Cosmo is filled with mixed messages, but those that are delivered are worth reading - and ignoring the conflicting ones. Was never allowed to read Cosmo when growing up. But right now, it seems useful as a young person to read. Getting familiar with the different sections for Tin Shingle’s business owners, makers and artists who want to use it to get the word out.
Next Tin Shingle TuneUp: Members-Only PR Challenge
PR Challenge
Drop-Ins Welcome!
When:Wednesday, June 12th
Time:12pm EST
Where:At your computer or on your phone.
How: Follow the directions on this page of the Community Boards to get the registration link. Only logged in All Access Members will be able to see this page.
Activate Your Access Pass Membership Here >
This week the TuneUp is available as a personalized PR Challenge Strategy Session. Bring 1 PR Goal, and we will workshop it together. Sometimes there is just one member in the session, sometimes there are three.
Moderated by Tin Shingle's owner and publisher Katie Hellmuth Martin, attending members will each have a chance to speak about their goals, and give feedback to their fellow members about their goals.
The feedback from fellow members is sometimes the best part.
How It Works
CONNECT: Connect using your laptop or GoToWebinar app. You'll need do to this so that Katie can un-mute you. If you're on the phone, she can't see you to un-mute you.
CHALLENGE: Bring 1 Goal or Challenge to workshop.
FEEDBACK: Get Feedback from Katie and others on how to get there.
HOMEWORK: Leave with a homework assignment. Report back in 2 weeks at our next session.
Success Stories:
Shifts happen during these private TuneUps. It's like group private training! If you put it out there, you'll surprise yourself at what can happen next.
Laura Borland, creator of Vyllage, the app that connects neighbors to receive your packages for you, was featured on a local TV station in her hometown of Florida. How'd she do it? "Repetition and Intensity. I followed Katie's advice after the members-only TuneUp and made a commitment to send my pitch to at least 25 journalists everyday. I used your PR Planning & Tracker to know who I had contacted.
Sierra Bailey, jewelry designer and creator of Manic Trout, landed herself a host position at a major cable network for a crafting show. All because she was brainstorming new ways to get the word out, and what she personally wanted to tap into.
PR * Social Media * SEO * Newsletters * Website
To activate your Tin Shingle All Access Membership, click here.
Traditional Home To Become a Special Interest Magazine
Meredith publishing, under financial pressure after acquiring Time Inc. last year for $2.8 billion, laid off around 60 employees. Nearly half of the layoffs were from Entertainment Weekly and Traditional Home. Both publications have dramatically slashed their printing schedules, with Entertainment Weekly cutting back to a monthly schedule and Traditional Home will become a quarterly special interest publication, publishing 4 times a year.
Among the more high profile cuts include publisher Beth McDonough. Traditional Home’s chief editor Jill Waage avoided the chopping block, however most of her staff’s jobs were not spared. Business of Home reported that Wagge has spent 11 years in Meredith’s special interest media division, so her expertise is a valuable commodity.
This is not the first time Traditional Home has seen major changes. In 2017, its publication schedule went from eight yearly issues to only six. In 2018, senior design and market editor Tori Mellot resigned and was not replaced.
Recently, the hearth and home niche at Meredith has taken quite a beating over the last few years. Cooking Light and Coastal Living are no longer on a regular publication schedule. The internal competition for advertisement dollars is proving too strenuous for future viability.
Said a spokesperson for Meredith in the New York Post: “We had five subscription magazines in the home category: Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Living, Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living and Traditional Home. That’s a lot of competition internally for ad dollars, let alone when you consider outside competitors in the space.”
Says Katie of Tin Shingle: “Or is that what happens when your purchase titles and cannibalize your market share?”
Tin Shingle will be monitoring media moves to update our Media Contact Library.
New Podcast Alert! “Going Through It” From MailChimp
New Podcast Alert! From the talented Ann Friedman originally produced for MailChimp. “Ann Friedman sits down with writers, comedians, politicians, and musicians to hear about the pivotal moments in their lives, careers, and relationships when they had to decide whether to quit or whether to keep going.”
See Tin Shingle’s Media Contact Library for details!
Entertainment Weekly Magazine Goes Monthly - But Keeps Weekly In Title For Now
Entertainment Weekly magazine will go monthly, yet retain the title of Weekly, according to Adweek. The publication, part of the Meredith family of print publications, will start this new schedule in August under new Editor In Chief JD Heyman. The July 5th issue will be the last weekly publication. The new EID is coming from People Magazine. The former EID, Henry Goldblatt, has been at a Entertainment Weekly for 17 years, according to Variety, as highlighted by Adweek.
What Does That Mean For Businesses Looking For Features?
The print publication cycle will slow down a bit, now that there aren’t weekly magazines to churn out. As for an Editorial Calendar, they may release a broad theme to sell to advertisers in a broader way. But, we don’t recommend you to pitch by Editorial Calendar theme anyway because there are way to many ideas out there to wait for a broad theme.
Tin Shingle will inquire as to what their new print publication cycle will look like, so that we know which months they are working on when. We will also keep our eyes on media moves for those coming and going for our Media Contact Library.
She's Crushing It! Paola Kustra of BagRomance Is Featured On Houstonia's Women Crush Wednesday
As you know, dear business owner, you're busy! You ain't got time for pitching your business to the media! But you're making time. You're showing up at Tin Shingle to get the courage and the original ideas that will make you a must-feature by the press.
Paola Kustra, a Tin Shingle memberand founder of BagRomance.com, is killing it right now with features she is getting. Check out her latest at Houstonia in Texas.
PS: Tin Shingle is adding Houstonia right now to our Media Contact Library.
