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If you've been checking our upcoming class schedule you may have seen that we'll be doing an encore "How to Pitch for the Holidays" class next week. That said we wanted to get you started on that work now, and this blog (and a few more to follow until the day fo the class) will help you!.
Now right now some of you may be thinking: "Holidays? WHAT the heck is she talking about, it's spring?" I’m talking winter holidays! Yes that’s right. holiday gift guides, holiday tip sheets (for all you experts), holiday-themed stories of all kinds – from Christmas to Hanukkah to Kwanzaa and everything in between!
"Why prep now?" you may be asking yourself. Well let's think about it: magazines are working 3+ months ahead and the holiday issue won’t come out in December (when would you shop?) and these "special" issues are major undertakings, so they need to start planning ahead – and so do you!
This doesn’t mean pitch them this week or even this month, but it DOES mean prepare now so that come summer you’re good to go and pitching away! If you wait until September to get this going you’ll miss the boat and some of the biggest opportunities of the year for your brand whether you're a service or product-based brand. If you even wait until August in some situations you’ll miss out, so it's time to get ready now and we are going to help you! For starters, we're going to be doing these "How to Pitch for Holidays" blog posts, and our upcoming audio class will break it down even more as well as answer all your burning questions!
Now where was I, ah yes: What is pitching? What am I talking about here? What are some examples of topics a small business should be prepared to pitch out?
Holiday is the appropriate way to refer to all the winter holidays you as a business owner want to be taking advantage of in terms of press – this means the obvious holiday gift guides for what to buy loved ones, and also means New Year’s Eve (outfits, resolutions, etc) and if you really want to jumpstart your PR campaign you'll want to at least think about New Years New You concepts that you can keep filed away in the back of your mind.
Be really aware this time of year is a must for pitching for both proudct and service-based businesses! If you use your pitching brain you can find ideas for both!
This means there is a boundless amount of stories you can come up with including some ideas I’m going to give you now to give your creative juices a jumpstart including:
- Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa Gifts
- Holiday Party "Looks" (what to wear, do with your hair, makeup...)
- Hostess gifts
- What to eat and serve at your party
- How to throw a great holiday paty
- How to wrap presents creatively
- How to set up your home for a party
- Holiday Etiquette
- New Year’s Eve Outfits
- Getting in Shape for the Holidays
- How not to gain weight for the holidays
- How to travel stress free during the holidays
- How to pack well
- How to handle your family during the holidays
- Holiday Safety Tips
- Business Resolutions – DING DING DING this always comes up – prep it ahead of time so you can get a biz feature in the press!
- How to take a great holiday card photo
- How not to get drunk at a work company party
- How to get along with your in-laws
- How to teach kids about gratitude during the holidays
- Stocking Stuffers
- New Year New You – this can be applied ot many stories
- How to stick to your resolutions
- Changes you should make in the new year (personal or professional)
You get it – you have a LOT to work with! I truly believe that nearly every type of business, brand, service and expert can find a way to spin themselves into a holiday feature whether it be in a magazine, blog, or TV show on a local or national level!
Now that we've got you thinking about it, get ready to PREPARE for it. remember: "Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan" is a mantra we use a lot here at Tin Shingle, and we're going to help you do it!
Keep looking out for more of our How to Pitch for Holidays blog posts and we hope to see you at our full audio class next week!
