Publicity Hound Genevieve Frederick of Paw Publishing in Carson City, Nevada wrote to me to comment on the importance of piggybacking off other people’s days, weeks and months of the year.
“The American Kennel Club celebrates Responsible Dog Ownership Day on September 17. I was able to get a big article and photo in the Carson City local newspaper on 8 tips for being a responsible dog walker. I supplied the article and a photo of the local vet holding a dog patient. And I was able to plug ‘Happy Tails – Hilarious Helpful Hints for Dog Owners’ by the vet, Dr. Gary Ailes and Joy Underhill. Thanks for a great newsletter.”
The Publicity Hound says: Thanks for sharing your success story, Genevieve. Piggybacking onto days, weeks and months of the year can work wonders for your publicity campaign. Even if you weren’t the one who created the special day or holiday, you can still use it. My friend, Jacqueline Whitmore, owner of the Protocol School of Palm Beach, created National Cell Phone Courtesy Month in July and uses that as a springboard for publicity. I’ve seen at least two other professional speakers use that same month to promote their own tips on cell phone courtesy.
When there’s a day, week and month of the year or a special holiday that ties into your product, service, cause or issue, use it to submit briefs. The big national magazines, especially, love brief items such as Q&A lists, Top 10 lists, industry definitions, and resource boxes. Learn more about the 9 types of briefs in “Briefs, Fillers & Quizzes: How to Write Them and Why Editors Love Them.”