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Ithaca Public Relations
365 P.R. OPPORTUNITIES
| The Insider - 365 P.R. Opportunities |
Today is National Go Barefoot Day. Tomorrow is National Bubba Day,
and National Leave Work Early Day!
This week is National Headache Awareness Week and National
Volunteers Week. June is National Accordion Awareness Month. It’s also
National Adopt a Shelter Cat Month.
Virtually every day, week, and month has some sort of holiday,
observance or awareness attached to it. Many of them have more than
one, and they all present opportunities for your business or organization
to get some media coverage, or do something that generates some
goodwill public relations and publicity.
365 P.R. OPPORTUNITIES
What are your hobbies, passions and interests? What are your areas of
expertise outside of your work? What line of work are you in? Did a
personal tragedy, galvanizing event, or once in a lifetime experience
motivate you to adopt a cause or charity, or take on a major community or
public service project?
Your answers to those questions can help you identify press coverage
opportunities, and with a little advance planning and marketing, some
goodwill public relations for your business or organization, as well.
As we’ve discussed in past issues of The Insider, the media is always
looking for experts to talk about whatever topics are in the news.
Charitable or public service events that serve the community in some way
are also great opportunities for press coverage and some good public
relations. Tie either of these in with a daily, weekly, or monthly
observance, holiday or awareness, and the opportunity is there for you,
too.
Just be sure that what you’re doing is somehow related to, or in honor of,
the observance or holiday.
BE CREATIVE - THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Your promotion or pitch doesn‘t have to be directly related to your work.
For example, you’re in the retail or professional services sector, and you
or some of your employees are volunteer firefighters. Sponsor a trip to
the fire station for a class of third-graders during National Fire Safety
Week, or bring one of the fire trucks to your business and have the
students visit you there.
Are you a CPA, Pilates instructor, broadcast or recording executive,
Realtor, graphic designer, or retail business owner who also has his or
her pilot’s license? Sponsor or donate a short flight to a theme park or to
see relatives, for a child suffering from a terminal illness during the
national week or month of that illness.
Are you an avid bicyclist? Beg or borrow bicycles during National Bicycle
Safety Month, set up a safety course at your place of business, or take it
to a local youth center, Cub Scout troop, etc. Put the kids on the bikes
and teach them the rules of the road for bicyclists.
If it was an illness, tragedy or some other galvanizing event that led to
you going into your line of work, and you’re comfortable talking about it
publicly, use your story during that national week or month to pitch a story
to the media.
GET YOUR LIST TOGETHER
There are plenty of places on the Internet that list the different
observances, holidays or national day, week, or month being celebrated.
Some are silly, such as National Go Barefoot Day, or National Cotton
Candy Day. Others are serious such as National Skin Cancer Prevention
Month (May), or National Fire Presentation Week (October 3-9).
Here are a few links to set aside for reference:
www.epromos.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.mhprofessional.com
www.brownielocks.com
A quick Google search will help you find others… especially if they’re
related to specific topics of interest to you such as health, the
environment, children, diversity, etc.
LET THE MEDIA KNOW IN ADVANCE
Make sure you let the media know what you’re doing far enough in
advance… especially if you need the press coverage or publicity to help
draw people to an event or activity.
If you’re doing an event or pitching your expertise for a specific day or
week, ie National Grandparents Day or Fire Safety Week, send your
press release at least a week in advance. If your activity or expertise pitch
is centered on a month such as National Heart Month, send it out during
the final week of the preceding month or at the very beginning of the
month.
Remember that most magazines and many newsletters publish on a
monthly basis, so if you’re targeting them in your marketing efforts, you’ll
need to let them know at least a month ahead of time.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The media is most likely going to be more interested in something you do
that supports a local animal shelter, helps kids with disabilities, etc, than
something centered around National Cotton Candy or National Be Late to
Work day. You can certainly do something fun or wacky to celebrate one
of those days, and it may attract some goodwill public relations or
publicity, but it will need to have a major attraction factor to it.
The media will want to know why you’re doing this… keep that in mind if a
personal tragedy or event is a motivating factor.
Let the press know well in advance of your event or activity, and consider
other marketing efforts such as advertising, viral marketing, social media,
posters, flyers, etc if you’re looking to attract a crowd. Keep in mind that
other important or breaking news is always going to be a factor in the
media’s decision to give you coverage. Use The Insider’s Advertising
Philosophy of notifying every media outlet big and small, to attract as
much coverage as possible.
If you’re pitching your expertise, make sure your press release or story
pitch includes a brief bio about your expertise in that area/field… how
many years you’ve competed as an amateur bicyclist, how long you’ve
served as volunteer firefighter, etc. It should also include a few bullet-
pointed tips and a quick list of any associations, certifications,
recognitions you’ve received as an expert in that area.
Related Reading from The Insider:
Press Releases 101
The Key to Getting Press Coverage
The Advertising Philosophy
Calling All Experts - part two
Social Media is a Conversation
Posted on 6/1/10
and National Leave Work Early Day!
This week is National Headache Awareness Week and National
Volunteers Week. June is National Accordion Awareness Month. It’s also
National Adopt a Shelter Cat Month.
Virtually every day, week, and month has some sort of holiday,
observance or awareness attached to it. Many of them have more than
one, and they all present opportunities for your business or organization
to get some media coverage, or do something that generates some
goodwill public relations and publicity.
