The Tin Shingle Blog

The act of pitching, from creating a "perfect pitch" to landing a placement because of said pitch, is a business art form that even the best publicists work regularly at improving upon.  Whether you're a PR pro or a small business owner just dipping your toes into the world of DIY public relations, there is always room for improvement.

In today's How to Pitch series post, I'm going to talk about three sources (one that may surprise you) that I use to gain insight into the hot topics that will be relevant to the media, which serve as reminders and inspirations to me when working on my short lead** pitches.

**short lead - pitches that you're sending to outlets such as newspapers, blogs, websites, television and weekly magazines.  These can turn into stories within hours to days after you pitch them, so the stories you're pitching them should be relevant to what is happening now or in the near future.

The bottom line is, the short lead media all tend to hover around the same hot topics every week and/or month, finding new and interesting ways to cover them, and it's PR placement gold if you can find a way to "spin" you or your business into these stories, or find a way to piggyback onto them.  Hot topics could include anything from national holidays to a Hollywood divorce to the upcoming election.  The point is, they are the stories the media will be talking about across all types of outlets, and this means you're chances of getting on air (or in print or online) increase if you can find a newsworthy way to attach yourself to them.

But how do you make sure you even know what hot topics the media is buzzing about?  Well of course there is the obvious: read the news outlets - especially those you want to be covered in, but also the major news providers in order to see what is "newsworthy".  Every morning I wake up and read everything from CNN.com to Slate to People.com to the major daily newspapers and oh so much more throughout the day (thanks mom & dad for forcing those speed reading classes on me in high school).  But there are other ways I measure what is buzzworthy now and what will be in the near future, and I'm going to give you a few of these today. 

PR LEAD SOURCES (Tin Shingle, HARO, etc):
If you're doing your own PR, chances are you're subscribed to a PR Lead generating service of some sort (where members of the media place queries looking for experts, products, anecdotes etc. for upcoming stories).  You could be getting these from people like us here at Tin Shingle (where we send out PR Leads 2x a week and upload them constantly to the website) or you could be signed up for a more general service such as Help A Reporter Out, either way they actually provide more information than simply reporter queries.

I read scan through PR Leads sent from both of the above sources daily, and I look at them with two eyes...My primary reason for reading them is, of course to see if there are any upcoming stories in the press that are good fit for any of our clients at Red Branch PR, as well as the team at Tin Shingle.  The secondary reason I read these leads is that I can often see a pattern in media requests, mostly for short lead stories but at times for long lead (stories planned months in advance).  I look to see what stories are repeatedly being queried by different outlets.  This tells me that the story is hot, will be getting lots of coverage, and these outlets (and more) will most likely be covering the topic from multiple angles.  I also look to see timing of PR stories.  If start seeing a lot of queries for a specific holiday, it reminds me that the media is already "pulling" (asking for products/experts/input) for these stories.  You would be surprised at how early some stories begin to take shape, and these PR Lead sources often reveal the timing to you by announcing their pulls via lead generating sources.

SOMEECARDS - AN UNLIKELY SOURCE FOR HOT TOPIC HINTS
I have loved the online, free e-card source Someecards for years, as they have some of the funniest, snarkiest and generally entertaining e-cards around, and I love sending them to friends & work colleagues from time to time.  Years ago, when I first began using the website, I used it simply for what it was created to do - send sassy cards.  Then I signed up for their newsletter, and I discovered that the company was useful in other ways as well: they always have their finger on the pulse in terms of hot topics in the news and approaching holidays.  After all, they have to, they're an e-card company!  In a way, specialize in short lead stories! 

So how do I use them for my PR brainstorming/hot topic hunts?  I subscribed to their newsletter, which will tell you what the hot card topics are of that week - in these newsletters they show off their latest cards which are nearly always directly attached to upcoming holidays or hot weekly topics - this week I saw everything from political/election cards to President's Day notes to Mardi Gras to cards about basketball player of the moment Jeremy Lin to jokes about the Facebook timeline.

I also check into their site every week and check their homepage slideshow and "newest cards" that always nail it in terms of what everyone is talking about.  The fact that I can then send a few funny notes out from the site afterwards is just the cherry on top!

Well there you have it, a few new tips for your DIY PR campaign, a little fuel for your PR fire!

I encourage you to stay tapped into the Tin Shingle blog for more How to Pitch lessons, which we'll be serving up regularly in hopes to make your journey to wonderful press placements a little easier!

Now get to your hot topic research!
 

Pinterest has been taking the social media world by storm the last few months. But, what is Pinterest? Why is it so popular? And what do you need to know about it as a business owner and entrepreneur?

First, what Pinterest is.

Pinterest is virtual bulletin board that allows users to find and share images, links, and text they like with the world. Users can create multiple boards based on their interests (places you like, neat and quirky finds, clothes, shoes, jewelry, the sky’s the limit) and when they find an image, link, etc… that they like, they use the downloadable Pinterest bookmarklet and ‘pin it’ to the appropriate board to organize it. It’s kind of like a StumbleUpon for images, or Stylehive for style ideas.

Followers can then comment on your pins or re-pin them on their boards. And because as you pin things to your board, they also get pinned to the Pinterest home page, it allows you to build an audience of followers beyond your traditional circle of ‘friends’.

Here's a snapshot of the Pinterest home page when it shows recent photos pinned by different people:

Why you should care about Pinterest right now.

One of the reasons why Pinterest is so intriguing is that it’s now driving more traffic to websites than LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube combined. And that’s interested traffic that tends to buy the items that they’ve seen pinned to the wall. According to an MSNBC.com interview with Sarah Conley, social media manager at ideeli.com, they’ve seen a five-fold increase in sales from the referral site.

