Tips to Stand Out in Holiday Gift Guide Pitches

Alright, it’s that time of year again. You’ve got a product, and you want it in a holiday gift guide. Seems simple, right? Well, not so fast. There are rules—unwritten, but rules nonetheless. So, before you fire off some haphazard pitch, let’s break it down.

When to Start Pitching Gift Guides

First of all, if you’re thinking, "I’ll wait until December," forget it. You’re done. Journalists have moved on. The smart move? Start around Labor Day. Yes, that’s right, Labor Day. We’re barely out of summer, and already you’re pitching holiday gifts. Seems a little early, doesn’t it? But that’s the game. 

It’s common knowledge that writers receive countless pitches for gift guides, often competing for a limited number of slots. The odds are stacked against you. So, how do you stand out? Let’s break it down…

Tips for Pitching Holiday Gift Guides

To effectively secure a spot in holiday gift guides, it’s crucial to understand the current landscape of affiliate marketing and search engine optimization. So, let’s get into it!

1. Affiliate Marketing and SEO Are Essential

Apparently, it’s not enough to have a good product anymore. Now, you have to play the affiliate marketing game. That’s right—publications want products that’ll make them money when people click and buy. Is it fair? Who knows. Is it reality? Yep. So, mention that your product is on an affiliate network in your pitch. If not, they’ll toss you aside faster than you can say “season’s greetings.”

Gift guides are popular because they boost visibility and drive sales. Right. And they don’t hurt the SEO either. Everybody’s googling gift ideas, so of course, these guides cash in on it. You can’t blame them.

2. Give the Reporters What They Want (and Make It Easy)

Listen, reporters are busy, and they don’t want to dig through your email to find what they need. They want a nice, clean, bulleted list: product name, price, affiliate info, and a link. That’s it. No novels. No attachments. Nobody has time for your attachments.

3. Do Your Homework: Review Last Year’s Guides

Here’s a crazy idea—check last year’s gift guides before you pitch. Turns out, many publications just update the old ones. They’re not starting from scratch. So, if your product didn’t make it in last year, maybe, just maybe, it’s not a fit. Try again, or better yet, pitch something else.
Analyzing your competition and doing some keyword searches can help create a targeted media list. Yeah, a little extra work. Who knew?

4. Be Realistic: Not Everything Is a Gift

Not everything belongs in a gift guide. Some things just aren’t gift material, no matter how hard you want them to be. If your product’s more of an “evergreen” thing, pitch it another time. Not during the holiday madness. You’ll have a better shot when everyone isn’t buried under a mountain of candy canes and stocking stuffers.

5. The Follow-Up: Keep It Brief, Add Something New

If you’re following up on a pitch, do everyone a favor—don’t just resend the same thing. Add something new. Maybe your product suddenly got a bunch of 5-star reviews. Mention it. But if all you’ve got is, “Just checking in,” don’t bother.

Dos and Don’ts

The world of holiday gift guide pitches can be tricky, but keeping these essential dos and don’ts in mind will help you maximize your chances of success.

• Don’t overwhelm them with a bunch of products from different categories. Pick one. Stick to it.
• Do offer samples—if it makes sense. Don’t just shove them in people’s faces.
• Don’t send attachments. Reporters hate attachments.
• Do use bullet points. Quick and easy. Nobody wants a wall of text.
• Do have a concise subject line. Get to the point.

Remember, a thoughtful approach to pitching can make all the difference in capturing a writer's attention and getting your product featured.

Final Tips for Effective Holiday Gift Guide Pitches

One last thing—never, and I mean never, ask a writer to add your product to a gift guide that’s already been published. It’s over. Done. Move on. Trust me, they’re onto other things, and so should you.

So, by following these tips, you just might find yourself in a holiday gift guide—if that’s not a win, I don’t know what is!