s lucky enough to get a Patch volunteer.

Two paws up—way up—for Patch’s Give 5 program which gets journalists into the community and gives back.

Email them to see if you qualify.

Update on Aug. 16, 2011: Patch now has websites in Iowa, North Carolina and New Hampshire. It’s also starting a new series called “Dispatches: The Changing American Dream.” Read about it here.

Cardinal Rule #1 in the world of social media: Don’t promote.

Except, that is, if you’re on LinkedIn.

The world’s largest business networking site has an often overlooked feature that serves as a giant billboard for your business, where you can spotlight all the products and services you can’t promote elsewhere.

It’s called Company Pages.

They’re a company’s profile of record on LinkedIn, and a powerful way to speak to millions of professionals through word-of-mouth recommendations and trusted testimonials.
   
  
How to Use Company Pages

For LinkedIn members, Company Pages are a great way to research companies you’re interested in, follow them to stay updated, see what kinds of people work there, and even review the products and services you use.

For companies, Company Pages give you a chance to show the human side of your company, feature the people behind your brand, highlight how members use your products, and bring your brand to life.

You can post product photos, descriptions and links to product pages at your websites.  You can post targeted job ads, recruitment videos and more.

Here’s the best part.  If you have a LinkedIn profile, you pay nothing for this giant billboard.
   
  
Where to Learn More on May 19

LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth will show you some really creative ways to use Company Pages when he’s my guest during a webinar Thursday on Your LinkedIn Power Formula Part 2: Advanced Strategies for Writing a Killer Profile, Cashing in on Groups and Creating Company Pages.

One lucky person who registers will receive a free, private 20-minute LinkedIn consultation with Wayne after the call.  He can show you how to rewrite your LinkedIn profile, give you ideas for your own Company pages, and offer suggestions on the best ways for you to use LinkedIn Groups.

This webinar will sell out fast, so grab your seat now.  Register here.

Actress Julianne Hough is teaming up with the national “got milk?” campaign and Seventeen magazine to find nine girls throughout the United States to become the next Milk Mustache stars.

The “Power of 9″ campaign emphasizes the power of milk’s nine essential nutrients and encourages girls to celebrate the power of looking and feeling their best, which can inspire confidence and help girls reach their goals.

The campaign is looking for girls who “are not afraid to speak up; who are confident; respected, quirky and smart; and know that lowfat milk is an important ingredient for a well-balanced life. ”

Watch the video:

    
    
How to Enter

Teens can log onto the site and submit a short video that shows who they are, what inspires them, and why milk is an important ingredient in their lives. The website also includes Hough’s tips for making a winning entry, plus other sample submissions from teens.  

Hough and a panel of judges will choose the top entries, and teens across the U.S. will have a chance to vote on their favorite nine.

Winners will be flown to Los Angeles where they’ll meet their fellow winners before posing together for a Milk Mustache ad, to be featured as a special two-page spread in the pages of Seventeen magazine this fall.  They will also be able to write at the Power of 9 blog on Seventeen.com.

This is a terrific opportunity for any girl who wants publicity.
    
   
My Ideas on How to Use This Contest 

• PR people, your clients’ daughters might want to know about this.
• Nonprofits, if your cause or issue ties into the topic of healthy eating, or girls, this contest is a natural for you. 
• Schools, let your students know.
• Girls Scouts, 4-H and Campfire Girls, tell your members.
• If you blog about these kinds of topics, and your audience would want to know, share this with your readers.
• Spread the news on Twitter and Facebook.

Drink up! And start shooting.

Michael Smith of Philadelphia writes:
   
“My brother is the chef/owner of Fletcher’s BBQ, a restaurant that opened in September in a working middle-class neighborhood in the Philadelphia suburbs.
  
“It offers take-out and delivery only. The motto, emblazoned on T-shirts and the menus, is ‘Dig the Pig!’
   
“My brother already has landed a great story in the local paper, which is on the website, and that drove some customers to the venue.  Now we’re looking to keep the momentum going. By the way, he provides 10 percent discounts to the local VFW, policemen, firefighters and active military, and also donates to local churches.
   
“In addition to ads and  publicity in local papers, what other effective ways to spread the word?  There are a lot of other eateries in the neighborhood but not authentic BBQ food, so it’s filling a niche. 
  
“Any advice you and your Publicity Hounds can offer to promote a new BBQ food venue?  I’m sure there are some great ideas out there among your readers.”

If you do business in your own community, start participating on Yelp, the popular social media site that helps people share the best (and worst) of businesses like dentists, hair stylists and car mechanics. If you’re a  PR person whose clients are small business owners, incorporate this site into a publicity or marketing campaign.

But don’t try to persuade customers to write positive reviews about you or your client, or you could be sabotaging yourself.

