That could be the start of a joke, but it is the start of this article on when and how to use humor in your publicity.

There is a time and a place for just about anything and humor can be a good tool to get attention from reporters and prospects.

You can put a pun in a headline on a press release, an article or a blog post. Many people consider puns to be the lowest form of humor, sort of the amoeba of jokes. But people who love words, love puns. And reporters and bloggers are word people, so puns could work.

For example, a headline for a story about ice skating:
Have An Ice Day

One word of warning about puns: don’t overdo it. One pun in a headline a year is good enough. Two puns could be overkill.

Opening paragraphs of press releases, articles and blogs can also contain humor. You can set up a joke, for example:

What’s red and white and turns over like crazy?

Our new gizmo which will help busy professionals track their expenses better.

Okay, that might not rival Jay Leno, but you get the idea.

You can open with a short, humorous story or anecdote. A good example would be a story about a funny thing that happened to a person who uses your product.

Another winner is a story that has irony.

It should go without saying that humor should not be used in certain situations, like any kind of bad news such as deaths or natural disasters. There are no good jokes about Mt. St. Helens or the Japanese tsunami.

Avoid bad taste. Jokes about mass murders can be funny at the bar or between friends, but could offend others.

The best way to get a feel for using hum or in publicity is to read newspapers and magazines as well as publicity materials like press releases and articles so you can learn from the masters – and see what actually gets into print.

Remember to have several people read your attempt at humor before sending it to a reporter or publishing it. What you think is funny, other people might think as lame, juvenile or offensive. But if they laugh, you very well might have a winner.

And everyone loves a good laugh – even reporters.

Dan Janal helps small businesses get publicity so they can sell more products. My clients get terrific results from my coaching, consulting, done-for-you services and do-it-yourself tools. For info, go to www.prleadsplus.com or call me at 952-380-1554.

After all, there is no such thing as free publicity. You have to spend time and or money to get publicity – and that expense has to be justified.

Many publicity campaign managers wonder: “How can you measure the impact of your press release and your publicity tactics?”

Here are two sets of metrics you can use to see if you are getting a good response on your publicity campaign. The first set of questions involves what I call “primary response metrics.” These are the initial actions that a reporter or a prospect could make when seeing your press release or the articles that result from the press release. The second set of questions concern the sales made from people who see those media mentions.

Primary Response Metrics

1. How many times was it printed on real media web sites?
2. Where does the press release rank on Google for various search terms?
3. How many reporters contacted you for more information?
4. How many original articles resulted from the press release?
5. How many visitors came to your website?
6. How many phone calls did you get from prospects?
7. How many mentions did it get on social media sites?

Financial Response Metrics

1. How many sales?
2. What is the profit per sale?
3. How long was the sales process?
4. How do these numbers compare to other marketing methods?

If you track any of these numbers, you’ll have a good idea if your publicity campaign is getting results.

Dan Janal helps small businesses get publicity so they can sell more products. My clients get terrific results from my coaching, consulting, done-for-you services and do-it-yourself tools. For info, go to www.prleadsplus.com or call me at 952-380-1554.

Too many PR people try to become reporters’ friends by asking about their weekend activities, their families and the like. Stop. They don’t want a new BFF.

Here are 10 free publicity tips to build a strong relationship with any reporter and improve your media relations.

1. Tell the truth. Don’t lie, or mislead. That’s the kiss of death.

2. Don’t use hype. Even if your product is the best in the market, they won’t believe it. They hear superlatives all day long. When you gush about your product or service, you won’t stand out. You’ll sound like all the others. Just tell the facts.

3. Get to know the reporters by reading their articles, blogs and TV segments. It’s easy to find this info now.

4. When you pitch reporters, refer to their articles. It’s a compliment to them and they’ll know you’ve done your homework.

5. Read their blogs and comment when you can add value. Reporters will get to know you and value you.

6. Return phone calls and emails quickly. Reporters are always on deadline. If you aren’t available, someone else is. They will use the info from whomever responds fastest.

7. Give reporters your direct dial phone numbers for mobile and desk. Don’t put them through a switchboard or voice mail jail systems.

8. If you don’t know the answer, then say so. If you can find info, let them know how long it will take to get back to them – and then make sure you do.

