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Tin Shingle's Valentine's Day Gift Guide

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It's here! Your Tin Shingle Valentine's Gift Guide, curated by members themselves in our Amazing Businesses showcase. We've gathered some of our favorite Valentine's Day gift ideas from some of our members! .

FRIENDSHIP 143 "I LOVE YOU" SEED BEAD NECKLACE BY SUNDAY GIRL BY AMY DI LAMARRA
This isn't just a lovely little minimal necklace, it also communicates "I love you" in code. This necklace makes a great gift for sisters, best friends, mothers to daughters, but it's so cute you might just want one for yourself. Shop now >

GLAM LEATHER WINE TOTE BY KATHRYN STYLE BOUTIQUE
This trendy bag will add pop to your look.  But there's more!  This leather bag holds a wine bottle and makes a gorgeous gift to your girlfriend, mother, sister, or any fab lady.  Purchase a bottle, add it to the bag, put a bow on it, and let the compliments to you begin! Shop now >

SUNSET SOUL BRACELET BY MANIC TROUT
For your favorite lady who wears her heart on her sleeve with pride (and no judgment if you're that lady!). The Sunset Soul Bracelet is the perfect way to let her know how much you adore that about her. Shop now >

KATY COACHING BY KATY SYKES
If you're relationship isn't quite where you want it to be, Relationship Expert and Coach Katy Sykes can help you put the sparkle back! Shop now >

MY HEART BEETS FOR YOU PET TREATS BY YOUR PET CHEF
Why not treat that special 4 legged sweet heart with a fun, tasty snack? These treats are heart healthy, low in calories, and a rich red color. Shop now >

PRIM BOTANICALS
A beautiful line of all-natural, carefully blended products for hair, body, home and more! Shop now >

TIPPLING BAG BY TODDLE BAG COMPANY, LLC
Looking for a fantastic Valentine's gift? One that she'll love? Give her the unique Tippling Bag - the purse that pours wine! Shop now >

MONOGRAM JEWELRY BY SWELL CAROLINE
Give her a gift with a personal touch. Swell Caroline has a beautiful selection of monogram jewelry as well as many other pieces to choose from. Shop now >

HEART THEMED BRAIN TEASERS BY TUCKER-JONES HOUSE, INC.
Heart themed brainteasers from the Tavern Puzzle Collection are a fresh gift idea for Valentine's Day.

Four puzzles featuring hearts available as a set at a discounted price. Shop now >

 

Save the Date: Your Chance to Meet Producers, Editors, Social Influencers & PR Experts

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AMPLIFY 2016 * FEBRUARY 27- 28 IN NYC * BE THERE!
AMPLIFY
MEET PRODUCERS, EDITORS, BLOGGERS, EXPERTS, INFLUENCERS
BUSINESS CHANGING
How would your business change if you met, learned from and connected with magazine editors, TV producers, and bloggers in an intimate setting? We're talking about Redbook Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Today Show, PIX11, Men's Health and so many more...

PR & SOCIAL MEDIA PROS
Learn shortcuts and strategies from experts in the PR and social media fields and have the chance to ask them your questions live. You'll also hear from businesses like you who were able to make big things happen for their buzz building. How did they do it? They'll tell you!

YOUR PRODUCT ON TV
You know those men and women you see on TV showing hosts on your local TV news and national morning shows their favorite products? Find out exactly what those TV experts look for from a business when deciding what the next product will be that they introduce to viewers.

SOCIAL MEDIA HOTCAKES
Major social media influencers like MizzFit works with brands like yours all of the time - find out directly from her and a few other bloggers and Instagrammers how they like working with brands like yours!

CELEBRITY PRODUCT PLACEMENT
You want your product in a TV show - but how does that work? Get insight from a celebrity product placement professional to cut to the chase and meet this marketing goal!

What if you could take part in all of this learning AND score a major Tin Shingle exclusive discount at the same time? Use coupon code TINSHINGLE50 to save $50 at checkout!
SATURDAY'S PANEL SCHEDULE
Saturday Sessions Include:

*A Q & A session will be provided after each panel!
 
