Yesterday I sent out a notice to several of my friends and colleagues who I know create information products and or offer coaching/trianing and consulting. This was for a new project called 1000 Great Giveaways which you will read more about later.
 One of the respondents was Krishna De of Biz Growth Live from Ireland. I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Krishna for a Women’s talk radio show she produces in Ireland and it was such fun!Â
 
Anyway, she sent me this great resource to include in 1000 Great Giveaways which I thought should also be included here. Here’s the scoop:
 How to attract your ideal clients and raise your profile with the media as an expert in your field using proven no-cost and low-cost on-line PR strategies and tactics
You’re probably aware press releases are a great tool to connect with the media and share with them the great success stories of YOUR business.
But perhaps you’re not confident you have a newsworthy story?
Or perhaps you’re concerned you cannot afford the expertise of a public relations company to assist you in developing your media plan?
Well, in this downloadable 60 minute audio interview, I reveal the STRATEGIES, TIPS and TACTICS on how to create and distribute on-line press releases.
Implementing what I will share with you will not only ensure you attract media attention but also reach more of your ideal clients AND direct more targeted traffic to your web site.
I’ve taught these strategies to hundreds of service professionals and owners of professional services companies just like you.
One of my clients recently achieved the number 2 place on the overall best seller list for all books on amazon.com with the help of the strategies I share in this tutorial.
Want to learn more? All you have to do is go here and sign up for this resource and it is yours – http://www.bizgrowthlive.com/onlinepr/.
BTW, Krishna normally sells this for $97 US and she has offered to my circle for FREE. So hurry and get yours today!
Wishing you much success in your media and public relations campaigns.
 Warmest regards,
Heidi
November 30th, 2007
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Quick-Start Guide to Hiring a Celebrity Spokesperson by Lou Bortone
Celebrity endorsements are a staple in advertising, with more than 20% of all ads today featuring a famous face, voice or likeness. The reason is simple: Celebrities sell. Consumers pay attention to celebrities because they are attracted to the familiar. Using a celebrity to promote your company can add awareness, credibility and star power to your business.Â
To read the rest of the article, visit Sole-e.com Today!
Looking for more info?
Here’s another article I found on the subject: “Add Dash to Your Bash with a Celeb – celebrities at business meetings” - (includes related article on hiring foreign celebrities) by Darcy L. Bouzeos
Have a media marvelous day…
Heidi
November 21st, 2007
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 Shannon Cherry, Founder of Cherry Communications & Be Heard Solutions publishes a weekly audio media tip for her readers and for HER Mastermind Network on RYZE.  Â
In less time than it takes to grab your cup of coffee, you’ll get a quick tip that will help you really get a buzz going!
Go to: http://www.startupspark.com for the latest!Â
And while you are at it, you can check out Shannon’s popular publicity tips at http://www.getfreepublicitytips.com
Tell her Heidi sent you!
ps. If you have a media marketing or publicity tip you would like to share, let me know – we are always looking for timely tips that would be of help to women who want to promote their products and services. Send it to heidi (at) wecai.org with Media Tip in subject line.
Â
November 19th, 2007
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Monday Media Minute, PR & Media Resources, PR and Media Tips |
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 3 Mistakes You Can’t Afford To Make When You Write A Press Release by Paul Hartunian
             Â
You have the story of a lifetime. Editors are going to drop their jaws in amazement. You just can’t wait to get the press release on their desk. You fire up the fax machine, hit the go button and then rush over to your phone to wait for the calls.
And nothing happens.
You check your confirmation sheet, 500 faxes sent out successfully, but still nothing happens. Chances are you’ve made one of the 3 fatal mistakes people often make when sending out a press release.
The first mistake many people make in writing a press release is they allow their own biases to taint their story.
Who cares what you think? It may be important to you, but what really matters is what the editor and the audience he sells to believes.
Andrew Carnegie explains that he loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but he discovered a long time ago that when he goes fishing the fish much prefer worms, not peanut and butter.
