Summer fun and back-to-school ideas
Having successful pitches means you are in tune with what journalists want and need when it comes to their audience. Media pitches that get a yes are strong in story and have a solid hook. There is no doubt that COVID-19 has changed the news landscape in terms of how they tell stories and what stories the media tells. And when it comes to summer fun and back-to-school ideas things might look a little different so keep that in mind when it comes to what and how you are pitching.
What is a hook?
All good stories have a hook, or an interesting angle, that draws in the audience. In journalism, your hook is what makes the story relevant right now and grabs the attention of the audience. No matter what this doesn’t change!
The good news for you is that having a solid hook means you don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to your pitch. You can use what is already in the news or something that happens every year to use as the jumping-off point for your story pitch.
Before I start with some pitch-worthy dates, it should be noted that your pitch should be strong in story. Journalists want to tell stories. They do not want to sell your product, service, or book for you so check your ego at the door. It’s not about you. It is not really even about the journalist. It is always about the audience and what they need or want to read, watch or listen to. A successful pitch is always about the audience and how you and the journalist can work together to provide the most entertaining, educational, and/or enlightening content. So when you look through the year of dates don’t look for dates that you can stick your service or product into but look for dates that you can enhance with your expertise. As you look at the dates highlighted in this calendar think about how you can use them to build your pitch and tell a story that will make the lives of the audience better.
You want to let the journalist know what the key takeaways will be for their audience! What will they learn from your interview or segment.
One last thing I will say to you is that this is not a complete list of pitch-worthy dates. There are so many more significant dates, awareness months, and weeks that I could have added to the list. This is just a selection of dates. So I leave you with a few websites you can go to add more dates to your own calendar!
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/ – Canada
http://www.holidayinsights.com/
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/important-commemorative-days.html – Canada
https://charityvillage.com/cms/event-listings/special-awareness-days – Canada
https://charityvillage.com/cms/event-listings/special-awareness-days – Cdn/International
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/
https://www.awarenessdays.com/ – UK
https://trackmaven.com/blog/national-days-calendar/ – U.S/International
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/calendar-health-promotion-days.html – Cdn
http://www.un.org/en/sections/observances/international-days/ – International
http://www.americannamedaycalendar.com/holidays.html – U.S.
https://www.clareflorist.co.uk/special_dates.asp
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-media-holiday-calendar-2017
There is nearly an endless supply of dates that you could put on your pitch calendar. I have added a wide variety of dates and awareness months and weeks but you could build your own calendar that is targeted to your niche and expertise. These dates will help you not only with your media pitches but also with possible blog content and social media posts!
Keep in mind that many of the dates on this list change every year so be sure to check that they are accurate every year.
August
**Start thinking about back to school for TV….earlier for magazines (magazines can work months ahead. Be sure to check out the magazine’s rate card/editorial calendar to get a sense of when they publish)**
Back to School / Back to Work: Back to school/back to work stories are a big hit this time of year. Think about school and work lunches! How about litterless lunch options, products, or nutrition ideas, meal prep tips and tricks, and getting back into a school routine for kids and parents.
Labor Day: While it might seem like an easy hook, Labor Day always gets a ton of traction within lifestyle media! Get creative – whether your brand offers a Labor Day sale or has fun last-minute getaway necessities.
Last Days of Summer: August signals the last full month of summer. Think about pitching or posting about last-minute summer essentials. This would be a great opportunity to share any last-minute summer deals or promos on social!
National Relaxation Day (August 15): If you’ve got any loungewear, candles, bath, and body, or anything else that can be considered “pampering” pitch for this (much-needed) day! This is a great way to involve some influencers for social media posts – if they have any at-home spa or self-care tips take advantage of their knowledge!
Summer to Fall Transition Routine: Now is a great time to pitch skin-balancing moisturizers, and even home decor and lifestyle products that work for transitional weather that often comes up in late summer when we never know if we’ll get a mild 75-degree day or humid 95 degrees.
National Eat Outside Day (August 31): A great way to celebrate the last day of August! This is a perfect opportunity to pitch bug sprays, picnic blankets, litterless meal products, and any other fun lifestyle products to have the perfect late summer picnic. Or take the opportunity to have your team do lunch outside for great social pictures!
August Days of the Month
08 – World Cat Day / International Cat Day
09 – National Book Lovers Day
09 – International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
12 – National Vinyl Record Day
12 – National Middle Child Day
12 – World Elephant Day
15 – National Relaxation Day
19 – World Photo Day
20 – National Radio Day
21 – National Senior Citizens Day
26 – National Women’s Equality Day
26 – #NationalDogDay/International Dog Day
Remember, it is important to share a story that is newsworthy. Your editorial calendar will help you create a newsworthy pitch and story angle.
Happy Pitching!
