July 8, 2010
Blogging Basics, product publicity
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If you have a consumer product that stands ready to serve the world, what is a fast, effective, and influential way to get the word out without breaking the bank?
One great way to do this is to offer your products for review to bloggers who have influence to both review your product and influence their communities to be fans for it, too. Blogger Link Up, created by Idea Lady Cathy Stucker, is a useful resource to make this easy and productive. You sign up for the service for free. Then, you can either respond to the queries that make sense for your business or post queries to invite interest in what you have brewing. It’s a beautiful thing.
Just last week, I connected with Kathy Pickus and Terri Goodwin, founders of Dot Girl Products. This company has created the Dot Girl First Period Kit that offers everything a girl needs for her first period. They created this product because they want girls everywhere to have a good first experience with their kit as their guide. Having experienced their own awkward moments as young girls, these two women are mission driven to make the transition more joyful and welcome for young girls and their parents everywhere. I suggested they make a pitch to Blogger Link Up to offer their product for review. The same day, they received 12 requests from influential bloggers who met their criteria and asked to review their product. As Kathy says, “Not bad for one day of focused effort.” Here is the query they posted:
The Dot Girl’s First Period Kit – everything she needs for her first period.
Name: Kathy Pickus
Blog or Website URL: http://www.dotgirlproducts.com
Email: office@dotgirlproducts.com
What type of product are you offering for review?: health/wellness product for tween girls and their parents
What qualifies a blogger to review your product?:
We are looking for bloggers who write for parents of tween girls – may write for moms or dads. Bloggers who review products for the tween age group are most welcome. Must be comfortable with menstruation topic (or
uncomfortable and willing to admit it!)
If you are a blogger who influences parents, women, and their teen and tween daughters, I know Kathy and Terri would be honored to have you review their product for your readers. And, if you just love the idea of this product and want to stock up for all the teen and tween girls in your community or suggest that their schools, Camp Fire and Girl Scout groups, and other youth groups do the same, please do.
What these two women are on a mission to deliver is important in a way that is priceless to describe. I salute them
And if you believe Blogger Link Up has the juice to deliver the product reviews your product needs to grow in its marketplace influence, join and post your query. Maybe you will be welcoming 12 new product reviews the first time you try and be that much closer to achieving your mission. Good luck!
July 8, 2010
product publicity
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Publicist and Holiday Gift Guide guru Margie Zable Fisher is hard at work on her Holiday Gift Guide product publicity pitching.
Yes, for publicists, it really is Christmas in July. That’s when many of the major magazines start looking for products to feature in their fourth quarter monthly publications. Many work on a four- to six-month lead time, and deadlines for product submissions are generally in the summertime.
Margie has gotten hundreds of product P.R. placements, in media outlets including O Magazine, Real Simple, Daily Candy, People StyleWatch, Good Housekeeping, the Today Show and more.
She regularly speaks with the media, and shared some tips from her recent discussions with Holiday Gift Guide Editors on getting product publicity:
- Pitch your newest products, or products in colors or combinations that are new to the market; Editors always want the newest products, especially if the products have not gotten major press – they want to be the first ones to report on a product.
- Exclusive discounts for readers are big this year; don’t lose out on P.R. placements because you are unwilling to offer discounts.
- Low-cost products, especially under $50, are a continuing trend this year; even if your products are generally higher-priced than that, provide a smaller size or gift option in that price range, to qualify for P.R. placements. The goal is to get customers to your Website, and once they get there, they’ll have a chance to see your other products.
You can learn about Margie’s Holiday Gift Guide pitching program, and get more product publicity tips, in Margie’s free report, “10 Tips to Get Your Product Covered in Holiday Gift Guides,” available at this link.
Thanks Margie!