  • Traditional PR Strategies That Get Results: Learn from the Pros
  • Magazine Editor Panel on Pitching (Magazine Editors)
  • Get TV Press Panel
  • Branding Through Your Website
  • On-Air Experts and Working with Them
  • DIY PR & Amplification Success Stories from Entrepreneurs Like You
  • Cocktail Party & Mixer
USE CODE TINSHINGLE50 FOR $50.00 OFF
SUNDAY SESSIONS INCLUDE:
  • How to Build Relationships and Buzz Through Social Media
  • Bringing Your Online Offline: Creating In-Person Events
  • Influencer Marketing: How to work successfully with the new online “celebrities”
  • Celebrity Gifting & Product Placement
  • Let’s Get Legal: From Trademarks to Photo Rights, Your Questions Answered
  • Pitching Online Publications Panel
USE CODE TINSHINGLE50 FOR $50.00 OFF

Tin Shingle's Valentine's Day Shopping Guide - Members Fill It Up!

Katie Hellmuth's picture Submitted by Katie Hellmuth on   |  0 Comments

Being a member of Tin Shingle has its editorial perks - like adding your product or service to Tin Shingle's Valentine's Day Shopping Guide! In addition to that Shopping Guide that our readers can browse through at any time, we will be pulling together some of the best gifts into ideas for different loved ones on your list! Add your gifts by this Friday, as that is when Tin Shingle's Valentine's Day article goes live!

If you are a member of Tin Shingle, log in and add your product to the Shopping Guides in the "Amazing Businesses" section. Adding your product is easy. Simply visit your DASHBOARD and click on the "Add New Item to the Shopping Guides". Did you already add a Valentine's Day Gift Idea to another category? You can move it to another category by clicking Edit, and selecting the new Shopping Guide category. See who is in the Valentine's Day Shopping Guide already!

Also note the new "Super Bowl Party Must-Haves" Shopping Guide! You know what to do...

Not a member yet? Learn about membership here and join any time! Tin Shingle is in the buzz-building business.

Add new item to the Shopping Guides at Tin Shingle

Category: 
Membership Goodies

New PR Lead Added from Trae Bodge for Beauty, Sleep, Organization

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Members of Tin Shingle have a few new PR Leads to dig into and write pitches for in several areas of what is hot right now in "short-lead" media. Trae Bodge, a well known editor, writer and consumer expert is working on several stories, details and deadlines of which are in the PR Center that members can access immediately. We can't give away all of the details of the leads, but know this: business specializing in sleep products, beauty, kids and Spring Break need to get their wheels turning and websites spiffed up, because these are good opportunities to get in front of Trae's readers and viewers.

To learn about membership with Tin Shingle, visit our Membership page, where you can start a subscription now, commitment free. Turn it on when you are turning up the buzz of your business, and pause it when you are focusing on other areas. Meet other members of Tin Shingle in our Amazing Businesses section, and add yours to the list!

Category: 
Membership Goodies

New Template! Blog Planning and Production Calendar Ready for Download

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Tin Shingle has released its 2016 Blog Planning and Production Calendar template, with over 250 ideas to help you come up with blog posts that highlight your business. The secret to creating an enticing blog - one that helps new customers find your business and makes what you sell irresistible - is planning ahead and sticking to the plan.

LIFETIME BONUS: When you get this template, you get the next year's for free!

 

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

Blogs are vital to spreading the word about your business! Here's why:

  • Publish That Great Idea
    Did you pitch the press a fabulous idea that didn't get picked up? Use it on your blog! Publish your own article!
     
  • Google Will Find You
    Especially important for websites with 5-10 pages. You have your basic pages: About, Press, Testimonials, etc. And then what? Google and other search engines are hungry for new content. Give it to them.
     
  • Something to Talk About
    You can only socialize your home page so many times. Your people want new stuff from you. Give it to them.

 

FEATURES

Developed and used by professional bloggers, this easy to use calendar contains over 250 article inspirations that will help you get ideas for what to write about. Our template is organized into 12 months with 365 days. Tap on a month and assign your dream article to which day you'll publish it on.

