Archive for the ‘Lists’ Category

Earlier this week, USA Today reported that spending on home improvement projects is expected to decline at an annual rate of 12.1% by the third quarter, and not expected to pick back up until the economy recovers.

Unfortunately, fewer home sales means fewer remodeling projects since the majority of spending occurs during the moving process. After all, moving is expensive largely because homeowners need to spend money to increase the resale value of their current home AND to improve their new home so that it fits their lifestyle needs.

In addition to home sales being down, homeowners are also hesitant to spend because they are not sure what remodeling projects will actually pay off when they go to sell down the road.

Given the reality of the home improvement industry, it is important to adjust your media relations strategies so that they reflect the current economic situation.

Below are three tips to improve your media pitches and ensure that they meet editors’ needs and expectations during this time:

1. Understand that “home and garden” editorial departments are much shorter staffed than they were two years ago. That said, consider reaching out to editors that cover different beats with a pitch that has been tweaked just for them. For instance, take a pitch that is focused on improvements that you can make to enhance the home office and adjust the message so that it addresses the trend in employers giving their staff the opportunity to telecommute one or more days during the week. This simple adjustment allows you to pitch a workplace or business reporter, who may be looking for trend information about how companies are modifying their approach to accommodate rising gas prices.
2. Draft your pitches so that the value proposition is clear from the beginning. The editor should be able to articulate exactly how your product or service will help their readers do more with less, given the fact that consumers are extremely budget-conscious.
3.  Spend some time getting to know each publications’ website – who shapes the content, how the editorial calendar for online articles maps to what is in the print edition, material submission deadlines, etc. Once you have gathered this information, offer the online editors specific resources that can be added to an online story so that it enhances what runs in print. In other words, if there is a home improvement story slated for the print edition, offer the online editor an interview with your expert spokesperson, tips, photos or even video content. 

By thinking like a reporter and getting to know the landscape in which they are working, your media pitches will stand out among the rest during these difficult times.