The Publicity Hound’s Blog  

If you’re a member of your local chamber of commerce and the only thing you have to show for it is the receipt for your annual dues, don’t even think about dropping out.

Because you’re a smart Publicity Hound, you have an opportunity right at your fingertips to be a star in the organization and generate so much publicity for yourself that all the other members will be scratching their heads, wondering how in the world you’ve done it. Nonprofits, this applies to you, too.

Here’s what to do.

The next time the chamber has an event that the local media won’t cover, act like a reporter and cover it yourself. Buy an inexpensive Flip video camera and interview people at the event. (The camera shown in the photo above isn’t a Flip.)

If it’s a routine chamber breakfast meeting with a speaker, interview the speaker after the presentation for a segment of two to three minutes. At the same breakfast, create another short video. Ask the chamber president to provide a brief infomercial of upcoming chamber events like the annual golf outing or street festival.

At bigger events, like the annual awards banquet, interview the Business Person of the Year. If you really want to create a stir, choose a controversial topic that chamber members are buzzing about, like a proposed sales tax increase in your state. Interview one person on each side of the issue. You’ve just created two more videos.

Import the videos into your computer, which takes a minute or two, edit them, upload them to your website, give the chamber the links to the videos, and then watch what happens.

The chamber will probably email all its members and tell them to go to your website. Many of those members will share the links with their friends. The links will end up in the next chamber newsletter. And who knows where else.

Here’s the best part. You can offer that same videos to the local newspaper, magazine and TV and radio stations for use at their websites. Print media, in particular, are hungry for user-generated video, even if it’s of events that they’ve decided not to cover.

That’s what videographer John Easton does in Charlotte, North Carolina. He covers local business events and uploads them to his blog, or to his own streaming video channel, sort of like his own TV station, and then he offers the video to local media.

Too busy to fuss with all these details?

John says every community is teaming with people who you can hire for next to nothing to shoot and edit the video for you. He explained how to find them when he was a guest on a teleseminar I conducted recently on “9 Clever Ways to Use Video to Become a Publicity Darling in Your Industry or Community.”

If you’re not a member of a chamber of commerce, you can still cover events in your community and submit the video to local media that are hungry for user-generated content.

Posted In: Blogs, Business Promotion, Citizen journalism, How to Interview, Magazine Publicity, Media Leads, Publicity on the Internet, Radio Publicity, Special Events, Video
posted On: 6/3/2008: 6:35 pm: By Joan
Comments: 1 Comment

Here’s what Publicity Hounds can learn from retiring Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre’s press conference today:

—Speak from the  heart. Trying hard to fight back tears, Favre sobbed for several minutes and held nothing back while explaining why he decided to leave (“I know I can play but I know I don’t want to”), what he’ll do next (“nothing”) and how he doesn’t plan to hang around and dole out advice to the team (“I’m not an expert”).

—Tell the truth. He said he’ll questions himself about whether he made the right decision.

—Address rumors. Rumors have been flying the last few days that he  left because he was angry at the way the Packers treated him this year and that they haven’t encouraged him to return for another year. Favre addressed them, denied them, and said his response was “from the heart.”

—Don’t run for cover afterward. He took and answered dozens of questions from reporters.

—Look genuine. He said he thought about wearing a suit and shaving. Instead, he showed up unshaven, in jeans and an untucked shirt.  “What you see is what you get. ”

—Don’t say “no comment.” One reporter asked him why fans have embraced him and why they like him so much. A perfect chance to answer “no comment.” Instead, he said, “Because I’m just like them, except I play professional football.” 

—Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” He said he doesn’t know what the future holds and has no concrete plans about what he wants to do.

Brett Favre is a class act, and he scored a PR touchdown.

Posted In: How to Interview
posted On: 3/6/2008: 12:46 pm: By Joan
Comments: 3 Comments

The next time you do a TV interview, follow this tip from TV producer Shawne Duperon’s newsletter.

Only use the anchor’s or reporter’s name when you’re saying hello. Never repeat it when you’re answering a question. 