Live From Houston - KPRC Channel 2 Houston Features BagRomance.com
Paola Kustra, a Tin Shingle memberand founder of BagRomance.com, the designer handbag rental company based in Houston, TX, was featured on KPRC Channel 2 Houston.
She pitched and landed the segment, and brainstormed how the taping would all happen during Tin Shingle's private Member's-Only TuneUps.
Paola organized models to display some of the purses available for rent on her website, including the "tiny" purse that fits hardly anything!
Paola regularly attends Tin Shingle’s TuneUps, and it is paying off! She comes away with fresh ideas on why to pitch the media, and then she does it.
WordSwag Releases More Font Options - Look At The Bird In Lumber Jack!
Word Swag does it again by opening up more design treatments on its free version of its app. And you know we love our Word Swag. Paying for the Word Swag app is still very worth it, as you get even more design options on your type treatment. But for now - the free version - just look at these new options for the same message. Your going to see a bird, a Star Wars inspiration, and variations on thickness of a swirly cursive font.
The 15 Minute Variation - Look At The Variation!
You Can Do This
Last week we sent you one of the above design treatments for the almost weekly Money Monday article. This week, we wanted to show you the behind-the-scenes process of getting there. How within 15 minutes, we had such a variation of visual to go with.
Should we go Star Wars theme? Or a "Put A Bird On It" theme?
The best part is, these are some new designs that are available in the Word Swag app now - at the free level. Though we always encourage you to upgrade to paid in order to keep companies like this alive.
What is Word Swag you may be asking? We've written about it here before, but it's one of our go-to apps for creating images that have words on them. Some call them "Word Posters" or "Quote Posters." Call it what you will - it's your easy and beautiful way of communicating with your people digitally. Word Swag takes fonts - and sometimes icons - and combines them into delicate, rough, or shocking combinations.
Combos We Love
Notice the emotional differences that each font presents to you. The bird is in “Lumber Jack,” which is a design treatment combo that has been free and open for a while, but the bird is new (new to us at least).
“Nine Teen Nineties” is new, and is the Star Wars inspo one. Then there are the other simple cursive design combos in the last two samples shown here that offer big differences: “Gothic Wonderland” offers a nice, crisp serif font paired with a thin and delicate cursive. And finally, our long-time favorite, “Summer Soiree” which offers a nice curve to and hug of the words.
If you haven’t been in Word Swag for a bit, update your app and open it up. And if you have been using it, it’s time for fresh styles!
Georgia's New Abortion Law Decreases Likelihood Disney, WarnerMedia, NBSUniversal and Others Would Film There
From the must-open daily email that is Morning Media Newsfeed produced by AdWeek, this news is just in. Several sources are reporting that major media companies including Disney, NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia (HBO, TNT, TBS), and CBS are strongly indicating that they may not select Georgia for filming and production locations if the new strict abortion law goes into effect.
In the words of the Morning Media Newsfeed article, with linked sources:
A day after Disney CEO Bob Iger said it would be “difficult” for the media giant to produce TV shows and films in Georgia given its strict new abortion law, a handful of major media companies have added their voices to the chorus in a series of Thursday statements. (Deadline)
WarnerMedia—the parent company of movie giant Warner Bros. and cable networks HBO, TNT and TBS, among other entertainment properties—on Thursday joined Netflix and Disney in saying that it will “reconsider” doing business in Georgia if the law takes effect. (HuffPost)
In its own statement on Thursday, NBCUniversal said that the bill, if actually enacted, would “strongly impact our decision-making” for production in the area. AMC, which films tentpole The Walking Dead in the state, also spoke up on Thursday afternoon. (THR)
Finally, CBS and Showtime issued a statement on the recent abortion legislation in Georgia and other states, saying that they “may not be viable locations for our future production” should the law take effect. (Variety)
Is It Money Monday? YES!
Happy Monday!
We were all set to send you the juicy answers from an expert on how she landed herself 2 morning show segments back to back - but then upon walking into the office this morning - after doing all of the pre-game money things to make the Monday run smooth - we were asked by co-worker Kat (she heads up the Media Research around here): "Is it Money Monday!?!" as she excitedly waved around a few bills envelopes in her hands.
"Of course!" So we turned this ship around to focus on your Monday and how you're making it a great one, so that you can hopefully slide into the evening feeling a sense of completion as you coast into Tuesday.
3 Tips For A Great Money Monday
Update Your Clients First: For the service providers in the house, stay one step ahead of your clients by sending them an update on the project they are doing with you. Could be big update, or a tiny one. Just touch base with them before they reach out and ask for an update.
Get Updates From Your Peeps: Check in on your team members to get their status, so that you can pass it along to those who need the status update.
Pay A Bill: That's right. Clear that bill and issue yourself a new payroll check if you need to. This propels you forward to earn more money.
Buck The Struggle Habit: If you're constantly living on fumes, you may be suffering from an addiction to a hard ass hustle. Is the hustle the only thing making you hungry? You might need to flip that addiction to welcome abundance and growth. This post from Chiara Mazzucco of Boldself might help you buck this habit.
Step Away From The Mess: It was a busy weekend, and your house might be a mess. Monday Mornings are great days to clean - if you are compulsive cleaners like us - and if you work from your home. We work both from home and our amazing office on Main Street in Beacon, NY, and would love to tidy up. But, this mental shift can take you off your money making game, so you need to step away from that slime making experiment left on the table.
Exceptions to Cleaning: If you are pitching while you clean on your smart phone, you can clean. If you are pitching new clients, sponsors, or the media while you are mopping, then carry on. We are advocates of fast, iPhone-based pitches because it keeps you brief and to the point. You're also in a state of blocked out fear - so you can power through an otherwise staring-at-the-blank-screen zone that can sometimes paralyze you.