Publicity for Niche Markets

50+ (almost all free) websites to promote events

10/5/2010 By Joan 1 Comment

When it’s time to promote a live or special event, do you rely on the same old websites to spread the word?

Posting on Craigslist, Facebook and LinkedIn is a no-brainer. But if you aren’t doing much more than that, you could be missing the smaller niche websites where you can target your ideal attendees like a laser beam.

A Great Site for Musicians to Promote

For example, did you know that more than 25,000 musicians have used the free account at ArtistData.com to promote more than 4. 9 million shows, events and other news across MySpace, Twitter, Facebook and other websites that reach their niche audiences?

You can submit information about a gig and it will automatically post your music-related calendar listing to more than 25 sites. That’s a lot of eyeballs reading about you. (Thanks to my friend, indie music marketing expert Bob Baker for that tip.)

But that’s just for musicians. Major websites like Craigslist and niche sites abound for businesses, tourist attractions, authors, speakers, experts, nonprofits, sports events and more.

Join me from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Oct. 19, for the webinar “50+ Places Online to Promote Your Live & Virtual Events to Reach Your Target Market and Pull Sell-out Crowds.”

Update on Oct. 27, 2010: I recorded the webinar and it’s now available as a download link, along with the MP3, handouts and the PowerPoint presentation I used for the video. click on the link above.

Bonus for the First 20 Registrants

The first 20 people who sign up get my handy checklist of all the sites I mention during the webinar, plus a long list of offline places to promote events.

If you aren’t among the first 20, you still get a replay link for the video, the PowerPoint slides I used during the presentation, and the MP3. I will email you the handouts the morning of the call.

This webinar is perfect for:

PR pros and publicists whose clients host events
Authors who want to promote book-signings
Experts who host teleseminars and webinars
Virtual assistants who do PR for their clients
Speakers who promote classes, workshops, training events, seminars and boot camps
Nonprofits that host fund-raisers, from neighborhood activities to black-tie charity balls
Anyone who does PR for tourist attractions like museums, parks, festivals and sporting events
PR people who promote activities at schools, colleges and universities
Event and meeting planners
Corporate PR departments that promote events for their companies
Volunteer groups that help with event promotion
Arts groups that must pull crowds to art festivals, gallery tours and meet-the-artist events
Party planners
Anyone who co-sponsors events

Hope to see you on Oct. 19!

Filed Under: Authors & Publishers, Business Promotion, Facebook, Press Releases/News Releases, Publicity for Niche Markets, Publicity on the Internet, Social media marketing, Special Events Tagged With: Craigslist, events publicity, Facebook, public relations, special event PR

Latina bloggers a valuable PR tool, survey results show

9/28/2010 By Joan 2 Comments

If you pitch bloggers as part of your PR campaign and you have a topic that ties into parenting, Latino issues, heritage/culture, cooking, recipes, beauty, fashion, art or technology, consider pitching Latina bloggers.

Results of the 2010 Latina Bloguera Survey taken by Latinos in Social Media (LATISM for short), show that even though the number of blogueras has been climbing steady the last 10 years, the numbers really skyrocketed last year. Of the 939 women who participated in the survey, 63 percent said they started blogging in 2009. The number is expected to continue to climbing.

It’s well worth your time to read the free report. Here are interesting nuggets I found and how I interpreted the results.

Blogger Demographics

A whopping 85.6 percent of the bloggers are moms and have from two to four children. What it means: Any topic that deals with parenting is very high on their list. In fact, parenting is the most popular topic, with 62 percent of respondents saying they blog about parenting issues.
46.5 percent have household incomes of from $80,000 to $89,999.
The report says Latina bloggers are the fastest-growing segment in the blogosphere, the gateway to a world filled with avid followers and brand loyalty. What it means: Getting your brand in front of just one of these bloggers could be like hitting a bases-loaded home run. Not only do bloggers love to link to each other, but 43 percent of the respondents manage more than one blog.
Most respondents reported that being a Latina has helped them find sponsorships and readers but in general, they get fewer opportunities to do so. What it means: If you have a product or service that’s a perfect fit for theiraudiences, offer to sponsor a blog, or an event they’re hosting.
The average age is 31, with 641 respondents from 30 to 39. What it means: If your topic appeals to this age bracket, you should be pitching Latina bloggers. See a list of the most populkar topics below.

Their most important topics

What do they write about?

