Public speaking is something that’s sure to be tackled in any effective communication course. If it’s something that scares you to willies, don’t be embarrassed about it. Many people are terrified of speaking in front of a crowd of people. Even the best speakers today confess to feeling jitters when they have to make speeches in public. If you’re made to undergo a course on how to communicate effectively, it’s likely that you’re required to at least make presentations in front of people at work. Picking up speaking skills will come in handy during such situations. Facing a group of people can be difficult, but all it takes is some practice, perhaps taking a course from OpenSesame.com, and a lot of sucking it up to speak in public effectively.

1.  Read to yourself, out loud

If you need to make a presentation in front of fellow employees and your boss or manager, read your presentation material out loud to yourself before the big day. Better yet, record your voice using a headset microphone on your computer and listen to how you sound like. Listen to yourself and make corrections on mistakes that you make, such as mumbling, frequent pauses, stammering and more. Doing so allows your presentation to be more powerful and effective.

2. Try your hand at acting

Silly as it may sound, acting actually works wonders for your public speaking woes. Acting helps you conquer your fear of being in front of a crowd, as you immerse yourself in a character’s lines and mind. You don’t have to enroll in an acting class or anything like that. How about acting out a favorite movie scene of yours? Mimic everything, from the actor or actress’ accents, movement and facial expressions. You’re not out to win awards here, so don’t worry if you’re not too good an actor. For now, your goal is to loosen up in front of an audience.

3. Be confident

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“I’m a very understanding person, Albert. I understand that you are going through a selfish phase. And, I’m sure that you will understand that I am going through a destructive phase.” – Mollie, Look Who’s Talking (1989), TriStar

Companies and their marketing efforts go through phases just like parents and kids. It used to be the companies talked at you, like your parents. Now, all of a sudden, a few of them are talking to you as a person instead of a target. You know, honest, friendly, reasonable, helpful two-way communications. O.K., not all of them; but some like Best Buy, Sears, Samsung, Ford, Dell and hundreds more are struggling to evolve their marketing activities and build relationships with partners/customers. Occasionally, they muck it up; but you have to give those who are trying to be conversational a little slack. It’s untested territory! Remember, parents didn’t come with user manuals so you tolerated their “mistakes.” Now it’s your turn and you hear Mikey’s words, “Hey, man, you’re on your own.” Manufacturers, channel partners and customers have the same challenge today.

Fire Hose Approach
In the Mad Men days, there was a team of folks composed of marketing, sales, service, design, advertising, PR and support people. They’d put their stuff together, spray it out, go to lunch and pray it didn’t cause too much of a mess. Hey, some of it even stuck.

Tagging – Marketing used to be refined, coordinated with each department/individual having his/her own task. Strategies were refined, tactics were developed (often with little/no coordination) and people gave it their best shot. If it worked, it was called creative art. If it didn’t, it was graffiti. The plan – in a neat 3-ring binder – was followed with little or no concern about how you reacted.

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Last week Ms. Rosanna Fiske, chair and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), issued a news release in response to the News Corp. phone hacking scandal.

“News Corp.’s misguided response to the escalating phone-hacking scandal will undoubtedly become a case study for business schools and public relations professionals on the potential perils of not properly managing the reputations of all of a company’s assets. In trying to make excuses for unethical actions by some News of the World reporters and editors, Rupert Murdoch has demonstrated a profound lack of understanding of how his actions and words influence the public’s perception of his company and its employees.”

We found the public pronouncement to be a thinly veiled news hook for the association rather than a condemnation not only of the apparent illegal activities of News of the World staffers and others in the organization but of the changing view of privacy and personal (forget professional) ethics. It reminds us of the scene from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End where Jack Sparrow uses a gun as a scope to see the enemy sighting down the wrong end.  If this were simply a public relations crisis issue then Edelman which has suffered through its share is probably better equipped to assess the true situation and assist in responding appropriately. We simply do not believe it is in the best interest of anyone at News Corp and beyond that the association should put out a narrowly focused pronouncement on the damage that may be done to the company’s “image” or the stockholder value.