July 5, 2010
Be Heard, Just for Fun
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Call me crazy, but I just might have the juice to qualify for this contest. Do you? Here is the link to share your story. Here is mine:
Oprah’s been with me through every major life transition of my life — big or small — over 25 years as I’ve worked to find my voice, be heard, and make a difference in my life and in the lives of others. When Oprah said to toss out all those artificial flowers and wreaths in favor of “live” plants, I did it. When she alerted the world that women everywhere were wearing the wrong sized bras, got a fitting and gave the sisters a lift.
When Oprah declared Miraval to be the world’s finest spa, I experienced a life changing week of self-care after a scare with breast cancer gave me a wake-up call. The lessons I learned from Wyatt Web about fear and self doubt still guide me eight years after the fact. I even ran a half-marathon in 2002, which was a big, darn deal for a gal who prior had scarcely run 3-miles at a time before or since.
From “remembering my spirit” to fighting “the mommy wars” to figuring out how to design and live my best life and career to figuring out what I know for sure, Oprah has been my favorite guide. I have even saved every O magazine ever published and consider the magazine set a treasured collection.
I’ve been listening to the whispers and making an ongoing contribution as I guide others to get seen, heard, and celebrated. You can see what I have brewing at my blog at http://www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com/about.
Nothing would make me happier than to be in Chicago to celebrate the last 25 years among Oprah’s ultimate show viewers. I, like so many others, have embraced the Live Your Best Life vision to my advantage and to the benefit of the clients, causes, and important milestones in my own life. I’d be honored to join in the celebration. I’ve done Oprah proud. And bigger dreams are brewing. It’s a beautiful thing.
July 1, 2010
Article PR
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On April 14, I gave a talk at thinkspace to guide the members of this co-working community to kick their boring bios to the curb and why they should. After the session, I connected with the owner of the space, Peter Chee, who told me that getting an article about his company placed within the pages of the Puget Sound Business Journal was on his priority list. His two-year business anniversary was coming up, and he wanted to make some noise!
In short order, we started working together to build his buzz. First, we crafted a custom story pitch to the commercial real estate reporter to suggest a “Growing Your Business” feature about the most powerful lessons Chee had learned during his first two years of business operations from which the readers could benefit. When she elected not to pursue this story because she had written about the company a year ago, we shifted our attention to earning a bylined article within the upcoming commercial real estate quarterly. Our ideas was to offer tips to guide solopreneurs and start ups among the readership in the finer points of finding the right fit approach to meeting their commercial real estate needs.
On Friday, June 25, Peter’s article ran within the pages of the Puget Sound Business Journal, reaching up to 100,000 upscale business decision makers who can benefit from his advice and the services he offers at thinkspace. If you are a subscriber, you can read the full article at this link. If you are not a subscriber, the article will be available for online viewing within 30 days.
Peter had a very specific media placement on his priority list. By prioritizing story pitch ideas and getting into action as a team, we were able to get his mission accomplished in short order. Now, buzz is building for thinkspace.
Now, the question is, how is buzz building for you and your business? And what are you planning to do about it today? Article placements within your local business journal can be very targeted ways to reach the right people with your expertise.
Visit this link and click on the “Newspaper” tab to see the editorial calendar for the for the Puget Sound Business Journal. Scan it to learn if a special section is coming up that can benefit from the contribution of your expertise. Then, make your pitch to the special section editor about four to six weeks prior to the scheduled publication date.
I am always happy to help, especially when quality results are just a few action steps away. Action is always the key.
Next Entries »
Just last week, I connected with Kathy Pickus and Terri Goodwin, founders of Dot Girl Products. This company has created the Dot Girl First Period Kit that offers everything a girl needs for her first period. They created this product because they want girls everywhere to have a good first experience with their kit as their guide. Having experienced their own awkward moments as young girls, these two women are mission driven to make the transition more joyful and welcome for young girls and their parents everywhere. I suggested they make a pitch to Blogger Link Up to offer their product for review. The same day, they received 12 requests from influential bloggers who met their criteria and asked to review their product. As Kathy says, “Not bad for one day of focused effort.” Here is the query they posted:
