Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - How to Tap in to the Holiday Publicity Bonanza

If your product or service can be given as a gift, a publicity<BR>windfall awaits at the end of the year - but you need to start<BR>working in June. Each December, media outlets cover the newest,<BR>the hottest and the most unusual Holiday gifts. The reporters<BR>assigned to develop these pieces typically depend on two sources<BR>of information:

1. Phone interviews with local store owners

- and -

2. Press materials that have been sent by publicity seekers.

Let's deal with Point 1. Here's a cool trick: In early<BR>November, write a letter to stores and major websites that carry<BR>your product. Remind them that they may be hearing from<BR>journalists soon about hot gift ideas, and request that they<BR>consider mentioning your product when that happens. Point out a<BR>few reasons why your product is the newest, coolest, best or<BR>whatever. Ask the vendor to drop you an e-mail or give you a<BR>call if a story results that mentions your product.

Now, on to old-fashioned publicity. When to contact the media<BR>depends on the publication or program's lead time (how far in<BR>advance of publication or airing the material is developed).<BR>Magazines like Woman's Day have a lead time up to six months, so<BR>get materials to them now. Newspapers have a lead time as short<BR>as a week for feature material, so send materials in November. In<BR>between are wire services, medium-lead magazines, "in-flight"<BR>magazines and others. To learn the lead time of a particular<BR>media outlet, call the editorial department. If that doesn't<BR>work, try the advertising department.

What you send should be kept simple -- a press release about your<BR>product/service, a pitch letter explaining why it's such a great<BR>gift idea, and, if applicable, a disk with color product photos.<BR>See our articles "How to Write a Great Pitch Letter" <BR><A target="_new" href="http://www.publicityinsider.com/pitch.asp">http://www.publicityinsider.com/pitch.asp</A> and "How to Write a<BR>Great Press Release" <A href="http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp">http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp</A><BR>for more details.

As you craft the materials, think about where your<BR>product/service fits. Based on its nature, cost, rarity or<BR>usefulness, it may work with a variety of typical Christmas Gift<BR>stories such as: Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas, Gifts for<BR>Teenagers, Gifts for the Person Who Has It All, Gifts for<BR>Executives, Gifts that Relax, etc. By suggesting a category for<BR>your product, rather than simply stating "Here's a product that<BR>would make a nice holiday gift", you're making yourself stand out<BR>-- and maybe even giving the journalist an idea for a story angle<BR>that he or she wouldn't have thought about otherwise. Either<BR>way, your chances of getting coverage are greatly improved.<BR>

Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as<BR>one of America's top publicists. Now, through his website, eZine<BR>and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for<BR>PR-Hungry Businesses <A target="_new" href="http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp">http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp</A> , <BR>he's sharing -- for the very first time -- his secrets of scoring<BR>big publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips and<BR>much, much more, visit Bill's exclusive new site:<BR><A target="_new" href="http://www.publicityInsider.com">http://www.publicityInsider.com</A>