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Free call today on ‘Secrets of Publicity Superstars’

8/5/2010 By Joan Leave a Comment

If you’re around today, Thursday, Aug. 5, join Steve Harrison for a free webinar (or teleseminar) and discover 12 strategies you can use to get more publicity. It’s called “Discover the Secrets of the Publicity Superstars & Get a Lot of Media Coverage.”

The call is at 2 and 7 p.m. Eastern.

Steve will be talking about things you can do right away to score more media coverage including:

  • What one Publicity Hound did get on Fox News Channel repeatedly.
  • A clever thing Robert Kiyosaki did to catapult sales for his bestselling book “Rich Dad Poor Dad.”
  • The two types of stories you need to tell if you want to sell more on radio shows.
  • Publicity strategies you can glean from watching Donald Trump, Suze Orman and Dr. Oz.

You’ll learn some great stuff so I hope you can make it.  The call is part of a free series of calls that Steve is offering to promote the National Publicity Summit Oct. 20-23 in New York City, where 100 pre-qualified Publicity Hounds will be able to meet dozens of journalists and broadcasters face-to-face and deliver a pitch.

I’m promoting the summit as an affiliate, because I’ve received great feedback from people whose topics were a perfect fit for the event.  If your topic is better suited to trade publications, or niche publications, you probably won’t be accepted.

Register for today’s call. If the time is inconvenient for you, recruit somebody to listen and take notes.

Filed Under: Magazine Publicity, Newspaper Publicity, Pitching the Media, Radio Publicity, TV Publicity Tagged With: , ,

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

6/23/2010 By Joan 3 Comments

Woman writing in a spiral notebookThe 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.

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Magazine Publicity, Newspaper Publicity, Pitching the Media, Publicity Resources, Publicity for Niche Markets, Radio Publicity, TV Publicity Tagged With: , , , , , ,

How to find journalists online and wow ‘em with your pitch

6/22/2010 By Joan 5 Comments

The next time you want publicity, do two things that 99 percent of the other people who want publicity fail to do.  
    
First, vow that you won’t use the “spray and pray” technique.  That is, spraying the same one-size-fits-all pitch or press release to dozens or even hundreds of journalists, and then praying they’ll call you. 
    
Second, target a short list of journalists.  And then find out all you can about them before delivering your customized pitch.  It’s easy, actually, because journalists are leaving clues EVERYWHERE online about the kinds of stories they think are important, the kinds of expert sources they’re looking for, and how to contact them. 
    
Think of it as a treasure hunt.  Do it right and you could strike gold.  Here are six places to look for those valuable nuggets, which I shared during the webinar “How to REALLY Use Publicity as an Online Marketing Channel and Zig When Everyone Else is Zagging.”
     
    
1. Find out if the journalist blogs

Some journalists blog as part of their job.  Others blog on the side because they’re passionate about a topic. 

I wrote about how I picked up all sorts of valuable clues by spending a little time reading the blog written by Deborah Kotz, senior health writer for U.S. News & World Report. 
    
I learned, for example, that she’s a penny-pincher and hates bottled water. I also learned that two years ago, she thought about her risk of staying on birth control pills until she reaches menopause, and lamented the dearth of research on the long-term use of contraceptives by women.
   
If I had spent a few hours searching for clues, I’d find a lot more than that.  But I’d NEVER find that kind of personal information in those expensive media directories.  Here’s why this kind of research is so valuable. 
    
If you sell a product or service, or promote a cause or issue, related to women’s health, Deborah already has given you dozens of valuable clues at her blog that you can tie to your pitch. Be sure to read the comments at a journalist’s blog, where the journalist often replies and leaves even more clues about topics she thinks are important.  
     
     
2. Look for journalists on Twitter
    
If a blog can provide that much information, imagine what you can learn by following the journalist on Twitter.  Here are seven places to look for reporters, editors, freelancers, broadcasters, radio talk show hosts, TV news anchors and other journalists:

JournalistTweets.com: Allows you to track what journalists are writing about you or your subject.  Includes email alerts.  Also allows you to locate journalists on Twitter by subject interest.  
    
JustTweetIt.com: Features more than 175 reporters and editors. 
    
MediaonTwitter.com: Features thousands of journalists in 11 countries by name, Twitter ID, title/beat and media outlet.  
   
Muckrack.com: Features journalists by beats (world, U.S., politics, business, technology, sports, arts, etc.) and media company. 
    
