The "Shameless Publicity" Hound

Sell them when they're buying

2010-12-14T15:35:00.002-06:00

People in the press don’t just work “on the fly”.

Whereas news reporting organizations have to work around breaking
and emerging news stories, most topic specific reporters, whether
newspapers, trade publications, magazines or trade Publications
(Money, Technology, Gardening, Consumer issues, etc)
And radio and TV, (Talk radio, Morning TV Shows) work
with more intention. In other words they plan their stories and topics
they intend to cover

And most publish what is called an “Editorial Calendar”. These
calendars serve as a public reporting of what the media intends to
cover and at what time of the year. (IE June is Pool Safety Month,
February will be tax preparedness month etc).

Although TV and Radio producers do much the same thing, they rarely
Produce an actual calendar. So what to do with this information?

In case of print media, identify the publications you wish to court and
Call or write and ask for a copy of their calendar. With electronic media
NOW is the time to make your contacts and send your pitch letters.

Hosts and producers are NOW actively discussing what subjects
They are hoping to cover in the coming year. Contact them NOW!

Both types of media in these examples prefer the original contact be
made by email. The point is to present your story ideas prior to when
the press will be covering them. This DO NOT mean you cannot pitch
other ideas. This information will however give you a leg up of your
publicity seeking competition – when you know what the media is
“buying” and when.

Last point…If June is pool safety month, Late April, early May is when
you should approach the press. Do not wait until the calendar month!

Get your very own copy of Michaels eZine The Art of Publicity Prospecting
Its chock full of great ideas to help you grow your business and its absolutely free

CLICK HERE http://www.MichaelHartSpeaks.com

Insights from the Inside

2010-10-20T13:19:00.001-05:00

If you’re already in the habit of contacting the press, great! Keep it up. But here’s a little tough love. If you contact a reporter or worse respond to a reporter’s query through a service like HARO (Help A Repoter) or Profnet, and send them an unsolicited link to your web site you are wasting your time.

We The Media)WILL NOT follow our links. The primary reason is time. My weekly radio program has to field between 600 and 800 queries a month. Can you imagine what Fox News deals with?

I cannot tell you how many times I get something like

“Hey Michael check out my web site”

AND THAT’S IT! It’s insulting, amateurish, makes you appear lazy and implies you do not respect the reporters time. There are thousands of people that pay PRNewswire thousands and get little or no response and wonder why. This is why.

The link is okay at the conclusion of your query response, but should be preceded with the line:

“For more information go to”

Reporters are looking for answers. As the expert that’s your job. Don’t make reporters do even more research they don’t have time for in the first place

A government that controls the press – controls the people

2009-12-10T12:27:00.001-06:00

In a recent survey up to 90% of Americans that regularly read the news get at least some of their news online. This trend has been growing and has placed a serious financial burden, and even forced bankruptcy on major US news papers as circulation of print media plummets.

But according to Democrat congressman Henry Waxman of California since the newspaper industry is suffering "market failure" the US government will need to step in to help preserve serious journalism essential to democracy.

In a statement during a meeting on journalism in the Internet age hosted by the Federal Trade Commission, Waxman said "The newspapers my generation has taken for granted are facing a structural threat to the business model that has sustained them".

"The loss of revenue has spurred a vicious cycle with thousands of journalists losing their jobs”.

Waxman, who chairs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over the FTC, went on to say "depression in the media sector is not cyclical, it is structural."

"While this has implications for the media it also has implications for democracy," he added. "A vigorous free press and vigorous democracy have been inextricably linked.

"We cannot risk the loss of an informed public and all that means because of this market failure”.

Waxman noted various possible remedies, including new tax structures for publishers, providing non-profit status, changing anti-trust regulations or eliminating a law that bars owning a newspaper and a television station in the same city.
But "as we look at these various solutions, government is going to have to be involved in one way or the other," he warned.

"Eventually, government is going to have to be responsible to help resolve these issues and our whole society depends very much on reaching some resolution of the problem."

When you consider that the first move of any government that is seeking to restrict the rights of its citizens is to seize control of its media,
the idea that the US government should take any stake, let alone a financial one in the media should not only be a major concern to all American’s but one that should be stopped dead in its tracks, before this insane notion has any chance of being taken seriously.

Is print media "finally" dead?

2009-10-09T16:34:00.003-05:00

The recent news that "The Nations Newspaper" USA Today has seen a 17% drop in readership has many in the media ready to declare to cooling interest in print media - especially newspapers - a full fledged press version of the H1N1.

Read the bloody details of the fall here http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9B7NJ300&show_article=1

Powerful Low Cost Marketing Ideas

2009-09-29T12:21:00.002-05:00

The biggest challenge any business owner faces is attracting new customers in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible. Advertising and marketing, and yes there is a difference, can be two of the most frustrating, time consuming and expensive functions for any business.
Despite the importance, a large number of business people are not well schooled in the art of marketing and end up wasting large sums of money due to the perception that the more you spend on advertising the better the response will be.

Although big dollar marketing campaigns can certainly produce big results, ironically some of the most effective marketing strategies are absolutely free. Every businessperson knows the incredible value that comes with a personal referral from an existing customer. There is simply no better lead. And almost all successful companies have a referral program in place.
But in reality all advertising, whether radio, television, print or even internet is in fact referring. The advertisement is referring the viewer or listener to your business. The problem is people know it’s you doing the referring so the message loses impact. This loss of impact comes from the impersonal connection most advertising suffers with. Consumers want to feel connected to the businesses and the people they trade with. Traditional ads simply don’t make the connection.

