MINT HILL, NC – At the April Chamber of Commerce Members Luncheon, this author spoke about ways to partner with The Mint Hill Times to maximize your business exposure.  Whether you’re mentioned briefly or highlighted in a feature article, here are some great tips for partnering effectively with the paper to make your business shine!

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  Take advantage of free advertising by adding your events to our Community Calendar.  From https://www.minthilltimes.com/, click Calendar → Submit Your Community Event.  The Community Calendar is reserved for events that are free and open to the public; nonprofit events with a small fee are also considered.  All approved events appear online, and a subset of upcoming events appears in each print issue dependent on space.  The Community Calendar is meant to be self-serve, so make sure to double check the details of your event before submitting it.  If you need to change or delete an event, or if you encounter problems using the Community Calendar feature, contact Mary Beth Foster at marybeth@minthilltimes.com.

• Did you know that everyone who writes for The Mint Hill Times is freelance?  When you’re working with a writer or even our editorial staff, it’s important to understand that the person with whom you’re working isn’t in the “office” from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Because many of our writers have full time jobs in addition to writing for the paper or juggle several different part time jobs or other responsibilities, it’s difficult to get events covered with only a day or two’s notice.  If you want our editor to consider getting someone to your event in person, make sure to let us know about it early.
• Writers’ deadlines are a full week before the paper hits the stands!  That means a writer might be contacting you about an article well before it’s on your radar, likely two or more weeks before the article will publish.  Proofreading, layout and a lot of other work happen between the time articles are submitted and you see the paper on shelves, so it’s important we keep to our schedule as much as possible.
• The Mint Hill Times has an advertising package to suit every budget from a single 1/12 page black and white advertisement to a recurring full color one.  We can also print inserts for special promotions.  
• The Mint Hill Times prints several themed special editions throughout the year that are an excellent opportunity for you to reach your targeted audience and garner a big return on your investment.  Some of our special editions coming up this fall and beyond are Back to School (August), Eateries, Drinkeries and Sweets (September), Fall Home & Garden (September/October) and Shop Local (November/December).  Contact Jenifer Shaw at jenifer@minthilltimes.com for all your advertising needs.

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  Want to be mentioned in the paper more?  Be the source a writer can rely on!  Remember that this isn’t a full time gig for any of our writers, and, like you, they have limited time and availability.  Getting back to a writer who reaches out to you promptly benefits you in two way.  First, when the writer has what they need well before their deadline, they can dedicate their time to really making you shine in the article.  Second, let’s say you run a landscaping company, and a writer reaches out to you for our Fall Home and Garden Special Edition.  If you reply right away with everything that writer needs, odds are you’ll be the person they’ll reach out to next year because they know they can count on you.

• When you’re interviewed, think about what makes your business stand out.  Our readers need to know the basics, like where you’re located, what your hours are and what you do.  But a memorable article goes beyond that and shares your story; it helps readers understand what makes you unique and different from the competition.
• Whenever you are contacted for an article, it is helpful if you can share high resolution photos of yourself, your products, your location, etc.  If a writer visits you in person, they may be able to take photos, but you likely have professional photos or ones from recent events that might work better.  The better your photos, the better chance you have of seeing yourself on the front page!
• Everything that appears in print also appears online at https://www.minthilltimes.com/.  If you aren’t sharing articles you are mentioned in after they are published, you are leaving exposure on the table!  Share any article in which you are featured on your social media, and make sure to tag The Mint Hill Times and any other local businesses or organizations mentioned.