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When member Kami Darnell joined Tin Shingle she knew that in order for her membership to be effective, she would have to take advantage of our exclusive members only benefits. She did exactly that, listening to podcasts, taking notes and responding to PR Leads in a timely manner.
It didn't take long for Kami's hard work to pay off. Soon after joining, she sent a pitch to Woman's Day and the very next week learned that her product, Simple Sarongs would be featured in their Mother's Day Gift Guide.
Kami encourages small business owners to not be afraid of the process stating, "it is possible to get press even if it is only the third pitch you've ever written!" In fact, she told us recently that she's landed two other features as a result of receiving PR Leads from Tin Shingle.
Read more of Kami's story below and learn how a "simple sarong" can be so right!
How often have you been working on your own PR?
I joined Tin Shingle in February, and started responding to PR Leads that pertained to my business as soon as I joined. So far I've only sent three pitches from PR leads, but feel much more equipped to write pitches that are not specifically for leads!
What press opportunity did you snag and how did Tin Shingle contribute to your success?
A feature in the Woman's Day Mother's Day Gift Guide.
Since I had just joined, I was so excited to see that archived PRTuneUps were available to download and listen to. I had listened to a podcast regarding long-lead pitching, and garnered some tips from that that I took to heart. I then dove right in and started responding to PR Leads!
How long did the entire process take?
I wrote the pitch right after I received the lead, and it took one day to get a response, and then one week to get confirmed that Simple Sarongs had made their Mother's Day gift guide. The article was then to be posted two weeks after that.
Can you walk us through the process, from pitch to placement?
I received the PR Lead on a Thursday evening - they were looking for new and innovative gift ideas for Mother's Day under $50. I responded that evening with a quick description of my product, then gave a "real-life-mom" example of how a Simple Sarong is a life-saver at the pool with young children who make constant trips to the bathrooms! I also offered to do a coupon just for their readers. I received an email back from the editor the next morning requesting high-res photos, and information about the coupon. I followed-up the following Wednesday to see if it was confirmed, and she responded that it would be confirmed by the end of the week. She then emailed me back on Friday confirming that I was in, and it would be posted to their online magazine in two weeks.
Would you like to share your “Winning Pitch” with readers?
I'm including this for inspiration that it is possible to get press even if it is only the third pitch you've ever written! Here it is:
I received this lead from the fab girls at Tin Shingle.
I have developed and sell a new product that many mothers of all ages can relate to: what to wear to the pool when your body might not be in perfect shape, when you are obligated to accompany kiddos.
Simple Sarongs are the perfect marriage of beach towel and fashionable swimsuit cover-up. If you have little ones, you know that simply lounging by the pool and never getting wet might not be an option. Yet with frequent trips to the bathrooms in store, many moms look around the find "what can I quickly wrap around my swimsuit" that's actually wet-swimsuit friendly! Enter, the Simple Sarong.
A beach towel so fashionable, you actually want to wear it. With cleverly-placed buttons and buttonholes, you easily can!
Launched in 2013, and sold exclusively online at http://www.simplesarongs.com
Regular retail is $48, yet for your fabulous Mom readers, special pricing would be available at $39 each.
Thank you for your consideration!
Can you share what you used for your subject line? This can be so key for enticing an editor to open your pitch.
I was still so new with Tin Shingle that my pitch still hadn't even been through the pitch-review stage! Now my pitches follow the Tin Shingle form - an introduction, bullet points, embedded photos, etc. Since I was responding to a specific lead for this one, my subject line was this, which is what the editor asked for in her lead:
"New & Innovative Mother's Day gifts"
Now my subject line is this:
"Stylish sarong and towel all-in-one: Meet Simple Sarongs, an affordable beach must have"
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Kami is truly an inspiration. You can read more SNAGGED! stories like hers by clicking here and don't forget, you can get access to PR Leads and unlock other exclusive Tin Shingle benefits by becoming a member.
