Kristie T’s Home Business Blog Fun, mom-geared work-at-home tips and advice on making money on the net.

This morning I was excited for our first radio interview to spread the word about Doing Business in Your Bathrobe Day (Feb 9).  Turned out I was in for QUITE a surprize turn of events.  Here’s how I made the most of my shock jock radio experience.

I was interviewing on WKLS-FM in Atlanta after being contacted by the booker Joy Silva.  When I called in this morning and heard heavy metal music I wondered what I was in for.  Then the host came on and I was in for the usual line of questions.

Then they had a caller come on the line - a man who I will call “Bruce”.  He said that his wife was looking for jobs she could do from home on the internet and asked what jobs I recommended.  So I told him some of the top work at home jobs.  Then he started to tell me how his wife went online for a job and now is doing some porn job.  “Bruce” goes on to say how he got herpes from his wife.  Then he starts laying it in on me saying how I should be ashamed for recommending moms work from home and how it ruined his life.

At this point of course I realized what was going on.  So I made the most of this interview and went on to share quality information about how to avoid scams like what his wife was doing and find reputable work at home jobs.

Anyway, just to warn you not all is a bed of roses when it comes to PR.  I should have done more homework about the station before the interview.  I asked about the audience and demographics.  Should have insisted on getting info about the host and their website to research.

I am super curious what that crazy interview will do for traffic to the site today and entries into our Doing Business in Your Bathrobe contest!

Have you ever had an interview turned sour like that for your  business?
What would you have done?

Kristie T

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When’s the last time you did something just for the sake of being nice? Well, I just got the nicest “gift” today from Nancy Juetten, one of our Webmomz. Nancy is a publicist and always has a nose for news. Turns out that a major newspaper was writing a story on women who trying to decide whether to keep working, stay at home, or do some combination of both.

Well, Nancy sent in a pitch and not only told her story about working from home but also mentioned me and Webmomz. Wow!

You’d better believe that next time someone asks me “Do I know anyone who does publicity” who will come to my mind first — Nancy Juetten!

So, I’d just like to say a public shout out to Nancy to say, “Thanks! You are the best! I really appreciate you thinking of me.”
If you happen to need some PR help, check Nancy out at www.nsjmktg.com

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The whole family has been excited about my trip to San Francisco to appear on the tv show The View from the Bay. And my kids have been great about helping me practice for the interview. Well, last night we were taking what we call a “power bath”. Everyone gets in their swim suits, we fill the tub sky high with bubbles, light candles, and hang out and talk. It’s a great way to get one on one time with the kids.

And my daughter grabbed a shampoo bottle and said, “Welcome to the bathtub show…. I’m your host, Nicole T - Tell me Kristie, how did you start Doing in your Bathrobe day.” And then she’d pop off these questions about, “How you can avoid work at home scams.” “How do you like working from home” and so on.

Oh my gosh, we had so much fun. And my kids became these crazy television hosts with wild questions. It was a blast. So if you ever want a really fun way to prepare for a television interview, you’ve got to try the “The Bathtub Show” technique. You’ll love it!

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Did you know that if you are asked to do a television interview in a far away city, you can ask the producer if they have any comp hotel rooms for guests or any special discounts with local hotels? In working with my media coach to prepare for an upcoming television interview, I learned that if you ask for this, you just may get it. But if you don’t ask, the show producer most likely will not volunteer this information. Great publicity tip that I wanted to pass along!

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Now is the perfect time to plan for big publicity in the new year. Here are some steps you can take to get organized
and put your PR plan into action.

1) Target: Make a list of the top 10-20 publications for your industry that you want to target. In addition to mainstream magazines, don’t forget to find trade magazines and professional association publications to submit to as well.

2) Contact Info: Get the editor contact info. You can ususally find this on the contact, staff, or about pages.

3) Media List: Create an excel spreadsheet to keep your media list organized and track who you have contacted to, what you submitted, and when to follow up.

4) Article guidelines. Look at their article guidelines. It will give you clues as to the type of content they are looking for and how they would like you to submit it.

5) Editorial Calendar: Print out their editorial calendar to see how what you do would tie in with a timely and well fitting article for their publication.

6) Review past magazines: Read past issues of their magazine to get a feel for their style, content, audience. If you go to the library, you can see past issues for hundreds of today’s most popular business publications.