“Your goal, as an interviewee, is to have the audience feel like you’re talking to them.  Repeating the anchor’s name can make the audience feel excluded rather than included.”

By repeatedly saying the anchor’s name, you get in your own way of connecting with the audience, says Shawne, who was my guest during a teleseminar on “How to Get on the Local TV News Tomorrow.”  

Posted In: How to Interview, TV Publicity
posted On: 3/1/2008: 8:24 am: By Joan
Comments: 2 Comments

Joe Sabah, author of the book “How to Get the Job You Really Want—and Get Employers to Call You” brags that he’s sold $357,000 worth of books by doing 682 radio interviews “and 680 of them by phone.”

He’s one of the masters of radio interviewing and he shares these 10 tips on how to make your show a success so you’re invited back.   

1. Have a glass of water handy (room temperature).  When your throat is lubricated, it’s easier to talk.  Plus the water serves as a “cough button” if needed.
2. Stand while speaking.  Pretend you’re presenting a seminar.  Your voice will carry further.  And you’ll sound more animated.
3. Have a copy of their state map on your wall.  Refer to cities in the radio station’s surrounding area.  This helps make you feel like you are one of them.  “I once made the mistake of referring to South Bend as ‘South Bend, Indiana.’  The host reminded me that I was talking on a radio station in South Bend, Wisconsin.  Oops!’
4. Listen to their weather and traffic report.  This allows you to personalize your presentation.  For example: When I was being interviewed on WHIO in Dayton, Ohio I noticed during the breaks they were referring to their metro area as “the Miami Valley.”  So it became a natural for me to say “I believe we can help some folks in “the Miami Valley” get their perfect job this afternoon.”  What a difference the right words make.
5. Get your listeners involved.  For example, before the last commercial break, I ask them to get pencil and paper to write down the three tips I guarantee will turn every job interview into a job offer.  Then they have pencil and paper ready when I later give out my 800 number.
6. For those who are driving around without writing tools handy, ask your host if the listeners can call the station for the 800 number.  As soon as you’re off the air, you call the station’s receptionist and give her or him your 800 number plus the title of your book.
7. Give the host some quotes from your book to use as segues.  I offer quotes like: “Are You Singing The Song You Came To Sing?”  And “If You Do What You’ve Always Done, You’ll Get What You’ve Always Gotten.  Is That Enough?”
8. After the host uses these Inspirational Postcard Quotes on the air, I also offer them to listeners who order my book.  Another bonus to increase orders.
9. Always thank both the host and the producer for the good job they are doing.  After the show, also send each of them a handwritten note of thanks and an offer “Let’s do it again.”
10. You may also want to record your show by using a device available at most phone center stores, that will record both sides of the interview.  Then listen to your show to see how you can improve the next one.  Keep on learning.

Learn more about Joe Sabah and how he teaches others how to get booked on dozens of radio shows without leaving home.

And don’t forget about National Public Radio. It can be a goldmine for authors, speakers and experts. One of the cool things about the NPR website is that you can use the search box at the top of the screen, search for shows on your area of expertise, then listen to the shows to see if you’d be a good fit.

Learn more about “How to Get Booked on National Public Radio.”   

Posted In: Authors & Publishers, How to Interview, Radio Publicity
posted On: 2/7/2008: 8:48 am: By Joan
Comments: No Comments

If your product isn’t environmentally friendly, or the marketing message for your green product is poorly planned, consumer groups will be all over you, like they were when they targeted Home Depot for sustainable harvested wood, Nike for child labor practices, and McDonald’s for Styrofoam clamshells and obesity.

This article by Jacquelyn Ottman of J. Ottman Consulting, Inc., featured in The Navigator newsletter, recommends five simple rules to follow when marketing your green product:

• Know your customer
• Empower consumers
• Be transparent
• Reassure the buyer
• Consider your pricing

Follow the rules, then be sure to discuss them during media interviews, at your blog, at other blogs and in press releases.

Posted In: Blogs, Business Promotion, How to Interview, Press Releases/News Releases, Publicity on the Internet
posted On: 1/25/2008: 10:28 am: By Joan
Comments: No Comments