The Tin Shingle Blog

• Have you ever wished someone could look at your pitch and weigh in on it?
   
• Have a subject line you want to test?
   
• Wondering if the image you’re using in your pitch is a good one?
   
• Have you ever wondered if the point you think you’re making in your pitch is clear and apparent to someone reading it outside of your biz?
   
• Do you just want another set of eyes on your pitch (the answer to this should always be YES)?

Tin Shingle has introduced a new Pitch Workshop Forum to our exclusive, member-only online forum. Just like writers often "workshop" their pieces in groups (these are  meetings where they weigh in on each other's work, give advice, suggested edits, critiques and insight) this virtual Pitch Workshop allows our community of entrepreneurs and small business owners  - as well as several PR and marketing pros - to weigh in on each other's pitches.

This really speaks to the true power of a community like Tin Shingle.  You don’t have to do it alone!  You are not alone!  

Not only are you not alone, you no longer have to wonder about all those questions I mentioned at the start of this post because because you now have a community of people who can share their experiences and insight with you, whether you want to ask an opinion on the way you're wording a specific phrase or if you want to copy and paste your entire pitch in the forum for feedback (yup, that's allowed as well).

The entire process is as simple as visiting the Pitch Workshop Forum and sharing your pitch, anytime, day or night.  When other members weigh in, you'll get an email alerting you to this and you can hop right back into the Forum to see what they have to say and even reply.

You do need to be a Tin Shingle member to participate in the Pitch Workshop Forum, and all of the Forum conversation areas available to members. If you haven't joined us yet, don't waste one more moment wondering if you're sending the right pitch out, join our community and platform now and be sure of it!

Meantime, what questions do you most often have about the pitches you write?  Share them in the comments below, and you may just find an answer in an upcoming article or podcast!
 

These days, online subscription boxes are one of the hottest services on the block, and what's not to love?  Anything that saves you time, stress and perhaps even money while allowing you to discover amazing products and adding convenience to your life is pretty simple to say yes to. 

These three small businesses are stand-outs in the online subscription and delivery box world and we're guessing that they may be delivering to your own home shortly...

	Micro-brewed Beer of the Month Club A passion for amazing craft beers led to the creation of this family business over 20 years.  Though not brand new, we had to give them a shout out thanks to their dedication to sharing microbrews from around the United States (and the world).  New mircrobrews delivered to our home every month?  Sounds like a plan - sign us up! Keep up with them on Twitter & Facebook as well!
	"That Time of Month" Just Got Easier: Meet BiziBubble Let's face it: there are some things in life that could be made a lot easier, and fortunately for women everywhere, one of them just did.  BiziBubble is a monthly delivery service that ships feminine products (that you can mix and match) straight to your door.  Not only that, but you get a "BiziBonus" gift in each package, just because.  The sign up process is easier than you think and the first month is free.  #EasyButton.  Find them on Facebook and Twitter as well!
	Artisinal + Gluten Free Groceries Straight to Your Door! When I heard about Cuisine Cube I literally did a victory cheer out loud.  These days like so many of you, I'm turning to smaller food producers, gluten-free options and I love discovering the "next cool thing" from the artisinal food world, but my time to do this is so limited.  Fortunately for me, this small biz will deliver it straight to my door and none of their options are over $35.00! Sign up and then keep up with their new options on Facebook and Twitter!

It's September!  Where did the summer go?  I, personally, am like many who are celebrating the start of fall as to me it means lower temps, less humidity and more members of the media are back after summer hiatus which means more outlets to pitch great small biz stories to!

We like to kick every month off over here at the Tin Shingle blog by sharing seasonal, timely ideas that you can adapt to your own product, service or expertise in order to maximize your chances of landing a story in the press, and this month is no different!  Check out the ideas below and challenge yourself to "spin" yourself into a story about or around them.  Want to make the ideas below work double or triple duty?  Let them inspire blog or social media posts for your followers and readers to engage with, learn from and enjoy!