7) Review past articles online: Usually on their magazine website their is a list of past articles. Print out this list. See what topics are covered and what kind of titles they use.

Pitch letter: Start sending pitch letters and see if you can get published.

9) Organize: Make a file to keep all your publicity information in.

That’s it! Here’s hoping to see YOU in the headlines in 2007!

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I had a total TV show scam pulled on me the other day and I wanted to share the story with you to make you aware. Moms always said, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Mom was right.

I was contacted by a company who left me a phone message and said they’d like to feature me as a branding expert on a TV show. They went on and on about my credentials and how I’d be a great guest and said they’d like to schedule an appointment for me to talk with their executive producer. So I ran to prepare my talking points and prepare for a great pitch call with the TV producer.

The TV producer guy calls. He gives me the third degree to make sure that not only am I am expert, but that I have some good stories to tell around the work I have done for my clients. Then he says “Wow, I really do think you would be a good guest! I’d like to have you talk with my executive producer next. But before I do, there are some details I should tell you about the show.”

Then he goes on to say how it would air on ABC, PAX, and some other channels. He says they will pick a location. That the production costs and media placements will cost a quarter of a million dollars, but they are happy to cover that. Then he goes, but there is a liscensing fee of $19,000. We would need you to cover that cost. That would handle the legal stuff for whenever we use your logo, image, etc in the production of this.

Of course, after saying that I said I wasn’t interested. I have been on plenty of national TV shows and news programs featured as a guest for FREE. I was not about to go paying $19,000.

I think the deal was that this was a private tv production company that was going to produce this segment, sell the advertising, make money from that, and then get the show synidcated onto some big channels.

Anyway, I wanted to make you aware of this “scam” in my mind in case you get a call from that same producer.

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Are you quotable? Hey you thought leaders, how’d you like to get your quotations featured on Starbucks website? Right now they have a cool campaign going on called “The Way I See It”

So if you have something to say (or just want some free publicity)and submit your The Way I See It quotes (65 words or less) on the Starbucks website.

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I just joined the newest sorority in town! It’s at www.WebSororityTalkRadio.com

Host Lynne Klippel interviewed me for her May Salute to Moms in Business. If you’d like to hear my story and some of my best success tips, listen to the radio show for free from May 1-10 by going to www.WebSororityTalkRadio.com

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Today, I’m going to answer your “Top Questions on How to Get Publicity for your Home Based Business” today, Thursday, March 16th at 2:00pm EST.

I’ve received some great questions and am really looking forward to sharing my answers in this special f-r-e-e teleclass for MomMasterminds, an awesome mom mentoring group with internet marketing
mom Alice Seba.

If you have ever wanted to know how to get big publicity for your business, don’t miss this call! It’s gonna be fun!

There’s still time to get in on this call. It’s easy, just go right now to: http://www.webmomz.com/mm.htm
and join with the free 7 day trial membership. Once you get inside the Mom Masterminds forum, you’ll see details about how to
get on the call.

I know you’re busy, but I promise this will be time well spent…on YOU! You deserve to be in the headlines! Today you’ll find out how!

See you soon on today’s call!

Oh, and if you can’t make it today, as long as you sign up as with the free trial membership, you’ll be able to listen to a recording of the call.

Kristie Tamsevicius
Webmomz.com
Partner, MomMasterinds.com

P.S. There’s going to be a chance at the end to ask your own pr questions live, so go sign up right now so you don’t miss out!

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Want to know the secrets of being a great media guest during the interview? Here’s what advice publicist Pam Lontos has to offer on giving a great media interview?

Do you know what it’s like to talk to a boring person? They drone on for hours about topics that don’t interest you, and all you can think about is getting rid of them. Keep this in mind when you talk to the media, because if you’re boring, they won’t want to talk with you ever again. But if you have energy and keep your responses on the topic, you’ll keep the media professionals interested.

Before the interview, take time to prepare three to five main points you’d like to cover. Then if the conversation goes astray, you can revert back to these points with ease. Also, don’t be pushy about what you want. They may or may not have room in their story to mention your speaking topics. But if you ask nicely, you’ll have a better chance of getting them mentioned.

Have you ever been on tv or the radio? Tell us about your big interview and how it went here!

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