How To Leverage Public Relations During The Holiday Season

Reach a Wider Audience with Targeted Public Relations

The holiday season is a time of cheer and gift-giving. And while many people spend this time trying to rest after a busy year, it proves to be one of the busiest times of the year for public relations and consumers both.

When done right, the holiday season presents a time of unprecedented growth. With these tips, you’ll be able to leverage public relations during the holiday season to grow your business and stand out during the holiday frenzy.

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6 Ways To Leverage PR Over The Holidays

Start Early

The best way to leverage the holiday season is to start early. Do this by planning ahead and making crucial connections with media outlets and other companies for possible collaborations.

Finetune release plans and be ready to announce promotions early on. Your preparation will be visible in media campaigns. It will be a surefire way to stand out from other companies with hurried and lackluster holiday promotions.

Holiday Exclusive Sales And Promotions

The holiday season is all about offering more for less. People are buying gifts and services for themselves and others. Consumers will also be taking advantage of sales that could be beneficial to their future needs.

Tap into that energy by having exclusive holiday sales and promotions. Have store promotions that run for a specific time frame or offer discounts on common holiday gifts. Offer online coupons or host holiday raffles with amazing prices.

And while sales and promotions are most often used to get physical products out during the holiday season, they can also work wonders for online services.

Everyone will have holiday sales and promotions. But when you do it, make sure to outline the benefits of buying your products or services. For example, if you offer virtual services, offer a discounted price that can be used for a few months, even when the holiday season has passed.

Use Social Media

Every PR strategy needs digital marketing and social media is one of the best ways to get started. It’s an easy way to promote holiday sales and promotions without spending tons of money and it can have a massive payoff.

Share sales and promotions, engage with your audience, and encourage and reward sharing your content.

Unfortunately, it’s not enough to only post about your sales and promotions during the holiday season.

Before the holiday season, drop hints and tidbits on future sales. Build anticipation with your audience and increase engagement to boost your posts and encourage sharing with contests or smaller promotions.

By the time the sales and promotions launch, you will have a line of customers waiting to do their holiday shopping.

Look The Part

Whether you have brick-and-mortar stores or are based online, it’s vital that you prepare for the holiday season with decorations.

If you own a physical store, decorate your storefront with festive decorations and your promotions and sales. If you are based online, give your website or social media a temporary holiday look.

And it doesn’t need to be the usual stuff. A lot of holiday decorations are worn out and it presents a unique opportunity for you to showcase creativity. Combine your brand and the festive season in online and physical displays that are eye-catching and stand out from other festive decorations.

Share More Than The Usual Holiday Cheer

The holiday season bombards consumers with bright lights and all the usual news. It can be overwhelming and annoying, especially deeper into the holiday season.

And while your main points and promotions should be on brand for the holidays, you can also share other news with the media. News that will act as a breath of fresh air to an oversaturated market.

If your company has any newsworthy things happening that don’t have to do with the holiday season, share them on social media platforms and media outlets.

Provide a break from the holiday cheer and put your company in the mind of shoppers without directly promoting your products or services to them.

Give Back

You should always care about how your customers feel and build an emotional connection with them to ensure business success. One of the best ways to do this is by giving back during the holiday season.

By giving back, you can showcase your company’s culture, build goodwill in the community, and increase your brand awareness by doing good and giving back to the community.

Build positive associations with your company and let people know that supporting your business also supports a good cause.

Goodwill can take many forms. You can give out food and care packages, host a food drive, raise money for a charity, or donate some holiday proceeds. The possibilities are endless.

Conclusion

Gain traction, promote sales, increase brand awareness, and give back to the community this holiday season. Use the above methods to leverage public relations during the holidays and watch as festive cheers sweep up your sales and services.

Author
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Leeza Hoyt

Founder and President at The Hoyt Organization

With over 25 years of experience, Leeza’s campaigns have garnered over 150 awards from top public relations organizations nationwide. Additionally, THO serves as the Los Angeles area partner of the Public Relations Global Network, granting clients access to over 50 global markets. The agency was also named to one of the top 200 firms in the country by Forbes magazine in 2021, and she has been named by Globest.com as a Woman of Influence and a Woman to Watch, among other designations.