Submitted by Sabina Hitchen on | 0 Comments
I'd love to tell you I'm feeling the end-of-summer blues right now but I'd be lying. I actually love this time of year, not only because it heralds in the start of fall, but because so many members of the press and so many business owners begin to kick it up a notch around this time of year. Not only does back-to-school mean increased freedom for entrepreneurs who are also parents, but the press calendar is packed with hot topics, from fall fashion (Fashion Week fever has already hit NYC) to football anything and everything related to this new season.
At Tin Shingle we want to be sure you're in the loop in terms of the press-worthy topics that you can be pitching and blogging about, so we're back with our monthly What to Pitch list for you. Get inspired by our ideas below, and listen to my full webinar on this topic that shares even more ideas and strategies for how to pitch the press: What To Pitch The Press This Month: September. In that webinar, I explain how your product, service or expert-based brand can incorporate them into your PR campaign for big buzz!
The Emmy Awards
It's nearly time to celebrate the best and brightest on television folks! That's right, the Emmy Awards are right around the corner, and will be airing live this September 20th. What does this mean for your business? It means that you can piggyback on this topic to bring attention to your business by weaving the topic into your blogs, your pitches and your social media posts. Don't worry, you don't have to reveal juicy celebrity scoop or be in any way attached to an Emmy nominated show to make this hot topic work for you. You just need to get creative. Perhaps you can give tips or recipes related to throwing an Emmy viewing party. Maybe you have some insight into the fashion and accessories we'll see on the red carpet. Even at a most basic level you can throw an Emmy-inspired sale on your site or be sure you're using the correct hashtags when tweeting or Instagramming about the big night. My point is, there will be people from coast to coast, from press to bloggers, from Facebook to Instagram talking about the Emmys. Want to build buzz instantly? Join in on the conversation with them!
September Celebrations
To know me is to know that when we talk about what to pitch every month, I'm often encouraging you to do some research, check out what the monthly celebrations and observances are, and assess whether or not you can tie your business into any of them. Figuring out these holidays does require a little bit of research, but the rewards are worth it - as is avoiding that "oh I WISH I knew it was National XYZ Day" feeling you get when you don't plan ahead. To inspire you to do your research, I've got a few of September's more colorful holidays listed below. Remember, you can take a more serious route, or you can highlight a wackier or sillier holiday in your pitch or blog post. It doesn't matter which way you go, as long as it authentically connects to your brand or expertise.
Happy Cat Month
National Milkshake Month
Sept 13 - Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day
National Yoga Awareness Month
Whole Grains Month
Halloween
I know. It's barely September and I'm already talking about Halloween. Call me an early bird, but here's the scoop: if you want to have your product, service or expertise featured in a Halloween story you have to think about the timing strategically. No one is going to want your pitch or blog post the day before Halloween, or even the week before in some cases. Those posts could be too late. Instead, you want to share the value you're offering for this holiday in advance, giving the press and potential readers, viewers and customers plenty of time to use it. This is especially true if you're pitching or reaching out on a national level, as these stories are planned in advance at these outlets more than ever. Does this mean start pitching Halloween stories right now? Not for every outlet, but for national press I'd say you want to start connecting and checking in with them to see if they're planning October on their calendars already, and if so, you want to share your offerings with them! No press outlet is alike (just like snowflakes and people) but one thing they do share is the ability to plan their stories ahead, especially if they aren't breaking news (which Halloween isn't). So do yourself a favor. Begin planning your Halloween angles now and once you do that start reaching out to your press contacts. Check in to see if they're open to hearing your ideas, and impress them with your fresh and interesting ideas you can share with their viewers, listeners or readers!
Want to talk about September's long and short lead press angles and PR strategies a bit more in depth? Listen to this recorded webinar, What To Pitch This Month: September, from anywhere! Tin Shingle hosts a Live Training Webinar TuneUp every Wednesday at 12pm EST. Attending the live version is free! Get notified for new Webinar TuneUps and to register, and look at our upcoming schedule for one you don't want to miss!
