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November 13, 2015

The following was inspired by Scott Hicken's article on PR Newswire's Beyond PR blog: 12 Days of Content: A Holiday Guide for Content Marketers.

The seasons have changed and before you blink, the holidays will be quickly upon us once again. If you are into marketing, one of the first clues you would have noticed through television, newspaper or magazine would be product round-ups or (top lists), aka "listicles."

Your holiday content should not strictly target media. By using a press release distribution or a content syndication service you can now directly reach your customers with your holiday themed news that doesn't sound "pitchy" or sales oriented.

Good will is important, too, and memories stay forever. Assisting in the creation of a holiday memory that someone will remember is a sure fire way to win over your audience. The holidays are a time when people come closer together and share moments and experiences. Many times, the getting together is foremost on a host's mind and the planning of what to do slips between the cracks. Engaging this audience with a press release that can help them answer this question can go a long way.

Some retailers have gone so far as to announce they will not participate in Black Friday and rather, encourage customers to enjoy family time. This is an excellent PR maneuver in the spirit of good taste that helps foster good will and customer loyalty. The REI company press release information on this may be found here.

Food and the holidays go hand in hand. It's a time for comfort foods and goodies. If you're in the food industry, providing a seasonal recipe for your audience is another excellent strategy to increase viewership and for people to remember who you are. This press release from Humboldt Distillery is an excellent example of this. As an alternative, you may want to post the recipe to your website and add a link to it in your press release rather than publishing the entire recipe.

Time is valuable to most people, especially during the holidays, with both parents working to support the family and everyone busy with shopping and errands. During this time, quality family time can get lost in the shuffle. With that in mind, do you have a product, service or widget that can save people time? Distributing a press release on this type of product would be appreciated by many.

Also remember that during the holiday season, news coverage and reporters' attention often are focused on holiday themes rather than regular day to day news topics. So if your press release doesn't specifically pertain to the holidays, keep it short, to the point and discuss something people will remember after the holidays.

Here are some other holiday season ideas: Why not take a different approach to your news during the holidays and give your audience something to remember your business by? Try a fun web page where people can upload images of their friends and family that put them into a holiday mood. A press release covering this kind of web page can be a nice break from the norm and can also potentially go viral. 24-7 Press Release Newswire has seen a few of these distributed press releases in the past which have done well.

Here's another idea: take a moment to thank some individuals within your business--it can go a long way. You may not have specific awards programs like this Dr. Kevin Winters Wins Prestigious LVI Instructor of the Year Award Press Release, however acknowledging your company's top performers can go the distance in demonstrating to your employees that you do truly appreciate them and spreading goodwill among your customers.

If your business is significantly known in your industry, reflecting on the past year and offering your views on where next year's trends are headed may be appreciated by others in the industry. Be a leader, not a follower. Be proactive and achieve visibility for your business by sending out a "trends" press release. 24-7 Press Release Newswire sees this frequently at this time of year.

Amazing content should have a solid distribution game plan. Share great content with your audience. Put yourself in the shoes of someone looking up to you and imagine what type of news they would like to read in a press release. If the content is not something you would think is of value, you may want to reconsider whether or not it is newsworthy.

By following a few of these tips and pointers, you should be able to have a successful marketing campaign this holiday season.