The holidays are a crucial time for businesses, especially retailers. Holiday sales can make or break a company’s year, and the competition is stiff. So how can businesses tweak their digital PR strategy and ensure they get a piece of the holiday sales pie?
A holiday marketing campaign is essential, and press releases can be a key part of that campaign. By issuing holiday press releases, businesses can generate media coverage and excitement that can lead to increased sales.
Here are five ways businesses can use press releases as part of their digital PR strategy to boost holiday sales and three traps to avoid.
- Announce your holiday sales and promotions
Make sure to let your customers and potential customers know about your holiday sales and promotions with a press release. This is a great way to generate excitement and get people in the door.
- Share your holiday hours
If you’re going to be open for extended hours or have special holiday hours, make sure to let people know with a press release. This way, people can plan their shopping around your schedule.
- Announce any holiday events
If you’re hosting any special holiday events, promote them with a press release. This is a great way to get people in the door and generate buzz around your business.
- Offer holiday discounts and coupons
Everyone loves a good deal, so offer holiday discounts and coupons via press release to entice people to shop with you.
- Share your holiday gift guide
If you have a holiday gift guide, share it in a press release to help people with their holiday shopping. This is a great way to show off your products and get people thinking about your business when looking for gifts.
3 Traps to Avoid When Using Press Releases to Boost Holiday Sales
While press releases can be a great holiday marketing strategy to boost sales, there are some traps you’ll want to avoid.
Blair Nicole, CEO and Founder of Media Moguls PR, a white-label PR agency, suggests, “Remember that a successful holiday press release is always most effective when it’s part of a larger integrated PR or marketing strategy. Very few marketing or PR activities are effective on their own.”
Here are three traps to avoid when using press releases to boost holiday sales:
- Don’t wait until the last minute.
Don’t wait until the week before Christmas to send press releases. Start planning and writing your press releases early, so you’re not rushed.
- Don’t make them all about selling.
Your press releases shouldn’t be all about selling. Yes, you want to promote your holiday sales and deals, but you also want to focus on building relationships and engaging with your audience.
- Don’t forget to proofread
With all the holiday hustle and bustle, it’s easy to make mistakes. But when sending out press releases, you want to ensure they’re error-free. Proofread your press releases before you hit send.
The bottom line
Although press releases help you get your message out to the public and provide some “social proof,” they’re not the be-all-end-all of a digital PR strategy. In fact, for maximum effect, press releases should be part of an overall holiday marketing strategy that includes media outreach, SEO, and social media to boost sales.
If your business is hoping to increase sales this holiday season, consider enlisting the help of a digital PR company specializing in press release services.
