It’s that time of year again — spring PR pitching season. Take advantage of all that spring has to offer to make your story pitching more relevant.

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”

~ Rainer Maria Rilke

This beautiful quote can be applied to PR professionals: we know instinctively that story ideas must reflect the changing season. By embracing the themes of renewal, growth, and vitality inherent in the spring season, PR professionals can tailor their pitches to capture the attention of their target audience.

PR Pitching to Get Ahead This Spring

Your client’s content can be a garden of beautiful variety, when you plant it correctly. Here are five tips to put a spring in your PR pitching step!

• Spring into action by capitalizing on the warmer weather. For instance, if you have a restaurant client, pitch seasonal dishes for a cooking segment that incorporates bright colors that reflect the awakening landscapes, flush with new blooms.
• Cultivate a springtime campaign with the vigor of a horticulturist. Dig into prevailing trends that happen during warmer months. Stories ideas can surround Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, Mother’s Day, Graduation, Father’s Day, First Day of Summer, July 4. Create content based on what each month is known for.
• The colors of the season are filled with diverse botanical wonders. Use nature’s prism to reflect diversity in your PR strategy. Implementing different types of content and sharing it on your client’s social media channels will help your client grow an assorted oasis of relevant information.
• Embrace the sense of renewal in storytelling to evoke the spirit of spring. Editors and producers frequently choose story ideas that evoke a feeling of newness. Showcase your clients’ environmental consciousness by highlighting what eco-friendly practices they are doing during the warmer months. Pitch stories on green initiatives, energy-efficient strategies, or sustainable product launches that align with the values of environmentally conscious consumers.
• Put your experts on camera! Have retail clients talk about what is new for the spring and summer months. Pitch lifestyle specialists for a segment on easy ways to refresh interior and exterior living spaces. Present fitness professionals to demonstrate outdoor exercises that the whole family can enjoy.

In Spring, The Art of PR Story Pitching Steps Up

These tips serve as invaluable guidelines to craft compelling narratives that resonate with journalists and editors alike. Remembering the importance of personalization, timeliness, and succinctness ensures that pitches stand out amidst the flurry of media inquiries. Furthermore, fostering authentic relationships with media contacts and staying attuned to their preferences and interests can pave the way for fruitful collaborations. As the season unfolds, approach PR story pitching with creativity, strategic thinking, and a dash of seasonal flair, driving impactful storytelling that leaves a lasting impression.

How can you start pitching like a PR Pro in 2024? As we begin the year anew, producers, editors, and reporters are pursuing stories that will empower audiences to stick to their resolutions surrounding health and fitness, business growth, financial success, parenting, and many other areas.

PR Pro Tips for Pitching a Story Idea Using the New Year’s Resolution Angle

In a New Year pitch, skip the mundane details. Use succinct adjectives that will create an immediate visual in a producer’s mind’s eye. As a PR Pro, help the producer see their audience responding to the content. Highlight convincing before-and-after visuals — especially if your client is in fitness, weight loss, or beauty product spaces. Then have your client provide detailed tips and ideas that will motivate people to accomplish their New Year goals using their products/services.

As a PR Pro, position your client as an expert in their business or service and have them disseminate advice for easily accomplished New Year goals. This is highly effective with clients who offer information for the following:

• Fitness
• Weight loss
• Organization
• Travel
• Financial advice
• Nutrition/healthy eating

As people retain and implement your client’s advice, pitch an on-going monthly segment to have your client check in with audiences to offer encouragement on how to sustain New Year habits/goals throughout the year.

Keep Your Pitch Simple and Succinct

A pitch should begin with a bold statement that’s impossible to ignore. So ask a question, share a personal story, or throw in an unbelievable statistic to get their attention. Then after the attention-grabbing start, follow it up with a quick explanation. Follow PR best practices for success. After all, producers and editors are eager and willing to book a guest who engages an audience with valuable information that will help them achieve their New Year goals.

Are PR pros pitching media during the holidays?