We collected some must-read links from media outlets such as Mashable and PR Daily. Read those for more business news about Pinterest.

Why Pinterest is suddenly as popular other social media sites

Why is Pinterest gaining in popularity when other sites like Facebook are suffering from fatigue? Huffington Post writer, Bianca Bosker suggests in her article, The Secret to Pinterest’s Success: We’re Sick of Each Other, that it could be because Pinterest isn’t just another way to proclaim your greatness to the world. It’s less about ‘look what I just did’ and more about ‘I just found something cool that someone else created’. It’s more a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing version of your vision of the world.  

What should businesses know about Pinterest?

Well, if you have a product-based business with an online presence, you should think about joining in. Create a board or two and pin some of your gorgeous (note they need to be pretty!) product shots. And just as with any social media tool, it’s about conversation and forging connections with others. See how five small businesses are using Pinterest in their business strategy. So start following some ‘pinners’ who have similar interests. Need an idea of who to start following? Start with us!

Normally Sabina is the deliverer of kick-butt mixes for Motivation Mix Monday. But this Monday, we had to let my daughter, Ruby Ray, take the stage to give you a live performance. She is being groomed to be a country music singer, and right now, she's working on her rhythm and costume selection. Take a few seconds to watch her getting pumped up for her Monday at baby school! And yes, that is a cash register you see on its side - we're practicing punching in numbers and opening the drawer for spring time lemonade stands! We have an actual lemonade stand, and are can't wait to set it up in the front yard for the many church go-ers we get on Sundays.

What you're looking at in the left hand corner of this blog post is what I discovered in a lovely delivery we received at Tin Shingle HQ recently.  It was nestled cozily within a box sent to us from one of our members, Jessica Bolbach of accessories company BOLBACH.  What you're also looking at is what I like to call "how to properly deliver a product".  Whether you're a multi-million dollar brand or a small mom & pop operation, whether you're sending a book, a baby product, food or simply your media kit, the way you deliver your product (the product you're spending sleepless nights sweating over getting JUST right) impacts how people perceive your brand - before they even open the package.  Just to clarify, I'm not talking about the packaging that your manufacturer (or you) uses to house and protect your product.  What I'm talking about is the way said product or sample is delivered. 

For years we've been told "don't judge a book by its cover", but in public relations, that rule goes out the window.  Instead, I encourage you to adopt the mentality, "dress your product/book/media kit for the press placement you want." Whether making a first or fifth impression, every contact a producer, editor, stylist, celebrity or retailer has with your brand is sending a nonverbal message about you and your brand.  When we received the package from BOLBACH, I opened the box to discover the above carefully wrapped package-within-our-package and immediately the office began "oohing" and "aahing" over it - before we'd even seen what was behind the lovely leopard print tissue paper.  Jess had set the stage, and we were already excited!  Not only had got us hyped, we already knew who had sent us the gift because like a good entrepreneur should, she'd labeled it with a sticker and attached her business card to it.  Slam dunk!  Now we were in a happy state of mind AND we knew who to be happy about.  This is exactly how an editor should feel! 

Now I know what many of you are thinking, "I can't afford nice packaging."  Well I won't take that for an answer.  If you're budget is bargain basement your can get 20 reems of tissue paper at the dollar store, some ribbon, some bags and use address labels you print with your logo onto it and place on your bags and packaging.  If you're an expert you can find folders at Stapes that you can dress up with your logo via sticker and spiff up with nicely made marketing material.  Spend a little time searching online and you can easily find deals on any and all sorts of packaging.  Ask around at Tin Shingle, or whatever entrepreneur group you belong to, and find out where other brands get their paper goods.  Why do I care so much?

Here's the stone cold truth:

TRUTH: Whether you're an expert, service or product based brand, you are competing against hundreds if not thousands of brands to get the attention of your targeted press/retailers/customers/celebrities/stylists/etc.

TRUTH: You are also competing against major national brands (corporate and independent) who deliver beautiful packages, some over-the-top and some understated and elegant.  You are not in a place to blow your budget and overhead on grandiose baskets full of product and samples and packaging with bells and whistles, so you best do well with what you're working with.

TRUTH: People will judge you on how you deliver things and the press will wonder  "if this is how they send it to me, HOW will they send it to my readers/viewers".

To help make your packaging planing a little easier here are a few tips:

• Ask other entrepreneurs in a field similar to yours how they package/where they get supplies and for recommendations and tips.
   
• Follow your delivery targets (editors, stylists, etc) on Twitter - they often post images of deliveries they get, and it will give you a peek into the reality of the situation.  Look at these pics again every time you debate on whether tossing your product into a used box/bag.
   
• Find packaging that works for your brand - BOLBACH's leopard print tissue was a nod to their funky and fun fashion sense.
   
• Be sure anything coming in a bag or box is labeled more than once with your company information.
   
• Always include a busines card (or two) in your delivery.  If it's going to the press, inlcude a media kit.
   
• DO NOT overspend on packaging.  As much as I'm telling you this is important, it will be a sad day if you're going over your final $2,000.00 in your bank account and you are faced with the fact that you spent $5,000.00 that year on packaging.  Be realistic about what you can and can't do.
   
• Have fun with it - get creative!  Sometimes a little creativity goes a long way.

Whatever you spend long days and nights working on every week deserves lots of love and attention at every stage of your work - from conception to presentation.  Don't miss out on great opportunities because you cut corners or didn't pay too much attention in homestretch.  Take pride in the details and little touches, and let them lead you to big success!  After all, how you do anything is how you do everything, so show those receiving your packages you do it RIGHT!