Many of our loyal small business UnderstandingMarketing.com visitors have been asking about the best time to pitch a PR story with a holiday theme:
“I am an author of childrens books and I would like the media to include them in any stories that talk about this year’s best new gifts. I’m confused on whether to pitch reporters now because we haven’t even reached Thanksgiving yet. My fear is that when December does roll around I’ll miss the boat. My question is, exactly when is the best time to pitch the media for holiday stories?”
–Charles, Texas
Ok Charles, I’ve got some good news and some not so good news. First for the not-so-good news. At this point in the year you’ve missed the boat for some important media outlets. Believe it or not some consumer-oriented magazines (women’s and men’s print magazines, for example) begin collecting ideas for what to write about in the upcoming holiday season as far back as July. Crazy, I know, but they have to get a leg up on the trends because of their publication schedules. We talk about this more extensively in the PR Toolkit, so make sure you download your copy today for some additional pitching pointers.
In fact, if you were to call up one of these magazines today, not only will they tell you “no,” but they’ll say they’re working on the issue that comes out three months from now. Which means if you call up Ladies Home Journal, or Parenting, in November for example, their staff writers and editors are actually working on the upcoming February and March issues. Remember to have a good pitch ready for them.
Ok now for the good news. In November, your window of opportunity for daily newspapers and blogs is closing quickly but the game isn’t yet over. So hurry up and get your pitch out there. The even better news is you are still in good standing for any television news show opportunities. They’re doing lots of planning in November but it’s a very immediate medium. They’re busy with their Thanksgiving cooking and decorating shows, but you want to get on their radar. If you have aspirations of getting on the TODAY show, for example, that may be a little tricky this late in the game. But take my advice and still make an honest effort.
Special Note:
UnderstandingMarketing.com now offers special press release writing services, so check it out and let us know if you have any questions. Take advantage of these services in time for the holiday story season. And keep those questions coming!