9. Double-check your facts and spellings of names. If you give an error to the reporters, you’ll make them look bad and they will never forget that.

10. A thank you is always appreciated, but gifts are not. Reporters want to b e acknowledged, but they don’t want to feel like they’ve been bribed. Give compliments. Keep gifts.

If you follow these guidelines, you’ll have a better chance of being quoted today, tomorrow and long into the future.

Dan Janal helps small businesses get publicity so they can sell more products. My clients get terrific results from my coaching, consulting, done-for-you services and do-it-yourself tools. For info, go to www.prleadsplus.com or call me at 952-380-1554.

So many people think that getting publicity is as simple as sending out a press release. Sorry, Scooter, it’s not that easy.

When you send out your press release, you’re conveying a lot of information to the reporters.

The very first thing you convey to the reporters is NOT your story. Does that surprise you? Well, it surprises the vast majority of people.

When a reporter picks up your press release he does NOT first look to see what your story is about. The first thing he looks for is whether or not you know how to play the publicity game.

In a busy newsroom it’s not unusual for a reporter to get from 100-300 press releases per day. Obviously he does not have time to contact all of these people each day. So he has to screen them as quickly and easily as possible.

One of the fastest and most effective ways of screening press releases is to simply look at them.

Don’t read a word of them.

Just look at them.

Do they look right? Are they in the right format? If not, it’s a pretty good bet that this person doesn’t know how to do a good interview.

Reporters are very willing to help you promote your business if you’ll give them what they want – a good story. But they aren’t willing to teach you the publicity game. That’s what my publicity kit is for.

So, if you write your press release the correct way, the reporter gets the feeling that you may know how the publicity game works. So he gives you a call. He may be giving you a call to get more information about your story. But more importantly, he’s calling you to confirm that you know how to play the publicity game.

The reporter will ask you a few questions to see if you know the right answers. One of the key questions he’ll ask is about your story. He’ll tell you he wants to know more about your story.

Well, he may want to know more about your story, but that’s actually what the interview is for. What he really wants to know is whether or not you can get to the point in 10 seconds or less.

Can you get to the point?

If you can, the reporter now has a more comfortable feeling that the time he spends with you will be well invested.

If you can’t get to the point in 10 seconds or less, lots of other people can. So the reporter is likely to end his conversation with you and move on to someone who knows the rules.

A key rule of winning lots of profit-producing publicity – get to the point in 10 seconds or less.

Copyright Paul Hartunian. All rights reserved. Do you need more help getting free publicity for your business? Paul Hartunian has all the help you need at: Paul Hartunian’s website and Paul Hartunian’s Million Dollar Publicity Strategies where you’ll find free publicity tips, free articles, free coaching call replays that will make getting free publicity for your business a snap! Plus you’ll find information about Paul’s Million Dollar Publicity System, the whole story of how he sold the Brooklyn Bridge and plenty more. And, for just $7 you can get 3 issues of Paul’s publicity newsletter, 3 of his best strategy reports, personal coaching from Paul and your very own, authentic piece of the world famous Brooklyn Bridge. No need to hunt for top quality information on how to get free publicity. Paul Hartunian has it all for you.

As publicists, our job is to entice the media to cover authors and their books in some way… feature stories, print or broadcast interviews, bylined articles, etc. With more than 800 books published each day in the United States alone, there is fierce completion for media attention. In order for an author to help us maximize their exposure, we recommend they take the same approach as Susan.

We make the initial connection with the media, but more often than not, it is up to the author to make the final and most important impression with the producer, host, editor, blogger or reporter. It is this interaction that turns a one line quote into a full feature story, one blog post into a regular blogging contract with a household name outlet, and one radio interview into multiple return invitations.

Here are six tips for authors to help maximize their publicity campaign:

1. Answer your publicist’s questions ASAP. When we need an author to answer a question related to a media inquiry, interview opportunity, expert commentary, etc. we need it ASAP. Reporters, bloggers, editors and producers are often working under tremendous pressure and deadlines. If a day (or even hours) goes by, the media will often reach out to the next person on the list and the author misses the chance for their placement.

