As the holiday season approaches, brands across various industries start gearing up for one of the most important marketing opportunities of the year: gift guides. These curated lists can significantly boost brand visibility, drive sales, and enhance your reputation. At Fletcher Marketing Communications, we understand the art and strategy behind getting your products featured on these coveted lists. Here’s how you can successfully navigate the process.

Identify Appropriate Outlets and Journalists

Not all gift guides are created equal. Start by researching which guides align best with your brand and target audience. Having a media list that includes both major outlets and niche publications can be beneficial. For example, if you are doing media relations for an experiential gifting company offering various gift types—such as adventure, romance, outdoor experiences, travel, and food and beverage—there are numerous publications and influencers specializing in these topics. Using a search tool to identify top publications for each category can help you refine your search and organize your list. From there, you can explore specific journalists and freelancers who focus on relevant subjects.

If your focus is on something such as pet ornaments, consider targeting women’s publications, pet-related outlets, collectibles magazines, and family-oriented platforms. Also, look for publications that release gift guides for specific occasions, such as the holidays.

Additionally, many influencers create their own gift guides. While they may not be traditional journalists, influencers have significantly increased their role in product promotion. When evaluating influencers, it’s important to consider not just follower count but also engagement. In fact, since 2019 the global influencer marketing market size has more than tripled and was estimated to reach a record of $24 billion in 2024. At Fletcher Marketing Communications, we use tools like Social Blade to assess audience engagement. For instance, an influencer with 200,000 followers might have a low engagement rate, while another with 34,000 followers could have a much stronger connection with their audience.

The key to success is thorough research. Create comprehensive lists to reach out to the right people. This process can take hours, days, or even weeks, and no list will ever be perfect. However, the more contacts and outlets you can identify that fit your coverage goals, the better your chances of success. In festive terms, the more, the merrier!

Craft an Irresistible Pitch

When you need a break from building your media lists, focus on creating strong pitches. Regardless of how simple your product is, the more types of pitches you can craft, the better. For example, if you’re promoting pet ornaments, you should tailor your pitches for different audiences—such as pet lovers, women’s publications, collectibles, and family-oriented platforms.

The approach you take for a family magazine’s holiday gift guide will differ from that of a collectibles outlet. You might want to highlight different aspects of your product for each audience. For instance, if your company has been a premier ornament brand for 50 years, that detail is great for a collectibles outlet but may not resonate as much with a family magazine. Journalists for family publications may be more interested in specialty items like an ornament for “dog’s first Christmas” or one featuring a family of Yorkies.

While differentiating your pitches might seem taxing initially, it can pay off in the long run. Don’t overlook the importance of clarity and creativity.

Make sure to include an attention-grabbing subject line, ideally kept to 7-13 words or less, to increase your chances of getting the pitch opened. Key elements of your pitch should include a clear product description that highlights unique features and high-quality images. Additionally, provide pricing and availability information, which may need to be updated throughout the holiday gift guide pitching season as products can go out of stock. If there are any special promotions or discounts, be sure to mention those as well.

While this may seem like a lot of information, keep your writing concise. Address the journalist by first name as well. Often shorter pitches tend to perform best. Journalists receive numerous pitches daily, so three succinct paragraphs are usually enough to convey your product and goals effectively.

Build Relationships with Journalists and Influencers

Once you've created your media lists and crafted your pitches, it's time to start pitching. Consider the timing of your outreach. Research shows that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the best days to pitch, as people tend to focus on weekend plans on Fridays and catch up on Mondays.

Public relations is a cumulative process, so you may notice a mix of familiar contacts and new ones on your lists. Don’t hesitate to leverage personal connections. Networking at industry events, trade shows, and other functions can help you meet journalists and influencers throughout the year, building rapport that may lead to future collaborations. Even if you're pitching to unfamiliar journalists or an outlet’s editorial team, a compelling pitch with all the necessary elements can still get your product featured.

Follow-ups are also important. If you don’t hear back after your initial pitch, a polite follow-up can keep the conversation going without coming across as intrusive. Most journalists appreciate a follow-up within a week.

Additionally, explore opportunities beyond email by using tools like Qwoted and Help a Reporter Out (HARO). These platforms offer free memberships and connect you directly with writers and editors looking for specific products, increasing your chances of getting noticed.

Provide Samples

Offering product samples is one of the most effective ways to get noticed. Here’s how to do it right:

• Select the Right Products: Choose products that you believe will resonate with the audience of the gift guide.
• Thoughtful Presentation: Package your samples nicely and include a personal note explaining why you believe the product would be a great fit for their gift guide.
• Follow-Up on Samples: After sending the samples, follow up with the recipient to ensure they received them and gauge their thoughts.

While this may not be feasible for every company there are ways to make the product count. If you work for the pet ornament company that can only do a dozen samples. Identify journalists or outlets that are interested in the sample before sending them out first. Then communicate with journalists or outlets up front in advance to see if they are interested. This can lead to higher interest and the product less likely to get lost in the mail or delivered to a ghost newsroom. 

Monitor and Analyze Results

Once your products are featured, track the impact on your brand. Use analytics tools to assess website traffic, sales performance and social media engagement. Plus, you want to track media placements in a media monitoring spreadsheet. To see the intersectionality between these metrics will allow you to determine if pitching tactics were in a funnel or led to additional successful outcomes. 

Conclusion

Getting featured on gift guides can be a game-changer for brands, especially during the holiday season. By following these strategic steps, Fletcher Marketing Communications can help you navigate the landscape of gift guide placements effectively. Remember, persistence, creativity, and building genuine relationships are key to standing out in a competitive market.

If you’re ready to take your brand to the next level, consider partnering with us. We’re here to help you craft compelling pitches and build meaningful connections that can lead to coveted gift guide features.