  • At-a-Glance Design for Every Day/Week
    You'll be able to look at an entire month to see which article is publishing in which week.
     
  • Social Media Post Reminder
    Make sure those blog posts get socialized with a special column to hold someone accountable to creating that social share.
     
  • Production Coordination
    Assign who does what for each article. Are you writing the copy, but your assistant or web person is uploading it to the blog complete with pictures and links? Keep track of it here which helps production teams plan ahead.
     
  • Deadlines
    When does this blog post need to be written by and made pretty? Assign a deadline date, as well the date it should go live.
     
  • Color Code!
    Adult coloring is trending for a reason - because people love to see things in color and organized. You can add to this template by using color coding of your own. The calendar is in Excel, so it's easy.

Eli Barret, Testimonial for Tin Shingle's Blog Planning Calendar

TAKE A PEEK

Once purchased, you download the calendar directly to your computer. It is an Excel file, giving you total freedom to play with lists and columns. Everything is organized for you. If you are a fan of Google Docs/Drive, you can upload this blog planning and production calendar to Google Docs/Drive and have it at the tap of your Google app.

Take a Peek Into Tin Shingle's Blog Planning and Production Calendar

Liz Picazarri's Testimonial for Tin Shingle's Blog Planning and Production Calendar

 

EXTRA BONUS

Members of Tin Shingle get this and template for free!
Learn about other benefits of membership.

Download Tin Shingle's Blog Planning and Production Calendar 2016 to help you plan your blog posts to promote your business.

Category: 
Blogging
Branding
Membership Goodies

New PR Lead for Women Entrepreneurs - JackieDeals.com

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Hope you are having a wonderful Martin Luther King Day of peace and reflection, and that this Monday holiday either has you quietly catching up on your business, or perhaps you took the day off! We have a new PR Lead for you as a new Ongoing PR Lead, which means you can pitch to it at any time, without a deadline. This is a good opportunity for if you have an event or launch coming up that you are working to build media around.

Jackie Deals is a raves and review website with the mission to showcase empowered women who have taken action on their dreams to create and grow a business. Jackie Berlowski is a member of Tin Shingle and has featured several incredible businesses, including a few friends of Tin Shingle like Katie Danziger of NomieBaby, and Erin Bickley and Jenny Greer of Hold Your Haunches.

HOW IT WORKS
Jackie provides personal video commentary on each product and works with the women behind the brands to offer her readers an exclusive discount accessed via the "Get The Deal" button on her website. Readers get the deal code found on Jackie Deals to use during checkout at each business’s website.

ABOUT JACKIE
In her own words: “I am an entrepreneur, a mother, a wife, a native New Yorker, a coffee addict, an animal lover, a serious chocolate devourer, and a BIG supporter of women kicking some serious entrepreneurial ass. I enjoy learning from others, being inspired by those who follow through on the craziest ideas, and supporting other females following their dreams. My adrenaline rush comes from finding the next “must-have” item.”

HOW TO APPLY TO BE A FEATURED ENTREPRENEUR
Since Jackie Deals of a website that is deeply connected to the inspirations of its founder, we are providing Jackie’s words on what she is looking for in a featured business:

There are so many incredible entrepreneurs out there and we would love to feature them all! However, we keep an intimate gallery, so you won’t be overwhelmed pouring through hundreds of items. We select the best of the best for you to enjoy. To be on JackieDeals.com, one doesn’t necessarily need ALL of the following, but we certainly try to check most off the list.

1. I have to love and appreciate the brand that I’m featuring. These are products I use/wear/eat/become slightly obsessed with/tell my friends about and have pretty much become a part of my daily routine or you’ll see in my closet…or kitchen.

2. It’s not that I only appreciate one of their products, but I need to believe in the brand in its entirety. These brands are creating high-quality, unique items that women want in their lives.