Sure commercials can tell your story, but traditional advertising can only deliver a one sided, impersonal message. On the other hand when people learn of your firm through by way of some they know they experience an immediate bond with you. This is why personal endorsements from radio and television personalities are so much more effective than recorded spots.
The fact is people that are looking for your products or services are more likely to do business with you if they feel more connected to you – And in tough economic times it makes more sense than ever to put the following proven strategies to work in growing your firm:

The single most powerful, low cost marketing strategy available to any business owner, after publicity is to speak in public. You may not like it, you may not be good at it, but it works and you need to “man up” and do it!

Every day, in every city in America, dozens of business and civic groups meet. They all need speakers and would love to hear from you. Most are populated with people with connections and influence. A single Kiwanis or Optimist club meeting can provide more opportunities than a series of expensive ads.

If your uncomfortable speaking in public join a Toastmasters group. These groups will cost you about $50 a year to join and the chapters themselves are full of connected business people. Offer a “how to” program to your local Lowes or Home Depot store. Call you community college or favorite church and ask about providing a weekend or evening class on carpentry or remodeling.
Join local networking groups. Many national groups such Business Network International exist for the sole purpose of exchanging leads. But don’t stop with the formal groups, you need to look for smaller local groups and make networking a daily practice.

Seek strategic alliance relationships. Also known as horizontal marketing, a strategic alliance is nothing more than agreeing to recommend other service providers to your clients and vice versa. Does your company repair foundations? Then pair up with a pest control company, a plumber, and a HVAC contractor. All three of these industries are in front of your prospects every day. Teach them what to look out for and agree to do the same. You might even create a home services brochure, where each one of you has a dedicated page in the brochure and you split the cost and distribute the brochures to all of your customers. This one strategy alone allows you to exponentially expand your prospect base.

Create a monthly newsletter. Give all your customers a free “subscription” and every month offer tips, updates, discounts and ask they pass the newsletter on to family, friends, and co-workers. Every computer has a pre-installed newsletter template. Use it!
Put your picture on your business card. It’s proven that people will keep a card longer and tend to be more responsive when they can put a face with the company. The picture also helps people recall you after a networking event. And while you’re at it use both sides of the card. The reverse side of the card can be used for client testimonials or detailed product information.
Put pictures of you, your staff, satisfied customers (With their permission) and facility on your website.

When a prospect calls to schedule an appointment mail them a confirmation letter and if possible, a list of customers in their area.

After completing a job, mail a thank you card and include a form asking the customer to refer three people that could use your services. Ask for name, address and phone number. Include a pre-stamped return envelope and you might be surprised at the response.

Perform the occasional free service. Years ago I had a flat tire and took it to a local mechanic. Knowing I had never been to him before and understanding the potential lifetime value of my business, the mechanic did not charge me for the $7.00 repair. In return I gave him over $8000.00 in business until I moved ten years later.

This is a short list of low cost and in some cases no cost marketing strategies. There are dozens more unique, creative ways to establish a relationship with both your customers and prospects. The hyper information world we live in today provides some very powerful ways to get your message heard by the people most likely to do business with you. But no matter how glitzy, fast, or expensive your current marketing strategy is, in the end the people most likely to do business with you are the ones that feel they can trust you – and no amount of advertising can ever replace the personal touch.

Social Media – You had better learn to love it!

2009-09-23T08:37:00.000-05:00

Have you tweeted today?

One of my favorite expressions is: “All because you can, doesn’t mean you should”. But when it comes to social media, such as Twitter, Linkedin, Myspace, Facebook and a few dozen others, this expression should be changed to read; “All because you don’t, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t”.

Social media sites are becoming one of the fastest growing and most powerful marketing tools available to online and “offline” businesses alike.

Warning: All because you don’t understand how social media works or the true value does not excuse you from participating. Here is a simple fact of this medium, and one few social practitioners will tell you. The disadvantages of NOT being on these popular sites are FAR greater than the advantages of using them.

According to numerous media reports as much as 92% of all people get the majority of their news online. Whether you realize it yet or not, your prospects spend more time online than in any other activity, save maybe television viewing and that gap is closing.

In a previous article we discussed the practice of consumers using the web to get information about your firm. Many prospects will use the net the locate contractors, get feedback from customers via chat rooms and service referral sites and even cost compare.

So suffice it to say you simply have to do this stuff (If you just can’t stomach the idea of updating your Facebook page daily or posting a “Tweet” from time to time, turn the project over to your teenager. They love it and understand it better than you ever will anyway)

As of this writing there are around two dozen social sites. But for the sake of space let’s look at the top three. They are, and in no order of significance since they all serve different purposes, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

All three do have a unique platform, but they all serve a common purpose – to locate, nurture and leverage relationships with the people most likely to do business with you.

Despite the designation “Social Media” there is certainly a business application on all these sites, even the supposedly social only Facebook, so let’s start there.

The Facebook platform was designed primarily for people to “interact” online. A basic subscription is free. On Facebook you can share comments of primarily a personal nature, post pictures, links to videos and audio files, play games either solo or with groups, and basically keep your circle of friends up to speed with what is going on in your life.

In recent years people have begun to post links to political and business sites as well as use it to find employment. Today the site also allows you to create your own private or public groups where people can join to find out more about your ideas, products, services and interests.

Facebook, like others does not allow you to link up with just anyone. This site is, in theory at least, designed for people you actually know personally. Of course this can include your customers. The great thing about Facebook is it allows you do something no other traditional marketing technique will – let your customers to get to know you personally while maintaining a measure of separation.