365 P.R. OPPORTUNITIES
What are your hobbies, passions and interests? What are your areas of
expertise outside of your work? What line of work are you in? Did a
personal tragedy, galvanizing event, or once in a lifetime experience
motivate you to adopt a cause or charity, or take on a major community or
public service project?
Your answers to those questions can help you identify press coverage
opportunities, and with a little advance planning and marketing, some
goodwill public relations for your business or organization, as well.
As we’ve discussed in past issues of The Insider, the media is always
looking for experts to talk about whatever topics are in the news.
Charitable or public service events that serve the community in some way
are also great opportunities for press coverage and some good public
relations. Tie either of these in with a daily, weekly, or monthly
observance, holiday or awareness, and the opportunity is there for you,
too.
Just be sure that what you’re doing is somehow related to, or in honor of,
the observance or holiday.
BE CREATIVE - THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Your promotion or pitch doesn‘t have to be directly related to your work.
For example, you’re in the retail or professional services sector, and you
or some of your employees are volunteer firefighters. Sponsor a trip to
the fire station for a class of third-graders during National Fire Safety
Week, or bring one of the fire trucks to your business and have the
students visit you there.
Are you a CPA, Pilates instructor, broadcast or recording executive,
Realtor, graphic designer, or retail business owner who also has his or
her pilot’s license? Sponsor or donate a short flight to a theme park or to
see relatives, for a child suffering from a terminal illness during the
national week or month of that illness.
Are you an avid bicyclist? Beg or borrow bicycles during National Bicycle
Safety Month, set up a safety course at your place of business, or take it
to a local youth center, Cub Scout troop, etc. Put the kids on the bikes
and teach them the rules of the road for bicyclists.
If it was an illness, tragedy or some other galvanizing event that led to
you going into your line of work, and you’re comfortable talking about it
publicly, use your story during that national week or month to pitch a story
to the media.
GET YOUR LIST TOGETHER
There are plenty of places on the Internet that list the different
observances, holidays or national day, week, or month being celebrated.
Some are silly, such as National Go Barefoot Day, or National Cotton
Candy Day. Others are serious such as National Skin Cancer Prevention
Month (May), or National Fire Presentation Week (October 3-9).
Here are a few links to set aside for reference:
www.epromos.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.mhprofessional.com
www.brownielocks.com
A quick Google search will help you find others… especially if they’re
related to specific topics of interest to you such as health, the
environment, children, diversity, etc.
LET THE MEDIA KNOW IN ADVANCE
Make sure you let the media know what you’re doing far enough in
advance… especially if you need the press coverage or publicity to help
draw people to an event or activity.
If you’re doing an event or pitching your expertise for a specific day or
week, ie National Grandparents Day or Fire Safety Week, send your
press release at least a week in advance. If your activity or expertise pitch
is centered on a month such as National Heart Month, send it out during
the final week of the preceding month or at the very beginning of the
month.
Remember that most magazines and many newsletters publish on a
monthly basis, so if you’re targeting them in your marketing efforts, you’ll
need to let them know at least a month ahead of time.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The media is most likely going to be more interested in something you do
that supports a local animal shelter, helps kids with disabilities, etc, than
something centered around National Cotton Candy or National Be Late to
Work day. You can certainly do something fun or wacky to celebrate one
of those days, and it may attract some goodwill public relations or
publicity, but it will need to have a major attraction factor to it.
The media will want to know why you’re doing this… keep that in mind if a
personal tragedy or event is a motivating factor.
Let the press know well in advance of your event or activity, and consider
other marketing efforts such as advertising, viral marketing, social media,
posters, flyers, etc if you’re looking to attract a crowd. Keep in mind that
other important or breaking news is always going to be a factor in the
media’s decision to give you coverage. Use The Insider’s Advertising
Philosophy of notifying every media outlet big and small, to attract as
much coverage as possible.
If you’re pitching your expertise, make sure your press release or story
pitch includes a brief bio about your expertise in that area/field… how
many years you’ve competed as an amateur bicyclist, how long you’ve
served as volunteer firefighter, etc. It should also include a few bullet-
pointed tips and a quick list of any associations, certifications,
recognitions you’ve received as an expert in that area.
Related Reading from The Insider:
Press Releases 101
The Key to Getting Press Coverage
The Advertising Philosophy
Calling All Experts - part two
Social Media is a Conversation
Posted on 6/1/10
| Ithaca Public Relations 159 Snyder Hill Road Ithaca, NY 14850 607-280-3840 info@ithacapr.com |
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free, custom iPhone app...
Learn about I.P.R. Workshops and
Seminars on our Solutions page...
Return to The Insider...
BP oil spill, Tylenol tampering,
Tiger Woods, Crisis Control...
Learn about the I.P.R. Proactive
Approach on our About Us page...
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public relations strategies...
Social Media Sabotage: The
Accidental Enemy...
BP Oil Exec's Textbook Interview...
Using marketing and public
relations to influence opinions...
Social Media is a conversation...
Will Toyota be the next Tylenol or
the next OJ Simpson?...
The Power of Postcards...
The Tiger Woods Affair...
Be an expert the media will love...
part three...
Be an expert the media will love...
part two...
Be an expert the media will love...
part one...
Former Presidential candidate
John Edwards media disaster...
Advertisers know this, you should
too...
Snail mail marketing that works...
The key to getting press coverage...
Shattering P.R. myths...
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