The Publicity Hound’s Blog  

Twenty years ago, when I worked in the newspaper business, if a local company had delivered to my newsroom a free gourmet burger that I could enjoy at lunch, I probably would have turned red from embarrassment, then eaten it, with my fellow newsroom buddies watching.

Gourmet burgers, after all, didn’t fall into the “anything of value” category that the newspaper’s ethics policy prohibited. Gifts we couldn’t accept included things like concert tickets or anything worth more than about $20. But still, we always felt a little sleazy if we accepted anything from sources, particularly from companies that hadn’t met us, but wanted publicity.

Today, however, I’m guessing that things may have changed. Now that publishers are cutting newsroom staffs to the absolute minimum, journalists are busier than ever. And inbetween writing and editing stories, they’re spiffing up their resumes, hoping to jump ship before it sinks. That gourmet burger might not make a reporter feel as guilty as he might feel if he had job security.

These days, there’s also the world of social media and using it to keep up with what journalists are doing. The July 14 issue of PR Week discusses the “pitch potential” of social media sites and points out the do’s and don’ts of pitching journalists at sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Todd Defren of Shift Communications, creator of the social media press release, read a tweet from a digital editor who was complaining that he was missing lunch because of deadlines. Defren sent the editor a gourmet burger on behalf of his client.

“That wouldn’t have been possible without something like Twitter,” he said.

Are you using Twitter to keep tabs on journalists you’re targeting? If not, you should. In my “Special Report #52: How to Use Twitter for Business to Network, Promote, Sell, Recruit & Profit,” I discuss the Twittering Journalists wiki created by Harry Hoover. It’s must reading for anybody who needs to start forming strong relationships with journalists. See if your favorite reporter is on the list.

***Important note: The PR Week article cautions that PR pros should determine how journalists are using social networking sites and be wary of inviting reporters to join their networks if they have never met. You can still follow your favorite journalists on Twitter, however, and be privy to personal and business information about them–juicy little tidbits that some of your competitors will never know because they’re too busy to bother with social networking.

Posted In: PR Consultants/Publicists, Pitching the Media, Press Releases/News Releases, Social networking, Twitter
posted On: 7/29/2008: 12:32 pm: By Joan
Comments: 1 Comment

This is for the doubting Thomases who aren’t convinced that social networking can be profitable.

I promoted last week’s teleseminar series “How to Use LinkedIn to Promote Anything–Ethically & Powerfully” by creating an event on my Facebook page.  My assistant then invited my 1,028 friends.  At $77, I wasn’t sure how many Facebook friends would attend, but it was definitely worth it.

Fifty-four people RSVP’d to tell me that they were attending, or had already signed up.  That’s $4,158 in registration fees just from Facebook!  Something else started to happen.  I started to build the buzz about these teleseminars.  Warren Whitlock, one of my Facebook friends, wrote on my wall:

Kim Beasley, The Blog Queen, who Warren referred to, has more than 400 followers on Twitter, and I have no idea how many of those people signed up after reading her tweet.

If I still haven’t convinced you, you can listen to social media success stories galore at The Social Media Summit Sept. 10-12 in Chicago, sponsored by Ragan Communications.  I attended Ragan’s “Unconference” on social media last year in Chicago.  I made great contacts, came back with hundreds of tips to share with you, and learned about how to incorporate social media into my own marketing campaigns.

At this year’s summit, you’ll learn about Web 2.0 strategies such as podcasts, message boards, video and wikis.  The conference includes one track for internal communications and a separate track for external and marketing communications. Curious about what Web 3.0 might look like? You’ll get a sneek preview.

I hope to see you there.  This conference is so important that I worked out a special arrangement with Ragan.  Publicity Hounds save $100 on the $1,195 registration, plus an additional $100 if you take advantage of the early-bird registration, which has been extended to this Friday.  To get $200 off and pay only $995, you must use this link.

Let me know if you’re going to the conference.  Maybe we can have coffee between sessions.

Posted In: Blogs, Business Promotion, General, LinkedIn, PR Consultants/Publicists, Publicity on the Internet, Social media marketing, Social networking, Video
posted On: 7/22/2008: 10:12 am: By Joan
Comments: No Comments

Response to the two teleseminars I’m hosting today and tomorrow on “How to Use LinkedIn to Promote Anything–Ethically & Powerfully” has been overwhelming.

I sold the last of the 100 seats on Tuesday morning. (You can still sign up to receive the MP3 audio and electronic transcripts, however.)

Anybody who has a LinkedIn profile must know how to squeeze every last drop of networking out of every single connection.  Or, like many people on LinkedIn have sadly discovered, that long list of names you’ve collected is…well…nothing more than a long list of names.

Many of the 100 people who were on today’s call own a business or work for PR firms.  For them, LinkedIn is a no-brainer.

Social networking is a much harder sell, however, in large companies, based on some of these comments I’ve heard:

“Our boss wants total control over our image.”

(Tell the boss there is no such thing as total control over your image.  Just ask Dell computers, Wal-Mart or any other company that’s been skewered by bloggers and in online discussion groups.)

“We’d rather spend our efforts getting stories in The New York Times and USA Today.”

(Guess where many of those reporters search for sources?  On social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, and at blogs.)

“We’ve decided that Web 2.0 isn’t where we want to spend our time.”

