Raise your hand if a) October is kinda sorta your favorite month and b) you’re kinda sorta freaking out about it being October, for PSL’s sake! Now, before you plunge your hand into a single pumpkin’s squishy seed guts, before you send out that paperless post for the mandatory team-wide Hocus Pocus viewing, take a look through these ten short-lead pitches and social content ideas.
1. International Coffee Day – Let’s kick this month off right with your best latte art, pumpkin spice IG stories polls and odes to the magical beverage that keeps things moving *smirk.*
2. Breast Cancer Awareness Month – BCA gift-guides are your most obvious bet here, think pink products supporting a pink cause. Founder stories that connect to breast cancer could be just the ticket for a stressed-out editor,
3.October 3 – What day is it you ask? It’s October third aka Mean Girls Day! And this year it happens on a Wednesday! All hail the social media memes, the wear pink memos and MG trivia on your social channels. For a more editorial angle, pitch your best creativity over competition tips, share your “cool mom” stories and outfit ideas for the MG cast as twenty-somethings.
4. All about the ‘ween – From Beyonce to Wonder Woman, put together your predictions of what costumes are going to be big this year (complete with client-inspired outfit ideas). Hold an office Halloween party/costume contest/scary candy competition and livestream the whole thing. Interview your office about their first scary movie memory, debate the virtues of Scream vs I know what you did last summer on IGTV. Recreate scenes from campy horror films in support of your fall/winter collection, invite influencers to an on brand scavenger hunt. Beauty editors will be working on their own “how to get the look” roundups so take popular looks and create with your products, and don’t forget about how on trend witch-everything is these days.
5. Orange you glad I didn’t say pumpkin? Well too bad! Pumpkin is the color and flavor of the month, from manicures to cashmere throws. Get your colors in line for easy lifestyle roundups, create custom cocktails inspired by your favorite influencers, pitch anything that falls under orange in the color wheel, this is the time. PS: International Knock-Knock day is also on 10/31 – just sayin’.
6. Do Something Nice Day (October 5) – This is a great day to send out “just because” October-inspired goodies to your favorite editors, influencers, clients and vendors. Invite the whole office (and your social community) to participate in a #dosmethingnice challenge, complete with prizes of course!
7. Fall/Winter Transition – Fall fashion is in full swing! Give me your plaid, your corduroy, your perfect brown booties. Depending on where you’re based and who you’re pitching, you might be in the perfect position to send over ideas on how to get the perfect fall look. In other parts of the world, it’s quickly getting extra chilly, so fashion ideas around extending the wearability of your favorite fall pieces is always a good idea. Decor and shelter sites will be interested in photographs of cute front porches full of harvest vibes and budget-friendly solutions, editors want to hear about your pumpkin spice candles, and favorite root veggie recipes.
8. Fall Puns– If you’re looking for a straight marketing promotion, a “fall into [these savings],” or “let’s pile [on the layers],” are fun ones to play with “Fall in love with our…” makes for catchy copy.
9. National Boss’s Day (October 16) – Is there an industry that loves a boss more than fashion/lifestyle? Boss’s Day is the perfect time to pitch amazing gift ideas, contribute to roundups featuring CEO advice, salute your fellow bosses who help keep your company moving and heck, even pen a think-piece around the rising concept of being a boss and how its impacting the work choices of younger generations. #Getit.
10. October-inspired quiz – A quiz is a great way to boost engagement and drive shares. From a “which scary movie character are you,” to “which halloween costume is perfect for you,” brands that put out this kind of “tell me about me” content are sure to see a spike (ha!) in participation.
WANT A SNEAK PEEK AT NEXT MONTH? November SHORT-LEAD PITCH ANGLES + SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT IDEAS
Grab your free PR Calendar
Want a full 12 months of pitch ideas and press deadlines? Download the PR Couture Evergreen Pitch Calendar to land amazing coverage year-round.