As you write the headline to your press release, be sure it pulls at the needs, wants or interests of your intended audience. Every press release needs to be either fascinating, shocking or relevant.
Â
Some stories may seem hard to frame for the general public, but it’s usually just a matter of looking for the proper spin to frame it in.
The fact that the city mall installed an Automatic External Defibrilator (AED) may sound incredibly important to you, but most of the general public will only wonder how much of their tax money was wasted keeping some doctor happy.
If, on the other hand, your headline read:”20 Lives Could Have Been Saved If We Had Installed The Automatic External Defibrilator A Year Earlier” now you have the world’s attention. Which lives could have been saved? Could it save my life? What is this device?
Suddenly the “common folk” see a purpose for it.
The second deadly mistake many beginners make in sending press releases is to package them in flowery colors. They want to catch the editor’s attention.
They hire a graphic artist to draw incredible artwork along the borders, they mold their type into the shape of a tree. Anything you do to set you apart from the crowd will do just that, set you apart from the crowd.
Editors will realize before even reading your release that you’re a beginner. The old timers know better. The very fact that it’s being faxed as a news story gets the editors attention. He’s in the news business. He has to sort though what’s going on to find the information they need during their news breaks.
The headline of your news release needs to be in larger bold type, something that gets their attention. Everything else needs to look simple and tidy.
Delivering your release along with a dozen long stemmed roses will probably get a smile out of the editor, but chances are she won’t bother reading it.
The final mistake many make in composing press releases is to say too much. They’re worried the editor won’t find the story interesting enough unless they get all the details.
If you can’t make the story interesting in 150 words or less, then you probably need to go back to point number one and reframe the story.
A professional press release always fits entirely on one, single spaced page. And that includes contact information and a bold headline on top.
A cardinal rule that’ll keep you out of a lot of problems is to remember always that:
THE ONLY goal of a press release is to get the reporter to call you.
You just need to convince him that there may be something worth looking into here. If they’re at all interested, they’ll pick up the phone and find out more.
Avoid these three deadly mistakes, and you’ll be well on your way. As you write your release, be sure you:
1. Give them what they’re looking for, and not necessarily what you think is important.
2. Keep it simple, don’t use gimmicks,
3. Keep it short and to the point.
Then go sit by your phone and wait for the calls.
Paul Hartunian is widely considered the world’s leading authority on writing press releases and getting free publicity for any product, service, cause or issue.
Subscribe to Paul’s free publicity ezine “Million Dollar Publicity Tactics”. By going to www.HotPublicityTips.
Also be sure to check out all the great free publicity resources at his website www.Hartunian.com.  You can read the story of how Paul used press releases and publicity to become the first person in history to really sell the world famous Brooklyn Bridge at www.PRProfits.com/bridge.html
November 15th, 2007
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Subject: Grab the media spotlight with free publicity.
More powerful and profitable than any advertising you can buy at any price.
Learn how to quickly attract radio, TV, newspaper, magazine and Internet publicity that creates more traffic, more prospects, more sales and more profits in less time at little or no cost…
Admit it. You thought it was going to be simple. Just get a list of newspaper contacts, write a few words about your product or service, click send then sit back and wait for all the reporters clamoring to interview you.
But it didn’t happen.
Why? Because you were told by some so-called guru that it was that easy.Â
But it can be easy, and I want to share with you a great new resource that will help you get the free publicity you want, without paying a fortune.
It’s called Penny Pinching Publicity and it’s from Shannon Cherry, someone I really trust who is truly a public relations professional. What I like about Shannon is that she tells it like it is (It must be something from her old reporter days as a TV news anchor)… and she gives practical publicity advice that you can easily do yourself.
This is not an audio program or manual that all too often leaves you with more questions than answers. Penny Pinching Publicity is limited to members-only, allowing you learn tactics and skills to get you and your business noticed by journalists in your own backyard – and across the country. Designed for anyone who wants to manage their publicity and reputation without paying the cost of a public relations firm, Penny Pinching Publicity is a one-stop shop.
