The holiday season is a critical time of the year for business owners and marketing teams. Shoppers spend millions and companies attract their attention with outrageous offers. Pitching around holidays is as important as any other media effort. As holidays approach, there will be many companies that have something to say. Holidays can be used to source new content or re-purpose older materials. Businesses should plan ahead for provocative pitch angles. Given below are ways on how to create media buzz during the holidays.

Share positive news

Positive news and stories should be shared during the holiday season. Community good deeds as well as social responsibility stories make good content during the holiday season. Stories of gratitude with customers, colleagues, and family can also be used. The holidays are a stressful time and hope, kindness, and patience should also be a part of the stories that a business chooses to narrate during the holiday season. For instance, Amazon uses brief videos that are uplifting and empowering.

Focus on social sharing

Social media platforms also require a holiday makeover. Holiday-themed headers help to spread holiday cheer. A business can take its followers behind the scenes to show how the employees are getting festive. Customers like behind-the-scenes storytelling as it gave them an insider’s perspective.  Giving away holiday-themed merchandise would also help customers to feel appreciated. For instance, Starbucks gives its customers a limited-edition reusable  holiday cup during the festive season. Such strategies also help businesses to gain media coverage and reach the target audience.

Create urgency

A business can easily create urgency and encourage customers to grab some offers before the time runs out. The offering should be genuine and statements like ‘while supplies last’ should be used. Countdown timers are also helpful in influencing customers. When a visitor is on a landing page, they can come to know about the special offers with the help of interactive pop ups. Countdown timers also give information about when a sale starts and when it ends. This helps customers in making decisions. A countdown timer should also include a call to action button.

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Join holiday trends

Popular holiday trends can also be used to promote a brand. Games and quizzes related to a product or service can be used during the holiday season. For instance, Hobby lobby produced videos on wrapping gifts attractively which helped to attract new customers. A brand can also slip in its opinion on any breaking news. It is extremely important to use the right trend as every business will be running special offers during the holiday season. In-game promotional campaigns can also be used where brands can experiment with new strategies to reach an engaged audience. Offering interactive experiences to customers can also help to create a media buzz.

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Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the United States. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company's growth and vision, with the agency earning accolades including being named a Top 50 Global PR Agency by PRovoke Media, a top three NYC PR agency by O'Dwyers, one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces and being awarded multiple American Business Awards, including a Stevie Award for PR Agency of the Year. With over 25 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America's most prolific and well-respected public relations executives. Throughout his career he has advised leading and high-growth businesses, organizations, leaders and boards across corporate, technology and consumer industries. Torossian is known as one of the country's foremost experts on crisis communications. He has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly in the media and has authored two editions of his book, "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations," which is an industry best-seller. Torossian's strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, a Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider, Metropolitan Magazine's Most Influential New Yorker, and a recipient of Crain's New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Outside of 5W, Torossian serves as a business advisor to and investor in multiple early stage businesses across the media, B2B and B2C landscape. Torossian is the proud father of two daughters. He is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a board member of multiple not for profit organizations.