If you have a YouTube channel, and every serious Publicity Hound should, people who love your videos will soon be able to tip you any amount between $1 and $500.

The tip service positions YouTube as a possible competitor to Kickstarter and Indiegogo, crowdfunding sites that help you raise money for large projects. But it's unclear whether YouTube will take a cut of the money donated like those sites do.

A handful of video creators will be testing the tip service on desktop and Android. If you're interested in trying it on your channel, sign up to be a beta tester here.

Other new features on YouTube:

--Thousands of royalty-free sound effects like the sounds of zombies and fighter planes. YouTube also has added more free songs in its Audio Library.

--Support for 48 and 60 frames per second for excellent quality video.

--A new YouTube Creator Studio app that lets you see analytics and manage your videos in real time.

--Subtitles contributed from fans. In the coming months, your fans will be able to submit translations in any language based on the subtitles or captions you've created, helping you reach even more viewers.

Read the details and learn about even more new features at the official YouTube Partners & Creators Blog.

And then get onto Jeff Johnson's email list. He taught me much of what I know about YouTube, and he's the one who insists on writing video captions--one more place for keywords!

He created a free video on how to use YouTube to build your email list, your brand and your business, for free (affiliate link).


2. Pitch This Holiday Weekend

Traditional media in the U.S. will be scrambling for news during the long Fourth of July weekend.

This is a perfect time for pitching local newspapers, TV and radio stations. The GHNewsroom, a media company, includes these ideas:

--Offer a reaction from your company, church, political group or women's group to the U.S. Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision on contraceptives. Reaction will be hot and heavy from now until the 2016 election.

--Pitch a "survival guide" based on your topic. You can create one for people coming to your major event. Or people trying to avoid sunburn and bug bites. Or how parents can keep track of their kids, and keep them safe, at the local fireworks displays.

--Many newspapers and TV stations offer multi-media at their websites. Don't just pitch story ideas. You can often upload your own audio, video and photos at media websites.

--Sky-high gasoline prices are forcing many people to stay close to home. Pitch your local event as a cheap alternative to driving long distances.


3. Know Your Media Lingo

Here are five questions media people might ask when you deliver a pitch or contact them to ask a question:

"Do you have any B roll we can use?"

"Do you have any brights for tomorrow?"

"Are you referring to something before or after the jumpline?"

"Did you see it on our news crawl?"

"Are you interested in submitting advertorial?"

Do you understand that lingo? If not, brush up. The glossary in the new fourth edition of my ebook, "How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound," includes more than 100 definitions for traditional and social media. Knowing them will make you media-savvy.


4. Hound Video of the Week

Why do dogs hate windshield wipers like Fritz, this Mini Schnauzer, does?

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See you Saturday! Joan Stewart The Publicity Hound