The Tin Shingle Blog

Happy February! If you're a business owner of any kind (product, service or expert) you probably have already worked Valentine's Day into your pitching schedule, whether pitching V-Day gift guides, sharing your expertise in a story related to the holiday, or perhaps you're even hosting a Valentine's Day Sale on your website. My point is, as business owners we leverage this holiday a lot, it gets a lot of love (pun intended). 

But we can't be one trick pitching ponies if we want to maximize buzz for our brands!  Oh no, we have to be finding ways to spin our stories into other seasonal or trending hot topics.  We also need to remember to keep looking ahead and pitching around what the long lead (monthly) magazines will be covering.  Feeling stuck trying to figure out just what those topics are?  Never fear!  We're here to help get your February PR campaign going with 5 pitching ideas you could be pitching this month!

1. Sochi 2014 - The Winter Olympics

The world has Olympic fever, and this means the media does as well.  Short lead media (television, websites, blogs, newspaper and radio) will be filling the next few weeks (until February 23rd) with stories related to this international event, so why not find a way to capitalize on this hot topic and make it work for you (and your press outreach).  This can work for any business: personal trainers can give  some athlete-inspired work out tips and moves, experts can talk about staying focused and eliminating stress (with Olympic athlete-approved tips), food and drink people can even come up with Sochi-related recipes, or perhaps party planner can share how to create a russian-themed Sochi Viewing Party.

Don't be afraid to think out of the box! Scores of television shows, websites and other media outlets locally and nationally will be finding ways to cover the Olympics and all things related to them it's your job to find a way to spin you and your business into one of them!

If an Olympic press story just isn't your thing, don't forget to incorporate the hashtags #SOCHI2014 or #OLYMPICS2014 into your Twitter feed when discussing the events to connect yourself to the flow of related conversations.

#2 - February Health Observances

Every month in the United States we dedicate time and attention to raising awareness for specific health conditions or health hot topics.  February is no different and actually focuses on some big ones that the media tend to devote a lot of time and attention to: American Heart Month (a big one folks) as well as other health observances like Sexual Health Awareness Month and Eating Disorder Awareness Week.  A simple Google search will help you find health issues and topics that are highlighted every month and you can use your PR brain to decide what if any you can relate to your product, service or expertise.

Remember again, think outside of the box!  For instance, there are obvious angles to National Heart Health Month, including tips and advice from doctors, nutritionists and other health experts, but there are also several less obvious but still really powerful ideas.  Here are a couple of examples: a yoga instructor could give yoga or meditation tips on lowering stress (thus keeping your heart healthier), a small business could share how their entire office (even if it's an office of three people) is taking National Heart Health Month seriously and starting a Heart Health Work Out Plan as a team.  Product people? Perhaps you share products that are related in some ways to these months, that give back to charities supporting them, or you even share "red" colored products for "Wear Red Days" that accompany this holiday!

Remember that as long as you are sharing some related to the national health observance and staying true to your brand and expertise, you're free to get creative with your ideas!

#3 Interesting & Quirky National Holidays (non-health related)

Did you know that February was National Grapefruit Month?  Or that it was National Weddings Month?  Did you know that this month has days to celebrate quirky and fun things including Random Acts of Kindness Day and National Margarita Day (February 22nd - mark your calendars), Court Reporting and Captioning Week, and Love Your Pet Day?  Publicists have used this PR strategy for years and I want to be sure you're using it too!  Putting in less than a half hour of research time hunting down monthly holidays will lead you to websites that include holiday and observances lists like this one, this one created for teachers to inspire thematic lesson plans and this weird national holidays of 2014 list from Refinery29.  There are so many possibilities every month you'll have countless new and fun angles to work with, and you're sure to find one that fits into your brand's story! Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to celebrate National Send a Card to a Friend Day!

#4 Get Your Spring & Summer On: Long Lead Prep & Pitching

I'm writing this post from Brooklyn, New York where we've been getting hit by "snowstorms" (I'm from the mid-west I wouldn't really call these heavy snows snowstorms...), and it's cold!  That said, in the land of PR, the long lead (monthly) magazines are working three to six months into the future!  That means that you should be working on getting to know your long lead target media so you know what month they're actually working on (a simple email can help you answer this, but you can bet they're at least 3 months out from today's date).  You should also be creating and sending pitches to them that have a late spring or early summer vibe to them.  In cases like this it's always best to think ahead in terms of what you're pitching, and be the early bird, not the last one to the party.  In other words, don't pitch something for early May, as they're probably closing that part of their issue by now!

