The last quarter of each year coincides with the holiday shopping season that sees the most consumer spending compared to the rest of the year. Seeking media coverage and distributing your news releases during Q4 can play a critical role in your end-of-year revenue success
There are several holidays and key shopping days in October, November, and December, around the world, that motivate consumers.
Whether unveiling limited-time promotions, promoting shopping guides, highlighting the year’s accomplishments, or sharing predictions for the new year, a well-crafted press release serves as a powerful tool to engage audiences and generate buzz for your organization.
Learn tips for sharing your news during the busy last quarter of the year.
Over the years, we’ve noticed a few themes. While you don’t need to have your press release tied to any of these topics in order to share your news at the end of the year – and you certainly shouldn’t force a holiday-related theme – keep in mind these popular trends and consider how one of these might work for your organization.
Celebrate corporate citizenship or holiday giving: Consumers like to support companies that make a positive impact. Whether improving company culture through DEI initiatives or work-life balance measures, implementing ESG initiatives, donating to a charity or hosting a toy or food drive, these demonstrate a positive corporate profile and bolster a positive relationship with consumers.Other ideas? Share holiday recipes or seasonal drinks and foods. Write a release with details about holiday travel tips, destination ideas, or promotions.
Once you’ve determined the topic of your announcement, it’s time to prepare your press release. Don’t forget the basics during the holiday hustle and bustle. It’s worth it to spend some time wordsmithing your headline, considering the format of your release, adding a thoughtful quote, and selecting eye-catching multimedia.
Headline: Brevity is key. Your press release headline should convey the key message of your seasonal news and grab the reader’s attention while remaining concise and to the point.
Lead: The opening paragraph of your news release serves as a short summary of your announcement. Use easy-to-understand language, avoid technical terminology, and showcase the benefit, impact, or implications of your news for your audiences.
Multimedia: A festive photo, video, animated GIF, or infographic can help catch the eye of reporters and audiences, plus it helps show your news instead of telling it.
Formatting: Strategically placing bulleted lists, bold text, and embedded links throughout the body of your press release helps draw readers’ eyes and maintain their attention.
Quotes: When adding a quote to your press release, one sentence is usually enough and three sentences is too long; find a happy medium. Don’t over-quote your release – less is more. Humanize your quotes by using impactful language and embracing emotion. You can also use quotes to get creative – add some holiday flair through a quote!
Remember: focus on your audience and how your news benefits them. Don’t force a holiday theme if there isn’t one or if it doesn’t fit the tone of your announcement.
Incorporate multimedia into your press release with Business Wire’s Smart News Release or create an engaging storytelling experience with Interactive Media.
Distributing a press release helps generate awareness and interest for your news. To help track revenue related to any press release you share, we recommend adding relevant keywords to your announcement, creating UTM tracking links, and developing a unique landing page.
Add SEO keywords or terms to your press release to enhance the search visibility of your holiday news and engage a broader audience. Strategically incorporating relevant keywords increases the chance of your news appearing in search engines and makes your news more discoverable by those searching for topics like yours. The more people who see your release, the more potential engagement.For retailers promoting Black Friday news, Small Business Saturday news, Cyber Monday news, or other holidays sales and gift ideas, offer exclusive coupon codes or promotions in your press release. Track the usage of these codes to measure the revenue generated.
Remember to share your news on your social media channels! Social media is a go-to resource for consumers to research your brand. Share your holiday news release and any press coverage to expand your reach and increase your brand awareness.