Damage Control
What about the damage that was done to the individuals – alive and dead – who were involved? Image and stockholder value are minor compared to the larger, more basic damage that has been done to people. Ms.

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Synopsis: It’s said that you can’t find the right answers until you ask the right questions. So with that in mind if you are thinking of hiring a public relations firm or of launching a media relations campaign for yourself, the following is a list of how to points to ask yourself before moving forward. Done correctly a PR campaign can establish your brand and build your business and establish you as an expert in your field. It’s the most powerful marketing tool out there, so give it a shot, but first do your homework and review the checklist.

It’s said that you can’t find the right answers until you ask the right questions. So with that in mind if you are thinking of hiring a PR firm or of launching a media relations campaign for yourself, the following is a list of how to questions to ask yourself before moving forward. Done correctly, a PR campaign can establish your brand and build your business and establish you as an expert in your field. It’s the most powerful marketing tool out there, so give it a shot, but first do your homework. Find out what you need to know how to do in the list below.

As you go through the list, write out your answers and see where you feel most comfortable and where you feel you need some help, or points that you need to give more thought to. Once you’ve reviewed the questions and developed your own list, you can start searching for the right answers.

With that in mind, before you move forward on a PR campaign, you want to know:

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Public relations is the most effective and least expensive way to build your brand, grow your business and establish you as a go-to expert in your field. Whether or not you should launch a media relations campaign should not be the question, because the answer to that is a no-brainer; yes you should. The real question is how are you going to do that? Your best bet is to bring on a firm or media consultant who can chart your marketing course for you and launch your campaign. But whatever avenue you choose, the following points apply.

Don’t think that a PR, media relations or publicity campaign comes down to spamming the media with press releases and pitches. The media is inundated with press releases. They’re not looking for releases; they’re looking for good stories. Simply sending out a release is not going to do the trick.

Press releases do have other uses nowadays. They are no longer pitches that you simply send to the media. With blogs, forums, social media and online press release services you can now use your releases to directly reach your customer. In fact, that is probably the biggest value that a press release posted online has for a small company. Chances are slim that the traditional media will react to an online press release, but it will help with your SEO and it is a direct way for you to reach customers. One note of warning, do not post a press release on a blog site or forum in a press release format. You might want to take some of that information and post in it a conversational way. But posting a standard press release on a blog or social media site will generally backfire on you. Your best bet is to comment on blogs, forums, social media sites or forums, but don’t pitch your product or service. Talk about your field in general. Educate, give some tips but don’t try and sell.

When you do decide to give PR a shot, remember you’re not Google or American Express.

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The biggest problem that most small business owners have with PR is that they don’t fully understand the process or how it can help build their business or establish their brand. Most think that public relations is only for large corporations or those in the entertainment world and that it has to do with stunts and smoke and mirrors. None of those perceptions are correct. PR is a multi pronged process that includes traditional media, an online presence including blogs, sites and social media, byline articles, public speaking and establishing yourself as an expert in your field. PR can and should be utilized by entrepreneurs, authors, contractors, service providers, business professionals such as physicians and attorneys, home workers, as well as any and all small businesses.

It is inexpensive compared to other forms of marketing and the only marketing avenue that can offer you and your business credibility and validation and position you as a go-to expert in your field. Although effective media relations is an art, it need not be mysterious. It is in essence the art of effective storytelling. Sounds strange, but it’s true. It is a way of communicating to the media and the public that is compelling, accurate, and valuable. Defining your story and your message is the first and probably most important step in any campaign. Whether you’re a veterinarian, florist, restaurateur or hair stylist, you need a clear effective story that is interesting to the media and to the public as a whole. This is where many companies make their biggest PR mistake, they develop stories that are of interest to them, but not necessarily stories that interest the media. Most business owners go with the obvious story, which is telling the basics about the service they offer or the product they sell. That is an important part of any story but very rarely is that enough in and of itself.

