Is September The Best Month to Launch a PR Campaign?

Is September really the best month to launch a PR campaign?  In a word, yes.  Depending on your needs and on your business, any month could be the best month to launch a campaign, but all things being equal, there is no better month than September to do your launch.  Well, to be honest, I’d probably suggest launching in August.  Having been a magazine editor I like to get a jump on things, just to make sure I’m prepared.  But, when it comes to the timing of a PR launch, September is probably the optimum month.  Why?

By September the monthly magazines are working on their holiday stories.  I used to be a magazine editor and we’d start on our holiday issues in August.  By the time the holidays rolled around, I felt as thought I’d already been there and done that.  If you have a product, service or business that you want highlighted during the holidays, or as part of a Christmas, or Hanukah story, you want to pitch your story no later than September.

The same goes for New Years stories.  If you have a beauty story, or a weight loss story, or a relationship pitch that you want to place as a New Years story, you better have your PR pitch go out no later than early September, or you’re going to be too late.

Also the new TV season launches in September.  If you’re looking to place you, your company or your business on a talk show or TV segment, September is the time to pitch.  The talk shows are just gearing up.  They don’t yet have a backlog and are more open to new ideas. September is your best chance to land a segment (well actually the last few weeks of August, but don’t tell anyone).

If you are going to pitch your story as a TV segment, remember that a TV-oriented public relations campaign has three primary components, you need to create a compelling visually-oriented story, be able to pitch it effectively and know who to pitch it to. Most people think they know which story or pitch will work for them, but they’re generally wrong.

The story about why your product or service is so good usually misses the mark because it’s not a story that meets the media’s needs, or connects with your target audience. You need to think like your customer thinks, more importantly, you need to think like a TV producer. You have to think backwards. What does your local TV news program, or the Today Show need? Study them. Make notes. Now give them a visually-oriented pitch that fills that need. Think in terms of personal stories, anecdotal stories that others can relate to, and talk in a language that the journalist you’re pitching will understand. When pitching a TV show, think visually, what can you offer that has a visual component. What can you come up with that would give them a compelling TV segment?  Remember it all comes down to pitching a compelling story.

So if you’re thinking of launching a PR campaign, regardless what the month or time of year, don’t wait.  Move on it, the sooner you launch the sooner you’ll reach more client and establish your brand.  But if it happens to be around August or September – LAUNCH NOW!

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012