The top three topics, in order, are Parenting, Latino issues and heritage culture. Cooking/recipes, beauty/fashion, art and technology are also popular.

Only 5 percent blog about social media which I found unusual, considering the demographics.

Product reviews and guest blog posts

69.9 percent review products, so if you’re product is a good fit, send it.
63 percent write guest blog posts. Consider asking a Latina blogger to write for your blog, or offer to write a guest post for her.
11.1 percent are paid to write for others’ blogs. If they like your topic, you could end up in two blogs, not just one.
12.3 percent have a video blog. So share your videos with them.

I would have loved to have seen a list of Latina bloggers and links to their blogs in the report, and was disappointed when I didn’t. But I found a list of the top 100 Latina blogs.

Browse the list, which has thumbnail descriptions of what each blogger writes about, and you’ll be able to pinpoint quickly blogs that you can incorporate into your PR campaign.

For example, Ahorros para Mamá, a blog written in Spanish, teaches Latina moms how to save and lists the most relevant coupons available. Lisa, who writes The New York Chica blog, writes about “products that I love and use, events that I attend in New York Ceity, sharing my musings of motherhood, my love for movies and TV, and everything inbetween.” The Adventures of a NY City Mama concentrates on travel and food and highlights family-friendly destinations, as well as wonderful date night locations, both in and out of New York City.

If you have a product, service, cause or issue that can appeal to this group, start pitching! See How to pitch the best bloggers and create a publicity explosion.

Filed Under: Blogs, Business Promotion, Publicity for Niche Markets, Publicity on the Internet Tagged With: hispanic blog, latina bloggers, latina bloguera survey, mommy bloggers

How to turn a Golf Digest article into more publicity

8/22/2010 By Joan Leave a Comment

When you land a big story in a magazine, it’s all too easy to become giddy with excitement, and miss doing the hard work necessary to “publicize the publicity” and turn one media hit into what can become multiple hits.

Larry Jacobs reminded me of that a few days ago when he participated in the teleseminar call I hosted with John Eggen on how to “Write a Client-attracting Book Fast That Makes $150,000 Before It’s Published.” (If you missed that call, you can access the replay here. It includes a killer Q&A session.)

Before the call began, Larry asked me how he can capitalize on a full-page article written about him in the June 2010 issue of Golf Digest. Larry is an expert on how golfers can lose weight, and the article discussed how he approached veteran NBC sports on-course reporter Roger Maltbie and, through coaching, helped him lose 35 pounds. It also appeared in the June 2010 print magazine.

“Since it appeared, I use the link in most of my communications with people,” Larry said. “I’d like to know how to parlay this article into PR, more articles, interviews, sales and anything else you can think of.”

Here are my ideas on how to do that:

Use the Word Expert

First, start referring to yourself everywhere as an “expert on weight loss for golfers,” or however you want to describe yourself. The media, as well as consumers, flock to experts. Use this word in your email signature, bios and at the end of articles you write. Optimize your website for the keyword phrase.

Email Signature

Link to the online article in your email signature. You can also use something like this just under your name: ”See how I helped NBC sports on-course reporter Roger Maltbie shed 35 pounds, in the June 20120 issue of Golf Digest.”

Golf Newsletters

I don’t golf, but I’m betting there are dozens of print and electronic newsletters devoted to golf. Contact the editors and offer to write an article about how you coach the PGA golfers. Be sure to tell them about the Golf Digest article, and link to it when you pitch them. You told me your target audience is mostly Baby Boomers and seniors, so look for newsletters directed at that niche, too.

Press Releases
Write a press release about the article, even two months after it appeared. Remember that the article and press release will probably stay online forever.

Distribute the press release through a service like PR Newswire. Dan Janal has a great offer that guarantees that the article will show up on more than 50 influential, high-traffic websites including Forbes.com, Hoover.com, Reuters.com, and dozens of sites for local business journals. Those business people are a perfect match with the topic of golf.

In addition to pulling traffic, Larry, your website will get inbound links from those influential business websites, which means that Google will view your site as more authoritative. The more inbound links to your site from other high-traffic sites, the higher the page rank Google grants to your own website.

The press release should also be sent to your professional associations, trade groups, even the magazine or newsletter published by your alumni association. Learn how to write an online press release with my free press release tutorial.

Articles

Write articles about your topic for article directory sites like EzineArticles.com, plus all the high-traffic websites that appeal to golfers. Be sure to mention the Golf Digest publicity in the blurb at the end of your own articles.