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When it comes to distribution and media outlets, PR has changed dramatically. Mailing used to be the standard way of sending out information (actually it’s not a bad approach nowadays, since everyone is getting so adept at hitting their keyboard delete button). But on the whole, mailing in many ways has become archaic. The number of media outlets and what defines a media outlet has also shifted. Yet the basics of PR, which include defining your objectives, defining your stories, learning how to present your stories, defining your target market(s), and creating a media contact list that reaches your target market(s), remain the same. Although the distribution channels have changed, and the Internet has redefined who and what the media actually is, the public relations basics remain constant.

This truly is a situation where the more things change, the more they remain the same. You still want to reach your prospective customers, you want to tell a compelling story, you want to give a call to action, and you want to demonstrate your value. None of that has changed. That is all as it always has been. Yet, while the core basics remain the same, it’s true that just about everything else has changed. Mailing a release to editors and producers and making follow up calls is no longer the sole name of the game. It is still a part of the process, but only a part, the media relations terrain is constantly evolving and the changes have made the process more intricate, not less. Placing a press release on one of the paid wire services is not going to meet your public relations objectives. Anyone can write what they consider to be a press release and send it out to a number of contacts and place it on a wire service. The trouble is just about anyone does, so most of those releases remain totally ignored. They might end up on some websites, but most of the time, little more than that will happen.

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If you’re a physician looking to market your practice or reach out to new patients, keep in mind that physicians, more than those in other professions, can benefit from an effective media campaign. Press coverage reaches their target market, drives patients their way and gives them validation and credibility. The public generally learns about the latest medical breakthroughs, news, or studies via the media. It is an avenue they trust and trust is the bottom line when it comes to health care.

Physicians that are featured in the media are seen as the experts, whether they are featured in their local newspaper or on the Today show. Doctors and health care specialists can present themselves as media go-to experts by offering the media relevant and timely stories.

Although marketing a medical practice via print ads or commercials can have some effect, that approach has inherent risks. No patient wants to feel that he or she is being “sold”. Patients want to see someone they trust, someone they feel is the best in their field. It is that validation and trust factor that comes with being featured in the media. For example, if a prospective patient reads an article that features a physician in the New York Times or USA Today, or sees a doctor interviewed on CNN or on a network nightly news segment, chances are that physician will be viewed as an expert, as a leader in his or her field who can be trusted.

Public relations is also important because a PR campaign is not just about marketing; it is also about educating the public. An effective media campaign educates and informs. Used effectively, media relations can not only build a practice, it can educate and introduce new concepts and perspectives and shape the ideas of a community. Because of that, it’s important that physicians see and present themselves as educators.

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Times are changing; Oprah is gone as are many of the daytime soap operas. TV’s 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daytime slots are shifting dramatically. It is a primarily female audience that watches at that time. The numbers show that most are seeking personality based or issue oriented programs. Talk shows, game shows and reality shows fill the niche since none require the type of consistent viewing that a traditional drama or comedy does. Busy women can tune in and out throughout the programs. If you’re looking to pitch yourself as a guest on a talk show, never fear, although Oprah is gone, there are a myriad shows out there and more are on the way.

Daytime TV will be talk-heavy; Time Warner will launch a new talk show hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and Walt Disney’s ABC is in talks with Katie Couric. There is also Talk, the View, Dr.Phil, Dr. Oz, Nate Berkus, Ellen DeGeneres, Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart. “Chew”, featuring chef Mario Batali will launch in September, 2011. And “The Revolution”, from the producers of “The Biggest Loser” will premiere in January, focusing on topics relating to health, weight, and lifestyle.

The courtroom will also probably be more present during the daytime. Judge Judy has been averaging 6 million daily. This type of programming not only appeals to women, but does fairly well with other demographics.

Whether any of the current crop will breakthrough and reach Oprah status is hard to say. It would be difficult to replicate a program and personality with the power of Oprah, but who knows? From a PR perspective, what was for so long considered the golden ring is gone, but there are quite a few avenues out there to pursue. Although its ratings are inconsequential next to what Oprah used to draw, the OWN network has its own shows which are worth a look.

