How to find press contacts for the Christmas gift guides
The Christmas gift guides are where consumers discover products they can’t live without — and your brand should be one of them. Whether you’re a nimble eCommerce startup or a larger, established brand, getting featured in the right gift guides starts with having the right press contacts. But tracking down all the editors across publications can be tricky, time-consuming, and sometimes a little overwhelming.
In this post, we break down how to find the right contacts, understand what themes they’re working on and pitch your products so they get noticed — without the endless guesswork.
1. Compile a publication list
Start by identifying which publications are most relevant for your products. Not every contact at a publication is useful — you need the person actually working on gift guides. Once you’ve found them, reach out via email (sometimes a call works too) to confirm who’s managing this year’s guides. Remember, many publications have multiple guides across categories, so missing the right contact could mean missing your perfect opportunity.
2. Understand the themes and categories
Gift guides cover everything from price brackets to hobbies to quirky, standout products. Once you know the right contacts, ask what themes or categories they’re focusing on this year. Aligning your products with their themes increases your chances of being featured.
3. Pitch early and effectively
Editors often search their inboxes for product ideas first, so getting your email in front of them early matters. Make your pitch clear, timely and tailored to the editor’s focus. It’s not just about selling, it’s about giving them the perfect product for their readers.
When compiling Christmas gift guides, editors’ first port of call is often their inbox. They’re looking for new and exciting products that will capture their readers’ attention, so your pitch needs to stand out. Using relevant keywords in both your subject line and email makes it easy for editors to find your products when they search — and make sure you don’t get overlooked.
4. Know the timing
Long-lead publications (think Red, Elle Decoration, GQ) start compiling guides as early as July. Short-lead publications and newspapers usually start around September, while online gift guides continue up until Christmas Eve. Planning ahead means your products are in the right inbox at the right time.
5. Leverage social media
Whilst email pitches are the best way to get your products featured in the Christmas gift guides, it is not the only way editors find eCommerce businesses to feature. Many editors spot products on Instagram, too. Engaging with relevant editors online can help get your products noticed, but make sure it’s thoughtful and targeted — PR is about building relationships, not spamming feeds.
Finding the right contacts, timing your outreach and tailoring your pitches can take months — especially at scale. That’s where PR Dispatch comes in. Through our Pro plan, you’ll get up-to-date Christmas gift guide database, expert support, templates and tools for pitching efficiently, so you can spend less time hunting and more time getting your products in front of editors.
Take control of your Christmas PR: Watch the demo below to see how.