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Need local publicity? 6 tips for pitching Patch.com

5/20/2011 By Joan 7 Comments

If you need local publicity, and you live in one of 19 states in the United States, or the District of Columbia, Patch.com is almost begging for your pitch.

A memo from Patch editor-in-chief Brian Farnham outlines a plan to increase traffic by increasing article production.

Patch currently requires every site to post a minimum of four times per day, but many are not. Hence, the memo.

Patch covers California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

It loves news about new businesses, community events, local government, crime, items for the events calendar, columns from local residents and government officials, news tips, and the all-important and often overlooked photos and videos.

This is the perfect time to pitch Patch for another reason. AOL Inc, which owns Patch, is launching 33 sites in New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina, key states that play an early role in the U.S. presidential election.

How to Pitch Patch

Build a relationship with Patch writers and editors. Spend time at the Patch site for your community, and identify who is responsible for your local news. The editor’s name and email address is under the logo at the top of the page.
Email the editor and ask questions. I’ve found Patch writers to be incredibly helpful and friendly.
Many Patch writers are former journalists. And all journalists love to report news first. Keep Patch in mind when hear a newsy item about something in your community.
Add Patch to your media database. Every time you write a press release, ask if the content is something that Patch would like.
Is your business doing something new? It’s much easier to get business stories onto Patch than it is to get your story told in your local business journal, which usually requires multiple sources.
Don’t forget about stand-alone photos with captions, and video. (See How to Use Photos & Graphics in a Publicity Campaign)

One of the other reasons Patch is such a super tool in a publicity campaign is because people can sign up for the Patch newsletter in their community, and receive email alerts. I’ll often stop what I’m doing when I see the Port Washington/Saukville (Wisconsin) newsletter arrive in my Inbox.

What kind of publicity have you gotten from Patch? Do you have any pitching tips to add to my list?

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Citizen journalism, General, Newspaper Publicity, Photos & Graphics, Pitching the Media, Press Releases/News Releases, Publicity Resources, Special Events, The Local Angle, Video Tagged With: business journals, community calendar, community journalism, local news, local reporting, news photos, Patch, Special Events

Add visual pizzazz with this versatile graphics toolkit

3/30/2011 By Joan 20 Comments

If you’re like me, you rush over to one of the stock photo services when you need a graphic for your website, blog, a press kit, a sales page, or a Facebook Note.

But even at a buck or two each, you can burn through your credits quickly.

I just discovered the really snazzy Marketing Graphics Toolkit for only $10.95. It comes with 21 modules of premium graphics content. Here are a few samples of what you’ll get, and some examples of how how you can use them:

Red Arrow Buttons—Lots of Them!

Perfect for sales pages, icons on my Facebook page, and to draw attention to parts of a blog post.

Price Badges

A set of nice looking price badges in five different colors. You can add these to your order buttons, put them on top of your ebook covers, or use them in your sales copy. You get web ready transparent PNG files ($9.95, $19.95, $29.95 and $39.95) + you also get PSD source files so you can make it say any price you want.
five price tags that say Only $9.95

High-Res Ebook Covers, Including 3D

I’m going to use these for my 52 special reports. I don’t have graphics on the sales page, just the titles of the special reports, and the visuals will help me sell more of them.

Visual Headlines

Visual headlines on sales pages are a great way to REALLY make your headlines pop. You’ll get two visual headlines: one for main headline and one for sub-headline. They come in layered PSD format so you can easily modify the text in minutes. You also get different highlight and underline effects.

Guarantee Stickers

Tests show that a guarantee can boost your sales drastically. You get a set of professional guarantee signs in 8 different colors, including transparent PNG files and also source PSD files.

Handwritten Fonts

With handwritten fonts, you can add some personal notes to your website, blog and Facebook Welcome Page that say things like “check this out,” “watch this video,” etc. You’ll get direct links to websites where you can download several fonts.

Premium Header Templates

You’ll get several premium website headers for your blog or sales pages or blogs. They come in layered PSD format and all of the elements on the headers can be modified. You can change the text, change the colors, add your own images, move things around, combine elements from one header with another, etc. Lots of possibilies for customization, or just use them as is after editing your own text.

Buttons and Checkmarks

There are dozens of uses for these—press kits, web pages, marketing materials, your blog, Facebook fan pages, etc. They come in transparent PNG format so you can use them on any color background. You also get source PSD files.

This is just a small sampling of what you’ll get. You’ll also find Add to Cart buttons, call-to-action buttons, backgrounds for PowerPoint slides, numbers icons, footers, photo frames and lots more.

Full disclosure: I get paid affiliate commission if you buy, so don’t get confused if it looks as though you’re buying directly from me. Max, the designer, is simply depositing the money directly into my PayPal account. I think you’ll like this package so much that you, too, can join the affiliate program and earn commission that’s deposited directly into your PayPal account. You don’t even need a shopping cart.

Update on April 5, 2011: If you buy this package, you’ll be taken to a page and offered another product. On that page, scroll to the bottom to find the download link for the graphics package. Many of my readers were confused about this. So was I.

Share this on the social media sites, at your blog, in your newsletter, in your speaker handouts and in other marketing materials. Your followers will love you—and your classy looking website, blog and marketing materials.