Initially your most important job is to actually watch the shows.

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You may be a natural salesman, and your clients may indeed love you, but you’re playing a different game when you’re contacting the media. You are entering a very specific phone world. You may be a great person one-on-one, with a winning smile and a firm handshake, but that won’t get you far over the phone. You may be an extremely successful high-pressure telemarketer, but remember, here you’re dealing with a different, more weary, more sophisticated audience. Making PR follow-up calls can be a difficult proposition. Be candid with yourself. Do you have a personality that works over the phone? If the phone intimidates you, or if you come off gruff, demanding, or impatient over the phone, don’t make the calls yourself, hire someone to make them on your behalf.

You need to be painfully honest with yourself. Most of us don’t like to admit that there are areas that aren’t our forte. But none of us are proficient in everything. Developing a good pitch and writing a strong press release are important, but you also need to have an effective follow-up plan, which could include learning to communicate differently.

Don’t try to be everything to all people. If you’re uncomfortable on the phone, too shy and passive or too demanding and pushy, consider either learning how to adjust your approach, or consider having someone else make the calls. Otherwise you’re not doing you and you’re business any favors. You’re only going to hurt your chances for success. You may be a good field general when it comes to your business, but what you need here is a savvy diplomat. You may not even be aware that you have a weak phone voice, or you talk too quickly, or you’re too aggressive, or your tone is too confrontational over the phone. You might figure you’re you and they better like it. But the aim here is to make sure that the media likes the pitch.

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Orly Taitz will earn a brief footnote in history as the “Birther” movement leader. She was at the forefront of a movement of Birthers who doubt that the president’s birth place was the United States. She famously took the issue to a California court to find out if Obama was U.S. citizen and to hold a special presidential election if he wasn’t. Since then the movement and the intensity of volume has increased. Donald Trump took up the issue and found yet another way to get the mainstream media to interview him.

This red herring would serve as the comic relief in a play. Trouble is that all of the players have taken it seriously and it went from a side note to a major plot point. It is understandable that those in the Obama camp would think enough is enough; they’re going to release the long-form of the birth certificate and put an end to this foolishness. The flaw in that logic is that there is absolutely no logic behind the Birther movement and it is not a movement in search of logic or facts.

If there was video that showed President Obama being born and that video was released to the media, it wouldn’t matter a bit. The Birther movement revolves around accusations and diversions and you do not (and more importantly you cannot) battle that type of attack, at least via the media, with facts. This is akin to a religious cult; you are not going to weaken their faith with something as cumbersome as reality. This is also a politically motivated buzz. It is a dangerous game. Push it too far and the American middle ground is going to tire of the noise and relegate Birthers to the status of reality stars. America loves to watch and listen to reality stars, but no one takes them seriously.

Obama’s strategic PR mistake was that he in fact did begin to take them too seriously. He then took them on with proof and details. A losing game: not unlike trying to put out fire with gasoline.

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Time to launch your PR campaign? Make sure you’ve asked yourself the right questions to prepare yourself for success. Create a media relations checklist. Better yet, read this article and review the 15 most important public relations questions you can ask. Each business is different, so you need to supply your own answers, but the following questions offer you a framework around which you can build your campaign.

Before starting this process the first question you need to answer is: what is your primary reason for launching your PR campaign? You don’t want to take step one until you’ve carefully answered that one. Once you’re ready, answer each of these questions with thought, care and honesty. The journey starts below:

1) What are your main stories and pitches?
2) What are your primary target markets?
3) What is your secondary target market?
4) What media outlets reach those markets?
5) How can your stories and pitches be modified to meet the needs of various media outlets?
6) What are your primary anecdotal stories that can be used as pitches?
7) How can your personal story be used as a media pitch?
8 What are the business or entrepreneurial stories that can be pitched?
9) What are some quick phone pitches that you can make?
10) Are there events or anything you can stage that will interest the media in covering your story?
11) What are some strong visual stories you can pitch for TV segments?
12) Does your pitch have a hook?
13) Is there a media call to action?
14) Is there a consumer angle? For example, is your product safer, time-saving, less expensive, more convenient, better quality, etc.?
15) Is there a different, unusual or one-of-a-kind angle?