You bet they are pitching media during the holiday season. The holidays often means a respite for journalists from covering a continual news cycle. But as the season nears, story ideas are not as plentiful and, as such, this becomes a prime time to position your client in the news. You can still have effective media relations and engage with journalists to get the best results for your client during the holidays.

Yes You Can Pitch the Media at Holiday Time

Do not be daunted by the copious amount of “out of the office” responses — journalists are still tasked with reporting and producing the news. So make your pitches! Here are some media outreach tips during the holidays:

1. Pitch evergreen story ideas and content — As the pace of news slows, mid-December to early January is the ideal time to pitch feature stories and thought leadership profiles. Reporters want to file their articles prior to taking time off. A journalist is more likely to use your story during this period if it does not rely on current events.
2. Do Not Pitch Holiday Stories in December — Editorial calendars are already rife with holiday content; it’s unlikely that a seasonal pitch, in December, will generate coverage. Media outlets plan holiday stories well in advance — if you’re pitching media in December do not wrap (pun intended) your client’s message in a holiday package.
3. Make Predictions and Be Inspirational — Predictions for the coming year can earn media mentions for your clients as experts in their professions. The holidays are also the perfect time to pitch positive stories. The media always gravitates towards a feel-good narrative during this time of year. Consider examples of outstanding customer service, volunteer activities of employees, or the benefits of company donations.
4. Broadcast Media — Broadcast media are always reliant on guests. Many television entities conduct interviews remotely. So pitch your client to national producers in this situation which is a great opportunity. At this time, producers are not inundated with story ideas! Sparsely populated email inboxes are your friend, and a strong pitch could set your client up for success.

Do not go completely dark with your pitching efforts during the holidays. This time of the year offers a unique opportunity to secure great placements.

Where Do Marketing Agencies Fit into Your Business?

In today’s competitive business landscape, marketing plays a pivotal role in driving growth and success, and marketing agencies are at the forefront of this work. Good marketing can identify new customers, engage and grow a loyal audience, or launch new products and services. And while some business owners may contemplate handling their marketing efforts in-house, seeking the expertise of an agency can make a significant difference in achieving sustainable results.

Marketing agencies bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and strategic insights that can add substantial value to a client’s business. There are many different ways that agencies can contribute to a client’s success and why opting for professional assistance is essential.

What You Get When You Choose A Marketing Agency Over Doing it Yourself

When you work with a marketing agency instead of trying to do everything yourself, you’ll enjoy many advantages like specialized expertise, a strategic approach, resource optimization, access to cutting-edge tools, and time efficiency.

1. Specialized Expertise

Marketing agencies equip their teams of skilled professionals with specialized knowledge and skills in various marketing disciplines. From SEO and content marketing to social media and paid advertising, agencies can bring a diverse skill set that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each client.

These marketers focus on their disciplines day in and day out, and adding their knowledge base to building your business pays off. Their expertise ensures that marketing efforts are executed effectively, delivering measurable results that align with business goals. More bang for your buck.

2. Strategic Approach

Agencies work closely with clients to develop data-driven strategies that align with their overall business objectives. By conducting thorough market research and competitor analysis, agencies identify opportunities and then craft well-thought-out campaigns to stay ahead of the competition.

A strategic approach not only maximizes marketing ROI but also enables businesses to make informed decisions for future growth. These agencies objective perspectives on growing clients’ businesses means they can make solid, research-backed decisions to build business. And then they can implement these decisions in a streamlined manner.

3. Resource Optimization

Managing marketing efforts in-house can strain resources, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. Marketing agencies offer cost-effective solutions that allow clients to focus on core business activities while leaving marketing tasks in expert hands. This resource optimization ensures that businesses get the most out of their marketing budget and manpower.

Our small to medium-sized clients benefit from Front Porch Marketing’s ability to supplement their own efforts. We work hand-in-hand with them to build their business as if it were our own, while lending expertise that clients don’t typically have in-house like website design, social media content marketing, email marketing and large design-focused projects like brochures. This leaves small business owners to focus on what they do best.