Experts and service providers, remember this is your time to shine as well!  Find ways to spin your expertise and tips into spring and summer related stories! Listen to our recorded class on How Service Business and Experts Can Get PR Gold for more ideas.

#5 Prepare for Patty's Day - St. Patrick's Day that is!

Sure we're a little bit more than a month out from March 17th, the annual St. Patrick's Day celebration from coast to coast, but it's just the right time for you to begin developing and pitching out stories about all things St. Patrick's Day!  Holiday stories tend to get filled quickly by the media and in advance, so you want to beat others to the press with your ideas.  In my past decade in the public relations field, I've seen stories get big love around this holiday that address a wide range of "related" angles:  Hangover Tips (for the morning after), Green Beauty/Fashion/Accessories products, St. Patrick's Day recipes, St. Pat's Day Cocktail ideas, Irish historians have shared tips, Irish dancers and dance studios have shared their moves (and the dance studios I'm sure have seen an increase class registration since then) and so forth!  Perhaps you have a story about how you're a small business and an irish immigrant? 

My advice for you when covering a St. Pat's Day angle is to be sure the story you pitch, no matter how creative or good, matches the outlet you are pitching it to!  It's not once size fits all when you're pitching a story, so you may need a couple of angles depending on which outlets you want to see the story placed in!

There you have it - five ideas to get your PR brain in gear and grinding away!  Remember, just like making it to the Olympics, PR is a long term effort that takes practice and lots of hard work, but the results can be gold-medal worthy!

And when you start pitching, and you have questions, members of Tin Shingle can get support in our Community Forum to get answers, guidance and advice from PR professionals as well as fellow small business owners who are going through what you are going through as you grow your business. We also have weekly calls to discuss hot topics in buzz-building and to connect to each other. Once you've written your amazing pitch, but aren't sure if it's steller, have it reviewed by our Pitch Whisperer service to make it AmAzing with a capitcal A! Knowing how to pitch the press is half the battle to landing great coverage. Members of Tin Shingle get instant access to contacts at national magazines and editorial calendars. Learn more about Tin Shingle's Membership Program and see how it can build buzz for your brand!

We were all on a Weekly Tin Shingle #TuneUp call one afternoon, talking about how small businesses are tracking their clients, customers and readers on their websites, when one of our Tin Shingle members Peggy Li chimed in that she loves interacting with her shoppers via her Live Chat box on her website, which she's used for over a year. She mentioned how she could track where they came from (from Googling something, or from another website), and how that has helped her serve her fan-base better. I was curious about Peggy's use of the Live Chat box, so I asked her a few questions. Peggy was happy to provide answers to our small business readers. See below for our interview!

How much time does it take per day?
This type of tool I see as an asset to enhance my business, not as a new obligation to maintain, so I don’t set a schedule for when I’m online. I spend maybe only 3-4 hours total online a week and I feel that it doesn’t harm my site to not have chat active for most of the day.  If users want to contact me, the chat window provides a quick way to send email. I think the number of folks who actually engage in the chat are far less than those who would say prefer to contact via email – just because you have the chat “on” doesn’t mean you’ll be bombarded with questions (hopefully your website can provide most of the answers!). For the time I do spend online, I try and line those times up with when I know people are online and on my site, or immediately after an email newsletter launch or other traffic-driving event to capture questions by those users who visit the website as a result.

Can you give some examples of questions you get from customers?
Questions can range from the mundane, like “Is it really you?” to familiar, “Hey Peggy, when is my order shipping?” to specific questions about product, which for me are things like necklace length, customization options, and shipping policies.

Are they the same kind of questions you'd get from your Contact Us page? Or do they tend to be of a different tone or nature?
The questions are very similar to the ones I get over regular email, but my impression is that people who use the chat are looking for an immediate answer.

Have you seen a purchase after you finish chatting? Either that moment, or a week or so later?
After answering a question via chat, I’ve seen customers make an immediate purchase. If it is a complex question, I will follow up with an email (or ask the customer to email me to capture their information), and follow up as soon as possible. There are of course a few “lookie-loos”, but the personal attention is always appreciated!

 An added benefit, aside from the obvious customer service aspect, is that the chat window provides a great window into your website activity. You also get a feel for the kinds of questions that come up while customers are browsing your site. I can see in real time when a new visitor logs onto my website, as well as the pages they are viewing. 