Approach these questions from your perspective first. Then review them again from a journalist’s perspective.

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Don’t launch your public relations outreach until you’ve had some media training and have prepared yourself to handle media interviews. If you’re going to go through the work of launching a PR campaign, you owe it to yourself and your business to be prepared to fully maximize your media opportunities. Whether it’s a TV, print, or radio interview, don’t assume you can just wing it and hit a media home-run. Keep in mind a media interview is not a conversation; it is the meeting of two agendas. The interviewer has his or her agenda and you have yours. You want to review the various questions that could be asked and prepare your responses. With that in mind, the following are some interview tips to review before.

1. Listen. Don’t anticipate questions. Don’t think that you know what the interviewer is asking. Wait until the question is asked and then respond.
2. If you get momentarily confused, or lose your train of thought, that’s okay. It happens to everyone. Take a deep breath and start again.
3. It’s all right to ask the interviewer to repeat a question. The last thing you want to do is give an answer to a question you don’t fully understand.
4. Don’t be vague or use trade jargon. Speak in easy-to-understand language.
5. Show the audience what you’re talking about. Use a story or an account that illustrates a point, as opposed to just giving them vague ideas or theories.
6. Keep your information short, concise, and to the point. Keep it easy to understand.
7. When trying to make a particular point, be assertive but not pushy.
8. If having clients visit your store is pertinent to your business, mention your location. The viewers may love you, but if they can’t find you, you’re in trouble. Don’t simply blurt out your address, but weave your location into the conversation.

Remember, prepare, anticipate and practice.

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When launching a public relations campaign, it can be easy to get so focused on trying to land a TV interview that you forget to give any attention to how you’re going to handle the interview. Print is usually the easiest in terms of how you look and carry yourself. Those interviews are generally done over the phone. You could be in bed in your pajamas for all the interviewer knows.

The same is often the case with radio. If you’re calling into the show, the interviewer has no idea what you look like, what you’re wearing, and if you’re in your living room or the pool. Another upside of those types of print and radio interviews is that you can write out cheat sheets that you can refer to. In fact, you’re wasting a great opportunity if you don’t do that. Write out a number of flash cards that each list a main point that you want to address, or list statistics, information or quotes that will make you sound quite brilliant, which is never a bad thing.

But, in the worlds of PR and media relations, TV is a whole different animal. Cheat sheets and pajamas are definitely out on TV interviews. Well, you can try pajamas. At least you’ll make an impression.

So, let’s say you’ve pitched your story to a TV outlet, the producer liked your pitch, she booked you on the show and today is your day. First, congratulations on getting this far, now here is your TV media appearance drill. To start, review your wardrobe and dress appropriately. If you’re discussing a product or a book, you’ve made sure that you’re taking along some extra samples (you have already sent copies to the producer). Give yourself plenty of time to get to the studio (keep in mind – if you’re late, you’re dead) and review two or three primary points that you want to get across during the interview.

Make sure you go over the basics as to your story and information, but remember TV is a visual medium.

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Most marketers understand that exhibiting at trade shows is a very effective marketing technique. The chance to meet face-to-face with most of your biggest prospects in one place over a multi-day period is a marketers dream. If you’ve targeted the right show for your company, you have a great chance of acquiring new business.

The major knock against trade shows has always been cost. The truth is exhibiting at a show is expensive. You have to factor in costs such as exhibit space rental, booth construction, travel, shipping, labor, associated show marketing, and additional expenses charged by show management. It isn’t cheap. However I do have some good news. The costs associated with exhibiting at a show are getting much lower. Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons that exhibiting costs are going down.

