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In This Issue:
1. How to Make Facebook Easier
2. 31 Definitions of PR
3. LinkedIn: Perpetual Leads Machine
4. Use Sizzling Statistics
5. Free Twitter Bird Icons
6. Hound Joke of the Week
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site...
1. How to Make Facebook Easier
If you're like me, you want to throw your coffee cup through the computer monitor when you can't figure out how to do something on Facebook.
Why do more than 200 million people use that site, then, if it's so darn complicated?
Several reasons:
--Many kids, who grew up with computers and practically live on Facebook, are patient enough to figure out all the nuances.
--Many users have Facebook accounts, but they aren't really active on the site because it's too confusing. So that 200 million figure is a bit deceiving.
--Business owners, like me, use Facebook primarily for business because we know a lot of people in our target markets are there. We also understand the value of creating fan pages and using a powerful "welcome" page that encourages visitors to give us their email addresses.
That's worth putting up with all the aggravating changes that Facebook makes every six months or so.
The most recent batch of changes, introduced last month, offers opportunities galore for businesses, nonprofits and government agencies to solidify their brand.
But some of the changes are more important than others. And trying to understand all of them at the same time can make you crazy.
My virtual assistant, Christine Buffaloe, who manages Facebook accounts for many of her clients, is joining me this afternoon for a webinar on "12 More Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on the New & Improved Facebook." It's at 4 p.m. Eastern Time and we have a few seats left.
We'll explain only what we think you need to know so you aren't overwhelmed, and we'll tell you about the two things you should no longer be doing with Facebook.
You may have heard lots of people buzzing about another new Facebook feature. But we aren't using it, and we'll explain why.
You'll learn about a new tool we discovered that will help you find other people's fan pages where you can post helpful content to their walls, talk directly to their thousands of fans, and get a link back to your own fan page--without spamming.
Register here, even if the time is inconvenient for you, because I'm recording it, and I'll send you the replay link and all the handouts.
2. 31 Definitions of PR
Here's one of my favorite explanations of the difference between public relations, marketing, promotion and advertising:
"If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying 'Circus Coming to the Fairgrounds Saturday,' that's advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that's promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor's flowerbed, that's publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that's public relations."
Now that you know what public relations is, how do PR people explain what they do?
You'll find 31 definitions of PR at Heidi Cohen's blog.
Fascinating reading.
3. LinkedIn: Perpetual Leads Machine
Few social media sites will keep working for you 24/7, even when you're asleep.
But LinkedIn will. Let's say you're looking for journalists who live within a 100-mile radius of Chicago.
You plug in the details of what you're looking for and click. After you review the results, you can save your search.
Here's the best part: You can tell LinkedIn to send you an email weekly or monthly to notify you if a new journalist who meets your search criteria has been found in your network (including Levels 1, 2 and 3 and Groups.) You can keep up to three searches in a free account.
It's a perpetual leads generator. LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth recommends getting on the phone as soon as you see that someone new has become part of your network. Set up a meeting. It could be a home run.
Read more about what Wayne taught recently during my webinar, "Your LinkedIn Power Formula: How to Make Killer Contacts, Pull Crowds to Events, be a Star in Your Industry & Track Down Leads Like a Bloodhound."
I recorded the webinar and you can buy the video replay, the MP3 and all the handouts here.
4. Use Sizzling Statistics
The next time you write a press release or a pitch, think of a clever way you can introduce sizzling statistics to really attract attention.
Brad Phillips uses them all the time. He publishes the Mr. Media Training Blog, which offers daily media and presentation training tips. And he wrote a super guest blog post for me with five examples of how to make boring numbers come alive.
For example, percentages, he says, are a drag on your copy.
"Instead of proclaiming that your plant's new energy efficient manufacturing equipment will cut your company's carbon footprint by 35 percent, tell your audience what that means. Does your new efficiency mean that you will save 20,000 barrels of oil this year? Say so!"
Read the other four tips and leave a comment about how you used statistics.
5. Free Twitter Bird Icons
Looking for some attractive Twitter icons to place at your blog or website or use on your marketing materials?
You can download an entire set of six incredibly cute birds, some with their "Follow Me" and "Tweet About Us" signs. Kudos to Gopal Raju of Convax Solutions for offering these under Creative Commons, which means you can freely use them for your private and commercial projects, including software, online service, templates and themes.
Smart Publicity Hounds can also use them in online media rooms and press kits.
Grab 'em now here.
6. Hound Joke of the Week
A police dog responds to an ad for work with the FBI.
"Well," says the personnel director, "you'll have to meet some strict requirements. First, you must type at least 60 words per minute."
Sitting down at the computer, the dog types 80 words per minute.
"Also," says the director, "you must pass a physical and complete the obstacle course."
This perfect dog specimen finishes the course in record time.
"There's one last requirement," the director continues. "You must be bilingual."
With confidence, the dog looks up at him and says, "Meow!"
DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes, perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few good laughs.
BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50 best websites for dog humor.
http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/
7. And at My Blog & Mobile Site
How to Promote Events on Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn
Why statistics can be your greatest PR ally--or enemy
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Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy cheat sheet "89 Reasons to Send a Press Release."
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See you next week!
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound | |
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