The document provides tips for travel bloggers to get publicity for their blog through traditional media outlets like magazines, radio, and television. It recommends identifying story ideas, writing catchy pitches, building relationships with journalists, and maintaining a media page on your blog. The goal is to attract media attention in order to grow your readership and credibility without having to spend money on publicity.

1. Mastering The Art of Getting
Your Blog All Over The
CMaerodl iMa argolis

2. Publicity for You and Your Blog
• Travel writing can be more than writing about travel and hoping for
an assignment. It is about getting publicity about you and your
business so that the media comes to you! Learn ways to work with
the media in magazines, radio and television so you are contributing
to them and they¹re promoting you!
• Exposure, credibility and sponsorships are enhanced when you
reach a wider audience. Publicity is the way to make this happen,
and it can be done for free!

3. "Carol Margolis, who has two websites, SmartWomenTravelers.com and
BusinessTravelSuccess.com, may be the ultimate expert about women on the
road.” USA Today Aug, 2014
This can be you, too!

4. If I Can Do It, So Can You!
A business traveler for 25+ years
Founder of:
Business Travel Success, Inc.
Smart Women Travelers, Inc.
Author, Speaker, Consultant working with
corporations, meeting planners and the travel
industry and travelers to enhance the travel
experience.
Media/PR coverage:
Good Morning America, Great Day Houston, Fox
TV and more. Contributed to USA Today, CNN,
Wall Street Journal, Reuters, New York Times, LA
Times and numerous business and travel sites,
magazines, radio shows and more.

5. How Did I Get All This Media Coverage?
No investment $
•Contacting television stations
PR Results:
•Responding to HARO requests
•Connecting with media via Twitter
%
•Contacting radio show producers
•Building network of media
Investment $$$$
%
•Hired a PR firm to promote me

6. Identify story ideas for today and the future
• What’s going on in the news
• Identify popular and obscure holidays and anniversaries
-- you can tie into the topic of your blog
-- you can generally talk about
Great reference: Chase’s Calendar of Events, a reference book
found at most major libraries or at http://www.chases.com
• Tie in your travels to local stories

7. Know what magazines, radio and tv are
interested in
Magazines
Radio
TV
• Stories not time-sensitive for print magazines
• Tie into seasonal articles
• Read their media calendars
• Short topics
• Entertaining, newsy or controversial
• Time sensitive
• Seasonal
• Have topics for slow news days

8. Create story lines to attract media attention
• Catchy headline, clever opening line
• Must grab attention in the first sentence
• It’s the story that sells the story after the attention-grabbing
opening.
• Include who, what, when, why and how

9. Ideas for Headlines
• Why do 50 states in the U.S. celebrate Cinco de Mayo when
only 1 State in Mexico does?
• Survey finds ____ out of ____ people _______.
• 5 Ways to Save on ________.
• How to live like you’re in _______ right here at home!
• _____ and other myths about ________.
• Most people think ______, but the real truth is _______.
• 7 Things You Should Never Say At the Airport.
• Assessing your risks of _______.

10. Produce a one-page of
your story ideas and
experience
See
http://smartwomentravelers.com/global-media-and-press/
for One Sheet formats

11. Write pitch letters that
will get read
Email subject: Story idea:
____________
Include the leading lines from your
segment proposal
Segment proposal
Kids Flying Solo? What Parents Need to Know!
Putting your child on a plane to visit dad, mom or grandparents? Kids flying solo will be skyrocking in
numbers as we get into the holiday season. Flying these days is confusing enough, now add in the
myriad of rules for solo-traveling kids and your head will spin!
Fees * Rules * Connecting flights or no? * Age? * Food?
And guess what? The rules differ by airline!
______________
Carol Margolis is the author of Business Travel Success, How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and
Travel With Confidence! She gets on a plane almost every week. For years, Carol stood at the gate
sobbing as her kids walked down the jetway. Here are top tips to simplify this experience, keep your child
safe and have some peace of mind!
What you need to know before booking your child’s ticket:
· Know fees, know the rules! Each airline’s website should have this or call!
· United $150 each way; Southwest $50 but can’t change planes; Delta $100 up to 4 kids (Prop:
pages of airline rules)
· Do NOT book the last flight of the day!
What’s important on travel day?
· Your child should have itinerary, contact info and phone numbers!
· Review who to talk to, what the process will be
· Send along something to eat
· Have everything labeled, including your child! (Prop: luggage tag)
What’s important at the gate?
· Verify everything! (Prop: Airline Form)
· You cannot walk your child onto the plane
· Hold your tears, at least until your child is aboard the plane
· Do NOT leave the gate until the plane is IN the air (not just backed up from the gate)
When your child calls you upon arrival, breath the biggest sigh of relief you’ll ever have!
Most importantly, wish the best of fun to your child!
Go to www.smartwomentravelers.com for free tips on this and much more!
CAROL MARGOLIS is a travel expert, speaker and consultant and the author
of Business Travel Success...How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and
Travel With Confidence!
Media page: http://smartwomentravelers.com/global-media-and-press
CONTACT:
Carol Margolis
Mobile: 407.758.4322
carol@smartwomentravelers.com

12. Identify who to contact in the media
HARO http://www.helpareporter.com (free)
Be a source for a media opportunity
Submit your own query for contributions
TV stations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_television_stations_in_North_America
Radio:
http://www.talkers.com/heavy-hundred/
Check out http://www.radiopublicity.com ($$)
Wooden Horse Pub ($$)
http://www.woodenhorsepub.com
Over 2,000 US and Canadian consumer and trade print magazines, contact info and media
calendars. Try it out for $1.99 (24 hours) or $9.95 (7 days)

13. Where to Find Journalists
SeekorShout.com (was JournalistTweets.com)
Twellow.com (News/Media category)
Wefollow.com
JustTweetIt.com (Media > Reporters/Press)
MuckRack.com – Lowest rate is $179/month; 30-day risk-free trial

14. Build relationships with the media
• Follow them on Twitter
Retweet their travel news
Dialogue over something that interests them
Send story ideas
• Have interview questions already prepared (ideally with
time noted for each answer)
• Maintain a pitch tracking log

15. Build a Media Page
Add a media page to your site. Include:
Contributions to other blog sites
Contributions to tv, radio, magazines
Videos and recordings of your voice
Awards, recognitions
Quotes from readers and media
Write press releases announcing your upcoming appearances.
See example: http://smartwomentravelers.com/global-media-and-press/

16. Wrap-Up
• Build rapport with the media
• Make sure your stories are appropriate. Think “How will
this play with the public?”
• Never, ever burn the media with bad information
• A thank-you card goes a long way
• Consistently deliver strong stories and the media will be
contacting you!
• Media doesn’t have to be expensive

17. Contact Carol Margolis
www.twitter.com/smartwomentrav
https://www.facebook.com/SmartWomenTrav
elers
carol@smartwomentravelers.com