(Too bad.  Your clients, vendors, shareholders, competitors and hundreds of potential customers spend lots of time using social media and Web 2.0 to connect with their key audiences, often with great results.)

Popular blogger and internal communications expert Steve Crescenzo says that two years ago, everybody was talking about Web 2.0 and social media.  Today, the smart companies have stopped talking about it and they’re DOING it.

“I talk to hundreds of communicators every year in my seminars and consulting work, and go into dozens of companies.  And I can tell you this: The time for big talk and theories about social media is over. The time to actually use these tools to dramatically improve how you communicate is now.”

Steve is conference organizer for The Social Media Summit Sept. 10-12 in Chicago, sponsored by Ragan Communications.  I attended Ragan’s “unconference” on social media last year in Chicago and it was fabulous–sort of an unstructured, free-flowing day in which so many tips and ideas were bouncing around that I couldn’t type my notes fast enough.

This year’s Social Media Summit will include example after example of how companies are using podcasts, message boards, social networking sites, video, widgets and other Web 2.0 applications to get closer to their key audiences.  You’ll even get a peek at Web 3.0.

The conference includes one track for internal communications and a separate track for external and marketing communications.

I’ll be there and I hope you’ll be, too.

I worked out a special arrangement with Ragan.  Publicity Hounds save $100 on the price of registration, plus an additional $100 if you register by Friday using this link.

See you in Chicago!

Posted In: Blogs, Business Promotion, Crisis Communications, PR Consultants/Publicists, Publicity on the Internet, Social media marketing, Social networking, Video
posted On: 7/16/2008: 9:34 pm: By Joan
Comments: 1 Comment

Some people collect LinkedIn connections like they collect pennies in a big, empty mayonnaise jar.

They add them one by one, watching the pile of names grow bigger and bigger.  They keep track of how many connections they’ve made.  And they feel pretty darn good when their list grows to 100. ..300…500 names and beyond.

People who don’t know any better view their LinkedIn connections like the rainy fund inside the mayonnaise jar.  They’ll use LinkedIn when it’s time to job-hunt.  But until then, their list of contacts just sort of sits there.

That’s because in the world of social networking, people have heard that they should never ever use LinkedIn to promote.

Don’t tell that to Scott Allen, an expert in social media and social networking and a columnist for About.com.  Since creating his LinkedIn profile four years ago, he has used LinkedIn to:

—Close a 5-figure consulting deal with a company that found him at that site.

—Find an agent for his first book, “The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals.” (You can download the book for free. It’s chock full of excellent examples.)

—Collect feedback from 100 contacts who read the draft of The Virtual Handshake.  Of those, about 80 had never met Scott face to face.  Yet he established such a strong connection with them on LinkedIn that they took the time to not only read his book but provide valuable comments.

—Generate media opportunities.  How many?  “I’ve lost count,” he says.

—Find joint venture partners.

—Connect with authors who interview him and quote him in their books.

Scott calls that promoting.  Not the in-your-face, obnoxious kind that most of us hate.  But the smart, subtle, savvy kind that makes it easy for people to find him if they need the kind of help and information he can offer.

He goes the extra mile on LinkedIn by answering questions from other LinkedIn users whenever he can. 
Add to his 500 connections an impressive 63 recommendations, almost all of them absolutely glowing.

He stresses, however, that someone on LinkedIn with only 70 or 80 really strong connections can make them go a lot farther than somebody with 500 names of people who they barely know. His own connections, I’m betting, are nothing like those forgotten pennies in the mayonnaise jar.  

Scott says Publicity Hounds who aren’t using LinkedIn to promote are missing a huge opportunity.  He’ll be my guest during two teleseminars from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 16, and Thursday, July 17, called “How to Use LinkedIn to Promote Anything–Ethically and Powerfully.”

This series is limited to the first 100 people who register.  On July 16, Scott will explain how to build an impressive profile, use LinkedIn to position yourself as an expert and do all the little extras on LinkedIn that most other people don’t bother doing–things that can really make you stand out from the pack and get found by the search engines.

On July 17, he’ll walk us step-by-step through the entire process of how to use LinkedIn to promote.  He’ll even share case studies of LinkedIn members who have done just that, with great success.

If you haven’t built your LinkedIn profile yet, this teleseminar series if for you.  Even if you’ve been using LinkedIn for several years, we guarantee you’ll learn far more than you know already. 

Posted In: Authors & Publishers, Business Promotion, PR Consultants/Publicists, Publicity on the Internet, Social media marketing, Social networking
posted On: 7/1/2008: 6:56 pm: By Joan
Comments: 1 Comment

Savvy Publicity Hounds are already using Twitter for business and publicity.

Twitter has become so popular, in fact, that almost daily, people are creating a variety of tools and widgets to help you Twitter faster and more effectively, and locate tweets about you and your company. But with more than 350 Twitter tools from which to choose, where do you start?

Today’s issue of Larry Chase’s excellent newsletter “Web Digest for Marketers” includes the top 18 Twitter tools and resources.

Decide which ones you want to use, and then follow me on Twitter.

See “Special Report #52: How to Use Twitter for Business to Network, Promote, Sell, Recruit & Profit.”

Posted In: General, Publicity on the Internet, Social media marketing, Social networking
posted On: 6/30/2008: 3:53 pm: By Joan
Comments: 7 Comments