Click here to read the testimonials and see what else is in the package.

Filed Under: Blogs, Business Promotion, Holidays, Photos & Graphics, Video Tagged With: buttons and badges, marketing graphics toolket, sales guarantees, website graphics

CEOs: Unusual hobbies, collections? Forbes wants you

12/28/2010 By Joan 1 Comment

Think beyond the office when you’re pitching stories about yourself or your company to journalists and bloggers.

If your CEO has an unusual hobby or collection, Kym McNicholas of Forbes wants to know about it. She’s an anchor/reporter for the Forbes Video Network and reports and produces mostly video business stories. She she also contributes to her blog and sometimes to the magazine.

“I love ‘unique’ entrepreneurial stories. I especially enjoy writing about executives who excel outside the boardroom with special hobbies, sports, charity, or collections.”

For example, she wrote this blog post about Tom Georgens, head of NetApp, a Silicon Valley data storage firm, who competes in ham radio contests, in what’s called “Radio Sport.” It’s where amateur radio owners try to communicate with as many people around the world as they can in 48 hours.

She also wrote about Paul Pluschkell, the CEO of Spigit, a Silicon Valley idea management software firm, who coaches his Babe Ruth World Series winning baseball team, made up of 14-year-old and 15-year-old boys from Pleasanton, California – just east of Silicon Valley. Between work, family and the softball team, Pluschkell is lucky to get 4 1/2 hours of sleep each night.

In my ebook, How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound, I include dozens of ideas on how people can generate publicity for themselves and their businesses. Check out the free sample chapter of publicity tips. If you don’t have an unusual collection, one of these ideas will click with you.

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Magazine Publicity, Pitching the Media, TV Publicity, Video Tagged With: ceo collections, ceo hobbies, forbes video network, kym mcnicholas, paul pluschkell, radio sport, tom georgens

Here’s a handy checklist for writing press releases

10/29/2010 By Joan Leave a Comment

The next time you write a press release, use BusinessWire’s handy checklist so you don’t forget key elements of the release.

Its 11 pointers include things that are easy to forget like HTML formatting, using keywords and hyperlinks, and including video. (A few days ago, I wrote about 19 opportunities to use hyperlinks in press releases.)

The list is excellent, but I disagree with item Number One: “Make sure your press release contains actual news.”

Gone are the days when we had to worry about insulting journalists with press releases that weren’t newsworthy. Today, now that we’re posting them online, we can reach consumers directly by writing press releases even when we have no news to report. A release can include a list of tips on how to solve a problem, how to use a product we sell, or it can include our opinion about something that isn’t particularly newsworthy.

Smart Publicity Hounds understand that press releases seldom result in big stories in the media. We write many of them for the search engines so that consumers can find our information without waiting for journalists to report it.

Even so, I like this checklist. You’d be smart to keep it nearby.

If you need more help writing press releases and distributing them online, sign up for my free email course, 89 Reasons to Write Powerful Press Releases. It’s like earning a master’s degree in press release writing.

Filed Under: Newspaper Publicity, Video Tagged With: businesswire, how to write a press release, news releases

Use hyperlinks in press releases: Here are 19 ideas

10/28/2010 By Joan 2 Comments

The next time you write a press release, don’t forget hyperlinks.

Too many writers do. Or they’re simply unaware of the three most important reasons to include them: they improve your search engine optimization, drive traffic to your website, and amplify your message.

Used correctly, links can also push consumers to take the action you want them to take, whether it’s buying a product or calling for a reservation.

Business Wire has a helpful White Paper, ” Six Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Press Release,” that you can download for free, and using hyperlinks is one of the tips. The White Paper givest two examples of when you should consider linking. If the release includes a quote from your CEO, link to the CEO’s bio. If the release announces a new business opening, link to a map that shows readers where it’s located.

17 Other Opportunities to Use Links

Here are 17 of my own ideas:

A sales page, where brilliant sales copy can push consumers to buy your product or service.
A video that demonstrates how to use the product you’re writing about, or provides helpful tips that tie into the topic of the release.
A page of testimonials from happy customers.
A blog post you’ve written where your readers are engaged in a lively conversation about a particular topic.
An earlier press release that offers more perspective on the topic.
A podcast that ties into the topic.
Your online press room where journalists and consumers can find more background information about you and your business.
Your social media profiles, with a recommendation that readers follow you.
A page at your website that includes an opt-in box where people can request something like a free White Paper, special report, or list of helpful tips.
A book you’re selling on Amazon.com.
A page at your website that includes frequently asked questions.
A page at your website where visitors will find product photos.
Quotes from analysts.
A page where readers can ask you a question about a particular topic. (A great way to generate sales leads!)
Reviews from customers.
An online catalog.
A photo gallery that ties into the topic of the release

But Don’t Go Overboard

A word of caution. Don’t go nuts when using hyperlinks.

Press release expert Janet Thaeler, who was my guest during a teleseminar on how to use keywords in press releases, says a good rule of thumb is one link for every 100 to 150 words in the release. Use more than that, and the release can annoy readers as well as the search engines. It will look like you’re spamming.

If you need more help on how to write press release, sign up for my free email course, 89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases.

Those are my ideas. Now, lets hear yours. When do you use hyperlinks in press releases and what kinds of results have you seen?