Submitted by Sabina Hitchen on | 0 Comments
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!
