4 minute read
Gift Guides 101
By Nikki Gryll, CPG Publicist (Knack PR)
If there’s any time to DIY your brand’s PR, it’s holiday time. With consumer spending at an all-time high, ad costs skyrocket during the holiday season. Luckily, PR, also known as earned media, is a free way to score consumer eyes on your products. We spoke with the pro in CPG PR, Nikki Gryll of Knack PR, to learn more about how to navigate the gift guide frenzy and how to leverage your press mention through the holidays and beyond.
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WHY IT’S VALUABLE TO BE IN A GIFT GUIDE
There are lots of exciting benefits to being included in a gift guide. Building awareness of your delicious product line; selling product; being able to say you were featured in a noteworthy publication. Another underrated benefit is being in good company. It’s exciting for a newer, emerging brand to be side-byside with legacy products that people have loved for years. The biggest benefit of all - and the ideal outcome - is that people buy your product, gift it, and both parties remain loyal to your brand and become part of your growing community.
DETERMINING WHERE TO PITCH
These days, most publications are churning out endless gift guides, so there is likely one your brand fits into. For instance: “gifts to give the foodie in your life,” “gifts for tea lovers,” “gifts for people obsessed with baking,” “gifts for people who want to save the planet,” — you name it, there is a guide for it. If you are DIY-ing your gift guide outreach, I would pick 5-10 publications that you dream of being in! Otherwise it can be a bit daunting. The best way to figure out who to pitch at a publication is to see who wrote previous gift guides. But an important note to consider is that once a gift guide is published, reporters do not add to it! If something already ran, you cannot ask to be added. Once it’s published, it’s a done deal. Aim to be in the next relevant one instead of pleading to be added. Treat this as an opportunity to become friendly with a reporter who will continue to keep your brand in mind for many articles to come!
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN A GIFT GUIDE PITCH
Keep a gift guide pitch short and sweet. Include the specific product (or products) you think would be a great addition to a gift guide and include the link and price. Price is important in case you’re a fit for something like “gifts under $25” etc. It can’t hurt to mention who the gift is perfect for! An aspiring chef, a coffee lover, teens, vegans, grandparents, etc. A Dropbox or Google Drive link to photos is wonderful to include as well. Ideally, you are arming a reporter with everything they would need to include you in an upcoming gift guide.
Offer to send samples! Once reporters try your product, they are much more likely to keep it in mind. Sending product does not mean 100% chance of coverage, but it’s definitely a reason to get excited! If a reporter requests samples, send a VIP package with a thoughtful handwritten note.
YEAR-ROUND PERKS OF BEING IN A GIFT GUIDE
The biggest benefit of all are the new fans you accumulate from being in a gift guide! Hopefully it’s the first moment of discovery for the gift giver + recipient and then they proceed to purchase again and again. Repeat customers are the gifts that keep on giving. The other benefit is that hopefully the reporter wants to continue to include you in other guides throughout the year! There are so many gift guide opportunities, so don’t wait until the holiday season to put this new knowledge into action. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day are all great times to get gifty!
LEVERAGING PRESS HITS
There are so many fun ways to leverage press coverage, whether it’s holiday gift guides or any type of article. Some of my favorite ways to leverage press include:
Add the publications to your Instagram profile. “As featured in @womenshealth @realsimple and @forbes” goes a long way when it comes to building credibility with potential new followers.
Include the press links in your email signature! That way, everyone you interact with will know about your awesome press placements without you having to humbly brag about it.
Share it on social, and don’t forget to tag the reporter and publication! Reporters love and appreciate when you share their stories.
Let’s say one of your SKUs was featured in a gift guide. Add “As seen in [insert publication here]” to that specific flavor’s shop page. Just like movies mention “Academy Award winning actress”, do the same with your SKUs!
IG story highlights are the new press page. Create a highlight where you share all of your swoon-worthy press wins!