3. Not only are you pouring your heart and soul into your beautiful creations, but you also give back to fellow females.

4. You have made a beautiful product that solves a problem.

Good luck, Tin Shinglers! The contact details are in your PR Center in the Ongoing Leads section, or by clicking here. As always with any press mention, if this does work out for you, add it to your Press Portfolio that Tin Shingle members are adding to constantly to highlight their press. If you are not a member of Tin Shingle yet, click here to learn more about membership.

 

Category: 
Membership Goodies
Pitch Me

New! Forum Signature & Profile Update Button in Personal Profiles on Tin Shingle

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Many members of Tin Shingle have requested the ability to edit your Signature in the private member Forum as an easy way to show who you are and where to find information about your business. This can be done! Here's how:

HOW TO ADD YOUR SIGNATURE TO THE FORUM

Click on DASHBOARD in the very top navigation of the website.

Click on the box for Edit Your Personal Profile.

Scroll down a bit and you will see a Signature box. There is a character limit here, so you can only add a limited number of words and links in this Forum signature.

The Signature box looks like this:

New Forum Signature Settings in Tin Shingle Member Profiles

NEW! EDIT YOUR PERSONAL PROFILE FROM YOUR DASHBOARD

When you are udpating or adding your Personal Profile, you can do so directly from your main DASHBOARD page. This is the page you see right away after you login. As a reminder, the Personal Profile is designed to showcase the owner of the business. The new button looks like this:

Editor your personal profile at Tin Shingle

Want to start using these tools right away? Join Tin Shingle and start building more buzz for your business!

Category: 
Membership Goodies

Video Clip and Fave Quote from Periscope Files: Sabina's PR Tip on "PR Starts at Home"

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Lately, co-founder Sabina Hitchen has been hosting a new Periscope series called "Live at 5: PR Tip of the Day" in which she shares one PR idea or tip with you. As with any delivery from Sabina, you're getting more than one tip and idea, and you're always getting a serious dose of motivataion. It's like going to the gym for your brain but you didn't need to leave the computer. You will come away with ideas and confidence and you will be hooked - it's how I have been her business partner for so long!

In a "scope" from last week ("scope" is shorthand for "an episode on Periscope from someone you follow"), Sabina's theme was "PR Starts at Home". It was so good, that we captured it and uploaded it to Tin Shingle's Periscope Files at YouTube for you to replay whenever you want. In the video, Sabina stresses how important it is for those around you - your friends and family - to know what it is that you do. This sounds simple and obvious, but more often than not, I'm going to wager that you do not go into the glorious nitty gritty details of what you do for a living. When asked if those in your social circles really know what you do, your answer may be: "My family doesn't get it," or "My family doesn't know what I do - it's too complicated - they don't really care."

So here's the thing, and this was Sabina's point in the Periscope we saved for you and uploaded here to our "From the Periscope Files" playlist that you should subscribe to: your friends and family do care, and they want to know about what you do, because your product or service may be able to help them.  Sabina stresses a lot in our TuneUp training webinar series that you designed your business around something you love and know is important to people. People need it, right? So people need to know about it.

During the video, Sabina told the audience to have a "Proclaim It Moment". We viewers all got very excited and started commenting to each other on Periscope while she was talking (BTW this is how Periscope works - viewing and typing at the same time). One regular viewer, Ginger-Vee Carter, owner of www.ShopCDFSkincare.com, rapidly typed in:

"It's action time!"

And that was awesome. Ginger's words are our Quote of the Week in this week's #SmallBizGoodness newsletter.

Here's an excerpt of what Sabina said during this scope, and you can listen to it in full in the video below. For more "Live at 5 PR Tip a Day", follow Sabina on Periscope at @SabinaKnows, and follow Tin Shingle for all highlights at @TinShingle.

"The more people who know about what you do in your own world, the more people in the world will know about your business."

"Share what you do with everyone in your life. You probably think that you share too much, but you probably don’t. This is not like perfume where you put it on subtly. Many people in your own close circles may not know what you do. Do you talk business all of the time with your friends? Probably not. How will they know what you do? The world needs you. The world needs what you do. Tell them."

"Think about the people in your life who you rely on. Your fitness trainer or instructor. Your financial adviser. Your child care center. You love them, right? You spread the word about them, right? Time to spread the word about what YOU offer to others."

