Celebrations are planned all over town, and when it’s over, the only
memento will be the wishbone.
Editors who write for local newspapers
plan to eat heartily on Thanksgiving, but there’s a dilemma to solve.
What will be Friday’s feature story?
The
food editor can call the local deli to find out what's on their
Christmas menu. The health editor might ask a nutritionist to provide
tips on eating healthy meals.
Or perhaps one of them will open the mail
and find the perfect story, courtesy of you.
Mid November is the perfect time to contact an
editor. How will you get their attention? Here are four ideas.
Food Editor
Discuss trends in new
snack flavors and packaging shapes to stuff into baskets and stockings.
Home/Lifestyle
Editor
Provide details on peppermint
or pine scented items for the home in the form of candles, room sprays
and wall hangings. Share information about its popularity around the
holidays.
Health
Editor
Tell why
individuals are making healthy snack choices for their holiday gift
baskets. Include a list of the ten most-popular healthy snacks.
Business
Editor
Reveal uncommon,
unusual, or strange gift choices ordered by business staff. Another
angle is how area firms plan their gift giving to impress clients and
staff members.
The letter should have as few
references as possible about your business. You're attempting to get
promotion, so focusing on what readers want is critical for exposure.
Provide enough information to interest the editor but not so much that
you give away all the details. This ensures that the editor calls you to
develop the story.
Close the letter by providing your telephone number
(even if preprinted on stationery) and Web site address (if available).
The holiday season is a time when the
informal, conversational tone of a letter is more inviting than the
traditional news release.
Remember to send the letter in mid
November. This increases the chance to get your business the coverage it
deserves. And you won't have to break the wishbone to make it come true.
If you like this tip, then
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Marketing Methods to Make More Money, January-June
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