But don’t discount the power of Facebook. More than ever customers and prospects alike are demanding a certain level of familiarity with the contractors they are considering. Facebook allows you to connect on that more important than ever personal level.

Next comes probably the most misused and misunderstood of all the social platforms, Twitter. Essentially Twitter is a micro blog that allows users to communicate in 140 character snippets called “tweets”.

Many tweets contain links to articles, videos and other online files that your followers may find of interest or even simple tips. One Twitter user – a chef from Nashville – uses Twitter to post excerpts from his favorite recipes each day. People sign up to follow his tweets which is free to everyone, so they can put the recipes together and use them. This is a wonderful example of both showcasing your services and maintaining top of mind awareness.

Contractors and remodelers could do much the same thing by giving topical daily remodeling advice or tips. I use Twitter to post the upcoming guests on my radio program and even encourage feedback and questions. You could use one of the online survey sites to create your own customer poll and direct your followers to it via Twitter.

Once you’re signed up – let all your customers know you post daily tips and specials on Twitter and watch your followers and customer base grow. By the way if you have a blog – you do have one don’t you? – you can direct your Twitter account to scroll on you blog. People that find you online via your blog will then see your tweets too and in real time. (You can see an example of this at work on my blog. Simply go to http://www.exploitthemedia.blogspot.com)

Last let’s take a look at LinkedIn. LinkedIn makes no bones about it – “we’re here to do business”. This platform is very similar to Facebook but is all about locating business contacts. While your customers can find more information about you’re here, this site is more about locating other business people, whether in your industry or not, that can help you find a variety of services, vendors, capital, training programs etc. Colleagues can leave recommendations about you – as a matter of fact it’s wise to seek these out. You can post Power Point Slide shows, joins industry groups, locate the power brokers in your industry or town and seek an introduction. There is a whole host of opportunities.

On LinkedIn the people that you know ask for permission to link to you. If you accept they become your first level contacts. But now you have access to their first level contacts. This exponential component to LinkedIn can allow you to put your name in front of literally millions of people in a matter of weeks.

While most puritan LinkedIn users preach only allowing people you know to link to you, you can grow your list very swiftly by joining groups such as Top Linked to explode your data base. It too is free. Check it out at http://www.TopLinked.com

As you can see the opportunities are mindboggling and growing daily. It’s easy to get confused by the best thing you can do is just to jump on in. In time it will all make sense.

What was Maureen Dowd thinking?

2009-09-17T13:04:00.000-05:00

What an amazing week for the Nations news media. Talk about a smorgasbord of subject matter to draw from. But probably the biggest news story was the “You Lie” comment from Congressman Joe Wilson during the Presidents televised Health Care reform speech and the subsequent firestorm.

The issue has ginned comments and commentary from both sides but probably none more incendiary than Maureen Dowd’s musings that what she heard in her head was “You Lie Boy”. Of course the comment is not only ridiculous, but her assessment that she knows what is in Mr. Wilson’s heart and head is purely speculative.

Her attempt at mind reading has confused and confounded both her critics and supporters alike. But if you want to fully understand her position consider this claim, consider this:

Everyone in the media is fighting for attention to be seen and heard these days. The incredible growth in the industry, especially with the addition of the internet pundits, has fostered a climate of shear news noise. It’s painfully easy for the Dowd’s of the world to be drowned out and now many of the mainstream reporters are resorting to the outlandish in an attempt at remaining relevant.

And in the case of Maureen Dowd the strategy is working. Every conservative news outlet on the planet is talking about her and the story. She has not only helped keep the story red hot – she has expanded it.

It does not matter if the allegations against Mr. Wilson are true, and obviously they are absolutely un-provable. What does matter is that Maureen Dowd has done something more and more news pundits are resorting to in an attempt to gain the spotlight – that is no longer reporting the news but rather becoming it.

While it would be easy to dismiss the article as mere journalistic prose by someone who is more writer than reporter, doing so is a dangerous and cowardly stance because far too many people in this country take as fact the opinions of anyone in the press.

So it seems that out of desperation an otherwise competent, articulate, intelligent and trusted member of the media has resorted to the same kind of amateurish antics employed by so many fresh off the vine bloggers and tarnished the reputation she has worked so hard to acquire, in a sad attempt to step into whatever piece of the public spotlight she could find. And did so with no regard for journalistic integrity

An example of some really bad PR

2009-09-15T17:47:00.001-05:00

During a recent interview Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor had some really stupid things to say. Here is an excerpt from the audio and an example of what really bad press looks like, enjoy...

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor showed up for his first game of the year with Michael Vick's name written on his eye black. Then he proceeded to play like Marcus Vick at home. Brian Rolle saved the day with his intercepted two-point conversion, but unfortunately he couldn't save Pryor from a disastrous postgame interview where he tried to explain his face tribute to Philadelphia's backup quarterback. The quote in question:

"Not everybody's the perfect person in the world. I mean everyone kills people, murders people, steals from you, steals from me, whatever. I think that people need a second chance, and I've always looked up to Mike Vick, and I always will."

I would be so offended right now if I understood what the hell that meant. Everyone murders people? When did this happen? If Terrelle Pryor still looks up to his childhood hero, that's fine, but maybe college football players should not be allowed to make any kind of strong statement about the nature of our society. Sort of like how political science majors shouldn't be allowed to lecture me about fascism. I know the manager at your Starbucks is a jerk, but that doesn't mean he's part of the military-industrial-narco syndicate that really runs the Department of Homeland Security.

