14 Dec What you need to know about end of year media success

The end of the year can be a very busy time in our personal lives with holiday gifts, parties, travel and celebrations. Often, this translates to people taking much-needed time off for the holidays. While the last few weeks of December can be a slow time for organizations and businesses on the productivity side, it can be a hot-bed of opportunity for your business through media relations.

The media is 24/7 and is constantly looking for content and experts. While many guests or interviewees might be unavailable during this time of year, if you are indeed available, it can be your time to shine and set yourself up for success in the new year.

So, what you are going to talk about during this time that will help you land a big interview? Here are the top five topics to get you started:

• Predictions for the New Year – industries are constantly changing from year-to-year and yours is no different. Think about how your industry impacts the public (or your target market) and talk with the media that covers your audience. Go out on a limb and give your best predictions. Aim to those that are groundbreaking and compelling. Remember, the predictions cannot be a repeat of last year.
• Holiday helping focus – many organizations give back this time of year; also, nonprofits often are in need as well. Speak up about how your group is handling efforts to support others. The more creative and festive the better! Tell the story behind those who are being helped. Keeping the recipient of support anonymous may still achieve news coverage, but really sharing their identity and story will likely be what the news is looking for.
• Celebration discussion – no matter what industry your business is in, you likely have some way your field touches holiday celebrations. We’ve seen our financial clients talk about holiday shopping to saving money to avoiding identity theft from online shopping. We’ve also seen restaurant clients talk about preparing of delicious food, substance abuse prevention clients talk about celebrating responsibly, or health care clients talking about caregiving during the holidays. Let your industry take a stance on celebration and ensure the media knows you’re the expert available to talk about it.
• Reactive responses to major headlines – because guest bookings and interviews might be scarce due to vacations, make your presence known by responding as an expert to appropriate media stories and major headlines. Take advantage of the scheduling from this time of year and responding to events that are already happening.
• End of year recap – the simple act of recapping the year from your expertise is likely an easy task for you (since you worked in your field all year) and is interesting for the media as well. Talk about what worked well and what things could have used improvement during the year. Focus on the top highlights and you’ll be sure to score big.

December is no time to slow-down. Capitalize on this time of year with the five pointers mentioned and watch the unbeatable opportunities unfold with enough time to celebrate as well.