Video

Are you creating video about how golfers can lose weight? If not, create one that mentions the Golf Digest article, offers a few tips and leads people to your opt-in page.

Video is one of the most powerful ways to pull traffic and promote your business. Try to get video testimonials from all the PGA golfers and other celebrities who you’ve helped, and use those at your website and at the video-sharing sites.

Facebook Fan Page & Groups
Create a Facebook Fan Page for golfers who want to lose weight, and link to the article from the page. You should also search Facebook’s groups and see which ones include golfers in your target market. While participating in the groups, mention the article in Golf Digest.

Online Media Room
Create an online media room where you can link to the Golf Digest article and mention other publicity you’ve gotten.

Twitter

Larry, are you tweeting? If not, start. Your tweets should mostly be about how golfers can lose weight. Include a short blurb about the Golf Digest article in your Twitter profile. Great for your credibility!

Order Reprints
You never know when you might need reprints of the article. So it would be worth your while to order as many copies of the June issue of Golf Digest as you can afford, or see if the magazine sells reprints. Many larger magazines have reprint services.

Pitch the Inflight Magazines

The target audience for these publications—business people and frequent travelers—is perfect for you! How about offering the magazines a list of tips on how golfers can lose weight? In your pitch, mention the June article.

Here’s a powerful tip for really catching the editor’s attention. If you helped a golfer from an area that’s served by the magazine, mention it in your pitch. For example, if you worked with an Australian golfer who’s fairly well-known, mention that when you pitch Qantas magazine, which serves Australia.

A Podcast

You said you have an audio product that consists of a series of recorded teleseminars you hosted. You can excerpt short five-minute segments from the product and turn them into separate podcasts, each mentioning the article in Golf Digest.

Ask for Referrals to Other Golf Media

Contact Golf Digest Contributing Editor Mark Soltau who interviewed you and ask him to suggest names of journalists who work for other golf media, or golf bloggers, and might be interested in your story. He might be happy to help. By the way, did you ever thank him for the article? If not, it isn’t too late to send a handwritten thank-you note.

Pitch Bloggers

Bloggers who write about golf or weight loss might love your tips, or a guest blog post. When you pitch them, be sure to mention the Golf Digest article. See How to Pitch the Best Bloggers and Create a Media Explosion.

Those are my tips, Larry.

OK, Publicity Hounds, what about yours? Let’s hear your ideas on how Larry can recycle that great publicity.

Filed Under: Blogs, Business Promotion, Facebook, Magazine Publicity, Pitching the Media, Press Releases/News Releases, Publicity for Niche Markets, Twitter, Writing Articles, YouTube Tagged With: golf digest, larry jacobs, lost weight, roger maltbie, weight loss for golfers

7 ways to use surveys for publicity, PR, business-building

8/13/2010 By Joan 7 Comments

If you aren’t using surveys in your business, you’re missing a chance to read your customers’ minds.

Surveys will let you outsmart your competitors, generate publicity that pulls traffic to your website and blog, and know immediately which products and services your market wants, how people want them delivered, and how much they’re willing to pay.

Yesterday’s webinar hosted by survey expert Jeanne Hurlbert was filled with valuable take-aways that can help any business or nonprofit do more with less, despite the crummy economy.

You can sign up to listen to the free replay of “Your Cash-Generating Crystal Ball: How to Use Simple Surveys to Read Your Prospects’ and Customers’ Minds, Build Lists, Create Products, and Make Money.” Keep a pen and paper close by, because you’ll be taking lots of notes.

I watched the webinar and listed these seven ways Publicity Hounds can use surveys for publicity and to build their businesses:

Speakers and trainers, deliver a mobile survey to your audience while you’re on stage, at the start of your presentation. Ask them what they want to learn, and weave the answers to their questions into your program. You’ll look like a hero on the stage!
Use a customer profile survey to find out what business problems keep your customers up at 3 a.m. Then create products and services that help them solve the problems.
To find joint-venture partners. Once you create that new product or service, a simple survey of no more than five questions can results in hundreds of leads that include names and contact information for people who’d like to help you promote it for a commission.
Conduct an annual survey relating to an interesting, hot or controversial topic in your industry. Brian Kluth, a former church pastor, takes an annual “State of the Plate” survey to see if church giving is up or down. More than 150 media outlets have covered his survey results. You can see his press release, read the survey results and see the array of dozens of media logos at his website.
Conduct a survey that relates to your product or service, ties into an upcoming holiday, and reports on how people behave. One of my favorites is the survey taken several years ago by Iams, the pet food company, on the relationship between people and their pets. It found that more than 90 percent of respondents surveyed admitted saying “I love you” to their pets. The survey results were released several weeks before Valentine’s Day, and the story was covered by top-tier media outlets and picked up by the Associated Press.
To gather dozens of instant testimonials. In a customer profile survey, you can ask respondents about specific products and services, or general comments about things like your customer service. You can use those responses as testimonials on sales pages, at your website, and in marketing materials. That’s what I did when Jeanne created my customer profile survey for me 18 months ago.