1. Large amount of convention space -The late 90s and early 2000s saw a huge boom in the construction of convention space around the country. Major cities saw the benefit of attracting shows to their cities and so they built and built. Today, there is a surplus supply of quality exhibit space all around the country. This means that the competition for shows is fierce and rates are going down. This increased competition has also forced labor rates to fall as well. Lower rates for convention space trickles down to exhibitors and means lower space rental and associated show fees.

2. Lightweight exhibits – 15 years ago, there was one thing you knew about your display. It was going to be heavy. Wood panels and laminate were the dominant design features and this meant that your exhibit was going to be real heavy and real expensive to ship. Today, most displays feature major sections of lightweight printed fabric graphics. Exhibits today weigh nearly a quarter of what they did over a decade ago. This means lower shipping and drayage costs.

3.

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Ten independent YouTube stars made over $100,000 in 2010. That is the finding of a study done by TubeMogul. By independent they mean YouTubers who were not part of a traditional media company or corporate campaign. A prime example is Natalie Tran, who is reportedly the most subscribed to YouTube user in Australia and is said to bring in over $100,000 from her YouTube video postings. An article in the New York Post reports that some YouTube partners are making over $1 million from their efforts.

How? It varies. There are a few potential revenue avenues for YouTube entrepreneurs. These include banner ads, pre-roll and overlay ads sponsorship and merchandise sales. Some YouTubers have sponsors, but for most, revenue comes from banner ads placed near their videos. YouTube splits its ad revenue with partners 50-50. And although it’s an incremental process, it’s amazing how much some are generating from their banner ads.

Few are getting rich, but some have quit their day jobs and are full time YouTubers, and others have hit the big time. For videos and YouTube channels that generate a real buzz and drive traffic, the rewards can be amazing. Not only do these YouTube stars generate a following and various money streams, many establish themselves as personalities. By passing the traditional star making machine these trailblazers have been able to create their own opportunities. Not only are they establishing themselves via YouTube and generating various cash flow streams, many of these are crossing over from the net to more traditional media outlets establishing themselves in print, film, CDs, and TV. Welcome to the new star making machine.

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How do you respond to cold calls, ads, direct marketing pieces, email spam? Exactly. Now why would you expect your prospects to react differently? Generally people either run from or lash out at aggressive hard sell marketing.

Although they can work, traditional promotion efforts have a poor return on investment. Most prospects turn and run when they feel they’re being sold. Overt promotion is considered intrusive, overly aggressive, and unwelcome. Approaches such as cold calling generally induce reactions such as irritation, fear, impatience, annoyance and anger. Not the reactions you want to illicit in a prospect.

These approaches trigger people’s fight or flight responses. Your prospects either want to argue with you, or they want to slam the phone down in your ear. Not a good way to start to a business relationship. There is a reason why cold calling and direct marketing have such low rates of closing. These approaches set you up as the adversary, the enemy.

To market effectively, attraction should be your focus. You shine a light on your prospective client’s problems and offer solutions; which in turn draws prospects and clients to you. Illumination equals attraction. The trick is to shift from a traditional marketing approach to one that focuses on your value; the standard dynamics of marketing are upturned, as your focus moves from promotion to attraction. Doing business with you becomes appealing, desirable. You and your business are sought after.

This is where a combined approach that includes PR, media relations, blogging and social media can be so effective. For this to work make a firm connection with your message and your audience. Your approach needs to be in alignment with your core values and your true skill set. Focus on illumination and attraction rather than on selling; you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

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The first order of business when beginning a PR campaign is to figure out your stories. Study the media and what kinds of stories they cover especially when it is a specific topic in which they interview an expert in that field to bring more credibility to the story. For example, if the media is discussing a top athlete’s recent injury and they need a doctor or pain specialist to comment on this, you could be that doctor. Notice which outlets discuss topics that are in your area of expertise. Once you have an idea of the media you want to pitch, and some stories you’re ready to pitch, you can begin to take the following steps:

1. Write a press release. A one pager that shows your knowledge about the topic with a catchy, useful angle for the media.