The power of "Orphan Media"

2009-09-14T12:08:00.001-05:00

A recent article on media trends claims that 67% of all people now claim to get their news reports from the web instead of print papers. If this number is accurate the opportunities for publicity seekers are now officially boundless. Unlike print papers the web presents some fascinating advantages, one being the “inventoried article”.

For year’s sister publications, (Newspapers owned or published by the same group) have shared articles among themselves. I’ve written articles for a Business Journal publication in one city that was reprinted in Business Journal’s in different cities without me doing a thing.

However on the web the dynamic of these inventoried articles changes. Articles are no longer restricted to sister publications. Any site can reprint an article provided proper credit is given and often do so.

Three weeks ago I was mentioned in an article published by Forbes Magazine. Forbes posted the article to their site and within days the article was reposted by MSNBC. Then the Sydney Herald (Yes Australia) picked it up.
Read it here - http://www.forbes.com/wineandfood/2008/06/30/breakfast-spots-business-forbeslife-cx_ls_0630food.html There’s no telling where this one article will go.

But here’s where the opportunity explodes. Many publicity seekers shun pitching smaller web based publications and blogs (I refer to these smaller - independent news providers as "Orphan Media") because they feel the smaller audiences won’t pay off. As I’ve been preaching for years (My upcoming webinar sponsored by PR News Wire is on this exact topic) media outlets are starved for information. So starved they’re willing to publish competing news media’s stories. Smaller outlets are easier to reach, easier to sell, easier to work with and with a little luck your story could travel around the globe.

Don’t fall victim to the belief the articles only trickle down from the big guys. It’s the big guys doing “most of the heavy lifting”. So when it’s time to pitch that next great story idea don’t be foolish. Tell it and “sell” it to anyone that will buy.

The Death of Public Relations?

2008-11-25T08:00:00.005-06:00

Lately there has been a flurry of queries from reporters that use both PR Newswire and Help a Reporter (HARO) regarding information on the future of the Public Relations industry.

Businesses are not only cutting training budgets but slashing advertising and all but emliminating PR and communications departments. These reporters are seeking DIY (Do it yourself) Public Relations strategy information for a wide range of articles. I have also learned of a couple of websites that seek to place displaced PR people willing to freelance, with firms that have dumped their agencies over budget cuts.

The trend seems to be towards helping firms do their own press work. This on top of this companies are seeking out low and no cost marketing ideas to offset the loss of advertising budgets.

To really "stir the puddin", the press is in a panic because the loss of these PR firms and agents means a severe reduction in their sources and fresh story pitches and quotes.

While a dilemma for both the media and public relations agencies this situation provides some incredible opportunities for entrepreneurs, business owners and sales professionals to get some very serious exposure.

The media needs new sources now more than ever and the most prolific contributer, the Public Relations industry is shrinking. Never before have DIY publicity practioners had so much opportunity to exploit the media's appetite for information and gain priceless exposure.

So get those phones and emails buzzing. To learn more about generating your own Publicity go to http://www.michaelhartspeaks.com/ and make sure to check out our marketing web channel at http://www.brighttalk.com/channels/538/view

Wacky Publicity Stunts

2008-11-10T21:26:00.004-06:00

Recently I started a search for some wacky ways PR pros are grabbing the attention of the press. I received literally hundreds of responses. I do this every once in a while to hopefully get your creative juices flowing. The point is to be wacky, creative and COURAGEOUS!
Here are some of the best.

I’m a book publicist fighting to get my clients noticed in an over populated, over stimulated world of books. With around 100,000 books published last year, it can be VERY difficult to make a splash and even harder to make a sale with our dwindling economy. One of the things I’ve taken to doing is raffling off interesting items at our book events. The item needs to be eye-catching, desirable, and relevant. My last two have been very successful in their respective markets. One being a casket bookcase from http://www.casketfurniture.com/ that you can use now to hold your books and later to hold your body (no, really you could actually be buried in it), this for When the Sun Goes Down, a book on planning your own funeral in a fun and creative way. The casket, needless to say, get a LOT of attention everywhere we take it. Bookstores, libraries, trade shows, no one can resist coming to see what all the hub-bub is about around this looming, but impeccably crafted, beautifully creepy bookcase. The second, less shocking, item is a Keurig coffee machine that accompanies a children’s book called Escapade Johnson and The Coffee Shop of the Living Dead. The Keurig is so easy a child can use it and that’s exactly what we allow to happen. Kids who come to the events are given pods of hot cocoa and allowed to make themselves a steaming cup while they listen to the history of their drink as told by the author in the story. The parents get in on the fun too and enjoy tea and coffee while the kids listen. One lucky entrant wins a machine each month thanks to the fine folks at Keurig and our author is known as the guy with the coffee machine, getting bookings all over the region.

Submitted by Carol Corbett Director of Marketing & Publicity
Publishing Works
60 Winter Street
Exeter, NH 03833
P: 603-772-7200
F: 603-772-1980
http://www.publishingworks.com/

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I just did a story on a Great Clips franchise in Safety Harbor Florida that is offering $3.00 Ray Hawk Haircuts in support of the Tampa Bay Rays in the Baseball World Series
Great ClipsShoppes at Harbour Point100 Main Street Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 712-3900
Sandra McKennaMickChick Productions
(727) 243-3299sandramckenna@verizon.net

======

Well the CEO of Canpages shaved his head on YouTube after losing a bet with his SEO over his ability to increase Canpages Unique Visitors from 30,000 to 3 million. Canpages currently receives approximately 50% of the total traffic that yellowpages.ca gets, according to Compete.com, Alexa.com and other online traffic meter tools. People love the idea of a CEO humiliating himself so publicly... see for yourself plan.”(Watch the original video of CEO getting head shaved http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlV8Bpnm5AU

Anne Howard
514) 523-3771 Canada (310)-295-9578 Los Angeles

Stop the bitching and moaning

2008-10-10T07:10:00.004-05:00

The following snipets were sent to me by Vern Harvell of New Hampshire

While not my usual media fare, all the bitching and moaning you hear about this country from the braintrust of the likes of Madonna, Bill Maher, Alec Baldwin, et al have just exhausted me. So I dedicate the following to them and the millions of others that really are clueless

You could have heard a pin drop when in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush. He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'
YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?'
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP!!!!!!!!!!!

