Although there are still over 200 days until Christmas 2012, businesses who manufacture products for the festive gift market should be starting to plan their PR and SEO campaigns now, says integrated social media, search and PR company, Punch Communications, due to the long-lead time of certain magazines and to ensure they have appropriate visibility in search engines.
Monthly glossy magazines are often published three to four weeks in advance, meaning the December 2012 issue will be available at the start of November but Christmas gift features can be included in editions as early as October. Allowing for the time it takes to print, distribute and assemble the content, journalists begin to plan articles for the festive buying season from July onwards. Therefore, businesses must undertake their PR campaign preparation as soon as possible and be ready to reach out to the media with finalised product details and images.
Furthermore, as shoppers increasingly turn to online sources for gift inspiration, visibility on the first page of search engine results can be integral to the success of a product. In order to achieve such positioning in the rankings, especially for highly competitive generic terms, and maintain them during the critical buying period, brands must promptly consider creating relevant website content and choosing the most suitable and attainable keywords.
Keredy Andrews, senior account manager at integrated PR, social media and search agency, Punch Communications, commented: “From shoes to electricals, toys to chocolates, brands who hope their products will be purchased as gifts in the run up to Christmas should already be starting to plan and implement PR activity, whilst preparing for a festive SEO campaign is also a very real consideration for this time of year. Festive shoppers may not yet be thinking about what to buy for their nearest and dearest but businesses must be well ahead of the game if they want to see their products appear in the glossy magazine gift guides and towards the top of the search engine rankings.”
If you’re currently inviting PR, SEO and social media agencies to pitch, find out how an integrated approach can deliver a greater ROI by contacting Punch Communications on 0044 1858 411 600 or visit www.punchcomms.com.