4. Access to Cutting-Edge Tools

Marketing agencies invest in state-of-the-art marketing tools and technologies to gain a competitive edge. By leveraging these tools, agencies can track and analyze data effectively, allowing for data-driven decision-making and continuous optimization of marketing campaigns. Such insights are crucial in maintaining a strong market presence and adapting to changing consumer behaviors.

It wouldn’t be cost-effective for small businesses to invest in these tools, so marketing agencies can again supplement the efforts of a business with this access to tools and the expertise to optimize their use for the benefit of a client’s business.

5. Time Efficiency

Implementing a successful marketing strategy requires time, effort, and consistent monitoring. By delegating marketing responsibilities to an agency, clients can focus on core competencies and strategic business growth. This time efficiency enables businesses to operate seamlessly while their marketing needs are efficiently addressed by industry experts.

Taking all these tasks off a small business owner’s plate gives them time to see the big picture. Then they can focus on growing their business. And they won’t get buried in the weeds of all the marketing tasks necessary to get there.

6. Reassess What Your Time is Worth, and Let a Marketing Agency Help Make Your Business Better

In conclusion, marketing agencies bring invaluable expertise and depth of knowledge. This can significantly elevate a client’s business to new heights. From specialized skill sets and strategic insights to resource optimization and access to cutting-edge tools, agencies offer an all-encompassing solution to marketing challenges.

While some clients may consider DIY marketing, it’s crucial to recognize the value that marketing agencies bring to the table. By partnering with a reputable agency, businesses can enjoy efficient and effective marketing efforts that lead to long-term success. Remember, marketing is an investment in the future, and entrusting marketing professionals can lead to remarkable returns.

Getting the Press Release Right

A press release is an official statement (written or recorded) that an organization issues to the news media and beyond. Whether we call it a “press release,” a “press statement,” a “news release,” or a “media release,” we’re always talking about the same basic thing.

Most are a page long — two pages max. The goal is to provide enough information so that news outlets have sufficient material to craft their own stories about whatever the release is detailing.

Press releases are delivered in a myriad of incarnations, from new restaurant openings to executive promotions, you’re feeding an unpredictable news cycle.  PR professionals then make the ordinary extraordinary.

Here are a couple of tips to make your next one stand out.

Create a Simple Headline that Gives an Overview of the Content

Press release headlines frame the ensuring content. They should convey the central message of your story that is easy to understand.

Make Your Email Subject Line POP

News makers barrage new outlets with this type of information overload every hour of every day and in order to lift your clients’ news out of a sea of emails, it’s paramount to write a succinct message with an eye-catching subject line.

Less is More with Press Releases

Consider the last time you scrolled through social media or read the news. Your gaze probably gravitated towards the stories that had sensational headlines or graphics. Journalists are skimmers. It’s an art form for them. They are looking for information that interest them and their audience quickly.  

Keeping your information concise is a great strategy to boost its impact. Putting the most important points at the top will give interested journalists an immediate entry way to find everything they need while removing anything that isn’t absolutely necessary to the story that they are developing.

Need to apply some spring cleaning to your marketing and PR? As the Marketing/PR saying goes, Sweet April Ideas Bring May Results! The positive power of spring cleaning can be applied to a company’s PR and marketing strategy. And now’s the time to do it!

Five Ways to Spring Clean Your PR:

Outer Order Contributes to Inner Calm

Take a hard look at documents and correspondence that have not moved from your desktop and/or email box for months. If the strategies and ideas no longer apply to your clients’ overall objectives, then hit the delete button. A clean slate will give you a renewed focus and attitude towards your clients’ success.

Happiness is a Spring Cleaned Marketing and PR Plan

Spring is the perfect time for marketing — messaging should be thematic of revitalization. Revisit the marketing and PR plan that was developed at the beginning of the year and assess your progress. Ask yourself the question: where are we now and what fresh practices can we use to achieve results? This simple check-in is a great first step to shining new light on your communications program and spring cleaning your messaging.