2. Build a media list. This can be tricky if you don’t have access to a database. Here are some databases to check out:
Cision
BurrellesLuce

3. Once you have a list of contacts, begin narrowing them down. Write a paragraph with a pitch about your story and attach the press release. Send it out!

4. Then begin Follow-up calls.

Some helpful tips when pitching:

How many people do you know that react well to hard sales techniques? Although hard sells might initially get people to react to them, they’re certainly not the way to forge a long term working relationship. In fact, if you approach people with the used car salesman approach, chances are good that they’re going to do their best to avoid you. The media is no different. When pitching the press, trying to hard sell your story is not the way to go. Remember, you are trying to position yourself as a media resource. You want the media to understand that you’re on their side; and that you can help them meet their needs by giving them interesting stories.

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It’s pretty amazing what a video on YouTube can do. For example, when a video of John Jacobson’s educational choreography “Planet Rock” was posted on YouTube, and renamed “Double Dream Hands” (DDH), no one could have foreseen the phenomena that would ensue. In a short three-month period, the video garnered over 2.39 million hits on YouTube, and spanned countless remakes, one of them set to a Bollywood song. The video has now spawned an industry – including appearances in the national media, a phone app, a book, and a DVD.

The video has touched a chord with children and adults worldwide and John receives emails from all parts of the globe praising the song and choreography. John recently walked into a classroom in Mali, Africa, whereupon recognizing him, the children spontaneously burst into Double Dream Hands. On January 26, 2011, John was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The episode celebrated Ellen’s birthday and as a present, her staff joined John in performing the Double Dream Hands dance. Upcoming television appearances include a VH1 special on viral videos. The video has now spawned an industry.

A Double Dream Hands iPhone application is now available for purchase at Apple’s iTunes store. Fans can upload a picture of themselves (or a picture of their friends, parents, grandparents, favourite celebrities, etc.) doing the DDH dance, wearing John’s famous yellow polo and sporting blond hair!

The popularity of Double Dream Hands has given John a broader voice and he is proud to present his new book Double Dreams: Living a Life of Glee, Harmony and, Oh Yes… Jazz Hands!, which will be available at the end of May on Amazon.com and in bookstores. The book is a collection of heart-warming stories about kids, music, and dance.

John’s family fitness DVD Double Dream Hands: Songs for Fun and Fitness will be available in May.

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According to a YouTube press release:

More than 13 million hours of video were uploaded during 2010.

35 hours of video are uploaded every minute.

More video is uploaded to YouTube in 60 days than the 3 major US networks created in 60 years.

YouTube reached over 700 billion playbacks in 2010.

Less than a month after its fifth birthday, YouTube has announced that it has exceeded two billion video views per day.

That is a lot of video. How does anyone break through all of those images, music talk and clatter? The amazing thing is that many do and some ride it on to major success. That Bieber guy for example.

Although it’s only been around since 2005, and was sold in 2007 for $1.65 billion (yeah, billion with a B) to Google, YouTube is now a household name, a major player and a launching pad for new careers. The list of those who have emerged from YouTube includes Justin Bieber, Soulja Boy, and Tay Zonday, among others. The list is varied, from Bieber to the Bed Intruder to the double rainbows guy. John Jacobson and his Double Dream Hands video became a huge hit thanks to YouTube. Jacobson ended up on Ellen’s TV show teaching her staff how to do the dance on her birthday segment. There is now a Double Dream Hands phone app and a book and DVD are on the way.

Whereas YouTube used to be the site to visit to watch goofy, crazy videos, it is now the new engine for launching talent and careers. It is a community where viewers go to find news, sports, science, music and how-to information. Like a social network it also allows viewers to subscribe to different channels, friends, etc.

YouTube creates stars and sensations; Auto-Tune the News’s “Bed Intruder Song” was the year’s most-watched, non-major label video on YouTube. The site helped take it from obscurity to online sensation.

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