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Timing Is Everything
Get your message out there when editors need it
When your brand message is tied to a particular time of year or a holiday, timing is everything. Editors need to know their options well in advance, so getting your message to them early is key to getting ink.
To help you plan ahead and maximize your chances of pick-up, here are some things to keep in mind.
- Magazine editors plan each issue at least two to three months in advance.
Check their editorial calendar for upcoming themes—while they’re used primarily for advertisers, knowing what editors are looking for lets you plan your story and pitch it perfectly to meet their needs.
- Newspaper editors plan at least one month in advance for sections like Food, Home and Lifestyle. Many of them plan special sections even farther in advance. So if you want to get your brand some holiday ink, the time to get started is now.
- Think about seasons instead of one special day. New Year’s Day is only one day, for example, but people work on New Year’s resolutions the whole first quarter of the year. Frame your brand’s story in terms of the whole season in order to get more circulation.
The key is to plan ahead to make sure you get your message out there in plenty of time for editors to see it. Here’s a general guideline to help you get your timing right.
Publicity Timetable for Placement
October—December 2008 Placement
Themes: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa
Recommended Media Release Date: August
January—March 2009 Placement
Themes: New Year’s, Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, St.
Patrick’s Day, Spring
Recommended Release Date: November
April—June 2009 Placement
Themes: Passover, Easter, Earth Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial
Day, Father’s Day, Summer
Recommended Release Date: February
July—September 2009 Placement
Themes: Independence Day, Labor Day, Back-to-School
Recommended Release Date: May
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