The Publicity Hound’s Blog  

With all the focus on social media, you’re probably scampering to create new content for sites like EzineArticles.com, Facebook and Twitter. 

You may be writing articles, creating tips lists, and offering quizzes.

That’s great. But don’t make the mistake of abandoning online press releases, which is all too easy to do when you’re consumed with posting every day to Facebook and Twitter.

Here are eight reasons why you should continue posting them to your website:

1. Optimized press releases pull in traffic. 
   Make sure you use relevant keywords in the headline and throughout the body copy.  But don’t stuff the release with keywords, or that will be a red flag to the search engines. Take advantage of StomperNet’s excellent seven-day free email course on search engine optimization. Each lesson in “7 Deadly SEO Mistakes” takes just a few minutes to review. 
            
2. They save time for visitors.
   It’s a great way to show journalists, bloggers and others what’s new and important, without making them spend a lot of time investigating your site.  New product launch?  They’ll find it in a press release.  New CEO?  There should be a release at your site that announces that.  Special promotion under way at your company?  Write a release that explains it.  Put a link to all your releases in your online pressroom.
           
3. You can use them to reach consumers directly–and promote.
   Years ago, we had to write printed press releases and cleanse them of anything that sounded like hype or promotion before sending them to journalists.  Gone are the days, thankfully, when we had to genuflect at the altar of traditional media, say a prayer and hope they covered our story.  Online press releases let us reach consumers directly without relying on the media gatekeepers.
            
4. Video and audio links.
   Video and audio links  can lead visitors to content that goes into more depth on a particular topic.  It’s a convenient way to get that information in front of visitors instead of making them wade through page after page at your website.
           
5. They help bloggers.
   Online press releases make it easy for bloggers to provide more information for their readers.  All they have to do is link to the release from within their posts.
            
6. Links to landing pages.
   From an online release, you can link to specific landing pages at your website where readers can find more information.  Yes, you can even link to sales pages where you list all the benefits of the product you’re selling, and then ask readers to hit the “Buy Now” button.  How cool is that?
       
7. They keep your site looking fresh and updated.
   This is assuming that you post them regularly. It just dawned on me that it’s been several months since I’ve posted a new release, and I’ve just added that to my “to-do” list for today.  
            
8. They can help you build your tribe on social networking sites.
   From the releases, you can provide links so readers can connect with you at social networking sites. Why not include a link to your Facebook Fan Page, like I have here?
         

Two tips that will help anyone who wants to post online releases:

From the press room at my website, I link to my at ExpertClick.com: The Online Yearbook of Experts.  This subscription service lets me post up to 52 press releases a year with no additional per-release fee.  It also gives me a page in their online database of experts, which journalists search frequently when looking for sources for articles. If you subscribe, tell them I sent you and they’ll knock $100 off the subscription.

If you want to learn more about how to write and distribute online press releases, you can opt into the free 12-week tutorial I created on “89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases.”  More than 6,000 people have taken the course.

Posted In: Blogs, Business Promotion, Facebook, Press Releases/News Releases, Publicity on the Internet, Search engine optimization, Social media marketing, Twitter, Video
posted On: 6/26/2009: 9:44 am: By Joan
Comments: 1 Comment

Jeanette 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.”

Posted In: Authors & Publishers, Facebook, Publicity for Niche Markets, Publicity on the Internet, Social media marketing, Social networking, Video
posted On: 6/23/2009: 9:25 am: By Joan
Comments: 5 Comments

Shane 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.

Posted In: Facebook, LinkedIn, Social media marketing, Social networking, Twitter
posted On: 6/17/2009: 7:36 am: By Joan
Comments: 3 Comments

If there’s a way to cause confusion for the masses, Facebook will discover it. 

That’s what’s happened within the last 24 hours. Facebook announced yesterday in its blog that users can start claiming their vanity URLs for both their Profile and Pages starting at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, June 13.