2. Say yes to everything. When a publicist recommends a media opportunity to an author, if at all possible, the author should do it. One of past authors, an expert at negotiating with the IRS to determine payments/reduced fees, did a late night radio interview on a small station in the middle of North Dakota. One listener heard the interview, called the author and it turned into a $100,000 client.

3. Write the article, on time. If asked to write a bylined article (an article written by the author based on a topic related to his or her book), the author should again say yes when possible, research the target audience, follow the guidelines for length and style, and meet the deadline set by the editor. The articles are valuable because the author controls the content and message, and they are perfect for populating social media platforms, websites and marketing collateral.

4. Know your audience. Publicists will provide authors information about each interview. Before authors talk to a host, reporter, or editor, we recommend they research the outlet and person to further understand the listeners or readers, past work by the media professional, and the format of the print, broadcast or online outlet. The more authors know about their audience, the better focused the interaction will be.

5. Give your publicist feedback. Authors are the experts on their own topic. While publicists research and follow news trends that tie into an author’s work, the authors who excel are the ones who give their publicist ideas on angles and news stories that excite them and relate to their book or background. In Susan’s case, she has an unique opinion and point of view on a national breaking news story, which she shared with her publicist. Her publicist is in the process of setting up a national television segment about this hot topic.

6. Say thank you. As publicists, we always thank the media after they have featured one of our authors. Authors who stand out are the ones who send their own thank you email or handwritten note to those who have interviewed them. Everyone likes to be appreciated. This small gesture builds good will—and return invitations.

When authors are proactive, responsive, and prepared, it can turn a mediocre publicity campaign into a spectacular experience, with valuable exposure for the author that will last long after a campaign has ended.

Sandy Diaz is the President of Smith Publicity, Inc. Beginning in 1997, Smith Publicity is one of the world’s leading promotional firms, specializing in book publicity. Fueled by a passion for making good things happen for clients, the company has worked with over 900 individuals and companies–from authors and entrepreneurs to publicly-held companies and businesses representing a wide range of industries. The Smith Publicity reach is international with offices in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles, and London. For more information about Smith Publicity, Inc., please visit www.smithpublicity.com.

Frankly, I’d like to throw Khloe, Snooki and the desperate Housewives of New Jersey under a bus.

But it seems like everyone wants to be a Reality TV star. If that’s in your plan, consider these look-good/feel-good tips from Billy Lowe, celebrity hairstylist and longtime PR LEADS client who is now offering beauty services to Reality TV wannabes:

1: Lighten up. You’ve got to know your content, and you have to be comfortable in your own shoes. I remember my first reality auditions and I was like “Ok, tell me about your hair.” Today I look back at the innocence and sweetheart personality I had going into reality television and while that works for some segments, reality loves drama. Nice may cut it for an ensemble cast but if you want to carry your own segments, you have to be sharp, quick witted, and have a sense of humor (even if it’s making fun of yourself). People that are their true, authentic selves are truly the most beautiful. It shows in their confidence, the way they carry themselves, and their overall look.

2: Have your own identity. What sets you apart? Do you have a hairstyle that’s your own? Do you accessorize a certain way that no one else does? No one can mistake the blonde ambition of Tabatha or the 6-foot something RuPaul. These are identity pieces that set you apart from the crowd; a saying, a look, a color, a sense of self. Too many people believe casting directors know what they are looking for, when in fact most of them don’t. It’s what casting calls are all about. They’ll know the role – when they meet YOU. So be yourself, bring your identity, and look the role.

3: Get a good night’s sleep. When you’re tired, it shows. Skin is lifeless, discolored, and you’re often running frantic with no time or energy to perfect your hair or make-up. Furthermore, you’ll get to the audition or meeting and feel tired or exhausted from not having had enough sleep and you simply won’t be your best. Or if you’ve already booked the gig, there’s nothing worse than getting on camera with dark circles or puffiness under the eyes and all the Preparation H in the world won’t shrink that swelling in time. With thousands of potentials watching your show or your segment – you have to be on your game.

Billy knows what he’s talking about. His celebrity clients include Eva Longoria, Katherine McPhee and many, many others. If you’re in L A, be sure to get styled by Billy before your audition! If you think you have what it takes for reality television and are looking for a seasoned expert to show you the way, visit www.billylowe.com or call 310-430-4045 for more information.