Listorious.com (U.S.):  Harry Hoover’s list of more than 250 U.S. journalists, including Rachael Maddow, George Stephanopoulos, David Gregory and Terry Moran.  
    
Listorious.com (Canada):  A list of more than two dozen Canadian journalists, compiled by Harry Hoover.

Listorious: Harry Hoover’s list of more than 300 media outlets, including top-tier outlets. 

Follow a journalist who you want to pitch.  But don’t expect journalists to follow you back.  Some aren’t interested in following other people.  They use Twitter primarily to find leads and sources for stories.  Even so, look for gold in their tweets.
     
    
3. Look for journalists on Facebook 
    
Search for journalists by name, or search for the media outlet’s Fan page.  You can also use the search box to search by job title such as “reporter,” “editor” or “freelancer.”  Journalists frequently use Facebook to issue a call for certain types of experts they need to interview, or let their friends know about the types of stories they’re working on.
     
    
4. Pan for gold at their company websites 
    
Many newspapers and magazines have online versions that include many more articles than can fit into the printed edition.  Some even have videos.  Often, you can leave comments.  One annoying feature of many of these sites, however, is that you must create an account and log in with a username and password.  But sometimes, it’s worth it.
     
     
5. Read the editor’s column
     
One of the most valuable places to pan for gold in a newspaper or magazine is in the editor’s column.  It provides valuable clues about new features and departments, new freelancers and photographers who are contributing to that issue, trends the publication is seeing, and other information the editor thinks is important. 
    
Editors often write about their personal lives, too.  One smart Publicity Hound I know responded to a column from an editor and ended up in an article in the magazine.  
    
Dr. Robert KotlerHe’s Dr. Robert Kotler, a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, who was reading a copy of American Way, the in-flight magazine published by American Airlines.  In the May 1, 2009 issue, executive editor Adam Pitluk wrote about how his circle of friends has changed over the years. 
     
“I sent him a letter respectfully taking issue with some of his contentions and offering an alternative personal viewpoint,” Dr. Kotler told me.  “He does not keep long friendships.  I do.  A la my closeness with my fraternity brothers from our days at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1960-64).”
    
Adam called Dr. Kotler and told him he appreciated the letter.
     
“When I had his ear, I said, ‘You know, l have an idea for a story regarding how patients are coming from abroad to Beverly Hills for cosmetic surgery.  Of course, they should be traveling here on American.  I’ll send you an outline of what I think might be an interesting story for your readership.’” 
    
Dr. Kotler followed up and sent statistics about Beverly Hills as a magnet for cosmetic surgery.  Not long afterward, Adam told Dr. Kotler he’d probably assign the story and a writer. 
    
“And then it happened.  An excellent writer in New York called and interviewed me and Dr. Stuart Linder, another plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills,” Dr. Kotler said.  The article, titled Vacationing for a New You, appeared in the Feb. 15, 2010 issue. 
   
Publicity in inflight magazines is a wonderful way to get in front of business travelers and others with a high disposable income. See “Special Report #29: Fly High with Publicity in the Inflight Magazines.” It includes contact information and pitching tips for more than 50 magazines.   
     
   
6. Subscribe to media leads services

Three free media leads services provide hundreds of leads online, five days a week, from print and broadcast journalists, podcasters, bloggers and others who are looking for specific types of sources. 
    
I don’t consider this “panning for gold” because thousands of other Publicity Hounds subscribe to these services, and the competition is stiff.  Even so, you’d be crazy not to subscribe. 
    
Sifting through all these leads is time-consuming, but you can delegate this task to an assistant, or a VA.  Here are the services where you can subscribe and receive your leads by email: 
     
HelpaReporter.com
     
PitchRate.com 
     
ReporterConnection.com

PRLeads.com is a similar fee-based service that sifts through the journalist queries for you and gives you only those that pertain to your area of expertise. 

Now that you know where to look, grab your pan, and go find some gold!  And when you get publicity, please share it with me.  I’m always looking for success stories for “The Publicity Hound’s tips of the Week,” my weekly ezine, and this blog.

Filed Under: Blogs, Facebook, Magazine Publicity, Media Leads, Pitching the Media, Publicity Resources, Publicity on the Internet, Radio Publicity, TV Publicity, Twitter Tagged With: , , , , ,

New to publicity? Here’s a free 6-part email course

6/8/2010 By Joan Leave a Comment

Business section of a newspaperIf you’re new to publicity and you don’t know where to start, here’s one of the best places.

Sign up for a free subscription to PitchRate.com, a service that  connects sources with journalists, bloggers and anyone who provides content. 
    