Put a New Spring in Your Marketing/PR Step

Now that your marketing and PR plans have been spring cleaned, and your inbox is updated and clutter free, there’s room to add new items to your wheelhouse. First, embrace the changes and explore different strategies, such as updating target media, or identifying new thought leadership speaking opportunities. These tune-ups could be just the thing you need to take your clients’ business to the next level!

There is a Season Turn, Turn, Turn!

As the classic Byrd’s song says, there is a season turn, turn, turn, a time to build up, a time to break down. To begin with, Spring is a time for renewal, use this period to build enthusiasm for your clients’ offerings/services. So Spring cleaning your PR can mean teasing new trends that are applicable for the warmer weather. Introduce spring-inspired products that are available for a limited time. Bring back seasonal bestsellers.

This Collateral Won’t Spring Clean Itself!

Spring is abloom with life — after months of winter, people are ready to immerse themselves in the warmer weather. Use this to your advantage and imbue your website with colorful palettes, as you spring clean that website. Inspire optimism by using florals to spell out words. Capitalize on content that talks about being active and enjoying the great weather.

Get Started on Spring Cleaning Routines for Your PR

When you take the time to spring clean your PR practice this quarter, you’ll reinvigorate your clients’ messaging. And sooner than later, the work you’ve put in to refocus your messaging will pay off.

Why Staying on Top of Public Relations Trends is Valuable

Public relations professionals play an integral role in a client’s online reputation. Part of a PR professional’s job is to stay atop the latest public relations industry trends. Trends can play an important role in managing a client’s account.

What was important to consumers in the past might look different today. PR is all about cultivating an image in the minds of consumers. So certain tactics and strategies may resonate with an audience at any given time.

According to the online media monitoring company Meltwater, the five top PR trends that should pilot brand strategy in 2023 are:

Data and Analytics:

In 2023, tracking the impact of a client’s public relations efforts will be key. PR teams need, at a minimum, basic KPIs like brand awareness and favorability, social media engagement, and quality web traffic. With today’s analytics and PR reporting technology, data will play an increasingly essential role in PR strategies. It is an important public relations trend to stay on top of during the year.

Diversity and Inclusion:

More companies are doubling down on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and for good reason. When employees can show up in a workplace where they can be their true selves they are more engaged. Employees are productive, and satisfied in their jobs. It is more than a public relations trend. It’s a shift in the way business will be done. As more consumers and employees raise their expectations of brands to embrace DEI at work, PR teams can expect it to be a recurring theme in their PR campaigns.

Influencer Marketing:

In 2023, focus on maintaining good relationships with existing influencers and connecting with new influencers. To fully leverage influencer marketing, PR teams need a good understanding of the influencer’s audience, niche, and content. These aspects go several layers deep and are full of nuances that can vary from one influencer to the next.

Without learning about these nuances, a company could end up doing more harm than good to its online reputation. One way to avoid potentially damaging influencer experiences is to add dedicated influencer resources to a PR team.

Personalized PR Pitch:

Tailoring PR pitches to individual journalists or influencers helps create messages that speak directly to their interests. It steers away from one-size-fits-none pitches. Instead it presents an eye-catching idea that’s hard to miss, even in an unpredictable news cycle. This helps to create instant trust and credibility. When pitching new sources you deepen the trust with media outlets and professionals. Keep this public relations trend top-of-mind when you practice media relations this year.

Authenticity:

As more marketers and PR professionals are using technology to develop custom experiences, it’s essential to maintain the human element. This makes personalization authentic. Consumers have increased their expectations of the companies with whom they do business. They expect brands to be transparent about ethics and values. Go beyond “marketing speak.” Authenticity is the intersection of these things. It’s no longer enough to spew generic phrases like “We’re in this together,” but back up your statements with actions. The bottom line: people have had many months to re-evaluate what’s important to them. They’re more discerning over how they use their time, which brands they engage with, and how they’re spending money.

