Five Ways to Get Holiday Media Coverage

Sometimes lousy timing can be good timing.

Wisdom tells us we should avoid media pitching and outreach during the holiday season. The theory is that consumers, journalists, and editors are too busy or distracted to hear our story pitches, view press releases, or read articles. Reality says otherwise – it’s just the right time of year for high-quality content placements. For companies, it’s also a prime opportunity, as well as when they would want to give attention-grabbing gifts to news outlets with personalized ideas of future stories they might do. 

Here are five ways to secure your spot on the December broadcast waves.

Create a Unique “Wrapped” List to End the Year

If you’ve had a good year, show it to your customers! Share what your customers got out of this past year via a summary of their benefits. Since Spotify did their famous Wrapped campaign – which offers subscribers of all levels playlists based on songs they liked over the past year- different big brands have come up with promotions and ideas around this time every single year. Netflix has just released its fun 2020 We Watched It All, while companies like Mailchimp have made physical or virtual reports as part of a Wrapped idea, so now it’s time for you to think about yours too! Promote yourself in other sectors such as press releases and maybe even infographics; announce this to the public sector, neighborhood groups, and national businesses first.

Make Predictions

Predictions are overdone, yet they still hold value. Publications – especially tech blogs – will often release yearly reports of what’s expected to happen in the upcoming year or so. This provides an excellent opportunity for C-level executives to establish themselves as leaders in their fields and experts on all things related to those fields. To make sure your statements stand out from the rest, research trends and develop predictions based on them while staying relevant to your own company and what you know about them best; maybe even include one of these videos where CEOs give insights into industries’ futures.

Stay on top of the latest headlines and seasonal fashions

At times, other people’s news might become your own. Newsjacking is exploiting current events to promote one’s business or agenda. During this time of year – when everyone is focused on what may happen – it becomes even more critical for companies to share their opinions about breaking news, such as augmented reality (AR) technology and how it will affect shopping practices. Recently, Snapchat announced an AR feature that creates virtual holiday shops for brands, capturing interest from retailers like Walmart and Coca-Cola. So, if you’re a company that works with augmented reality or has experience in retail — chime in with advice on how AR will change how we purchase gifts this year!

Share Feel-Good Stories 

Seek out some happy, feel-good content to share this season. Stories of corporate social responsibility or good deeds done by the people around you are always a plus. After all, it’s the Season of Giving! In 2010, American Express did not expect its Small Business Saturday campaign (designed as an alternative to Black Friday) to become a local event popular in communities across the United States. Twelve years later, they’re still reaping its PR benefits; media outlets such as Inc., Yahoo!, and Forbes will continue covering this event for many years when augmented reality becomes mainstream. And since AR is changing how people shop nowadays, chime in with your thoughts about what AR might do for retail marketing campaigns.

Embrace the Power of Social Media Sharing

Give your social media a holiday refresh. Headers and profile pictures need some sparkle this time of year. Update them with winter themes for both looks and decorum! Spread the festive cheer and have fun with your posts, too – it’ll get people feeling merry fast. Whether at work, or working from home, show customers what the holidays look like here by sharing images on social media. Start by taking screenshots of events happening inside those pesky cubicles, but don’t stop there – try building a digital thank-you card instead using one of many templates available online for download! And don’t forget about physical gestures either: Starbucks’ clever red plastic cups are an old standby (and can be boosted to holiday proportions just by changing the typeface) but feel free to indulge in some fun ideas outside that envelope, too – set up gift exchanges at offices or collect canned goods, so everyone’s family has something yummy for Christmas dinner

So, stay calm during the holidays. The holidays are a great time to gain media coverage and reach your target audiences. Media outlets and their readers crave holiday-related articles – so submit content to them early!