#1 Play on the Back to School Theme - No Matter Your Business

One only need to check their Facebook feed which is probably still packed with "first day of school" photos to know it's back to school time.  For some of you, this means creating stories that are directly related to kids returning to classrooms.  I've seen everything from "the health impact of heavy back packs on children" to "tips for kids dealing with bullies" to "how to pack a healthy lunch your kids will love".  Check out those ideas - all from different types of experts and businesses putting their own spin on a universal topic.  But what if your business or expertise is in no way related to kids/back to school?  Just take the theme and make it your own.  For example: Back to School for Business: 5 Tips Every Small Biz Owner Needs to Deal with Difficult Customers.  Back to (Cooking) School: 4 Easy Recipes You Can Make for Under $20.00.  The key here is to take a topic that everyone is and will be talking about for the next four weeks or so and make it your own!  Also, remember that you don't have to use this subject verbatim.  Feel free to play it with to make it work.  For instance one could try:  Kids are Back in School, Time for Mom to Relax: Must Have At-Home Spa Products.  The key is tying yourself to the theme, topic and season, not necessarily the words themselves.

#2 Fall Trends: Fashion, Home, Accessories, Beauty, Health, Fitness - You Name It!

Fall is trend-heavy.  By that I mean it's one of the biggest times of year - if not the biggest - to talk about fashion trends, but really, this change of season ushers in a time to talk about any new seasonal trend that people must (according to you, business owner) know about!  What is everyone going to be doing, talking about, wearing, drinking, eating, listening to or experimenting with this season?  What new activity or idea can you share?  This type of story can work whether you are teaching someone about this new fall trend, or it can work for you if you can identify a trend category that people are talking about already that your product or service fits into.  Here are some more pointers in regards to making this pitch work:  the more visual or interesting/out of the box this trend your sharing is, the higher your chances of getting it on television.  If you're going for print or online press, you don't have to be able to share it as visually, but you do have to be able to talk about why it's a trend and why people should care about it.  Finally, remember to share it with the right audience.  Not every outlet will care about fitness trends, not everyone will want to talk about fall baby product trends, but some will.  Find the right home for your story and it will be much easier to get it picked up in a big way!

#3 September Observances & Holidays: Find One That Works for YOU!

One of the fastest and easiest (relatively speaking) ways to get press for your business is to tie it into a seasonal holiday or observance, and every month presents new and interesting ways to do that.  September is no different.  The key here is to do your research and find a celebration that authentically fits your business and message.  I've listed a few below, and if they don't work for you simply take to Google to find a few that do.  One pointer?  Be sure you aren't just sharing the holiday but are building a story around it.  What will you be doing on-air, online or within your business to celebrate this holiday?  What is the takeaway going to be for viewers, readers and listeners.  By picking out a cool and interesting holiday and creating a great story around it, you're going to have a killer one-two press punch! 

A few holidays we took note of this month:

• Hispanic Heritage Month
• National Chicken Month
• Honey Month
• Self-Improvement Month
• Baby Safety Month
• Happy Cat Month
• Mold Awareness Month
• National Fruit & Vegetables Month
• Skincare Awareness Month

And oh, the list goes on!  Find one that works for you and let the pitches, blog posts and social media ideas fly!
 

My name is Sabina and I pay a pretty penny for my hair to be cut and colored at my hair salon, Ted Gibson.  And by pretty penny I mean several pennies...A truck bed full of pennies perhaps.  Before going to my quarterly appointment I always hesitate for a split second and think to myself, "Wait, should I just switch to the less expensive salon down the street?"  The answer is always an emphatic no. The reasons behind this are part of what I like to call the Value Creation Equation and mastering it is a powerful lesson in brand positioning and value perception that every business - no matter what type - can learn and apply to everything from how you price things to the way you run your business from day to day.  Mastering this equation and doing it as well as the Ted Gibson team does will help you increase your perceived value, which in turn will allow you to increase your customer or client base, perhaps even increase your prices, and at the end of the day, make the money you need and are worth.

The Value Creation Equation:

Expertise + Experience + Results + Visibility = VALUE

No matter where you are in your business right now and no matter what you do, you can begin working on improving different parts of this equation, and as you do this, your value (both perceived and actual) will begin to increase.  Let's discuss it in terms of the lovely Ted Gibson and team.