Subscribe by going to Penny Pinching Publicity now!
By subscribing to the Penny Pinching Publicity, you’ll get:
   * “Penny Pinching Publicity”, the monthly newsletter chock full of publicity articles, media contacts, resources and expert advice that will help you craft your own PR to get noticed by the media. Think of it as an extended version of her popular free eZine, Be Heard! With more PR & free publicity tips, more media contacts, and special features only seen in this publication.
This alone is worth the low subscription price, but there’s even more with your membership:
   * A members-only online forum where there’s addition information on publicity topics. It’s also a place to ask questions and have me- and other members – help you.
   * A special section in the forum where Shannon will post the “Hot Lead of the Week” – where you’ll be put in touch with a reporter who is looking for an expert like you for a story that he or she is working on. You’ll get their names and email addresses and their story angles so you can contact them directly. We’re talking big name publications and media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Newsweek, as well as Parents and Ladies Home Journal.
   * Fill-in-the-blank press releases for you to customize and send out. Each month, you’ll get an easy-to-use, press release ready for you to use to get more publicity. But more than that, included is a simple checklist for you to use to get it to the right reporter, each and every time.
   * The latest comings and goings of reporters, exclusive insider media information and much more!
Subscribe by going to PennyPinching Publicity now!
You would spend literally thousands of dollars compiling this information into a usable format yourself and that’s BEFORE even having a chance to use any of it to get free publicity. And do you know how much publicists cost? You can easily pay a $5,000.00 per month retainer and you will most likely be their lowest price client and get the least amount of attention.
But today Shannon’s offering her exclusive tips and techniques to get media coverage for only one penny the first month, then $19.95 every month thereafter. Imagine getting access to thousands of dollars worth of f^ree publicity ideas and media lists for only one cent!
Subscribe today at Penny Pinching Publicity now!
Needless to say, this information is jam packed with the jealously guarded secrets to get you free publicity. Truth is, you’ll never find this in-depth information in any book or manual. But even with that said, just to sweeten the pot a bit you’ll also get three special bonuses to reward you for taking action immediately.
Bonus #1: A media list of the top 100 business publications in the country, with contact details (a $100 value)
Bonus #2: A media list of the top 250 daily newspapers by circulation (a $300 value)
Bonus #3: Master the Media audio presentation, which shares the techniques to get your own PR campaign started (a $37 value)
If you’re not making the most of PR, you’re losing sales. Penny Pinching Publicity puts all the resources of a PR agency at your fingertips, and gives you all the tools you need to get free and credible exposure for your products, services, or company… fast!
Get it all now by signing up today at Penny Pinching Publicity!
 For the cost of few lattes, each month you’ll get all the information and ideas to help you to:
   * get more prospects because they’ll recognize you as an expert in the media, giving you more customers without more costs
   * gain instant credibility and celebrity by appearing in newspapers, magazines and on the radio and TV
   * grab an advantage over your competition by becoming a media darling
Subscribe today at Penny Pinching Publicity now!
Tell her Heidi sent you!
November 14th, 2007
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Last week I had the honor of interviewing Susan Wilson Solovic, Founder & President of SBTV.com.Â
She had some great tips for our audience about how to get involved in Internet television to promote your products and services.
She also had some startling statistics about business women and financial success. Did you know for instance, that less than 3% of all women business owners ever get past the million dollar threshold? That means we as women work very hard (oftentimes harder than men) and yet we cannot create a million dollar enterprise. For me this is quite a wake-up call because it tells me one of two things. Women are either so content with what they do that we don’t care about making money at it or that we haven’t found the right formula (or business) to get us to that level. In either case, I strongly urge those of you stuck in the under a million mark to relook at just why you are doing what you do? And if your ultimate goal is to sell your business and maybe even retire, you will have to do some heavy soul searching to see if your business is worth something to someone else.Â
You can start by getting a copy of Susan’s latest book – “The Girls’ Guide to Building a Million $ Business,” available at Amazon.com and your local bookstores.
