How to Get Your Beauty Products Into Holiday Gift Guides

Hi, beauty mavens! As you may or may not know, most national magazines are preparing for their holiday gift guide issues right now! (Yes, we know it´s August). Magazines work anywhere between 3 to 6  months into the future.  With this in mind, you are probably brainstorming on how you can get your beauty products into the the coveted annual holiday gift guides. Don´t get left out this upcoming season. There is still time to be considered for gift guides in print and on the online entities of your favorite glossies and influential websites and blogs. Keep reading to learn how to prepare and position your self for holiday press!

Make a wish list. Make a comprehensive list of your favorite websites or blogs that you would like to see your products featured in. Search for “holiday gift guides” and collect as much specific contact information as you can find for the publications you’d like to target. Be sure to also find the right contact to send your pitch. Gather that contact’s email address, phone number, and social media handles.

Reach beyond your typical customer base. Sure, pitch the editors of the magazines or websites that regularly review and recommend products like yours, at your price point. But remember that at holiday time, lots of people who wouldn’t ordinarily be your customers are looking for gift ideas—and they may splurge. For instance, Woman’s Day readers may not be interested in your guy-oriented tech gadget nine months out of the year. But if you position it as a “gift for Dad” or “what to get for the husband who has everything,” you may be a perfect fit.

Tailor your pitch. Target each pitch you send out to the readership of the specific publication you’re pitching. Make sure to include: a one- to two-sentence product description with colors and sizes, if applicable; the price at holiday time; and how-to-buy information (most likely your website address).

Include images. Holiday gift guides almost always include lavish photos. “Make sure you have high-resolution artwork ready.  If you’re scrambling to get pictures from your photographer, an editor doesn’t want to wait for that. They’ll pass and go with someone else. Distribute artwork via a downloadable link, not an attachment.

Be ready to send samples. Before you begin pitching to outlets, be sure that you have product in stock set aside for editors and bloggers that can be sent out as soon as they take interest and submit a request for samples.

Get creative. Think about how these gift guides are organized. Often they are grouped into lists such as “ items under $25” or “gifts that give back.” Suggest ways that your products can fit into those categories and you will greatly increase your chances of being included in the round up.

Were these tips helpful? If you are interested in having your brand included in gift guides but are overwhelmed by the process or just lack the time, contact us at [email protected] to inquire about our short-term yet highly effective project-based PR campaigns.

 

Beautifully Yours,

Shari