EXPERTISE: 

Not everyone can be a master at everything.  In fact, if someone claims to be an expert in multiple different fields I begin to question their expertise in any of those fields.  People pay to have experts help them do things that they are not masters of themselves. We do it every day.  We actively seek out people to provide services, information, education, products, you name it!  Your expertise is valuable.  There is someone out there - probably several people - right now who needs it. The better you get at it, the more you improve and grow your own skill set in that field, the more you educate yourself, the more you stay on top of what is "now and next" in your world, the more you'll grow that part of the Value Creation Equation.

When I was referred to Ted's salon by a friend after having one of the most awful hair cuts of my life (excluding that time I tried to cut it on my own at about two years old).  This person was not an expert, but they were cheap.  Lesson learned: I needed an expert.  Ted Gibson and his team are known nationally as experts in the hair styling world, and everyone on his team is a highly trained expert at their craft.  I was soon matched up with my stylist Dayna, and it's been love ever since.  She knows her stuff, she is a master at a great haircut, she trained for it, she is always learning new techniques and methods, and it shows.  Not only has she taught me the power of a killer "face frame", but her passion and skill have also taught me the power of a true expert.  Master what you do, study it, make it more than obvious that you are a trusted expert in your field.

EXPERIENCE:

The moment you walk into a Ted Gibson salon you just feel amazing.  They welcome you the moment your foot hits their impeccably clean floor, they whisk you away to a private changing room where you put on your cozy kimono while they get you a glass of lemon water, tea or coffee.  It's the cleanest salon I've ever been into and beautiful from wall to wall.  The energy is positive and powerful.  The team looks like a million bucks, from the gal sweeping the floor to the men behind the reception desk.  You can tell they like to work there as much as you're enjoying getting your hair done there.  While you sit in your chair, they come over to give you a hand massage.  You never feel rushed, you always get "star treatment" and when you leave (with everyone telling you how great you look - and you do look amazing) you're more or less high on the experience.  When you return home that day, you'll find a sweet email from Ted and team in your inbox thanking you for choosing them and ensuring your experience was all that you wanted it to be.  That is what creates value.  That is what people return for.  A negative customer experience, whether it be on your website, in your brick and mortar office or via phone can not only ruin one person's opinion of you, but that of their friends and colleagues all of which results in a loss of prospective clients.  A positive experience does the opposite. It's what leads to referrals, to return and repeat customers and it makes a big impact in your Value Creation Equation.

RESULTS:

Simply telling people you're an expert or giving them a positive experience at your office or on your website isn't enough, your results need to be able to speak for you as well.  Whether you create products or services or your expertise is the foundation upon which your business is built, successful results matter.  If you can't translate these things into favorable results the rest of the equation falls apart.  I never returned to my first hair salon because I never wanted to have the experience of what was in fact an unsuccessful result (in the form of a terrible hair cut and color) ever again.  I have never had a bad result (read haircut, color) at Ted Gibson.  Never.  I pay for consistently good results.  Sure, we all have to start somewhere and there will always be room for improvement, but as your results success-rate grows, so will your value. 

VISIBILITY:

Expertise, experience and results are vital to growing your business and your value, but they can be exponentially more powerful if as many people as possible know about them!  This means you have to be visible!  This fact alone is one of the main reasons that Tin Shingle exists - because buzz building is essential to increasing your value...and your hourly rate, and your customer base, and your ability to survive and thrive!  I was first "introduced" to Ted Gibson because my mom was a loyal fan of the program What Not to Wear on which he was their feature hair stylist.  Ted can also be seen regularly in magazines, on television, on the social media feeds of the celebrities he styles and more.  I'm not saying you have to be best friends with Lupita Nyongo to be visible, but you do have to put effort into your public relations, your social media, your online marketing and so forth.  You have to be visible.  This could even mean you put effort into speaking or educating your local community.  Most likely it means you spend time on multiple types of buzz building efforts and strategies.  The more buzz and visibility you get, the more your value increases. 

The Force Is Now With You...

So there you have it, the Value Creation Equation.  Though it may feel overwhelming try to see the power it gives you.  Every part of this equation is in your control.  Each factor in it can be tweaked and applied to different parts of your brand, from your website to your intern training to your social media campaigns to your packaging.  You have the power to create more value, change your business and make more money!  Go forth and prosper!

Have some other strategies you use to share your value?  Tell us about them below!