Watch the video below, and if you want more of this, you'll love Tin Shingle's TuneUps that have Sabina, myself and a few guest experts pumping you up and training you in creative and powerful ways to get the word out about your business. To get really hooked in and to get access to more hands-on tools for building buzz about your business, start a Tin Shingle subscription membership. It's awesome.

Category: 
Publicity
Quotes

What to Pitch the Press in January: Be the Early Bird

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Welcome back to another year of buzz building opportunities! I'm excited to connect with you all for another year of sharing monthly stories and hot topics you can incorporate into your PR campaign tha the press will find simply irresistible! I also wanted to give a shout out to all of you who I've seen taking ideas given during our TuneUps and using them to raise your visibility and connect with your current and future brand audience (customers, clients, newsletter readers, blog followers).  I've seen your posts and your udpates and your newsletters reflecting what you've learned and I'm so pumped you're taking action on all these ideas! Namely:

  • RestoPresto created a newsletter campaign to run prior to and during the Golden Globes that promised free shipping if Jon Hamm (Don Draper from Mad Men). Well he won!
  • Our very own co-founder Katie may pitch her local blog to local TV for a walking shopping segment for Valentine's Day gift ideas.

The best things not only come to those who try but those who DO SOMETHING!

Now to help you do something more for your publicity in 2015 here are a few "what to pitch" ideas to get your buzz building motors running!

AWARDS SEASON

Awards season is upon us.  You may have seen the Golden Globes last night and they kick off a season of awards, from Oscars to other smaller shows like the Independent Spirit Awards. That means that people are aflutter about all things Hollywood, movies, and big name stars. Whether or not your'e actually working with them directly in your business is not something that impacts where or not you pitch a story around Awards Season, your only limit is your creativity and your ability to create a story idea that makes sense in terms of the angle (don't make it too much of a stretch) and makes sense in terms of it being something that will produce press that benefits your business and bottom line. 

Here are some "short lead" examples of ways you can get publicity from Awards Season. Remember you're pitching to short lead press like blogs, TV and weeklies!

  • Awards Season Fashion
  • How to Get a Hollywood Hot Body
  • DIY Awards Viewing Party decor and recipes
  • Find a theme of one of the big movies making the rounds during Awards Season and tie your expertise or business to it. For example, a doctor could talk about the medical facts behind the movie concussion or how at risk high school football players are.
  • Create promotional deals and offers tied to whether or not a certain celebrity wins an award.
  • A mediatation or yoga expert could talk about how stars lower stress during Awards Season.

What happens when you successfully tie your business or expertise to a hot topic like Awards Season? Great publicity.  In fact, here's an example of it right now...Check out Brittney Levine, an in-demand on-air expert as she teased out (last night) her upcoming appearance talking about Golden Globes fashion on WPIX in New York City.  Learn from Brittney.  Be like Brittney. Brittney is a Buzz Building Baller.

 

VALENTINE'S DAY

Get All Up On Those Valentines' Day Topics

I know it feels like pitching Holiday Gift Guides just ended but let me tell you, as I can see from the Tin Shingle PR Leads that members are replying to this week, the blogs and television shows are already pulling products and experts for Valentine's Day stories.

This means that you have a gift idea, or a set of tips that are related to Valentine's Day now is the time to reach out and connect with the short lead press (television, online, newspaper, radio) that have an audience would would be interested in what you have to offer.  Here are a few more PR golden nuggets to help you land some great Valentine's Day publicity:

  • If you have a product you want to get in an on-air gift guide (recommended products shared on air) be sure that you're reaching out to the on-air experts who are the ones creating and hosting those segments.
  • Be sure the gifts you have to offer are actually suitable for Valentine's Day and not something you're trying to squeeze into a gift guide that is off topic.
  • Have tips? Share them! Don't think your expertise is suitable for Valentine's Day segments? Here are story ideas I've seen get press in the past that might just prove you wrong!
    • Fashion expert talked about the perfect outfits for Valentine's Dates.
    • Psychologist talked about how to deal with feelings of loss after divorce and break ups around this holiday.
    • Doctor talked about the health benefits of kissing.
    • Event planner talked about throwing an Anti-Valentine's Day party
  • Finally - don't leave your social fans hanging - offer them a Valentine's Day promo just for following your Twitter, Instagram, your Facebook or your newsletter!