Does it get distracting?
I usually leave the chat on while I work and don’t multitask on anything that I can’t drop and answer a question, so it’s not too distracting to my day. What’s also nice is that Olark allows me to have the chat closed, but I can still see the real-time stats.
 
Adding live chat has definitely been a benefit to my website. I love being available to my customers so their questions can be answered (and answered fast) and lower that barrier to purchase.

How much time does it take per day?
First I looked at a few live chat options. I use Olark, but I also looked at Zopim, LiveChatInc and Livezilla. I compared pricing, functionality and ease of use. Most companies provide a free level of service and a free trial for any paid levels.
 
I choose Olark because it was easy for me to install on my website by myself and I liked the simple and functional interface I could use for my chat box. I subscribed to a paid version for the first few months, which allowed for unlimited chat sessions and statistics, but I quickly decided that the free level was powerful enough for me. With the amount of time I could spend online and the limited frequency of actual chat sessions, the free level would be enough for my business.
 
Have any questions about live chat? Ask below and I’m happy to answer!   
 

Tin Shingle member Maria Moss-Davidson of VERG-Brooklyn, a veterinary service group in Brooklyn, New York that's open 24-7 and offers animal care ranging from emergency services to oncology care for pets, recently used one of our Tin Shingle products and experienced great success. We love this success story because VERG's story illustrates that sometimes when you don't get exactly what you want, you can get something even more valuable instead.  Finally, the unreal coincidence that occurred at the end of this story is the cherry on top!  

The Situation: 
VERG-Brooklyn's own Dr. Brett Levitzke is not only an awesome and beloved vet, but he's also a regular expert on national television where he talks about all things animal health and safety.  VERG wanted to connect Dr. Levitzke and his expertise to even more national TV shows and their producers, and they wanted to do it using a specific tip based on an awesome idea sharing how pet owners can keep their animals safe by avoiding potential holiday dangers lurking around the house.  To make sure their pitch was spot-on copywriting wise and also going to help them accomplish their goals, they sent our Pitch Whisper team a copy of their pitch before they sent it to their media targets.

The Tin Shingle Effect: 
When Maria edited the VERG-Brooklyn pitch so it was not only done "right and tight" PR wise (proper copy, use of bullets, the correct way to reference Dr. Levitzke's past work with other TV shows) but it was also reviewed to be sure what the pitch was asking for was aligned with VERG's main goals.  The VERG team now not only had an edited pitch, but they had a model in that pitch for which they could base future pitches on!

Along with getting their pitch whispered, Maria also had access to some great buzz building podcasts and attended a member-only Tin Shingle #TuneUp (a live, online meet up) to keep herself not only informed on how best to work with the press, but also to keep herself pumped and motivated.

The Result:
We were all high-fiving each other across the Internet this week when Maria shared some great news with us - her pitch received a reply, and not a reply from just anyone a reply from one of the "big cheese" producers at a national news show who told her that though they had already done that specific topic, she was going to keep the doctor on file as an expert they can use on future segments.  Then, because she really knows how to keep a media relationship nurtured, Maria kept the conversation going with new pitches, using great PR-pro style layout and copy.  The producer replied back quickly and clearly, a new media relationship was now locked in. 

Here are our two fave quotes from Maria about the experience:

"The pitch whispering tips have worked wonders. [National News Outlet Name Redacted] just got back to me this morning. They’re interested in our story!! So excited!"

Maria also shared:

"Lots of emails, one phone call. One very nice person. In the end – no dice for this story. However, she really wants to use us in the future. She encouraged me to continue to send her pitches. I’m still super excited...It got my foot in the door! That’s all that matters. I also think being a part of Tin Shingle has helped me have more confidence to pitch the media. What have I got to lose? What’s the worst that can happen? I’m not scared! :)

The Coincidental Cherry on Top:
In a moment of crazy connections and coincidences that is even closer than a Kevin Bacon connection, VERG actually discovered that the producer's dog is a VERG patient!  This match was clearly written in the PR stars!

We're so proud and happy for VERG and their buzz building work!

Making lots of new connections lately! Thanks @TinShingle for the pitch whispering tips! They definitely work. This week was a #win!

