Why do your competitors get all the publicity? You can change that with these three ways to get media attention for your gift baskets.
Start the process early
Articles about holiday gift baskets will soon appear online and in local newspapers.
Those articles will feature designers and retail store owners selling beautiful gifts to give everyone from individuals to corporate clients.
The one thing I used to cringe about when I made gift baskets full time, versus the gift baskets I make now for retailers and exclusive clientele, was reading a competitor’s story in the article. That bugged me to no end. I’d hear myself ask out loud:
Why wasn’t I interviewed?
How did the reporter find them?
What’s so great about that business?
When will my gift baskets get publicity?
I had so much envy energy that I missed the point until I realized that the problem was squarely in my hands to fix. Knowing the basics of gift basket marketing starts the process. From there, a plan to be featured in future articles became part of my action plan.
Is the same dilemma happening to you?
Three ways to get media attention for your gift baskets
You can never think that your business is so big that reporters will simply come your way. The Disneys and Coca Colas of the world keep their publicity machines running at all times, and so much you. It’s time to let media know that you’re accessible and always welcome them.
Now’s the time to plant seeds with reporters, whether locally, state wide, or country wide, to promote your designs as part of their holiday articles.
Here are three ideas to get started.
1. Invite reporters to your shop to see how you prepare for the holiday rush.
2. Set up a taste testing event for customers and reporters to sample.
3. Create a “name a gift basket” contest where a reporter judges the entries.
Several of my retail clients received front page and on-air publicity from another winning promotion that generated thousands of dollars in sales over the previous year’s revenue. If such media attention, whether on television or another source, has been problematic for you to generate, let’s talk about your Q4 goals so together we create an action plan to solve this dilemma for good.
You cannot begin your holiday gift basket plan early enough. In fact, the planning begins on December 26 of the previous year.
Whose gift baskets will you see featured in print and on air this season?