THINK END OF SPRING & EARLY SUMMER

The long lead magazines who are sprinting 3 to 6 months ahead of the rest of us are already starting to close their spring issues and move onto early summer.  What does this mean to you buzz builder?  It means planning ahead and pitching ahead including story ideas about:

  • All the new products you need for this change of season (from summer fashion and beauty to summer must-haves)
  • Tips to keep you healthy, happy and better (in every and all ways) this summer
  • For some magazines who are still at the end of spring you may be able to squeeze some Mother's Day pitches in - but act fast - those babies fill up fast!

Want to be sure you're always on top of what you should be pitching for the new month? Join us on our What to Pitch TuneUps which are held the first Wednesday of every month, online, on camera and are absolutely free!  Pencil it in your calendar!

TEMPLATES THAT MAKE PR PLANNING EASIER

Tin Shingle has two templates that make this PR planning a lot easier and actually fun:

  • The Media Outreach Tracking Sheet Template
    This template helps you plot who you are going to pitch, and during which month of the year.
    Get it now
  • The Blog Planning and Production Calendar
    Using your business blog to create your own content is a terrific strategy for creating buzz about your brand - using these very ideas you just read about! When people are Googling for things you have blogged about, it is the blog post at your blog that may come up for them, leading these people to buy from your website. We have collected over 250 ideas that will work all year, and put the in a monthy calendar that is organized by each month and day of the year. Brainstorm and plan ahead!
    Get it now

 

 

Category: 
What To Pitch This Month

And We're Back! What We Did While On Break

Katie Hellmuth's picture Submitted by Katie Hellmuth on   |  0 Comments

Helllllo Everyone!

TruthBomb here - this post includes the words "what we did while on break", but the truth is - we, like many of you, took a break! We did not work, we played with our families, we cooked, we saw a bunch of movies in the theater (yes, that includes Star Wars, Daddy's Home, Alvin and the Chipmunks Road Chip...and that's just from my end of the spectrum which only includes kid-friendly movies).

But now that's it's Monday - the first Monday of the New Year - we have something for you!

The Training Webinar TuneUps in the Guide "How to Get Your Product to Celebrities" have been restored.

Now all recordings in this Guide series are available for you to stream now. If you are a member of Tin Shingle, these are instantly free for you when you are logged in, from any device - computer, iPhone, iPad, Droid, etc. If you are not a member yet, you can buy individual classes that fit your needs. These webinars are part of Tin Shingle's entire collection in the Classes section.

Those podcasts include the following. If you are reaching this blog post at a later day, it is entirely possible that more podcasts or classes have been added to this collection as we design, develop and tape new ones.

[#TuneUp] Celebrity & Stylist Outreach Secrets

 

[#TuneUp] How to Get Celebrity Buzz for your Brand Even if They Aren't Using It

 

[#TuneUp] Fail-Proof Your Outreach to Celebrities & The Press

 

[#TuneUp] How to Host a Product Preview (for Press & Celebs)

 

[FREE #TuneUp] Your PR & Social Media Questions Answered [Editor's Note: Includes "How to Get Your Food Product to Celebs"]

 

[#TuneUp] Introduction to Working with Style Bloggers (the Online Celebrities)

 

Then, get pumped for this week's Live Training TuneUp because Sabina is going to lead you through Tin Shingle's monthly TuneUp series: What to Pitch the Press This Month: January, for long lead and short lead ideas. When you are on the call, you will come away with ideas on what to pitch the press, what to put on your own business blog, what to tweet about or images to make for Instagram. It's your monthly refill of what themes are possible.

If you haven't signed up yet for this free training TuneUp, do it now! We look forward to connecting with you on the call.

Category: 
Membership Goodies

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