Joan Stewart on Editorial Calendars (PR/PR Pulse)

Joan Stewart on Editorial Calendars

If you aren't taking advantage of editorial calendars from newspapers and magazines in which you want coverage, you're missing a valuable tool. An editorial calendar is a list that outlines specific topics the publication will address within each issue that year. It also notes topics of special sections and other supplements. The calendars are printed primarily for advertisers so they can plan their advertising budget months ahead. For Publicity Hounds, editorial calendars are also valuable road maps that help you pinpoint the issue where your story might best fit.

Editorial calendars from several publications, placed side-by-side, give you a bird's-eye view of which publications you should target with your story ideas, and when. Far too many businesses learn about special sections only when a newspaper advertising rep calls asking them to buy an ad. By that time, most of the stories for the section are already assigned to reporters.

For a free editorial calendar, direct your request to the publication's advertising department. While you're at it, ask for the entire media kit. It's loaded with valuable information about audience demographics.

For more information, visit: http://www.publicityhound.com/ .

Reprinted from 'PR/PR Pulse, a free e-zine featuring tips and techniques for gaining publicity. To receive this e-zine, please send an email to newsletter@prpr.net with 'Add Me' in the subject line.

Spring Cleaning in the Salon

It’s Spring Cleaning Time in the Salon

As the weather starts to warm and the sun streams in through the salon’s windows, I realize it’s spring-cleaning time. I love spring-cleaning. It’s an excuse to turn everything inside out and reanalyze how we do things. After a while, we just don’t see things. Take a fresh look.

It the salon, it’s also a great time to check the expiration dates on everything. Any retail products nearing expiration are gathered up and sent to a local women’s center.

While cleaning, we check the electrical cords on all appliances for wear. Anything that shows signs of wear is discarded and replaced with shiny new replacements. How much fun is that?

Plants can only stay if they fit the theme and are in spectacular condition. Otherwise, the dust-catching green leaves are out of here. I’m skeptical of anything that requires a ton of dusting.

Could it be it’s time to purchase new towels for the salon? It’s such an easy way to update the look. Toss the tattered magazines and look books, replacing them with current spring trends.
I might need to drag out the touch-up paint and fix nicks and scratches that detract from the salon’s appearance. When will it be time to repaint? Should I be thinking about fitting it into the budget?

Once everything is sparkling clean, it’s time to arrange the retail. Building small attractive displays of new spring merchandise, such as Nurture Lotion, will attract attention. Keeping the displays and testers in client areas can increase sales. Perhaps we can even build some specialty services around new products.Everyday cleaning is great for keeping dust and germs at bay.

Deep cleaning and adjusting the layout makes everything feel new. What a great way to prime for hot summer sales.

Note

I occasionally do product reviews. If you would like to be considered, you may send a sample to: Erin Snyder Dixon, PO Box 1189, Newport News, VA 23601. We do not receive any funding for reviews. If you would like to pass along a discount code, we will consider including it in the review. We don not guarantee that we will review a product or the time-frame in which we decide to do so. It is helpful if background info is included that can be included in the review. We review products (products, books, CDs, tools, etc.) that are related to health and beauty, or the written word.

Brian Jud on Media Skills to Market Your Book or Product

Brian Jud on Media Skills to Market Your Book or Product

Have you wondered why celebrities being interviewed on television can look so calm when millions of people are watching them? And have you ever wondered if you could do that?

You can appear on national television and radio, and you can appear calm and collected, just like the actors you see every day. And like actors, you cannot simply show up for performances. Actors learn their lines and rehearse them until they create a believable, entertaining performance.

The key to any good performance is preparation. Good media guests need to know what they are going to say during all their performances and practice their delivery of each word before hand. Adequate preparation will make you more confident in your ability to perform and help you relax while you are on the air.

You have heard it said that practice makes perfect. However, that is not necessarily true. Practice makes permanent, so you have to make sure you are rehearsing the right things. Before you appear on any media event, engage the services of a professional media trainer so the techniques you make permanent are the right ones.

Practice on a regular basis and you will conduct professional and successful interviews. Your practice sessions can be as formal or informal as you want them to be. They run the gamut from talking into a cassette recorder or performing before your video camera. One technique is to have someone who knows nothing about your subject ask you questions. This simulates most interviews, and it will help you practice responding to unexpected questions.

Practice can be as easy and fun as listening to, or watching, talk shows. On television, watch how successful guests interact with the host and audience.Try watching the show on which you are scheduled to appear, with the sound off to focus your attention on the guests. How do they sit? What do they wear? What are the seating arrangements and backgrounds? What are the predominant camera angles? Incorporate what you see into your own performance.

Turn the sound back on and listen to the host. How are questions asked? How does he or she stimulate audience participation? What is the pace of the show? On radio, listen to the interaction between guests and host and between guests and callers. What makes one show better than others? How are stories woven into the author's answers? Does the guest answer the host's questions directly or follow his or her own agenda? The important point is to do something every day to improve your media skills.

Brian Jud is host of the television show, The Book Authority, a media coach and author of the media-training video program, You're On The Air. Brian also hosts Book Central Station where you can find rated lists of suppliers to help you write, publish and market your books. For a free trial, go to http://www.bookcentralstation.com/trial.asp

Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715,Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud's Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

Reprinted from 'PR/PR Pulse,' a free e-zine featuring tips and techniques for gaining publicity. To receive this e-zine, please send an email to newsletter@prpr.net with 'Add Me' in the subject line.

Every Salon Needs a Back-up Plan

When the Lights Go Out

Winter snowstorms and the heat of summer have a few things in common. One thing is the potential for power outages. I was reminded of this recently. A seemingly small snowfall left the salon without power and phones.

Fortunately, we’ve done this drill before—after a hurricane. The lessons we learned then proved helpful this time around. We fired up the generator and had all the salon calls transferred to a cell phone. Disposable cell phones allowed us to make outgoing calls without tying up the incoming line. The thing we could have done better was our backup plans for Internet service. Tethering the cell phone to a computer turned out not as reliable as we had hoped. An aircard from our local wireless carrier is now our plan C.

When you operate a salon, things will happen. Sometimes they are little and other times, well, they can shut you down completely. The idea is to control the little things and have backup plans in place.

If you depend on certain utilities, what would happen if they ceased to work properly? What’s the worst-case scenario and what would you do?

If the power goes out- Consider installing a generator for backup power.

If the phones go out- Keep a salon cell phone and a couple disposable cell phones for emergencies. Make sure you have cell phone numbers for clients and staff members.

If the water is shut down- Keep emergency bottled water on hand to get you through the clients you have and to flush toilets.

If the gas is shut off- Have an alternate means to heat the salon.
If the Internet service is out- Aircards and tethering can be done through your wireless company.

The difference between staying in business and losing out on income may boil down to how prepared your salon is. What’s your backup plan? And your backup plan for the backup plan?

Note

I occasionally do product reviews. If you would like to be considered, you may send a sample to: Erin Snyder Dixon, PO Box 1189, Newport News, VA 23601. We do not receive any funding for reviews. If you would like to pass along a discount code, we will consider including it in the review. We don not guarantee that we will review a product or the time-frame in which we decide to do so. It is helpful if background info is included that can be included in the review. We review products (products, books, CDs, tools, etc.) that are related to health and beauty, or the written word.