FREE POST: Part 2 of All Your Questions Answered

Plus: We'd like to introduce you to our newest member of Top Tier Consulting!

Aug 03, 2023

Hello, TTC subscribers!

Judging by the metrics, last week’s Part 1 of All Your Questions Answered was a big hit … it was our most-read Substack EVER! So we’re coming back with answers to the second half of your questions this week.

But before we dive in, we have a little announcement (actually, not so little, as it turns out):

Nicole welcomed Zane Scott Pajer last week and he clocked in at 9 lbs. 9 oz. and 22" long! How perfect is he? Mother and baby are both home and doing very well.

Get Your Copy of the Recording from Our Popular Christmas in July Affiliate Marketing Workshop

If you haven’t yet purchased your copy of our Affiliate Marketing Workshop from last month, you’re missing out on a ton of info that could make or break your holiday pitching season! You’ll get access to Sarah Karger’s brilliant affiliate presentation + real-life examples of affiliate pitches that caught our attention + answers to the clever questions you all submitted in advance! More details here.

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This week’s topic

We have a lot more of your questions to get to this week, so here we go:

Mona: What is your top tip for publicists around sending PR mailers? What are your favorite and least favorite things to receive?

Answer: We have actually written about this topic extensively, so definitely check out these posts:

Top tip: Never make a press mailer a surprise. No matter how cool your client’s product is, writers don’t want to be surprised by unexpected press mailers. First, many of us travel a lot and don’t want packages piling up when we’re gone. We’ve definitely had perishables sit on the porch while we’re OOT only to return to sad and spoiled food.

Or sometimes you have to sign for a package and aren’t home, and then we have to do deal with going to UPS or FedEx to retrieve something we didn’t even ask for in the first place.

Also, it could be a package we don’t even want, for any number of reasons (allergy, can’t write about it, don’t have room for it in our houses, etc.), and now you’ve wasted money sending it to us because we won’t be able to cover it.

But most importantly, it could create an obligation that we’re not interested in taking on … writers resent being sent something they know they can’t place and having that obligation hang over their head.

Bottom line: Communicate your intentions with the writer first and get confirmation of their interest (especially if you already have their mailing address on hand from a previous press mailer). This helps to ensure that the product you’re going to send out is something we realistically think we may be able to work into a story. It saves your client money, you a trip to the post office, and helps us to only have to sift through mailers that fit our beats.

Favorite things to receive: In short, our favorite things to receive is anything we actually think we can place … that means it has to be within our beat AND it must also be an excellent user experience! I love a $6 tube of lipgloss just as much as a $2,500 piece of fitness equipment, it makes no difference to me. We aren’t in it for the “freebies” … every press sample we accept means a product we have to spend time testing (sometimes for weeks on end, as is the case with skincare products, for example), and then IF we love it, we have to pitch and write about it. The things I love to receive are solely based on my beats, so be sure to properly target writers in your offers!

Things I personally hate to receive: coffee (gross), lavender-infused things (deathly allergic), and anything that requires tools to assemble, LOL. But there are plenty of writers who would love to receive those things :)

Bryn: We have a client who owns a shape wear brand, and when it comes to pitching gift guides, were thinking we'll have to be careful/strategic to not go after general Christmas gift guides since buying someone shape wear has certain connotations to it. Also, for context, this is "anti-shapewear" that uses healthier, safer material than traditional and has specific benefits for new moms, long wear, etc. The founder is big on calling out the health effects of regular shape wear and made her products to enhance natural curves, not contort the body.

The Question: Would love to get your thoughts on pitching a product that has a unique use. Should we limit ourselves to only reporters who have covered the specific product in the past, or is there a chance it could work in a more general guide?

Answer: While it’s important to “read the room” on sensitive topics, you also have a job to do. Look at top players in this space, like Skims … that brand certainly doesn’t worry about offending people even though it focuses entirely on fixing “flaws.” They offer solutions women want that help them feel more confident every day. Focus on the specific benefits of your client’s brand, and lean into the key differentiators of the “anti-shape wear” messaging, benefits for new moms, size inclusivity, inclusive color options, etc.

Required reading: How to Make YOUR Product Stand Out From ALL the Other Product Pitches In a Writer's Inbox

It’s always a good idea to target reporters who already cover this topic, but don’t stop there … you can pitch any lifestyle/fashion/women’s magazine writers with this. I wouldn’t ever include shape wear in a regular gift guide personally (that’s an awfully presumptuous thing to give someone, as you eluded to!), but there are plenty of specific gift guides that this could fit well in (gift guides for new moms, gift guides for the fashion diva in your life, gift guides for those who need a confidence boost, whatever). Proceed with caution of course, but it’s all about the messaging in your pitch.