— Maria Moss Davidson (@mariamossverg) January 31, 2014

We interviewed Vixen Vodka, a Tin Shingle member and a fantastic content marketer. With the craft beer industry booming, some have turned to the spirits market to have a hand in producing alcohol. Marketing alcohol and selling it has many restrictions, so we wanted to know now the gals at Vixen Vodka have sailed through it:

How did you choose your cool looking bottles and the slick graphics on the bottle? What type of direction did you give to your designer?

We had a totally different bottle at first. Then our distiller found the one we currently use, which is still a stock bottle to keep costs down, and we fell in love with it.  It was a challenge however because we couldn't silk screen directly onto it, and thought we'd need to go to a paper label which we didn't want.  But we then found a printer who could ceramically bake the paper label into the glass and voila!  Since then, we've found yet another printer who now has the technology to silkscreen ink directly into the glass, the colors are much deeper and more pearlized and we're in love.  :)

My designer is my ex-husband (the whole husband thing didn't work out but he's a helluva creative director) and my only direction to him was "NOTHING PINK" - he had the idea of using legs to represent real women and he took it from there.  The typeface is even proprietary, he made a Vixen Typeface, and married it with Bodoni which is a very old school typeface.  We think it's nothing short of brilliant.

What is a challenge in marketing alcohol that other business types might not experience?  
Every state is different and you have to be licensed in each state.  We can't sell vodka out of the back of our car like Sarah Blakely sold Spanx out of hers.  And before a state will grant you licensing, you have to get a distributor to carry you which is a challenge seeing that there are 5000 other vodkas on the market.  But we've persevered and we're now selling in six additional states. Who can say no to a little Southern sweetness, right?

Is it true that having "vodka" in your domain name and email address gets you blocked by spam at times when you're emailing your newsletter or the media?
Yes, we get 'filtered' a lot, not sure if it's the word vodka or the word vixen, but I suspect it's the combination of both.  I think corporate servers think that we're Russian mail order brides looking for an American gentleman. I use it to my advantage to do a lot of follow up.

Can you buy your vodka online?
Yes, we have a retailer in Minnesota who offers our product online.  acespirits.com

What is your main type of sales? Who is buying VixenVodka? Liquor Stores? Restaurants?
80% of our sales come from "off premise" which is liquor stores.  So we tend to focus on them obviously.  They order cases, restaurants order bottles, so it's kind of a no-brainer.  Although bars and restaurants take a lot more of your time and resources to incentivize the bartenders / staff - to provide swag, t-shirts, menu cards, table tents, etc.  You need both but when you have limited time and resources, you tend to let one follow the other.

Was it hard to get thru all the State & Federal Permits? Do you need to with each state?
YES!!!!  As well as the trademark process. Very time consuming and difficult.  Still is. Each state is different. WV I had to fill out 55 excel spreadsheets. Fl I did it online in about 10 min.

How did you find your vodka source (distiller)?
I talked to A LOT of people.  Interviewed a bunch.  Made the connection with our boys in Denver and haven't looked back since.

Do you plan on distilling in house at any point?
Doubtful.  I know a couple who distill their own rum and although it saves you money, you're tied to that process and your marketing and sales suffer.

Does the final product ship to you and then you distribute?
Nope, I never even touch the product.  In fact, I have to buy my own like everyone else!  Total Wine LOVES me.  The product ships direct from the distillery to a warehouse in NJ then all the different distributors go there to pick up all the different products.

Where did your seed money come from (Bank loans/angel investors/personal savings/friends & family)?
At first, it was all Carrie and I putting our money in (we both still had day jobs), but once we got to the actual production part, we knew we needed money, so we started a friends and family financing round about a year and a half ago.  We're raising $1mm and we've got around $100,000 left in the round.

What's it like being in the alcohol market? Is there anything interesting about this market that you didn't expect?
It's super fun, crazy challenging, ridiculously hard for two girls trying to break into such a male dominated industry, but we love every minute of it.  Definitely not as glamorous as some people might believe.  But we're certainly not afraid of hard work.  I think the most surprising thing for me, perhaps I'm a little naive, is the underside of this business.  But there's been so many good people that have outweighed that.  No regrets.

Your brand has such appeal...Do you plan on branding any other types of spirits?
We own the name Vixen in the spirits category so we can do a Vixen Tequila (the word in Spanish is Zorra - I know because I've already bought the website:), a Vixen Scotch, a Vixen Whiskey.  I think I'd like to do a Vixen Bathtub Gin - can't you just see those legs coming out of a claw footed old fashioned bathtub??