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?' Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. 'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.' The American said, ''The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it. 'Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!' The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'

The Power of The Virus!

2008-10-08T10:53:00.001-05:00

Vir-al
"of the nature of, or caused by, a virus," 1948
Viral marketing is the oldest, most powerful yet misunderstood form of marketing a product even known.

Ask most “marketing experts” to define Viral Marketing and you’ll get a response that goes something like: “Marketing that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message through distribution to pre-existing and definable social networks” – huh?
Viral marketing can be better defined as: Getting your message heard by as many people as possible, with the least amount of money, and without looking like a commercial, in other words getting people talking about you instead of you advertising to them.

There is a huge misconception that viral marketing was first use by internet marketers, Hotmail.com often being cited as the first to employ this strategy. While the internet certainly expanded the influence and popularity of viral marketing, it was hardly the first medium to exploit this phenomenon.

A viral marketing campaign is nothing more than a predesigned and managed “word of mouth” advertising strategy. That is getting people talking about you, your products and services. The entire point of going viral (Which means a message spreads like a virus) is to create buzz among the people most likely to do business with you. People buy from people they like and that are like them. Moreover it’s been a long accepted fact that if a person likes a product or service they will typically tell three others. When a prospect hears someone talking about a new product or service, or is referred by family or friends, the person doing the referring is actually endorsing the product or service and there is simply no better form of advertising.

This is viral marketing at its roots. Once you understand the basic concept you can exploit it in greater and newer ways. Internet marketers use viral marketing in a pyramid fashion. That is, create a message and distribute it across the internet through social contacts. One person sends the message to two people, who in turn send in to four and so on. Hotmail accomplished this by offering free email accounts, then embedding the free email offer in all outgoing messages. This way every email sent became an advertisement and by default a recommendation from the sender of the email. This is done in a variety of ways including:

*Video ads such as on Google Video or You Tube. These ads can be anything from straight up commercials to tutorials on how to best use your product, the funnier or more provocative the better.
*Flash games
*Blogs
*Social networking sites like: My Space, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin
*eBooks (Instructional booklets for service vendors are wildly popular)
*Brandable Software (Once know as Shareware)
*Images and graphics
*Text Messages
The point is to create something with your message in it that will be circulated. We’ve all seen those internet cartoons and funny stories, inspiring pictures, etc that seem to circulate over and again. This is an example of viral marketing.

With internet campaigns, giving something of value for free is essential – even if just information. Two great and recent examples are Larry Winget’s postcard service. If you go to Larry’s website you can send a brash postcard to a colleague with Larry screaming any one of a number of rude motivational platitudes. A second great example is from Colbie Caillat. Her song “Bubbly” skyrocketed her to international stardom, bypassing American Idol, by being circulated on MySpace.

But the net is not the only place viral marketing exists. Brick and mortar operations can join in the fun by:

*Offering incentives to existing customers to tell their friends
*Provide complimentary seminars open to the public on their products and services
*Establish themselves as a credible and reliable source for the media. Regardless what you do the media is starved for information and is always on the lookout for resources for quotes and information.
*Offer to write for industry trade publications. These specific periodicals are always in need of fresh new content and are a great and free way to put your name in front of thousands of potential news customers.
*Let mainstream publications know about your expertise as well.
I was recently quoted by Entrepreneur magazine on a concept called Horizontal Marketing. They published the story online. Within days the story had been picked up and reposted on 114 different websites including MSNBC and The Washington Post and it cost me nothing – That’s the power of Viral Marketing. And despite what the internet Gurus preach about social networking to spread your message, there is no faster, more effective or credible way to take you message across the globe then by getting media exposure
*Host Charity Events
*Sponsor a reading initiative in your hometown
*Donate books to a local Library

There are literally hundreds of ways to get tons of free exposure for your product, service, company or cause. All it takes is a little creativity and initiative.

Establishing Yourself as an Industry Expert

2008-10-02T11:25:00.004-05:00

Join me today at 6pm CENTRAL STANDARD TIME when I present

"Establish Yourself as an Industry Expert"

The webinar is free of charge and will be broadcast on my web channel
BMN- Business Marketing Network. BMN is hosted by Brightalk and in addition to my
programs Brightalk hosts hundreds of others to help you grow your business.