How to Avoid Survey Suicide

Jeanne also shared tips on how to avoid what she calls “survey suicide.”

The first questions on your survey should never ask respondents for information about demographics. Do that, and they’re likely to abandon the survey.

You must get them engaged immediately, and Jeanne showed exactly how to do that.

If you think have a good idea for a survey you want to conduct, or even if you have no idea about what you can ask your target market, sign up to watch the 77-minute replay. By the time you’re halfway done, you’ll have all kinds of ideas of how to use surveys to build your business.

Important: At the end, Jeanne made a special offer that expires at 5 p.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, Aug. 14.

UPDATE on Aug. 16 at 9:38 p.m. Central:

I just learned that Jeanne is extending her offer again because so many people who wanted to listen to the webinar were on vacation. Listen by clicking the link above but do it before 5 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday, Aug. 18. If you snooze, you lose!

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Newspaper Publicity, Nonprofits, Publicity for Niche Markets Tagged With: Brian Kuth, customer service, Iams, state or the plate, surveys

How to answer a media leads query & prompt a reporter to call

6/23/2010 By Joan 7 Comments

The free media leads services that connect journalists with sources can be a valuable tool in your publicity campaign, but only if you know the right way to answer a query and convince the journalist to call you.

Otherwise, these services—PitchRate.com, Help a Reporter (HARO) and Reporter Connection—can be a huge time suck, particularly if you’re subscribing to all three.

When I wrote yesterday about how to find journalists online and wow ‘em with your pitch, I got an interesting comment from Shelley Hunter:

“I finally unsubscribed from one of the media leads services because I found myself taking the easy way out. Rather than spending a few minutes each day mining for PR gold, I just waited for the leads to come to me. I combed through the requests and answered those that fit my criteria. But like you said, competition is stiff and only once did I get a call back. At last, it occurred to me that I could have spent all those minutes (that added up to hours) establishing actual connections on my own. It feels like a slower way to go, but one good connection could lead to others.”

I replied and told her that a lot of the return on investment of time depends on your area of expertise, and how many other competitors are within that niche. Broad topics like small business success, for example, can result in hundreds of responses, and you can be sure journalists won’t be reading all of them closely.

So what’s a frustrated, time-strapped Publicity Hound to do?

Media leads services or your own research?

The smart ones will do both. They’ll use these free services AND pan for gold, using the tips I provided in the blog post mentioned above.

Here are guidelines to follow when answering a journalist’s query:

Keep your response short. Absolutely no longer than one screen of type. One-half screen of type is preferred.
Briefly expain what makes you an expert on this topic.
If you can offer the journalist other sources, say so, but don’t name them or provide contact information unless the journalist asks. And make sure those other sources would agree to be interviewed.
Can you provide an image to accompany the story? Mention if you have a bar chart, pie chart, map, cartoon or other graphic, but don’t attach it to the email response. If the journalist wants it, he will ask.
NEVER tell the journalist to “visit my website to learn more about me.”
If you have a contrarian viewpoint on an issue, say so up front. The media love controversy, and your response will stand out from among all the others.
Keep your response on topic. If you can’t help the journalist with the topic she’s writing about, don’t offer your expertise on another topic and NEVER respond to a query only to pitch another story idea. Do this, and the reporter will blacklist you.
If you’re lucky enough to have a virtual assistant, delegate the task of sifting through all these leads.

One alternative to these free services, which can be like drinking from a firehose, is Dan Janal’s PRLeads. For a monthly fee, Dan will send you only the queries that tie into your area of experitse.


Share your own experiences

What kinds of responses have you gotten from journalists using any of these services? What media outlets covered your story as a result of responding to a journalist’s query? What tips do you have to share on how to answer a query? Or is your time better spent building strong relationships with journalists one on one?

Weigh in here.