Yelp allows users to contribute different kinds of content, including reviews, photos, events, private messages and more. It’s a powerful way to pull local customers into your store, build a loyal following and promote your events. Yelp is one of the Top 10 sites I designated during the webinar I hosted last month on 50+ Places Online to Promote Your Live & Virtual Events to Reach Your Target Market & Pull Sell-out Crowds.  

Three times in the last week, Publicity Hounds have asked me about the best ways to solicit good reviews for their businesses.

My answer: Don’t, or you’ll be violating the Terms of Service. I’ve explained more about that in this quick guide on how to make the most of Yelp.
     
    
1. Create your profile.

This shows Yelp users who you are, where you’re located, etc. Don’t include your birthday and make it easy for thieves to steal your identity.
   
  
2. Unlock your Business Page.

This video shows how business owners can use the business tools. For example, you should add photos to your listing. If you’re a coffee shop and you use an antique coffee grinder, say so, and include a photo. Is your cafe a popular meeting spot for Meetup groups? That’s worth mentioning.

   
   
3. Add an Event

If you’re a local restaurant and you’re sponsoring a “meet the chef” event, let people know. Don’t forget to take photos of as many in-store events as possible for sharing on Yelp and other sites.
     
    
4. Add your bio.

Keep it fun. What’s your dream for your business? What’s the one thing that persuaded you to do what you’re doing? What’s the most rewarding part of the job?
     
    
5. Choose a personal URL for your Yelp profile.

People can easily get to your Yelp profile without remembering a long, complicated URL.
     
    
6. Offer special discounts.

Encourage people to check out your listing by offering special discounts, special events, or limited time offers on your page. Consider a special discount if a customer says “I saw you on Yelp.” This week, Yelp is rolling out check-in offers, similar to Foursquare.
     
    
7. Recommend other businesses.

Don’t just wait for the reviews to start rolling in for your own business. Review other businesses. (No wheeling and dealing: ”You write a good review for me and I’ll write a good one for you.” See next item.)
   
  
8. Don’t solicit good reviews.

Yelp has a filter that weeds out suspicious reviews. Besides, consumers are very wary of reviews that don’t sound authentic. There’s nothing wrong with a sign in your shop that says “See us on Yelp for special discounts and other events” or something like that. But don’t even suggest that they write a positive review. If customers have something good or bad to say, they will.
     
    
9. If you get a good or bad review, respond to it publicly.

A public response, particularly one that acknowledges problems and promises to make things better, shows that you appreciate the feedback and are committed to improving things for customers. It also gives you a chance to set the record straight if the negative review included errors.

Here’s a helpful list of 10 tips on how to respond to bad reviews.

By the way, Yelp won’t yank a bad review if you’re an advertiser. So don’t waste time asking.
     
    
10. Also respond to good and bad reviews privately.

Responding privately to the person who posted a negative review can reap big dividends. Yelp says that its users often change a negative review to a positive one after they receive a private response, especially an apology, from a business owner.

Don’t view negative reviews as always bad. These reviews flag problems that you might not otherwise know about, and they give you a chance to correct them before you lose business.
     
    
11. Publish your reviews to Facebook and Twitter.

This explains how.

What other ways do you recommend business owners use Yelp? How has it helped you gain a loyal following?

Do you respond to reviews? If not, why not? If so, have you been able to turn a negative review into a positive one?

The Good Housekeeping “Seal of Approval” has been reassuring consumers about product quality for more than a century.

It’s one of the most recognized consumer emblems in the market today. Two years ago, the magazine added the Green Good Housekeeping Seal to help consumers identify products that are effective and environmentally friendly. 

What if you could have your own “Seal of Approval,” like the one shown here, that would underscore your expertise in your field? Just think of the publicity that you could generate!

You could award the seal to a certain number of products, services or companies each year and then pitch bloggers and journalists. Winners would imprint your seal on their products and use it in their own advertising campaigns, and then announce the honor as part of a publicity campaign. The seal could become a valuable component to your branding.

A seal of approval is only one of the several dozen promotion tactics I’ll discuss when I host the webinar “60+ Places Offline to Promote Your Product, Service, Cause, Issue or Event to Build the Buzz and Encourage Others to Promote for You.” It’s at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

Can’t attend live? I’ll record it, so you can catch the replay at your convenience. Register here.

Also, let me know about offline tactics you use to promote, and send a photo if you can. I can work the idea into my presentation and create even more publicity for you!

At first glance, it looks like a crossword puzzle that can appear almost as small as a postage stamp.

It’s a QR code, short for quick response.  And it can be one of the most valuable tools in your PR arsenal.

QR codes, similar to bar codes that appear on packaged products, are used widely in Japan but are becoming a popular way for marketers to catch the attention of busy consumers.  You can find them on everything from the sides of buses to the backs of business cards.