Being a member is free so make sure to sign up today

You can find BMN at http://www.brighttalk.com/channels/538/view

Sarah Palin Results

2008-09-25T12:09:00.006-05:00

I recently sent a query to media and marketing experts on why it seems we're seeing soooooo many advertisments featuring women that bear a resemblance to Sarah Palin. And whether I was insane for thinking its a conspiracy

Here are some of the better responses on this marketing phenomenon:
From Deb Robison:
This is an observation two different friends made:"More women seem to be wearing glasses because of her." They both really bought into that idea. Anway, wanted to share that.
Deb Robison http://www.icantkeepup.blogspot.com/

From Teajai Kimsey
Michael -No, you're not insane. I had my reading glasses on and took a look in the mirror and I even resemble Sara Palin... and I really thought my new hairstyle was trendsetting and different! And friends at college even have similar "palinesque" qualities.Have a great day!
Teajai 'T J' Kimsey--
Internet Marketing Consultant &Web Strategist http://www.ideasthatwork.net/

From Bonnie Russell
Dear Michael,
It's very easy to look like Sarah because she is good looking in a non-descript sort of way.
She has a good complexion and no real standout features.

However, the ease of looking like Palin was brought home by the View's Sherri Shepherd, a rather heavy set black woman who appeared in glasses and an upswept 'do'.

Son of a gun, (no pun) there was a resemblance.
Unfortunately, Sherri made the mistake of saying she put on the glasses to look smarter and Joy had a field day with that comment.

However, it's easy to look like Sarah in another way. I noticed her hair was a little stringy, a little dirty during her spot with Katie Couric yesterday and what woman hasn't had that happen?

Meow.
Most sincerely,
Bonnie Russell http://www.1st-pick.com/
We only work with the best. It's simpler that way.

From Matt Scherer
Michael,
It's not the infatuation with Sarah Palin, but the fact that everyone loves Tina Fey. Don't you know they were twin sisters of different mothers who were separated at birth?--
Matt Scherer, President, Scherer Communications
Email: mattscherer@gmail.com
Blog: http://mattscherer.blogspot.com/

Keep em coming gang - I find this fascinating
MH

Google Alerts Not Enough!

2008-09-12T13:29:00.002-05:00

Those of us that regularly submit articles, story ideas, pitches, and quotes to the media know the value of Google Alerts for finding those stories online once published. But Google Alerts only goes so far and reports only a fraction of what is actually posted. If you want to fully capitalize on the publicity you do receive you’ve got to do some leg work of your own. For example: two weeks ago I was quoted by Entrepreneur.com. My Google Alerts notified me the story was posted before the reporter did. However knowing that stories online often get “circulated” I did a Google search and found the story had been published 114 more times and by some big outlets such as MSNBC and The Washington Post.

Not only did several major news outlets post the story, but several smaller corporate newsletters did as well. Many of the smaller publications were related to the Real Estate, Insurance, and Investment industries – That’s MY audience! I market primarily to these groups!

An article printed in a major business publication quoting me is being circulated by the very publications read by the people I market to most often. Now when I contact planners and executives in these fields I can reference my appearance in their newsletters. Yes I could have offered to write for their publications (And I often do) but the credibility would not be the same. The reprints clearly state they came from Entrepreneur, instant credibility!

Second Entrepreneur covered more “geography” with a keystroke than I could have in 5 years. Now when I contact these same publications and offer to write feature articles, my reputation and expertise is already firmly established. I also found the merits of the article being discussed in chat rooms and on bulletin boards visited by representatives of these same industries. And actually posted responses and started new discussions related to “my” article. More than one head popped up once they realized who I was, and that I had “graced them with my presence”
To fully exploit this strategy the publication needs to be larger and widely excepted. Blogs and ezine reprints won’t get the coverage. So go after the larger publications.

Once published, wait a week or so then do a Google search USING THE EXACT TITLE of the article.
You’ll be amazed at the opportunities that stream across your computer screen.

New Webinar Channel

2008-09-06T13:04:00.007-05:00

This Monday I will debut the new webinar channel

BMN - Business Marketing Network
Each week I will deliver timely, powerful, and effective marketing strategies via the web. This weeks program -
Maximizing Publicity - Minimizing Cost
will air at 6pm
The program is presented free of charge
Check it out here http://beta.brighttalk.com/webcasts/775/attend

Wacky ways to get yourself known

2008-08-22T07:35:00.005-05:00

I've always been fascinated by strange, creative and off the wall publicity strategies. From time to time I like to post ideas from the field - especially publicity stunts that go beyond what many people believe to be "traditional media"

The following story was submitted by Shana Mahaffey
Publicist – San Francisco

When Kemble Scott's debut novel SoMa was released, he figured he probably wouldn't be getting on Oprah. As a new author, the chances of getting any publicity were slim to none. He thought it would be especially tough for his book. Set in the underground of San Francisco, he knew that newspaper editors (especially book review editors) tend to ignore work they think is too edgy.
So Scott decided to take the pitch for his book directly to readers.

What could be more democratic than YouTube?

He created a series of companion videos that told the true stories that inspired the novel. Even though SoMa is a work of fiction, the places featured in the book are real. The videos revealed a side of the city few in mainstream society knew existed. Collectively, the videos have been viewed about 60,000 times. That was enough to create buzz for the book.

Scott went from being a relatively unknown writer to hitting the San Francisco Chronicle's bestsellers list the first week the book was for sale. That was before Scott had done a single public appearance, and without any coverage from mainstream media.Eventually SoMa would hit #4 on the bestsellers list. And the story of the YouTube videos became a marketing vehicle itself.

Scott was the first to use YouTube to promote a work of fiction this way, and that led to mentions in newspapers and on the notorious gawker.com blog ValleyWag. An estimated 300,000 different books are published each year in the United States, so it's a monumental task to get one to stand out from the crowd. It's also widely believed that books don't benefit very much from traditional advertising. That's why you don't use TV commercials for books. Instead, books tend to succeed by word of mouth, like one neighbor telling another over the backyard fence. Now, in the grassroots age of the Internet, YouTube can be just like a little neighborhood.

