There are certain times of the year that news comes to a screeching halt. One of these times is staring us straight in the face: the long Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. State legislative sessions are typically on break, school is out, people are traveling, shopping and stressing. This is an ideal time to develop and pitch stories.
Even though business and government may be slower than usual, newspapers are still being printed and TV and radio stations still have on-air programming spots to fill.
You can help.
After spending 10 years in a busy radio newsroom, I covered the same holiday stories that the media covers today–gas prices, airline travel, food, relatives, stress, shopping, house guests and football games. Sound familiar?
Consider this. Many stories that may seem weak or tough to pitch during a busy news cycle can easily grab the attention of a reporter during the slower holiday season. Thanksgiving is here and Christmas and New Year’s are right around the corner. It’s time to be proactive.
Here are 3 quick and easy tips for getting coverage on long weekends. By the way, #3 can be used for your blogs or e-zines too.
1. Remember that Thanksgiving Day is on a Thursday. Many people take off the entire week, through Sunday, November 29. If you send out your press release or pitch on Monday or Tuesday (11/23 or 11/24) , the reporters can use it anytime over the course of the next seven or eight days. The media is open 24/7. Your sleeper story on a busy news day could be a big headline over the extended holiday.
2. Keep it undated. If you have an “evergreen story” with no real date attached to it, that’s ideal for coverage over a long weekend and slow news cycle. You may send the release out as a Thanksgiving story and be pleasantly surprised to see it was picked up by reporters a few weeks later.
3. Get creative! Stay away from the typical seasonal stories that reporters cover. Hard news and business stories are ideal for these time periods. Cause-related marketing with nonprofits are newsworthy too. For example, most groups hustle for holiday food drives in November and December yet there are plenty of hungry people in July. Does your company or family volunteer year-round? If so, pitch the story. Organize an off-season beach cleanup with your co-workers. Announce a new program or partnership on mentoring with a school or community group.
Take advantage of this window of opportunity by planning ahead and developing new ideas and energy. The reporters will appreciate your efforts and you can build critical relationships with them for future pitching and coverage.
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Sue,
Your blog posts provide such valuable tips, strategies and food for thought. Thank you for your invaluable experience that you share with so many.
Pattie :)
Thank you for your kind feedback Pattie. It’s a pleasure to be able to share my knowledge and passion, and help others.
Best regards,
Susan