Wednesday: A wee bit of a humble brag, and also a discussion about the importance of connecting on social media

Good morning!

So much fun news to catch you up on. (And apologies if some comes off as a humble brag…I’m normally never a self-horn-tooter, but some days call for it!)

Yesterday morning, I was so honored to be invited by my friend Alice Dubin to be a guest speaker/panelist at her AMA focused on the state of the industry and looking forward to the big picture in the new year. We had such a great group of participants (including lots of people from this community!), and we even did a fun vision boarding exercise that I know will come in handy in my own *life administration* (It's sort of a theme for us right now) in the coming weeks. 

My friend Zlata was also onboard answering tons of questions about all things affiliate. If you are a subscriber of Alice’s Substack, she is sharing the whole recording — it’s a really educational listen!

It’s so easy when doing one of these sessions to make it all about “we do not like this” or “you’re doing this wrong” — I’ve been guilty of that myself at times, and I always feel terrible about it. I’m far from perfect, and I learn every day from all of you. But I loved that Alice’s session was all about positive, actionable advice that everyone in the (virtual room) could implement going forward in a way that helped their unique circumstances.

Anyway, moving on to the rest of yesterday!

Soon after, I got a text from my friend Lily (who I met on a wine press trip MANY years ago and we're still good friends - except we rarely get to see each other these days outside of social media and Zoom events), that she had ordered the cookbook I contributed to, and it had arrived. Believe it or not, I have not seen a final copy yet - so it was my first glimpse of seeing my name in the credits! It made me really feel like…in that moment…I am a published cookbook author! Well, kind of. Close enough, right?

So...I'm going to share here, just to have a brief moment of self-excitement.

(But seriously, if you did order the book and tried any of the recipes, I'd love to know what you think of it!)

But (and I realize this email is starting to sound a bit self promotional, but it was just ....how the day panned out!) - then Marketwatch reached out to me and asked if I wanted to give some expert commentary on the popularity of the Harry & Meghan docuseries (new episodes drop tomorrow!).

Y'all may know me as mostly a food/travel writer, but royals are one of my first loves, and I've also been following them (and writing about them) for years and I was SO excited to get to chat about the series -- which I love, for many reasons. You can check out the story here.

OK...enough about me. I've been doing a lot of end-of-year consulting sessions lately (I actually. have one coming up in a few hours, so I better put some makeup on...), and a question that keeps coming up is whether the media wants publicists to engage with them on social media (or not).

The answer is a RESOUNDING YES.

There's many reasons for this, but for starters:

1. Engaging on social media is a way to build a relationship and make a connection and not feel like the pitching process is purely a transactional one.

2. It helps YOU with pitching by seeing what we're up to, what we're doing, and what we like (and don't like).

For the most part, if I have a story lead that needs expert commentary or product pitches, you'll see it right here on my Substack. But sometimes you need to cast a wider net -- maybe it's for a crowdsource. Maybe you need a rather obscure or very specific type of expert. In that case, you just may see me post on my Twitter or Instagram stories looking for that specific kind of source.

Those that follow me on Twitter know that I am always retweeting things like requests for experts or even interesting articles shared by people who I follow.  That means by following the journalists you work with most often on social media, you may connect with other journalists you can build a relationship with as well. 

But it also helps to build a relationship. Whether it's telling me you loved that salmon and red curry recipe I made, or my dog's birthday party photos or that article I shared, or tried the restaurant I mentioned,  it's a way of us getting to know each other beyond the scope of pitch(er) and pitch(ee).

In the event you want to get to know me outside of this Substack, and we’re not already connected, here’s some spots you can find me: Instagram (where I share my articles, but also recipes and other fun stuff), Facebook (I mean, more of the same, TBH), Twitter, and LinkedIn (Honestly, I’m JUST trying to get into the LinkedIn groove now after my profile being abandoned for many years!).

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!

• RetailMeNot: Stores Open Christmas Day + Christmas Eve Store Hours 2022

• Food Network: Snickers Packs Protein Into Its Iconic Bars

• The Kitchn: These Triple Layer Peppermint Brownies Will Put the Joy Back into Your Holiday Season

• HelloGiggles: 13 Sexy Stocking Stuffers You Can Buy Online

• Forbes: Viva Magenta: Pantone’s Color Of The Year 2023 Has Inspired Gorgeous Cocktails Nationwide

• Eat This, Not That: This Is the Best Way To Cook Brisket, According to Chefs

• YourTango: The Actual Best Time Of Day To Work Out So You Can Finally See Results

• YourTango: 32 Beauty Gifts That'll Drive A Woman Wild (In A Good Way)

• RetailMeNot: 16 Fruitcakes We’re Absolutely Nutty For (2022)

• RetailMeNot: 12 Ugly Christmas Sweaters That Really Are Fabulous

• Taste of Home: Martha Stewart Just Shared a Genius Hack for Removing Garlic Smell from Your Hands

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.

Clean Plates

 Trader Joe’s Frozen Foods Perfect for Valentine’s Day at Home: I’m looking to round up people’s Trader Joe's frozen items that would work well for a Valentine's Day celebration at home. This could be either for a date night or for a girl's night in. It’s a crowdsource but I’m also very open to those from RDs or nutritionists, as well.

Costco Foods Nutritionists Love for Valentine’s Day: I’m looking to ask nutritionists to share some of their favorite Costco finds that work well for a healthy Valentine's Day celebration.