For more information on this Wacky Idea visit: www.youtube.com/kemblescott

*******************************
Thanks Shana

MEET THE PRESS

2008-08-15T15:02:00.003-05:00

This article was written by me and originally published in Association Meetings Magazine last April. You can find Association Meetings Magazine online at www.Meetingsnet.com

On any given day, up to 70 percent of all the stories in newspapers across the United States were either released or pitched by public relations firms, publicists, and corporate communications firms. In the case of business news — often released by business owners or their industry associations — this number approaches 100 percent.

Publicity is such a powerful complement to traditional marketing that most major corporations staff entire departments with people whose only job is to get their company in the news.
Associations too can employ this marketing strategy. And when they do, they see their membership rosters swell, their political and civic agendas gather momentum, and their meetings and trade events grow.

Unfortunately, many organizations fail to get the coverage they desire. This failure comes from a misunderstanding as to how mainstream news agencies work. If you hope to exploit the media's insatiable appetite for information, you must first understand a few simple truths.

First, the media needs you

Most newsrooms are short-staffed and their reporters have little time and need a constant stream of new ideas. You should never allow your organization to implement a new service or product, promote a cause, adopt a new social position, or change leadership without notifying the media.

When your association has a meeting or trade event, alert the local media. If you have a speaker of national prominence on the agenda, alert the media. Will your speaker grant interviews to the press? What awards will be given, to whom, and why? Is the event open to the public? If so, how may someone attend? What industry trends or changes will be discussed? Have you hired a new director? Can you guess? That's right, alert the media.

Before a meeting, you might consider encouraging your members to send press releases announcing their plans to attend to the newspapers in their hometowns. This alone would get your organization coverage in newspapers across the country. And your members will learn a valuable marketing strategy they can use in their business lives over and over again.

Second, reporters are relationship-oriented.

If you want to get expanded coverage for your events, it's not enough to blast-fax a release or send it out on a news wire. While appropriate for simple announcements, such as awards, pitching a feature story idea requires personal contact. Fax or e-mail your release directly to the reporter, then follow up with a phone call. Introduce yourself and confirm the reporter received your release. Then — and this is critical — ask if you can continue. Never begin pitching a story idea without first getting permission to do so.

The media needs you. But they owe you nothing. Help them by providing them a steady stream of new ideas. Respect their time. Treat them as cherished partners. Understand when they decline a story. Become a valuable, trusted, and dependable resource and they will reward you with priceless exposure for years to come.

Michael Hart is a speaker and trainer on publicity. For more information on his programs, reach him at (205) 678-9661 or http://www.michaelhartspeaks.com/. To learn more about this subject, send a blank e-mail to report@MichaelHartSpeaks.com to receive Hart's report, MEDIA BLITZ, free of charge.

Free PR Newswire Seminar

2008-08-15T11:12:00.003-05:00

This link will take you to a recent Webinar I delivered for PR Newswire called -
"Maximizing Publicity, Minimizing Cost"

In this program I reveal some of the more important trends taking place in the media and how to get tons of free exposure for your company, association, meeting, organization or event

http://www.iian.ibeam.com/events/prmv001/26747/

Live Interview with Zig Ziglar

2008-08-12T07:44:00.002-05:00

On my main site www.MichaelHartSpeaks.com I'm building a directory of many of the better interviews from my radio program The Success Radio Network www.SuccessRadioNetwork.net

This week I posted a great one with legendary business expert and speaker Zig Ziglar. You're invited to listen to it here: http://www.michaelhartspeaks.com/Celebrity_Interviews.html

Make sure to visit the site often as I continue to post some of the greatest business interviews from some of the greatest business minds

Pitching Orphan Media

2008-08-04T08:01:00.001-05:00

Complimentary Publicity Webinar

2008-07-27T10:36:00.007-05:00

For August 6th when I host

"Maximize Publicity - Minimize Cost"

Paper or Plastic

2008-07-20T09:46:00.003-05:00

By Michael Hart

You cannot pass through the checkout line at your local grocer without being asked the question; would you like paper or plastic? Of course they’re referring to grocery bags. But in today’s media climate the same question is being asked and much to the concern of print newspapers - plastic is winning.

With growing frequency news consumers are dumping newspapers for the more expedient, and graphically eye-pleasing news found in their plastic laptops. Web based news outlets are growing in popularity at an alarming rate and companies that print news are scrambling for answers. Not only has readership fallen off, so has advertising and can it be, news submissions. Even people looking to get some news coverage are going the way of the web.

On a recent trip to Florida with my family I was passing through Montgomery Alabama when I bought a paper from a roadside vendor. (The local paper, The Montgomery Advertiser, actually puts newspaper sales people on the corners of busy streets on Sunday’s. And they do a very brisk business. This is a great idea and will be a topic for another day.)

In several sections of the paper was a 2x4 ad (Quite large) with the headline:
“Get Published” The news was advertising for … er … NEWS! And it wasn’t just asking for wedding announcements, lost dogs, and anniversaries, they ad was asking for news, photos and events. And the Advertiser is hardly the only paper employing this strategy – it’s happening across the US.

Now before you write me off by saying – “Okay Michael that’s fine but you just said print newspapers are dying”. We’ll they are but they ain’t dead yet and BESIDES all regional papers do what with the news they print?

Right-on! They post it to their web sites too! So whether you have news of a local flavor or need national exposure for books, consulting or seminars, contacting your local newspaper works. You get both the local print story from your hometown, plus you get the much sought after link to your company site or blog.

