Keep on top of your editorial calendar. If it is a short lead (online/dailys/blogs) then reach out to editors a month in advance to gage their interest/send out feelers well in advance to see what they’re working on or if the publication has a gift round up. If it is a long lead (print magazines), then you should be pitching grad/fathers and mothers day by February latest!
Know who you are pitching. You want to make sure the editor’s beat aligns with what you are pitching. Have they done gift round ups in the past? Did they do a feature on Barack Obama for fathers day? Do your research. Definitely don’t start your email with “hey there” or “to whom it may concern”. Editors get tons of pitches for mothers day, fathers day and graduation so they have no problem glazing over a pitch that contains no effort-especially if it’s not even addressed to them.
Know your product. Take a close look at what you are pitching and question if it is really a gift for moms/dads/grads. Most print pubs look for something special for their gift round ups. You can pitch different angles if a pub has more than one gift guide! For example-Gifts for the “sporty” mom, or gifts for dads who like to cook! The possibilities are endless.
Target celebrities. If you are pitching a product then it is always helpful to do your research and see if a celebrity has used your product and even better if there is a photo of the celebrity with that product. When pitching your brand you can re-circulate the photo and use it for marketing materials. Celebrity gifting is an effective way of getting organic influencer posts. Though the celebrity won’t be obliged to wear/use your product, they may do an unveiling of your gift on social media-or better yet, a photo of them with your product can make it get some coverage in monthly magazines!
Know Your Audience! It is important to realize if you are pitching a fashion-focused magazine or one that targets families. An editor can detect a blanket pitch a mile away. You don’t want to send the same exact pitch to each publication. Always think about who your target demographic is and how your brand fits in!
Collaborate. Think about combining your pitch efforts with another brand. Maybe your candle product would go perfectly in a mailer with Edible Arrangements! (Speaking from experience here!). Find another business and collaborate to curate the perfect pitch!
By Zorina Akhund, Account Executive at March Communications