Getting back to Susan’s interview – she shared ideas to connect with SBTV.com by submitting “how-to” articles to the network. Many of the contributors become featured members on the home page giving them extraordinary exposure and opportunities.Â
Did you know that SBTV.com recently went through a makeover adding a social networking aspect to the site with community forums and blogs? That means if you take advantage of these two opportunities alone, you stand a good chance of getting noticed. Why? Because the community is in it’s infancy and once it gets going the competition for attention will become harder to get. As soon as I hung up with Susan, I and several people on the call scurried over and signed up, put up our profiles and started conversations! And I invite you to do the same. Just go to http://www.sbtv.com and sign up today!
 And if you are interested in what else Susan had to say, you can get your own copies of the audio program here: http://www.womensmediasummit.com/audio-recordings-on-sale-now/
Have a wonderful day…. and week!
Heidi
November 12th, 2007
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Is there a Wiki in your Public Relations Plan?
If not, perhaps you should think about creating one.
What’s a WIKI? The short answer is this: a wiki is a Web site that allows visitors to add, remove, edit and change content generally without the need to register. It also allows linking among other pages. A wiki can be an effective tool for mass collaborative authoring.Â
And the longer answer, according to the original wiki known as WikiWikiWeb (WikiWiki” is Hawaiian for “quick”) http://c2.com/cgi/wiki “Wiki” is a composition system; it’s a discussion medium; it’s a repository; it’s a mail system; it’s a tool for collaboration. Really, we don’t know quite what it is, but it’s a fun way of communicating asynchronously across the network. I recommend you start with their FAQ page at http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiWikiWebFaq
According to Gartner, Inc. (market research firm in Stamford, CT) 50% of companies will be using wikis by the year 2009. Links to other content can be found within the content of the wiki posts adding value to the wiki itself. People can add to other people’s post generating more depth to the information. Over time the information becomes even more valuable because it can be easily archived and searched.
What are Wikis being used for? Corporate wikis are replacing databases, reducing emails, and using wikis helps companies with compliance documentation issues.
So just how can you create a wiki to promote your products and services? Here are just a few examples of how Wikis are being used in business for collaborative development of ideas by individuals and teams:
The Most Famous Wiki is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia written collaboratively by many of its readers.
WikiHow is a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest how-to manual.
Tiddlywiki helps you keep track of client workÂ
Wmagicallist is a wiki created by several women to announce and celebrate women bloggers by adding to the original “W†list by Valerie Maltoni – Conversation Agent . It uses the Wikispaces.com platform. With Wikispaces (www.wikispaces.com), you can sign up for your own wiki or become a member of other wiki communities.
To jump on the Who’s Who bandwagon The Women’s eCommerce Association, International is creating their own List of Women in eCommerce called WECAI Wikiâ„¢ “to honor all those women who have created an online presence.” This wiki was inspired by the original “W†List. I recently joined the wmagicallist at wiki spaces and am honored to be among such exceptional and talented women.
In fact, you can add your own favorite women in ecommerce to this living and a growing list. And if you are a women in ecommerce you can add your company too.   Let’s see how fast we can grow this list and just how broad our reach can be. Go to http://www.wecaiwiki.com to get started.
Want some more ideas on using a wiki to promote your products and services?
Read the article “Uncommon Uses – What Can You Do With A Wiki” written by Karl Long and Web Worker Daily’s list of “15 uses for a Wiki”.
In addition, here are a few other articles and resources on Wikis you may find interesting:
The Wiki Phenomenon is a wiki that began as an unedited 1,059 word “experiment in collaborative journalism,” written by Wired News journalist by Ryan Singel
Here’s another one about Collaborating with Wiki.
And an overview and tutorial about using wikis for business can be found at Information Week Â
And for your viewing pleasure check out the Video: WIKI WHILE YOU WORK.
I’d love to know how you are using wikis, especially to promote your business. Share your comments and if you’d like, list your wikis here.