And search engines give links from media sites higher rankings. (Link rankings are based in part on the number of people that visit the site the link originated from. It’s called a page rank)

Lastly, many papers are owned by “clusters”. (Companies that own numerous papers, TV stations, etc.) When they post to one paper’s website, all of their sister publications have access to it. (This is yet another topic for yet another day) The Birmingham News owns AL.com. Any news item posted here is also seen in Huntsville and Mobile Alabama. So if you want tons of free exposure for your business, want powerful links to your site, and want to build your list of media contacts, start in your own backyard.)

Note: This article was also featured this week in Michael's weekly newsletter "Monday Morning Marketing Minute" Whereas this Weblog focuses primarily on marketing by harnessing the power of the media, Monday Morning Marketing reveals a variety of powerful, proven free marketing techniques. This great small business resource is free. Sign up today at http://www.michaelhartspeaks.com/

Joining the Facebook Frenzy

2008-07-17T16:52:00.005-05:00

Among the social networking sites, Facebook is probably the best known of all of them. Facebook (originally called thefacebook) was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in February of 2004 at Harvard and was originally designed as a hobby project. Within a few months, the idea spread across the college and shortly thereafter Facebook sign-ups extended to Stanford and Yale. Since that time it's grown in numbers no one could have anticipated; in fact, there has been such a change in traffic and demographic that the average age on Facebook has changed to a median 35 -64.

Keep in mind that while these tips are directed to "facebookers" they can often be applied to a variety of online social networking sites. While the set-up is unique to all of them, the interaction, tips for growth, and marketing strategies tend to be the same across the board.

Setting up a Page on Facebook

Unlike Squidoo which tends to be a tad more involved, the Facebook sign up is pretty easy. There are four basic steps to follow:

1) From the Facebook homepage you'll see a screen that asks you to login or sign up for a free account. Click on "Sign Up," which takes you to a Web form.

2) The form will ask you for your name, email, password, and birthday. You'll also have to go through a security procedure which will involve typing a series of letters and numbers. Once you do that (and agree to their terms and conditions) click the "Sign up now!" button when you have completed the form.

3) A confirmation email will pop into your inbox. Simply click the link when you get the email to confirm that you did register and off you go! You're logged into Facebook and can start uploading content.

4) You can start building your network by looking for friends, colleagues, and groups that are appropriate to what you're doing. Join any groups that seem to fit your message, and start networking.

5) Facebook works really well when your page is personalized so add some applications that will further enhance this page. You'll want to add photos, a library where you can select books you're reading or ones you recommend. You can upload video, even the RSS feed from your blog. Making the page as robust as you can is your goal!
Facebook Facts:

More than 60 million active users

An average of 250,000 new registrations per day since Jan. 2007

Active users double every 6 months

More than half of Facebook users are outside of college

The fastest growing demographic is those 25 years old and older

Sixth-most trafficked site in the United States (comScore)

More than 65 billion page views per month

More than 14 million photos uploaded daily
Facebook Tips

Fill out your profile: Seriously, don't leave pieces of your profile undone. Make sure it's uploaded completely. This doesn't mean giving out your home address or year of birth if you don't want people to know your age, it just means filling out the fun stuff like hobbies, books you enjoy reading and so on.

It's not just about you, it's about the community: Remember the golden rules of social media: help first, promote second.

Step outside of your social circle: try getting away from your inner circle and migrate out to other people who might be good networking opportunities. While it's fun to stay connected to all your college buddies, that's not the main focus of your Facebook page.

Slow and steady wins the social media race: The best Facebook pages (and this is true for any social networking site) are built over time. Slow growth is best when it comes to social networking sites so don't force a sudden surge of growth. This will also keep you from getting booted off if you add friends too quickly. Facebook watches for people who are adding hundreds of friends at a time and will lock your page if they think you're over-promoting yourself.

Don't be shy: The purpose of Facebook is to connect and interact with other members, so don't be shy! Interact with people on your friend list by commenting on their pictures, wishing them a happy birthday, "poking" them (unique to Facebook), writing on their wall or throwing something at them (again, this is unique to Facebook). Doing all these things will help others to get to know who you actually are instead of just knowing your name.

Content, content, content: Remember that it's important to add content. You can do this by uploading a video, adding the RSS feed from your blog and a variety of other things. You can also add Facebook applications and there are a bunch to chose from. Spice up your profile using these applications.

Marketing on Facebook: Marketing on this site is done via interaction with members as I've stated before. Interacting with others on the site is a great way to market yourself.
Keep updating your profile: Don't let your profile get stale. Update your status, add photos, answer wall messages and emails.

Create events: Yes, you can create events on Facebook and it's pretty easy to do. Once you have your network momentum going and are adding friends, why not plan an event too?
Add your Facebook page to your blog: Make sure and add your Facebook page to your blog. You can have your web person take care of this for you, it's a simple widget that gets added to let people know you have a Facebook profile.

Keep in mind that there are a few different things you can do on Facebook. There are Facebook Profiles, Pages, and Groups. A Facebook Profile is the standard way to get yourself onto Facebook and if you're just starting out, but if aggressive promotion is what you seek then a Page or Group might be better suited to your needs.

Penny C. Sansevieri
Author Marketing Experts, Inc.Turning Authors into SuccessStories
http://www.authormarketingexperts.com/

Note from Michael:
Penny mentions Content, content content. This is Very, very very important - for any site. News servers such as Google Alerts constantly spider for new content on the web. Remember blog directories categorized blog content differently then web browsers do. So add content frequently to all your sites and yes this includes your web pages too.

Thanks Penny