Christmas PR 101: Your Q4 Game Plan (That Starts Now)
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I’m sorry to mention the C-word, but in the PR world, Christmas kicks off in July, and it pays to be prepared. Starting early is the key to a successful Q4 when it comes to your PR, setting your business up for a festive win.
Why Early PR Matters
Glossy magazines plan their Christmas issues months in advance, usually starting in July. That means if you’re hoping to see your products featured, you need to take action at the right time.
But it’s not just about magazine deadlines. Starting your PR activity ahead of the festive rush allows you to:
- Cut through the noise and stand out against your competitors
- Build credibility through powerful third-party endorsement
- Take you out of your Insta bubble echo-chamber
- Drive sales when customers are ready to buy
- Be seen at the relevant stages of the customer’s buying journey
Done correctly, PR doesn’t just boost your business’s visibility; it builds trust, attracts buyers, builds your brand, and drives sales.
How to Get Christmas PR Ready
PR is most effective when it’s done strategically (and by that I mean a simple plan) that works to your business objectives and your target audience. These are my recommended steps to get Christmas PR ready:
1. Get Clear On Your Goals
Your Christmas PR should be rooted in your business goals. What are you wanting to achieve with your Christmas PR? More sales? More Visibility? More authority? Raising investment? Your PR strategy will change depending on your goals, so get specific. Start with your objectives and build your strategy around them. Break it down into manageable actions. A clear plan helps you to stay focused and reduces overwhelm.
2. Know Your Timings
Monthly magazines typically begin their Christmas issues in July, offering opportunities with shorter lead times, while online sites often run until mid-December. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Create a list of media outlets that are the right fit for your brand and work from there.
3. Prep Your Imagery
High-quality, high-res imagery is essential, especially for gift guides. Aim for clear, high-resolution product shots (minimum 300 dpi) and organise them in shareable folders so the journalist can download them directly. Label your image with the product name, price, and your website details. (You don’t want to be emailing them large images, so links to shareable files are best.)
4. Choose Your Hero Products
Be objective. What’s giftable? What stands out? Consider trends, price point, and seasonal appeal. Do your research – look at previous gift guides to see what products have been featured and consider how your products might fit in.
5. Get Your Assets Ready
Create a short press release or produce a Look Book (especially if you have a large number of products) that showcases your hero items. Tools like Canva can help you with the design. Keep the copy concise and product-focused.
6. Get Your Pitch On
When you’re ready to pitch, tailor each email to the specific audience. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point – make it relevant to the title. Send a bespoke pitch and show them why you think you’re right for that title. Include links to your press assets and imagery. Use clear subject lines that indicate where your products fit in with the journalist's current topic of interest. Don’t overthink this too much (I find that many small business owners spend more time worrying about pitching than actually getting on and doing it). Let’s reframe it: Journalists are just normal people, like you and I, trying to do their job. You’re helping them to do their job – they want to know about you. Send the email!
Don’t Put All Your Eggs In the Christmas Gift Guide Basket
Gift guides are just one piece of the festive PR puzzle. I recommend a layered PR approach and utilising all the different Christmas PR routes that are available (remember, PR isn’t just about press coverage!). Incorporate the following into your plan:
Real-life stories (when they are relevant to your business) and founder profiling, especially when your business links to the festive season
- Podcast interviews
- Expert commentary
- Trade Press
- Influencer activity
- Collaborations with other small businesses
- Panel appearances and talks
- Trends and industry insight
- Events
Know that there are PR opportunities out there for you
Remember, PR isn’t just for big brands with big budgets. I’ve worked with hundreds of small business owners who’ve generated their brilliant PR on national TV and Radio, Glossy Magazines, and national newspapers as well as leading podcasts, stages, and industry events (and all without a big budget or little black book of contacts).
The key is taking the action to move your business forward and jumping in to get going (even if it feels a bit uncomfortable). Your future Q4 self will be very grateful that you got started when you did.
Pippa Goulden is a Small business PR expert and founder of The PR Set. She has helped hundreds of small business owners get brilliant results for their Christmas PR. As a result, they’ve sold out hero products, been discovered by John Lewis and National Trust, established themselves as a leading authority in their industry, been featured on TV, including This Morning and BBC Morning Live, and have generated more press cuttings than they can count.
She offers a DIY PR membership, provides one-on-one services, and offers a Done-For-You service. Use the code Retail50 to get 50% off your first month in her DIY PR Membership.