Tuesday: Hitting the ground running on a VERY busy first week of 2023

SO much Valentine content happening -- and more to come. (Including, yes, gift guides...)

Hi, everyone!

As I know some of you were offline for the holidays and may have not seen the few newsletters I sent in the last two weeks, I want to again wish everyone reading this and your family and friends a wonderful holiday season and a very happy, healthy, productive, and prosperous New Year.

For anyone trying to usher in all that prosperity, here’s a recipe I shared on my Instagram over the weekend. It just may work!

alywalansky

A post shared by Aly Walansky (@alywalansky)

I know a lot of you also may have two weeks of email to get caught up on right now, so let me jump right into all I want to chat about today so I can then get started on sharing all of today’s pending assignments.

• There’s a lot! We’re hitting the ground running…

For starters, before I go into the news of the day — I wanted to share something pretty fun.

Remember a few weeks ago when I spent my birthday afternoon at RPZL? Well, while we were there, my friends Lisa and Amber and I made a video of us getting our hair did with RPZL’s amazing clip-in extensions before heading out to my birthday dinner. The video is now a reel and it came out SO great.

rpzlrpzl

A post shared by RPZL (@rpzlrpzl)

To celebrate the new year, RPZL is now offering $50 off any RPZL clip ins or pony extensions, $100 off any other extension installation. Read the caption of the reel above for more details on how to claim. (Trust me, you NEED to have these. I’m obsessed.)

And in other news…!

Two exciting updates that you may have missed over holiday break:

1. Muck Rack sent out their rankings for most searched journalists of the year and I was on the list!

Muck Rack @muckrack

Drum roll, please! 10 of the most viewed journalists on Muck Rack in 2022 are @66perristreet, @alywalansky, @alexismmorillo1, @AlyssaAJung, @lllexapro, @danielledirecto, @maliagriggs, @Kyle_L_Wiggers, @mrtimchan & @_alexisbennett

bit.ly10 of the most viewed journalists on Muck Rack in 2022The journalists featured on this list are among the most viewed journalists on Muck Rack in 2022.

2. I did my first podcast guest stint and it was SO fun. I chatted a lot about some big media/PR issues and I'd love if you could give it a listen. (I also would love your feedback, negative or positive, because I hope to do more of these in the coming months and I am new to this!)

Lexie Smith @LexieSmithPR

@alywalansky, #1 ranked food journalist of 2022 dives into the world of Food, Travel, and Lifestyle Journalism in this week's episode of Pitchin' and Sippin'.

theprbarinc.comPitchin’ and Sippin’ with #1 Ranked Food Journalist of 2022 Aly WalanskyMuck Rack’s #1 Ranked Food Journalist of 2022 Aly Walansky shares her pitching tips, preferences and more - Pitchin’ and Sippin’ Podcast

Newly published or freshly updated

Since people are often asking about the status of stories from a while ago, and I only share stories in this newsletter that were published or updated in the current week, I have created a list of my author pages at various publications to which I contribute. Bookmark it and make your life a bit easier.

This list will live on my Substack URL and be updated as necessary. That way, you can see what I’m doing at any publication, at any time, from types of stories to general structure of stories to even volume and frequency of my content at that outlet.

This can also help you to target pitching a bit better. That makes your job easier, and mine too!

• HelloGiggles: 9 New Products That Will Help You Be Healthier in 2023

• Yahoo Life: How long do leftovers last? Experts share tips for safely storing food

• Yahoo Life: Air fryer 101: Everything you need to know about cooking with (and maintaining) an air fryer

• Forbes: Impress Your Guests This Season With Tableside Cocktails

If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares! Please remember to tag @alywalansky and the outlet.

Here’s what I’m working on:

Be sure to read the below list carefully. Many are stories I posted about yesterday, but some of yesterday's stories are no longer listed and a few new ones have been added since yesterday. This (below) is everything that is still a currently open opportunity as of today.

Please remember when pitching me: Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com - do NOT just hit reply on this newsletter, or there’s a good shot your email will be lost in the heap. Give your email a subject line that makes it clear which story you are pitching me for — it’ll help you in the long run.

Please consult my industry insights guides on submitting expert commentary, sending emails that will catch a journalist’s attention, how to craft pitches journalists will say ‘yes’ to, and the right and wrong way to submit photos, if you need any extra guidance before sending your pitches.

Forbes

Romantic wines to pair with your V-Day dinner: Whether you are planning a surf and turf or a sexy pasta night, these are the wines you need for the biggest date night of the year. To pitch me a wine, be sure to include retail links, a LINK to an image, and a description.

Romantic cocktails to enjoy for Valentine's Day: I’m looking for cocktails that are currently on the menu at bars/restaurants anywhere nationwide, either as a special for the season or a permanent menu item. Please include name of drink, where available, description, and a quote from a bartender/chef/owner about the drink. Will also need a LINK to an image of the drink for this one.

Places online where you can order a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner to be shipped to your door. Self-explanatory. Has to be shippable as this needs to be something available to all who order it and not just a local takeout thing.

RetailMeNot

The Best Galentine's Day Gifts for your Besties: I’m updating this story I did last year (so if you represent a product that is in last year’s guide, please let me know if there’s any changes to it as far as price, availability, etc). But I’ll also be adding a dozen or so new products that are also great gift ideas for your bestie this year (in the same format as last year’s, if you want to use that as a guide when pitching.)

The Best Affordable Valentine's Day Gifts: I’m also working on this guide to affordable Valentine’s Day gifts. Trying to stick with under $100 for these items.

HelloGiggles

Sexy underthings to gift yourself this Valentine's Day - we all deserve to feel confident and sexy, whether you have a partner or not.

Looking to up your affiliate marketing game?

Affiliate marketing is complicated, and it seems that the landscape keeps changing. If you are looking to be prepared for gift guide season and all other shopping-related content, you may want to try the Ultimate Masterclass and Introduction to Affiliate Marketing for Publicists. It's a brilliant course and it'll answer all your questions (including some you didn't know you had!)

Virtual consulting sessions...

Looking for a consult as you plan your next event or trip? Or just want someone to take a look at the pitches you’ve been sending and give some feedback?

I've been popping into a lot of PR team virtual meetings and some other fun stuff (Recently I even joined in on an agency’s team retreat right here in Brooklyn — it was so fun and I made so many new friends!) and making myself available to answer all sorts of questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective.  I like to keep these things chill and comfortable and relaxed all by sharing perspective and learning from one another.

If you are interested in setting anything up for your own team in the coming months, please email me and we'll get something on the books! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts. If you are a freelance publicist and want to join in with a few other freelance publicist friends and set something up, we can do that as well!

Have a great day!

<3

aly