Utilizing Public Relations Trends Helps Build Brands

Paying attention to PR trends can assist brands know the who, how, and when in addressing challenges and opportunities. This helps companies recognize and then embrace PR opportunities.

The recent elections completely dominated the news. And will continue to do so in the days that follow. An unpredictable news cycle can occur at any time. This presents a challenge for businesses looking to align their PR in the news.

5 Tips to Draw Out Content in an Unpredictable News Cycle

Erratic news cycles negate the valuable time that is put forth to pitches. These cycles prevent your client’s story from gaining traction. Try one of these techniques for engaging with journalists to get the best results:

1. Flexibility

A client usually has a set date for an announcement or event. It’s absolutely necessary to pivot the strategy if a major news story breaks. If a date cannot be moved, then the plan has to rely on post coverage. Always make sure that ample photos and videos are banked and submitted once the heady headline of the unpredictable news cycle has ebbed.

2. Response

Response time is important! Become the person that a journalist can depend upon. When a news story breaks, reporters are on tight deadlines. Respond immediately to requests for images or quotes from a client that you represent. Always provide links to hi-res photos, a press release with a quote, a product or person overview and a company boiler plate.

3. Newsjacking

David Meerman Scott coined this term in his book, “Newsjacking.” According to Scott, Newsjacking is the process of adding your client’s thoughts and opinions into breaking news stories. Newsjacking is a piggyback onto trending news topics. Clients can still get noticed during unpredictable news cycles using this technique.

4. Evergreen

Evergreen content has virtually no expiration date. So ideally it will retain its value over the long-term — just like trees that never lose their leaves. In terms of value, this content never loses significance. It even continues to gain traction. With the right strategy, evergreen content will consistently generate interest over time. People will reference it for years to come, regardless of the news cycles.

5. Media Downtimes

Generally media downtimes take place during the holidays. During this period, journalists are more receptive to evergreen content, byline articles and feature stories. Incorporate this timeframe into your client’s editorial calendars. Pitch ready stories in mid-November to use at any during the holiday season. This strategy is effective for the obvious fact that the client is getting media coverage. The bonus is that it will run when most people have the time to watch or read the content.

Don’t Fret — This News Cycle Will End

Unpredictable news cycles do end. So in the meantime instead of panicking, try one of these techniques to keep your client’s brand top-of-mind. Preventative or proactive PR and media relations can be a very successful approach to use to keep your client from defaulting to reactive solutions.

Sustainability is top of mind with consumers. They have more choice than ever on where to spend their money. So more than ever, companies are focusing on sharing their sustainability efforts with their customers. Does sustainability affect consumer buying? The data says yes.

ESG (Environmental, social and Governance) are the criteria used by companies to build value. They organize business objectives around sustainability-focused risks and opportunities. Initiatives can include customers, supply chain, and even employees of a company. So get started! Basically, start by tracking your company’s impact on the environment. Then, measure your sustainability. Finally, share the results. This process can influence consumer interest in your company, your products, and your services.

Sustainability: What is ESG?

The environmental, social, and corporate governance framework highlights three areas where companies can track their sustainability. This can illustrate their impact on the environment.

• Environmental: Does your company strive to preserve the natural world? Chiefly, talk to your consumers about how you are addressing climate change, pollution, water management or greenhouse gas emissions. This information could take the form of a Sustainability Report at the end of the year. We do this for our client Acme Brick every year. You might apply content marketing on your website. Or use social media posts to highlight specific places where your company has excelled.
• Social: Does your company focus on including and supporting a diverse community? Referred to as DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), this set of actions enhances employee engagement and retention. Firstly, this could look like employee spotlight blog posts. Or you can engage the public with PR. Additionally, you might establish and promote programs to broaden your talent pool. Or you could support employees by offering training programs, like our client Diamond Brand Gear does.
• Governance: This aspect of ESG covers topics like cybersecurity practices, corruption prevention and management structure. Indeed, talking about your company’s efforts in these areas reassures clients that your company is solid. It can highlight innovation. Generally, you can share posts on LinkedIn touting an advance your company has made in one of these areas, as an example.