Dan Janal helps small businesses get publicity so they can sell more products. My clients get terrific results from my coaching, consulting, done-for-you services and do-it-yourself tools. For info, go to www.prleadsplus.com or call me at 952-380-1554.

These six simple book publicity tips will help set you on the path to book promotion in the new year.

1) Tie your book into the New Year hype. What makes your book a good one for the New Year? Consider all of the relevant themes in your book and points in your message and see if any can be shaped into a ‘New Year’ pitch.

–Put a New Year spin on a children’s book that teaches kids manners:
“Rudeness – A Trend of Last Year: New Book Sets Children on the Path to Good Manners”
–Tie your business management book in with the 2011 hype:
“What’s Your New Year’s Business Resolution? New Book Helps Managers and Executives Set Reachable Goals for the Coming Year”

2) Look up appropriate magazines’ editorial calendars. Make a list of magazines whose content fits the themes in your book and key points of your message. Research on each magazine’s website the editorial calendar – can usually be found in the ‘media kit’ or ‘press’ page of the website. Knowing what features are being planned gives you the opportunity to pitch the editors your book to supplement the articles. Also, knowing when the articles are expected to run will allow you to plan the best time to submit your pitch.

*Reminder: Magazines typically work 3-4 months ahead of each issue.

3) Research holidays, awareness months, and remembrance days. Fill your calendar with dates that relate back to you and your book. By researching ahead of time which remembrance days, holidays, and awareness months and weeks tie in to a theme in your novel, a chapter in your business book, or a part of your personal message, you’ll be able to map out when you need to begin pitching. Remember, give yourself 3-4 months for magazines and at least three weeks for newspapers and online publications.

*For a list of holidays, awareness months/weeks, and remembrance days, visit http://www.epromos.com/education/calendars/.

4) Book your book fairs/tradeshows. Not only should you consider attending the major book fairs and trade shows, like BookExpo America (www.bookexpoamerica.com), you should check out fairs and festivals taking place in your region, some in your own backyard! Make sure you’re equipped to attend with business cards in hand. The easier you make it for people to get in touch with you, the higher your chances become to hear back.

*For a breakdown of U.S. and worldwide book fairs and festivals, visit www.bibliobuffet.com. You can locate the lists under ‘Books & More Books’.

5) Start your blog. Make it a New Year’s resolution to start your author blog. Your blog will be a great way to incorporate ongoing industry trends and news developments that relate to your book and message. For novelists, your blog will give you a platform to discuss ‘real life’ issues that relate back to themes in your fictitious story. For nonfiction and business writers, your blog might become a place where you can offer additional tips or advice that expand on the points you’ve made in your book. By incorporating some of the tips from Cathy Stucker’s article above, you could be well on your way to building a successful blog by February!

6) Set three long term goals for you and your book. By brainstorming and setting a few practical goals for you and your book at the beginning of the year, you’ll be able to monitor your progress towards reaching them. The above tips should help you hone in on which goals are most appropriate for you and your book. Are you interested in hiring a graphic designer? The book fairs and tradeshows will be a great place to start networking! Do you want to be branded as an expert in your field? Tying your message in with awareness months and causes will solicit opportunities to highlight your expertise.

Bottom line: If you devote a few hours to completing these tasks, you’ll give yourself a year’s worth of promotional homework and be well on your way to raising awareness for you and your book. So, what’s your book publicity resolution?

Corinne Liccketto is the Sales & Marketing Manager at Smith Publicity, Inc. Beginning in 1997, Smith Publicity is one of the world’s leading promotional firms, specializing in book publicity. Fueled by a passion for making good things happen for clients, the company has worked with over 900 individuals and companies–from authors and entrepreneurs to publicly-held companies and businesses representing a wide range of industries. The Smith Publicity reach is international with offices in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles, and London. For more information about Smith Publicity, Inc., please visit www.smithpublicity.com.

I won’t lie to you – book marketing online takes a lot of hard work. We spent many hours setting up our author platform and preparing for our launch day. We set up a custom landing page on Facebook as well as a customized YouTube background. We also began posting on our blog and recruiting others to share their stories of forgiveness on our blog as well.

