Welcome to May! As we do every month, we've got real-time pitching ideas and themes to help you kick your creative juices and your PR campaign into high gear!
Just a little reminder, be sure you're pitching the ideas these topics inspire to the right type of press. In this idea series, you'll need to know these buzz words:
- Short lead = websites, television, weekly magazines, newspapers and radio.
- Long lead = monthly magazines.
Want to get even more in-depth help with your May PR campaign plan? Join us for this week's live #TuneUp webinar!
Mayweather vs Pacquiao-esque Piggyback Pitches (short lead)
I was so inspired by this story idea I added it in after the post was already done. Why? Because talk of this this major boxing match (happening this weekend) is reaching fever pitch. I heard talk of it everywhere from hard business news to Access Hollywood. This is a historic fight, a major event, the Super Bowl of boxing, and people are interested in it. Because of that, media outlets of all types are sharing stories about it that would interest their audiences. Access Hollywood is talking about which celebrities will be at the fight, business shows are talking about the money involved (we're talking hundreds of millions folks), fitness experts are talking about how you can incorporate boxing moves into your own work out.
Now at this point, it's a bit late to pitch a story about the fight, but you can use it as an example for yourself in the future. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for big events like this, even if they aren't directly related to your business, product or service. They don't have to be. You just have to find a link, story angle or something of value to share that is.
Do you still want to use this fight to your advantage? Take your ideas and pour them into a blog post, or create a cool social media discount based on the winner of the fight!
Father's Day (short lead)
You may be thinking, "but wait, Mother's Day is this month, not Father's Day, are you confused Sabina?" The answer is no. Remember that the people covering Father's Day story angles - from gift guides to tips and other dad-themed stories - these people need time to get the stories out there long before the actual holiday. That means they need to select gifts for gift guides and run them with plenty of time for readers and viewers to go out and purchase the gifts, as well as send them to dad.
What does this mean for you? You need to decide what products/services/story ideas you'll be pitching for Father's Day. Remember, this isn't just about the gifts. Maybe you have some creative family Father's Day activities you can share with your local news. Perhaps your business is offering a special discount for dad. My point is, get your ideas and pitches ready now.
If you want some help formulating your pitch and your strategy for Father's Day, check out this podcast! Yes, it's about Mother's Day, but it's the same premise, and our guest expert, PR pro Kelly Kepner, will definitely help make this outreach easier and faster than it's ever been for you!
Memorial Day & Armed Forces Day (short lead)
The end of May contains two holidays that honor those who have and do serve our country. It's also one of the biggest holiday weekends celebrated in our country. That means there are plenty of story ideas to get you and your business press coverage.
First let's talk veterans and the armed forces: What a wonderful reason to celebrate them within your business (think discounts and perks for veterans and members of our armed services). It's also a great time to share stories with the press that cover these themes - are you a service man or woman who runs a business, or perhaps do you have employees who are? Do you have a business that helps them in some way? How can you ladder back to these heroes? Turn it into a story.
Memorial Day as a Holiday: This is one of the biggest holidays of the year in America. Do you have a tip, products, services or ideas that will make vacations better, family time more fun, the perfect recipe for a picnic or party, or even Memorial Day safety tips? Get them out to the press as soon as you can. Holidays are always competitive and the faster you can share your offerings with the press the better.
As always, make these pitches work double time by sharing any that aren't picked up by the press in your own blog, newsletter and social media feeds!
Are you reading these story ideas and thinking, "I have the best idea but I'm not sure if my pitch or angle is on point." If they answer is yes, here are a couple more ways we can help you out:
- Download this podcast:
How to Write a Pitch that Gets Noticed by the Press. Bonus: It comes with a pitch example you can use as a template for your own PR outreach.
Want to get inspiration from past What to Pitch columns?
Access them here!
Submitted by Katie Hellmuth on | 2 Comments