An alert reader of my ezine emailed me and asked if I knew about the earlier deadline. She send me this link, which leads to a Facebook page, below, announcing that the users can claim the vanity URLs “Starting on Friday, June 12th, at 11:01pm.”  It suggests we “Check out the Facebook Blog for more informaton.” But that blog includes the notice in the box above and says we can start claiming URLs on Saturday. 

Which is it? Friday or Saturday?

As if that isn’t confusing enough, I’m sure many people, me included, missed reading the rules that say:

• “If you signed up for a Facebook Page after May 31 or a user profile after today (June 9) at 3 p.m. EDT, you may not be able to sign up for a username immediately because of steps we’ve taken to prevent abuse or ’squatting’ on names.”
• “Your Facebook Page must meet two requirements: it must be live on Facebook prior to the May 31, 2009 cut-off date and have a minimum 1,000 fans as of May 31, 2009.” Many small business people who haven’t been able to accumulate that many fans won’t be able to claim the vanity URL. I’m 15 short of the 1,000 minimum.

Can somebody clarify whether we can start claiming URLs on Friday or Saturday?

Posted In: Facebook
posted On: 6/10/2009: 2:48 pm: By Joan
Comments: 3 Comments

If you own a restaurant, bar or nightclub, don’t miss the fabulous tips from Restaurants & Institutions on how to participate in social media.

Senior editor Alison Perlik offers sound advice on how to do more than just create a presence on Facebook and Twitter. 

Her tips are so valuable that they can be used by the owners of almost any business, not just restaurants.

She got me thinking about other ways restaurants can participate in social media. Some of my ideas also apply to owners of bars and nightclubs.
 

Go ‘behind the scenes’

• Use your Facebook Fan Pages to offer a few recipes from your kitchen. You don’t have to give away all your trade secrets, but your Fans would appreciate knowing that you’re passing along a recipe for your popular Sour Cream Apple Pie just to them. This is a great way to create Fan loyalty. And it’s a super way to start accumulating lots of Fans.  (See 11 Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on Facebook.)
       
• Ditto with mixed drinks. If your bartenders notice that customers are wild about your ice tea-based cocktails, for example, offer a recipe.
                
• You can also use your Facebook Fan pages to offer customers special coupons.
                   
• Share trends. Let people know what trends you’re seeing in your business. This article in New York magazine is a good example of cocktail trends that customers might want to know about.  
                
• Share with your customers and others what your chefs eat at home. Do they plop in front of the TV with a big bag of Doritos after a long shift? Or do they have a special healthy snack they can whip up in five minutes? If so, provide the recipe!
         
• Interview customers about what they like about your food and drinks, and upload those  videos to your Facebook Fan Pages.
         
• Upload photos of people having a good time (with their permission, of course) to photo-sharing sites like Flickr and PhotoBucket.
     
            

Make it easy for customers to find you

• Let customers know where they can follow you on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other social networking sites where they congregate. Print this information on your menu, in your paid ads, on flyers they can take with them, on direct-mail advertising, on coasters at your bar, and on signs in your window.
             
• Offer this information online, too—at your website, at your blog, in your email signature, and in videos.

Connect with journalists and bloggers

• Many journalists are now on the social networking sites, particularly Twitter and Facebook. If you’re dying to get in front of a particular journalist, Google their name and see if you can find them on a social media site. I Googled ”Allison Perlik” and found her on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
     
• Check out Harry Hoover’s wiki of media people using Twitter and media outlets using Twitter.

       
Ask your customers for suggestions

Your customers might have some great ideas for ways you can interact with them on the social media sites. But you’ll never know unless you ask them.

For more ideas on how to generate publicity in traditional media, see Publicity Tips for Restaurants, Chefs & Foodies.

Posted In: Business Promotion, Facebook, LinkedIn, Photos & Graphics, Publicity on the Internet, Social media marketing, Social networking, Video
posted On: 6/9/2009: 4:34 pm: By Joan
Comments: 2 Comments