Watch Mary Kay Hoal, Founder of Yoursphere, on CNN.

County News on the EMSI Pay for Performance Public Relations model. View the online version here: County News: Is Pay for Performance PR for Real?.

Or, click here to download the pdf version.

We hear a lot about buzz, but what is “buzz” exactly – and how does it start? First, a buzz is something that you create. It starts small, like ripples in a pond. It builds slowly. But when cultivated and capitalized on, the buzz eventually gets too loud to ignore. This is our goal when we work with you to turn a book into credibility into celebrity: create a buzz that makes your name, your face, your book, and your message instantly synonymous – and ultimately recognizable. Read more →

USA Today interviewed Michael Uslan when Disney purchased Marvel Comics.

Click here to read online.

Curtis Sliwa Show on ABC Radio Network (Nationally Syndicated to 4 Stations) interviews Michael Uslan, producer of Batman films, to comment on Disney purchase of Marvel Comics.

Listen to Curtis Sliwa’s radio interview of Michael Uslan

Joe the Plumber.

Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Bill Nye the Science Guy.

While plumbing, bounty hunting and science might be worthy industries, few would have ever thought they might be the breeding grounds of some of today’s unlikeliest celebrities. But such is the case when we live in a world where the popular media, indeed popular culture, is plugged in and turned on 24/7, 365 days a year. Read more →

If you’ve decided to become an expert in your field, in any field, allow me to show you how much faster that process can be – and how much further you can reach – through the publication of a well-written, carefully-planned, readable and entertaining book.

Books provide what I call “portable expertise.”

Low-Tech, High-Impact

Anywhere a book can go, you can go. Yes, there are more high-tech ways to reach your audience, but when someone’s wi-fi isn’t working, your book still is. When someone’s at 30,000-feet and can’t use their laptop yet, he or she can still open your book. Read more →

Getting your company noticed in this tough economic climate has become harder than ever before for many companies. With mounting competition and shrinking budgets, the question arises: how do I let consumers know that my company exists, on both a national and a local level?!

While national media exposure is ideal, there is great power in local media exposure as well. By focusing on your hometown media outlets you will be able to build a solid base of fame and recognition from which to grow on. Creating as much “buzz” as you can locally will compliment your national campaign to no end and it also gives you invaluable media experience when the national media starts to knock on your door. Read more →

“If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations.” – Bill Gates

As unlikely as it is that Bill Gates would ever be down to his last million dollars, let alone a single George Washington, the fact remains that it’s a powerful endorsement of the power of PR.

Still, when the economy is tight and corporations yank hard to get their belts down to that last notch, PR is usually one of the first few items on the budget that’s frozen or cut completely. To bean counters, it’s an easy choice.  Because it’s impossible to track the impact of PR in strict accounting terms they consider it difficult to quantify PR expenditures. To the numbers guys, if something fails to leave a footprint on the spreadsheet, it is expendable. Read more →

In today’s world of publishing, I don’t have to tell you what a challenge it is to get your book noticed.  With nearly 300,000 new books hitting the market every year, this is a problem all authors encounter – from first timers to big name celebrities.  But once you have the word-of-mouth buzz going, it can spread like wildfire.One of the best methods to get people talking about you and your book is by being interviewed as a guest on talk radio. Why? This medium allows you to talk to a captive audience of affluent, educated and, most importantly, active consumers who are book-buyers. We’ve been one of the country’s top providers of radio show guests since 1990 and, from our years of experience, we’ve seen how instrumental talk radio has been in our daily lives. Talk radio hosts and their guests consistently create thought provoking conversations throughout the country. They’re largely responsible for spreading new ideas resulting in hot trends and lifestyle choices. You and the message of your book CAN be part of this forum that affects peoples lives daily. This is how buzz is built. Read more →