5 ways to use your PR coverage to attract more customers this Christmas
It’s no secret that this winter will be challenging for many businesses. Consumers are having to make more considered purchasing decisions which means being visible is more crucial than ever.
In the lead up to Christmas, people will be actively looking for gifts to buy for a range of recipients. PR is essential for making potential customers aware of your brand and products, getting them into your sales funnel and then helping them on their journey to that final purchase.
As we’ve entered the busiest shopping period of the year for many product businesses, we'll show you how you can use your coverage to attract more customers this festive season.
Using coverage on your website
@beijalondon
The more trust signals you have on your website the more likely you are to capture sales. Press is a third party credible endorsement which shows your customer that someone else has ‘approved’ your product. A great way of using your website to showcase your PR is adding the logos of the publications you have been featured in to your website homepage. Another way to make website visitors aware of your coverage is by adding an ‘as seen in’ or ‘loved by’ sticker to the product image.
To an untrained eye, your products will all look the same but by adding this identifier your customers will be able to distinguish which products have been featured where. Adding this in text format to your product description will boost your SEO too! If you’ve gained some printed press coverage, a blog post on your website is a great way to assist customers to directly shop the products that were featured. Ensure you capture the customer by including publication name and date, feature name, product information and key descriptive words, basically anything the customer may be searching to find your product. This will also make you visible to customers who may have read about your product in print but forgotten who you are.
2. Showcase your PR wins in your feed
@partnerinwine
Your social media is a great place to share your PR wins in a range of ways, allowing your audience to celebrate with you. Adding ‘As seen in’ or ‘Spotted in’ to your bio means credibility points as soon as a potential customer views your profile. Straight away the customer trusts your brand and doesn’t have to scroll to see coverage on your feed. Mentioning your coverage in your feed on the social platforms where your customer is likely to be active also encourages them to engage and they may even save or screenshot the post to refer back to at a later date.
3. Make the most of your Instagram Stories
@plumandashby
While your feed is a more permanent way of celebrating your PR win, your Instagram stories are also a great place to talk about the coverage. Adding a ‘press coverage’ or ‘as seen in’ highlight to your page means you can keep the stories after the 24 hour limit and organise all of your coverage in one easy to find place for your customers.
4. The hidden potential of a newsletter
@thetraveledit
The power of using email marketing to attract customers is often underestimated. A newsletter is where all of your biggest fans are already situated, so make sure you’re telling them about your wins! It doesn’t have to be promotional or boring, an easy to digest newsletter including your PR win in a concise manner, such as ‘Did you see us in?’ alongside the publication logo can be a great way to drive sales.
5. Use ads to expand your features reach
@emmalewisham
Last but not least, ads! The best endorsement is someone else saying your product is great. An eye-catching photo of the product, alongside the publication logo, or even better a quote from the editor such as, ‘the best sustainable knitwear brand’ is a great way to use your PR in your ads. This will also expand the audience your press coverage reaches, win-win!
Please note that you might require a license to republish some coverage.
Want to get your product-based business featured in the Christmas gift guides?
On the 6th of July, we open our yearly 2023 Christmas gift guide PR membership - but we only have 120 memberships available. Last year we sold out of all our Christmas gift guide memberships in just 67 minutes and we expect the same this year. So make sure you secure your place on the tour, the only way to guarantee a 2023 Christmas gift guide PR membership.
The Christmas Gift Guide PR membership gives you everything you need to pitch your product to the Christmas press and you'll have access to 200+ UK Christmas press contacts for over 150 gift guides between July and December 2023 covering long-lead, short-lead and online magazines and newspapers.