Is it time to get YOURÂ 
ON?              Â
Heidi
 ps. I am looking for a wiki expert to interview – if you know of or are one, be sure to drop me a line!
November 10th, 2007
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Recently I read about a local woman, Pamela M. Hutchinson of Davie Florida, the creator of Who’s Who in Black South Florida – a directory of black professionals. She recently passed away and the article focused on how well-received her directory was and also talked about who would take over her legacy.
I thought it was a terrific idea which inspired me to write about it today.
So my tip for today is to create a Who’s Who Directory of a specific group of people or organizations in your community. It is a great way to gain local media attention, exposure for your business and to become the go-to person in networking.
In fact, in the mid ’90′s I compiled a list of Women’s Organizations in my county that in 3 years time grew from 72 to over 450 in our tri-county area. My team and I are getting ready to publish the 7th Edition (it comes out every 2 years). This year we are doing it as a downloadable PDF simply because of the cost and time involved in printing it together. It has positioned me as a resource for professional women – especially those moving into the area.  The interesting thing is that local libraries, high schools and Chambers of Commerce have the directory and Chambers often refer women to me to learn more about the directory and groups pertaining to women.
It is called the South Florida Network Directory of Women’s Business & Civic Organizationswill be available online at www.southfloridanetwork.com on or about November 20th in case you would like to check it out.
Wishing each of you a wonderful week… and more!
Heidi
November 9th, 2007
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Here’s a great article I found on pitching your story ideas to the media:
36 Reasons to Pitch A Story To The Media by Don Crowther, 101 Public Relations
Need story ideas to help you get free publicity for your business? I bet that you’ve got 5-10 of them sitting there in your business right now, just waiting for you to pitch them to a reporter.
Here are 36 reasons to pitch a story to the media.  Some are obvious and traditional, others aren’t. But, hopefully, this list will spark some ideas in your mind to get you to pick up the phone and call a reporter today!
1. New product
We normally think of new products as an opportunity for advertising, but every new product that’s newsworthy deserves a pitch! These can be some of the most interesting pitches, as you can build whole stories around the product’s usage in the lives of the reader.
2. New test results showing your superiority
           Customers like to know who has the best quality. If you’ve got an unbiased test that proves it, this can make great news.
3. New hire
           Is your new hire perfect PR material for your company? Let the media know. Plus, it introduces him/her to the media so that you can use them as part of your PR strategy in the future.
For the rest of the ideas, visit: http://101publicrelations.com/36reasons.html
November 5th, 2007
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Lights, Camera, ACTION!
On Tuesday November 6th at 4pm Eastern (3pm Central, 2pm Mountain, 1pm Pacific) Time George Wright, Vice President of Marketing for Blendtec with be with us. Blendtec is the company that earned fame and fortune with their Will It Blend Videos earning international recognition and more. George is going to share his experiences using YouTube to promote their BlendTec products.
On Wednesday, November 7th at 1pm (12 Noon Central, 11am Mountain, 10am Pacific) time, Susan Wilson Solovic, CEO of SBTV.com – small business television will be joining us. SBTV.com is the first and only video news and information destination site for American’s small businesses. Solovic began her professional career as a television news anchor and reporter for NBC and CBS affiliates. Subsequently, she joined a Fortune 100 company where she was named executive vice president, director of corporate marketing, of the firm’s international asset-based lending division. Solovic is the author of three books, “The Girls’ Guide to Power and Success,†“Reinvent Your Career: Attain the Success You Deserve and Desire” and her Her latest title, “The Girls’ Guide to Building a Million $ Businessâ€
You can join us LIVE for both of these sessions when you register at http://womensmediasummit.com/register/
If you are unable to attend, you can purchase the audios and you will have access to these and the other 16 Interviews we have hosted over the past two weeks.
Here’s the link: http://www.womensmediasummit.com/audio-recordings-on-sale-now/.
Hope to see you there!
November 2nd, 2007
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Internet TV & Video, PR and Media Tips |
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