Mobile phones that have bar code scanning applications installed can “read” the code, which can have URLs and other information embedded.  Within seconds, a visitor can arrive at your website to learn more about a product or service.  The code you see at left should take you to Google.com. Make sure your phone can scan a QR code with its camera, either with an application that you download or via software that’s already installed on your phone.
   
  
How to Use QR Codes

Here are nine ways to use QR codes for publicity, PR and marketing:

1. Lead reporters to your online pressroom.
     
2. Point consumers to a press release.
     
3. Authors, use it to lead people to reviews for your books.
     
4. Speakers, use it at your website or on printed materials to send people who are considering hiring you to a short video demo.
    
5. Restaurants, print the code on your menus and let diners read about the specials of the day so they don’t have to wait for the waiter.
     
6. Take consumers to a video that demonstrates tips for using your product or service.
     
7. Nonprofits, you can use them to send visitors to a donations page.
     
8. Save money on expensive printed fliers or paid ads by taking people to a web page where they can find the same information.
    
9. Save money on ads in newspapers and magazines by inserting the QR code instead of a lot of text

Don’t Second-guess Your Customers

If you’re thinking, “But our customers won’t use this,” consider that there are more mobile phones on the planet than personal computers.  If most of your customers aren’t using QR codes now, they might within six months.  The ship is leaving right now. Hop aboard, or let your competitors stand at the helm.

I’ll share more tips on QR codes, including how to get them and use them, during my webinar “60+ Places Offline to Promote Your Product, Service, Cause, Issue or Event to Build the Buzz and Encourage Others to Promote for You.”  It’s at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Nov. 23.  The first 20 people who register get the free handout “13 Ways to Involve Journalists and Bloggers in Whatever You’re Promoting.”  Those first 20 seats will be gone by the end of today.

Register here.

Let me know about offline tactics you use to promote, and send a photo if you can.  I can work the idea into my presentation and create even more publicity for you!
   
   
Promote Your Own QR Code Here

Do you use QR codes? If so, how? And what kind of response have you received?

Where can we find your QR code?

When I hosted the recorded webinar last week on How to Use Twitter Lists & Directories to Promote Your Expertise and Build Your Brand,  I encouraged participants to get onto as many Twitter lists as possible because lists are a powerful form of free advertising.

One of my suggestions was to write a blog post telling readers the types of lists where you’d be a perfect fit, and then suggesting that they add you to existing lists on those topics, or create new ones.

But before you do that, it’s helpful to first find out how people on Twitter perceive you.  This will give you other ideas to add to the list of topics on which you’re an expert, and some of them might surprise you. The instructions below are included on the handouts from last week’s webinar, and the entire package is available here.

To see whose lists you’re on:

• Log into your Twitter account
• Go to your Home page
• Look in the upper right corner, near your gravatar, for the word “Listed.” It will tell you how many lists you’re on.
• Click on it. You’ll see all the names of the lists and the gravatars of the people who created them. The names of the lists will be in bold.

Scan the list and you should start to see a pattern. The screenshot above shows some of the 668 lists I’m on. Many of the lists are devoted to PR, publicity, marketing communications, book marketing and social media.

Now that you have a good idea how you’re perceived, write a blog post like this one, suggesting that your Twitter followers add you to their lists on certain topics.

Add Me to These Lists

Here are topics for other lists you can consider adding me to, based on many of the other lists on which I appear:

Writing or Writers

Editing or Editors

Journalists or Journalism

Marketing

Authors

Business Women

Small Business

Online Marketing

Digital Marketing

Self-promotion

Shoestring Marketing

Book Publicity

Resources for Authors

Inspiring Quotes

Humor

Entrepreneurs

Advertising/Marketing

PR Pros

Press Releases

Blogging or Bloggers

Dog Jokes (I include a dog joke in each issue of The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week, my free weekly ezine, and often share it on Twitter)

Other Ways to be Included on Twitter Lists

1. Tweet helpful, relevant content frequently and forego the “here’s what I’m doing today” tweets. Help people solve their problems!

2. Add yourself to your own lists if you’re a perfect fit. Remember that other people will be subscribing to your lists. If you’re a small business expert, for example,  and somebody is following your list of small business experts, you want to be on it.

3. Include a short blurb in your email signature suggesting that people add you to their lists, with a link to your Twitter page.

4. Ask! Don’t be shy about suggesting that people add you to a particular list they’ve created. They might be grateful that you’ve helped them grow their lists.

Be sure to reciprocate. Welcome requests from other people who ask you to put them on your lists.

What other ways do you use Twitter lists? Is there anything about lists that you don’t understand? Share your own tips here on how to get onto other people’s lists.