Hosting a Free Online Conference to Generate Buzz

We also decided to host a free 4-day Christian conference online to generate buzz, interest and a list of people who might be interested in buying our book on launch day. We secured four speakers whose topics fit well with our target audience and then conducted live audio interviews over the phone using the free service, Freeconferencing.com. We also made these audio interviews available afterwards on our website as an online replay. We had over 350 conference registrants and a great response to the speakers and their topics.

Not only did the conference build momentum for our launch day, but those that attended the conference got to know us better. In marketing, it’s important to build relationships with your customers (in this case, our readers) to gain their trust. You want them to get to the place where they “know, like and trust” you. An audio conference is a great way to build these relationships with your readers.

Book Launch Day

Currently, we give away the MP3 downloads from the conference as well as the PDF transcripts as a bonus for those who purchase our book. On launch day, we also had other Christian authors, musicians and ministries offer bonus gifts. In fact, we gave away a total of 43 prizes worth over $1150 and 19 gifts worth over $100 available on launch day. We decided to offer a grand prize of one Kindle Fire, iPod touch or Nook (winner’s choice).

The Final Result?

We published our book on August 24th and on December 6th, just over 3 months later, our book became a #1 Amazon bestseller in inspirational Christianity for both books and ebooks! Wow…what an amazing journey it has been. And we give all the glory to God.

We are finishing up our four month book marketing plan with a virtual book tour. We thank Cathy for hosting us and allowing us to share about our book marketing strategies. And we pray our book impacts many lives for years to come.

Shelley Hitz is the co-author of Forgiveness Formula: Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ, along with her husband, CJ. Visit their website to find out more about their book and the special gifts they offer with purchase at: www.TheForgivenessFormula.com. Shelley also helps authors get published and market their books at her website www.Self-Publishing-Coach.com.

1. Mobile marketing will take off in ways you never imagined.
2. People will be saying, “Visit my app,” in addition to – or instead of -  “Visit my website.” The app will be the brochure, website and starting point of interactivity.
3. Small businesses on Main Street will have apps that provide basic info and coupons – even if they don’t have a website.
4. Doctors, dentists and other appointment-based businesses will rely on text messages and other mobile communications to confirm appointments so they don’t lose money on no shows.
5. Your prospects will think all types of written or spoken intellectual property –ezines, books, articles, webinars, teleseminars – ought to be free.
6. You will think that all information ought to be free – except your information, of course.
7. It will be harder and harder to convince people to pay for intellectual pr operty that is available online. They will pay for customized services specifically for them. Start planning your services menu accordingly.
8. Entrepreneurs will finally heed Michael Gerber’s mantra to work on the business, not in the business. But they will take action by HIRING outside professionals who can do the work for them instead of waiting to do the work themselves. Productivity and profits will increase while procrastination will decrease.
9. This phrase will be on everyone’s lips and t-shirts: “If you get something for free, then you aren’t the customer. You are the product.” I didn’t make this up. I wish I did. Think about it. We aren’t Google’s customer, or Facebook’s customer. We are the products they are selling to advertisers. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being considered an “eyeballs.”
10. Spam will invade social media sites in overt and covert ways, making visits to those sites less enjoyable.
11. There will be more people showing you how to sell speaking services than there will be companies who can hire speakers. Okay, that one was low.

What are your predictions?

Dan Janal helps small businesses get publicity so they can sell more products. My clients get terrific results from my coaching, consulting, done-for-you services and do-it-yourself tools. For info, go to www.prleadsplus.com or call me at 952-380-1554.

Most authors think of press or media kits as a set of materials they mail to newspaper reporters, radio and TV hosts, or other media people. While physical media kits are still used, they require authors to track down the media experts to mail the materials or the media person to request the information, so an online media kit is also important since it allows the media to view the materials immediately and make a decision about giving you media attention. As a result, authors should make a media kit an integral part of their websites.

Following are basic guidelines for what belongs in a media kit, whether in physical or online form, and ways to make the media kit’s contents effective.

