Are Those Sleigh Bells I Hear?

Found on pinterestYou think I'm kidding, but actually August is a month, or some would even say two, behind schedule for reaching out to publications about the holidays. Why am I bothering to tell you you're already behind? Because you can still make things happen.

There are many short-lead publications that you can reach out to. Newspapers and blogs generally only need 6-8 weeks lead time to get a story ready. Some work on even shorter calendars than that. So make a list of all the blogs and newspapers you can think of that might be interested in your product. The key to this is whether or not their readers will be interested in what you make. Think gift guides of all types, either for those buying or those looking for items to add to their list for Santa.

Then you need to research the appropriate person to send a press release to. For blogs that's generally pretty easy as there is generally only one main writer. For newspapers you can look at the masthead or past articles for a writer or editor's name. Another tip I use is calling the main switchboard if a contact phone number is given. I tell them I'm a publicist that works with "handmade items" (insert whatever seems most fitting for your goals here) and I'm updating my mailing list. Who is the person I should be directing my press releases to and what's the best way to reach them? Most of the time you'll get just the information you're looking for. If you still come up short you can always send to the "info@" address, but it's best to find a real person. You can read more about cultivating a list in this past article.

Once you have a list then you need something to send them. What's newsworthy about your business or product? You've got to hand them an attention grabbing story. If the writer has to do too much work on an idea that's not originally theirs they won't do it. A little research on past articles and creative thinking will go a long way. I wrote about finding your angle and formatting a press release back in March.

Once you've got your list and something to send, get on it. It never hurts to get the name of your business in front of the eyes of the media. The more you do it the easier it will seem.

Then it's time to move onto the Holiday Marketing Calendar...