What’s your next move?

So here we are, rapidly approaching the end of the year and you might be shoving out the last package right now, or have hung up your "on vacation" sign by now.  Either way, have you had a moment to give some thought to your PR plan for 2014?  This is a REALLY great time to do this as the magazines are going to be diving into the March and April issues come January, and since there is no time like the present, let's figure out together how you can get in one of them.  Sound like a plan?

Over the holidays when your sales are super slow, or most likely at a stand still, take some time to review the magazines that you want to get in and start working on looking up the current editors (see the Masthead) and getting your lists in order. 

Here are some things to keep in mind while making your list and planning your angle of attack: Let's not get too crazy and keep things at a minimum so you can handle growth and your current biz, and not get so overwhelmed that you freak out……K?

1. Wonder how to pick the right magazines to approach?  Think about your target market and which mags they would read and go from there…….. if they don't read it, don't bother!  You might also consider thinking a bit outside the box when picking magazines and look into various areas like bridal, fitness, baby and see if your product can fit into multiple categories. 

2. Pick your top 10-20 magazines and get the list of editors together.  Sometimes a trip to B&N is good to look at the Masthead to update your list, or start a new one.  Each magazine has a formula for emails, so if you can't see it on the masthead, call the main number and ask what the formula is.  Example:  First name_ Last@magazine.com

3. Go to each magazines website and download the media calendar for each magazine you have chosen.  This will alert you to what the main topics for each month are (This is done so advertisers can make decisions about specific issues) and you can see if there are specific months that are sure fits for you……I like to highlight them for the year and put all this in my calendar so I know when to pitch what to whom.  It makes it impossible to "forget" to pitch the media.  Yeah!  For example: http://www.condenast.com/brands/lucky/media-kit/print/calendar

4. Draft your letter and/or email to the editors you have chosen and tell them WHY your product is perfect for the subscribers, or better yet, for a specific story you saw on the media calendar.   Be sure to include images of the specific product you are pitching, and feel free to add your entire catalog in case they have another story idea in the works.  Remember:  Editors prefer to be pitched on target and will be much more likely to respond if you send only a few targeted items to review. NOTE: Be sure to only show the retail prices to the media.

5. Have fun with this…..and remember, PR is really important. It drives traffic to your website, helps grow your mailing list, attracts general interest in your brand, people see what a rock star you are and in the end, you make more money.

As always,

When in doubt, Take the next step

xoxox
Sarah

Written by Sarah Shaw