Required Media Kit Content

1. 1. Book Cover Image. Make sure your book cover image is high resolution so it can be used in print or on the web. It should only be the front cover, not the full cover.
2. Author Photo. Again, make sure it’s high resolution. It should also just be a headshot, not full body. You want a photo that appears like you are looking at the viewer so you are up-close-and-personal. Be professional—make sure your book conveys the image you are trying to promote with your book.
3. Book Synopsis. A one-page summary of your book’s content. Often the copy from your back cover, two or three paragraphs will suffice.
4. News Release. A professional press release that announces your book’s release, giving some information about it as well as basics such as title, publisher, ISBN, your website address, and publicity contact information. Even though media people might be getting this information off your website, make sure your website address is on the news release in case they print it and then need to find your site later.
5. Author Bio. Your bio needs to be concise, not rambling. Provide information relevant to your book and your career as an author. You can mention your spouse and kids or your hobbies in one sentence, but there’s no need to give us a paragraph about your interest in quilting if your book is about divorce law, or tell us about your role as a soccer mom if you’re writing mystery novels. Limit it to just a few short and to the point paragraphs.
6. 6. What Others Are Saying/Endorsements. Endorsements are quotes from other authors, magazines, newspapers, experts in the field, or book reviewers that state how much they enjoyed and would recommend your book. Each endorsement should only be a few lines and give the person’s name, title, and affiliation (such as the name of the TV or radio show he’s on, or his book title.
7. 7. Sell Sheet. Although similar to a press release, your sell sheet is just that—a sheet that sells your book. It contains basic information about your book such as price, title, ISBN as well as stating where the book is available—bookstores, online bookstores, your website, and book distributors so people know how or where to purchase it. Feel free to include graphics such as your author photo and your book cover. An example can be found at www.IreneWatson.com

Additional Physical Kit Materials

1. A Cover Letter. Make sure you address it to the media person (newspaper reporter, radio host etc.), and make all attempts to personalize it with the appropriate person’s name, as well as a reminder of your conversation if you spoke to the person prior to sending the materials.
2. Folder. You want your media materials to be neatly packaged, not all loose in a manila envelope and falling out when the envelope is opened. Put them in a new and neat looking folder, but also a folder that will be quickly recognizable as yours. You can design and print special folders with your book cover on them, or some authors simply have overruns done of their book covers and then paste copies of the cover onto the front of a folder. The point is to make your folder stand out and be highly visible so it won’t get lost on someone else’s desk and buried under piles of paperwork, and if it does, it will be easy to find again. Plus, it will provide branding and a professional image that sets you apart from other authors.
3. Your Book. It doesn’t hurt to send an actual copy of the book if you are mailing the press kit. Most media people won’t have time to read your book but the chance to spend five minutes looking at it might be a deciding factor in your getting a cover story or interview.

Additional Online Materials

Note that all of these materials, including the required materials listed above, should be downloadable on your website.

1. Website Page. Obviously, you need a website if you’re going to have your media kit online. The important thing is to have your media kit be a link that is clearly visible on your website—one of the key pages of the site—so it is quickly accessible and viewable. You can then include all your contents on your Media Kit page so it is easily downloadable. Again, an example can be viewed at www.IreneWatson.com, which also includes all the other items I’ve mentioned in this article.
2. Your Book Video. If you have a book video, it should be available to view, but also available for download. For example, a TV show may want to use a clip from it, so make it easily accessible and avoid the extra work of dealing with sending it via CD or flash drive, which can easily be lost.
3. Banners. Especially if the media person is online, whether it’s a blogger, an online radio show, or some other website that promotes authors, having a website banner the media can upload and display on its home page to feature you and your book gives you that extra boost of professionalism and will make the media’s website look good as well.
4. Your Book. While you might mail a copy, obviously you don’t want to put a downloadable copy of your book on your website, but you could put up sample pages with a statement that a physical or pdf copy of your book is available by request through mail or email to legitimate media people.

Follow the guidelines above, but also be creative (within reason). One author I know had the word “bones” in her title so she sent bone-shaped cookies out with her press kit. You could certainly send bookmarkers or a pen with your company logo on it. Just remember to be tasteful and ask yourself whether you personally would want to receive these items or if they will just be dismissed as junk and tossed away. Remember that media people are very busy and don’t want to wade through a lot of non-essential information.

An effective media kit will get you the press you need to make your book a success. If you haven’t done so already, make it a goal to have a press kit page on your website within the next thirty days.

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.