HelloGiggles

I’m working on two new gift guides pegged for - not holiday 2022 - but new years and Valentine’s 2023. I DO have a bit of time to play with on these, but the topics are:

Products to help you sleep better in 2023 - everything from bedding to supplements and more.

Sexy things to gift yourself this Valentine's Day - everything from underthings to more fun things, whether you have a partner or not.

RetailMeNot

Stores Open New Years + Store Hours - It’s an update to this story from last year. Same as the Christmas hours story, if you were included last year (or think that you fit into the categories that you would be this year), please send me any updates to your info.

I do a lot of stories like these for them, so you probably already know the drill if we’ve worked on one of these together before - I’m not looking for one-off stores and their hours but more major chains and such.

Forbes

I’m working on a roundup of standout hotel bars in New Jersey. Are they rooftop? Have a celebrity chef doing the food menu? Have gorgeous, unique cocktails? What makes it special? Email me and tell me more!

I’m rounding up fun sparkling cocktails for NYE. This, as with the Pantone color of the year cocktails story that published recently, must include the following:

1 - Name of cocktail

2 - Where it’s on the menu (so name of restaurant/bar, city, state, URL) - this cocktail must exist, either on the permanent menu or as a special, somewhere where people can go and order it.

3 - Description of drink (please do not send a recipe, it’s not necessary!)

4 - Quote from a bartender/bar manager/chef about the drink (and please don’t forget to include their name and title)

5 - image of cocktail (and please include any necessary credit info)

Would love responses for this one by Friday, please!

I’m also looking for online spots you can have your whole holiday dinner this year ordered and shipped to your door, both recipe kit options and reheat and serve options. If you represent any, please email me.

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 (This summer, 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!

On the fence over whether this is a good fit for your team? Here’s some feedback I received from people who I have worked with recently:

"Aly’s advice and insight is invaluable to our team, not only is she incredibly knowledgeable, she is approachable, generous, and kind too. While we read every one of her newsletters, we decided to go one step further and invited Aly to host a Q&A with our agency. During the session, we felt comfortable asking her everything and anything. She went above and beyond, providing examples and reasoning for each answer, and the team walked away with an abundance of new insight, tips, and tricks, plus a new confidence in handling some of the most crucial parts of our jobs." Sacha Bell, Rachel Harrison Communications

"Looking for a brilliant writer that always goes above and beyond?  Look no further than Aly!  She is an incredible teacher, tells it exactly how it is and is so generous in sharing her knowledge.  She knows what she wants from publicists, is very clear on her needs and expectations, and how to best support one another.  Most of all, her kind personality jumps off the page, and her giggle and smile are infectious.  In this consistently changing world of media, it’s so refreshing to know someone so genuine.” Kirsten Wanket

“Aly spoke to our team to help us all gain a better understanding of the media side of our business. Whether it was the best ways to pitch media or understanding the editorial process of content, she gave us tremendous insight into a vital relationship for mutual success. We were thrilled and our team came away with not only a deeper understanding, but with greater empathy for our colleagues in the media market. Definitely would recommend Aly for any agency looking to better work with their media counterparts.” Dawn Britt, Founder/Managing Partner/CEO of OneSeven Agency

“Aly has very kindly agreed to join a few sessions for us talking to both smaller and larger internal groups, and it has been incredibly helpful for our team to understand more about her process, and garner best practices that we leverage as we work on various programs. From sharing dos and don’ts for virtual and in-person events to pitching tips, Aly is a pro and always so thoughtful in her responses. And her own first-hand knowledge has helped us all to better understand the work process for freelancers and how we can most effectively work with other freelancers like Aly. We always appreciate her time and insights!” Erin Delahanty, Edelman

“I would highly recommend booking a virtual consulting session with Aly for an agency of any size!  She offers up to date perspective on everything from the affiliates to how to get your pitches read to timing your pitching correctly. These virtual consulting sessions literally save you time trying to figure out what the media is looking for and give your team an immediate edge.  Aly took her time and answered questions from the team. She is super friendly and you can tell she genuinely wants to create a win-win relationship between the media and publicists. Our team loved having Aly on and we cannot wait to have her back!  It was a blast!” Leah Cybulski, ChicExecs

“Aly was able to join our agency for a PR Perspectives chat and not only was it so much fun, but it was so informative! Keeping a pulse on the constantly changing media landscape is so important and we loved the insights and expertise Aly was able to share with us. Highly recommend setting up a chat with her!” Jennifer Haile, Dentsu Creative PR

“I am always looking for ways to share new ideas and learning opportunities with our team to improve how we pitch and offer value to journalists and in turn their audience. Aly's no nonsense approach gave us accessible advice about the best way to communicate to media, what formats works best, and basically how we can share our client news in a way that will get us noticed and included in stories. Would do again in a heartbeat!” Samantha Davidson, Say My Name Communications

“For my team’s first hybrid media event for a product launch in the COVID era, Aly quickly jumped on a Zoom and dropped great insights that drove many of the event elements. The direction she provided helped us increase attendance and gave her journalist colleagues a more memorable experience. It was a bonus that she was so easy and fun to talk to.” Apryl Ash, Approach Marketing

Now, it’s your turn! Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com to get something on my schedule.

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!)

Have a great day!

<3

aly