PitchRate was created by Drew Gerber of Press Kit 24/7. I wrote all about here when it first debuted.  I’m mentioning it now because Pitchrate has recently added a free 6-part course as part of its service. It covers:

Part 1: How to stand out from the crowd and brand what’s unique about it.

Part 2: How to make it easy for customers and journalists to find you online.

Part 3: Who wants your expertise? How to position yourself as an expert.

Part 4: How to grab the media’s attention by creating the perfect pitch.

Part 5: How to get to the point and use sound bites.

Part 6: How to maximize your publicity by leveraging the coverage you’re getting to attract more traffic and leads to your website.

“We developed this course to provide people with a basic knowledge of how to catapult their business using media coverage to get maximum results and generate revenue,” said Shannon Nicholson of PitchRate.
    
Throughout the six-session couse, they share resources that help you take it a step further. I’m promoting the course as a compensated affiliate.  
     
When you visit the PitchRate website, you can log in as a journalist or a source. So keep this site in mind if you need to connect with sources to interview for a book or freelance writing project or a podcast. (Shutterstock photo)

Filed Under: Blogs, Magazine Publicity, Newspaper Publicity, Publicity Resources, Publicity on the Internet, Radio Publicity, TV Publicity Tagged With: , , , , ,

9 of 10 pet owners say ‘I love you’ to their dogs & cats

5/1/2010 By Joan Leave a Comment

muscular man kissing his dogIf you have a dog or cat, I’m betting that, at least once, you’ve looked it in the eyes and said “I love you.”

That’s because a clever survey by Iams, the pet food company, showed that 91 percent of customers it contacted several years ago admitted whispering those three little words to their furry friends.

The company wisely publicized the survey results to coincide with Valentine’s Day.  Hundreds of newspapers, magazines and TV and radio stations picked up the story.

Surveys on topics that are fun, edgy, heart-warming, controversial, timely or compelling can generate mountains of publicity.  They can also do something else.

They can tell you EXACTLY what products and services your customers want and EXACTLY how much they’d be willing to pay for them.

Surveys have been the best-kept secret among Publicity Hounds and successful entrepreneurs–the cute little trick that has boosted PR campaigns and let top marketers create products to order, get proof to convert prospects and keep customers buying, and find the ticking time bombs in our businesses before they explode.

Let the Survey Expert Help You

Jeanne Hurlbert, survey expertMy business partner, Jeanne Hurlbert, PhD, is one of the world’s foremost survey experts.  She’s so good at surveys that she’s helped people like The Tony Robbins Companies, Ali Brown, and Joe Polish.  She also created my own customer profile survey last spring, and I’m using the results as a roadmap to guide my business.

She and Mike Koenigs are hosting a webinar called “Your Cash-Generating Crystal Ball: How to Use Simple Surveys to Read Your Prospects’ and Customers’ Minds, Build Lists, Create Products, and Make Money.”  It will be at 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 4.

They’ll show you how to jumpstart your business by putting your publicity, and your profits, on steroids.

And if you don’t HAVE a business yet, the news is just as good: They’ll help you start one, create products that generate revenue, and build your email list, in as little as 2 weeks.

You will learn:

  • How you can use your own surveys and other people’s surveys to generate buzz in traditional media and social media.
  • How you can create and use good data that will capture the media’s attention and tie into your expertise.
  • The 3 key questions that can build a bond and trust with your customers, and spell the difference between falling victim to this economy or making a fortune from it.
  • How the first question can increase your click-through and conversion rates by as much as 45%–and how the next big wave in social media can let you increase those conversions even more.
  • How the second question will let you create products to order and how you can make your customers feel so invested in those products they’ll beg to buy them.
  • How the third question can generate 3 forms of “social proof” that convert prospects and keep customers buying, over and over.
  • Why thousands of online marketers are leaving money on the table and risking trouble with the FTC by relying on testimonials for social proof.
  • How you can use 3 simple skills to ramp up your profits through social networking, social media, and surveys.

And then, she and Mike will explain the secret weapon that lets you know who your prospects are, what they want and how they think.

Sign up here now.

P. S. When you sign up, you get 2 special reports—and one is about how a survey transformed my business.  On the call, Jeanne and Mike are giving away two things to five lucky winners: a cool new product that will be sold for at least $97 and another helpful special report.

(Shutterstock photo)

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Holidays, Information Products, Magazine Publicity, Newspaper Publicity, Pitching the Media, Press Releases/News Releases, Radio Publicity, TV Publicity Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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