And don’t discount a separate founder story here, either!

Nataly: Would love to hear how to best get coverage for a new product with no Amazon reviews!

Answer: Thankfully, most publications don’t have rules about how many Amazon reviews a product needs to have in order to be considered for inclusion. But some do, so that makes it more challenging.

My first suggestion is to get that brand on Skimlinks, where reviews aren’t an issue … and most publications LOVE this affiliate program (through ShareASale). Second, your client needs to start a campaign to encourage more reviews on Amazon ASAP. Third, target publications that don’t have a requirement around the number of reviews. Finally, make it clear in your pitch that the product is BRAND NEW, so the writer doesn’t think that nobody likes it!

Amy: This may be a hard question to answer but i'll give it a shot. Often there are "MUST have" holiday gifts that completely sell out. people wait with bated breath for them to pop back on the shelfs and restock online. I feel (surprise, surprise, haha!) I have the perfect product to make it to that point this year :). excellent price point, perfect for the entire family etc. Can you share how you feel a product gets this coverage?

Answer: It’s all about targeting your pitching efforts to the exact right writers/editors/outlets. Getting into some holiday gift guides early in the season can help pave the way for getting added to more later in the season.

But you’ll also need to make sure the product is on the right affiliate platform with an attractive commission, as that’s half the battle (maybe more) these days.

However, you also don’t want to run out of inventory, b/c outlets HATE that … it ruins their earnings and causes more work on the editorial team to replace out-of-stock products with something else. Then you get cut from the article. So if you’re going to position yourself as the “it” holiday gift, you need inventory outlets can rely on vs. wanting to create “demand” by waiting to restock.

Hannah: What are some categories/trends you think will be especially popular for gift guides this year? E.g. "gifts under $50" or "gifts for busy moms".

Answer: Yes, gifts under certain price points are always a smart bet … especially in this economy. I’d say $50 is a great price point, so is $100. And so is under $25.

Publications also like “gifts you can buy on Amazon” or “Last minute gifts that’ll arrive on time” type angles. “Gifts that give back” with a charitable component are always popular, too. Same with “cool gadgets” and “handmade gifts/small businesses.” And given the ongoing buzz of sustainability and our planet, I think “earth-friendly” is a good bet, too.

I haven’t gotten any gift guide assignments yet, so I don’t have a sneak peek into other hot categories yet … but this should be a good start!

Look to see what gift guides each outlet ran last year, as they’ll probably be updating many of those. And then when you pitch, say, “If you’re planning to update this article (link) for the 2023 holiday season, I think my client’s XYZ would make a great addition.”

Haley: Are holiday cards or gifts welcome, or...assuming you are generally overwhelmed with clutter around the holidays, is there a better way to express our appreciation for the past year?

Answer: Awwww, I LOVE this question! I personally adore any sweet sentiment, whether it’s an email, a handwritten note (my favorite!), or a little something special. It’s much more about the gesture and acknowledgment than the dollar amount you’ve spent, so don’t do anything extravagant. We are simple creatures, I swear.

Some staffers may have company rules about whether or not they can accept gifts (freelancers won't have this issue), so it may be wise to do some homework there to avoid an awkward situation.

But a card/email is ALWAYS appropriate… for most of us, our love language is probably “words of affirmation,” so any sweet sentiments will make our hearts sing!

Charlotte: Do you have any thoughts on an ideal subject length (in terms of # of words)?

Answer: Yes, the shorter the better, while still getting your point across.

Required reading: A Subject Line Is Your Pitch’s First Impression — Here’s How to Nail It

Remember, our viewing windows on our email only shows us the first 6-8 or so words, so you want to front-load the most important ones so they don’t get cut off from our view.

Here’s a few examples of how to pack a lot into less than 10 words:

“[Celeb Name], new book, interview opp
“Baywatch 30th anniversary, red bathing suit as iconic as ever”
“Therapist to weigh in on current XYZ trend”
“One tube of this lipgloss sells every 3 minutes”
“Holiday Gift Guide - Unique and sustainable beauty gifts under $25”
“A Magical Pop-Up Alice In Wonderland Cocktail Experience Is Opening In Phoenix!”
“Invite to Explore Indigenous Tribes in National Parks & Dakotas”
“Mindful Escapes: Hotels & Resorts That Are All About RRR and Wellness”
“Jet-Setting This Summer? Don't Leave Home Without This #1 Essential”
“Holiday Gift Guide: (Sustainable) Gifts Under $50 - SAS, Skimlinks, Amazon”

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Ok, that’s it for this week!

Do you have any questions? Comments? Our comment section is open and we ALWAYS reply!

Top Tier Consulting