Consumers Want to Buy From Companies That Support Sustainability

As 83% of consumers demand more ESG best practices from companies, 91% of business leaders now believe that their company has a responsibility to act on ESG issues. Conclusion? Obviously, consumers want to follow, buy from, and visit these companies more readily than ever before. And it’s not just consumers that want brands to take on these initiatives. 86% of employees say they’d prefer to work for companies that care about these issues. Sustainability has become one of the top issues that people care about.

Sustainability as a business goal is not a trend. Certainly, it is key to creating meaningful relationships with your customers and your employees. First, make sustainability your company’s business goal. Next, set up programs that support sustainability. Then, track and talk about your success. Therefore, this process is a fountain of content that you can share with your customers. Grow meaningful relationships with them centered on sustainability. And in turn, grow your sales based on your customers’ desire to make financial decisions tied to the social good your company is doing.

Disney Revolutionizes the Vacation Industry

Approximately 52 million people visit Walt Disney World each year and its annual profit comes to about $12.6 billion. How did Walt Disney transform his amusement park into a bucket list vacation destination for families from all over the world? The simple answer… marketing.

Disney has revolutionized the vacation industry as it broadens its marketing strategies to include almost any activity you can imagine. Disney has magical amusement parks, thrilling water rides, gourmet restaurants, five-star hotels, luxurious cruise lines, private islands, collectible merchandise, and so much more. Whether it is the walking foods-of-the-world tour in Epcot, opportunities to meet your favorite Disney characters, or thrilling rollercoasters that will have people shouting: “We HAVE to do that again!”, there is surely something for everyone at the parks. Most importantly, Disney gives the assurance of a trip filled with memories that are sure to last a lifetime.

Disney acknowledges that the amusement park experience might not be for everyone, so they have introduced a variety of activities that attract a more diverse customer base using a myriad of marketing strategies. Some people love all the fanciful facades and creative foods. However, others prefer a nice massage or relaxing by the hotel pools. My family is up at the crack of dawn to beat the crowd to the gates when the park opens. We are the first in line for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and we stay until the park closes. We go every year and find an experience that keeps each trip interesting and unique.

Marketing Disney Plus

With the recently increased popularity of streaming services, Disney entered the game strong with Disney Plus. In addition to the plethora of nostalgic movies and shows aimed at younger audiences, they also market their platform to a variety of demographics utilizing some of the most popular movie franchises in history like Marvel, Star Wars, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Using these marketing strategies, Disney Plus has become one of the most successful streaming service as people looking to escape the stress of the pandemic can find relief in uplifting films and tv series.

Online Marketing Strategies

Disney has been at the forefront of online marketing which has enabled them to subliminally reach the 16-24-year-old crowd that, on average, spends 3+ hours a day online. Disney has over 72 million followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter combined. That’s a lot of potential customers who might not regularly watch TV or read print that Disney can influence daily. Through magical commercials, Disney is able to interact with starry-eyed children without access to social media who beg their parents for the trips they see on TV.

Targeting the interests of Children

Disney’s marketing strategies were also revolutionary as they began to target the interests of children as well as adults. Children make up 22% of the US population and have an increased impact on family decisions than previously recognized. Through movies, TV shows, stuffed animals, and apparel, Disney has built brand loyalty starting with infants and continuing through adulthood.

“The Happiest Place on Earth”

The Happiest Place on Earth” is Disney’s well-known slogan which basically encapsulates everything that Disney is and tries to be. Who doesn’t want to go to the happiest place on earth? Disney evokes this happiness through nostalgia, happy stories with happy endings, and wholesome characters. Marketing “happiness” is what keeps visitors flooding through their gates every year. Including my family, and Julie’s family!