How do I get my products into gift guides
and product roundups?
MANY companies that manufacture consumer goods want to see them in magazine gift guides and in other product roundups.
In the past clients have asked me questions like, “How do I get my products into a gift guide?” and “When is the best time to pitch products to gift guides?” and “Which item from my product range should I submit to a gift guide.
Pitching consumer products to gift guides and product roundups is simple once you understand how best to present them in a helpful pitch to media.
So, in this post I answer the above queries and explain how to get retail goods into product roundups and gift guides.
I hope the advice here will help you to secure exposure for your products and brand.
THE UK media likes to help shoppers in their quests to purchase the perfect presents for family, friends and colleagues.
Each year it compiles inspired gift ideas in product guides and roundups as summer holidays, Christmas Day, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day and Father’s Day approach.
For product manufacturers and retailers, securing a place in these gift guides is something of a Holy Grail, and a way to significantly boost sales.
After all, there’s great credibility in having products featured in helpful roundups on morning TV or in the pages of glossy magazines and newspaper supplements.
While blogs and podcasts can also have a positive impact on sales and brand awareness when they recommend products to shoppers.
And their handy product roundups present ideal opportunities to generate sales and build brand awareness.
But how does a business go about securing a spot in these influential shopping guides?
The following advice explains how get your product featured in publications’ and programmes’ gift roundups as shoppers reach for their wallets:
TIME YOUR PRODUCT PITCH RIGHT
TO increase your chances of seeing your product featured in a gift guide or product roundup, start sharing product details with your targeted media outlet as soon as possible.
Editors can update online gift guides repeatedly in the lead up to a special calendar day.
But print publications, TV and radio programmes plan their gift ideas content months in advance.
For these outlets, pitch your products 18 weeks before the special calendar day, and begin to plan your submissions to gift guides even earlier.
For Christmas, a gift idea submitted in August helps editors to kick off and stock their gift ideas list.
Early submissions tend to stick in the mind of journalists more than others that follow too.
Contact the features desk, or planning desk, of your media target and ask for the lead time and submission process for their gift guides.
CHOOSE YOUR CHAMPION PRODUCTS
SELECTING the right products to share with journalists is important. Peruse your product range carefully to ensure that the products you pitch align well with the publications, programmes, websites, blogs and podcasts that you target.
Less is more when pitching products for inclusion in gift guides.
Don’t send a wide selection of options for consideration.
Focus on standout items, awarding winning creations and your most recent products.
And choose those that match the price point of other products included in your media target’s output.
Prioritise any products that support the theme of the special day.
Assembling hampers, repackaging products and adding a seasonal or occasional element to label designs will help push your product to the front of gift guide queues.
COMPILE A SET OF HI-RES IMAGES
PREPARE a set of hi-res professional images to share with journalists.
Upload them to a dedicated online drive file. Prepare a link to that file to include in your email pitch.
Crisp close-ups of products are what journalists want. Purge all images that are less than pin-sharp, or poorly lit.
For each product submitted, provide a small concentration of cut-out images on transparent backgrounds, in PNG formats. This helps journalists to integrate them easily into feature articles and pages.
Don’t provide product photos taken in context. Expect editors to request these, or a product sample if they wish to shoot your product it in a lifestyle context.
Include an unboxing experience video in your drive file, if one is available.
Attach one low-res photo (under 200KB) of your lead product to your email pitch to pique your journalist’s interest.
SELECT THE RIGHT MEDIA TARGETS
Reaching the right audience and having your products resonate with it is critical to successful gift guide pitching.
Identify the best media outlets for your brand and products, to increase the chance of them being featured. Target the right journalists within those outlets.
Gift guides have dedicated editors. Their editorial assistants are often charged with compiling product lists for them. Contact the features or planning desk and ask for the name and contact details of whoever compiles gift guides for that media outlet.
Research previous inclusions and interests. Match products to those.
Follow the outlet’s submission process carefully, it may include a form.
Media requests for gift guide content also emerge on X (formerly Twitter) under a #journorequest hashtag, and on paid-for media intelligence platforms. Be prompt in your responses.
CRAFT A COMPELLING PITCH
JOURNALISTS want concise, quick-to-read information about your product, and a standout reason why you think it’s relevant to their audience.
Articulate what makes your product an ideal gift guide inclusion for their readers, viewers or listeners.
Cite previous inclusions in the gift guide that were similar. Record the product’s name, description, price, constituent parts and key specifications into an accessible list.
Below the list, add a link to the product on your website, or an online store.
Then highlight any awards or media coverage that the product has secured. Include a strong customer review, or even a case study.
Include a link to your hi-res photos. Stress the availability of samples. For online gift guides, advertise the availability of a commission rate for affiliate marketing tie-ups if you have one. It may help to secure publicity.
Then wish your journalist a fine day and sign off.
PERSONALISE THAT PITCH
PERSONALISED pitches are essential when submitting products to gift guides, product pages and roundups.
Do some basic research on the journalist you are contacting. Take time to verse yourself in their work. Note similar selections and themes that they’ve touched on in the past. This will make them feel seen, considered and valued.
Begin your email subject line with ‘Gift Guide Inclusion:’ and a generic term for your product.
Then, to build good connection with your journalist, communicate with them like the human they are.
Journalists deal with real life and real people every day, more than most other professionals. Use informal language. Write (almost) as you’d speak.
Comfortable, easy communication and rapport develops strong relationships with journalists, and boosts the chances of your product being featured in their gift guide.
FOLLOW UP
SEND one brief follow-up email a week after your initial one, to determine whether your journalist saw it. Then be patient.
It often takes weeks or months to be featured. Track and monitor your media coverage by checking the gift guide, through access to PressReader, by setting up a Google Alert or by subscribing to a professional media monitoring service.
And send a pleasant email to say thank you if your product makes the grade.
If you’d like to know how to secure media coverage for your brand, get in touch for a 20 minute consultation.
At no cost.
Telephone 07460 644844 or use this contact page.
