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Gift Guides Unwrapped
A great way to get media coverage for your product that you can do yourself
Keren Speck
March 04, 2025
What's in store for this edition:
Your guide to getting products featured in the media
Gift Guides Unwrapped
If you are a product maker, getting your product into a gift guide is a massively effective way to boost sales, SEO, and brand credibility—and, of course, to sell more product. And don't fret, tech friends—if you have a digital product that can be made into a gift, this is for you too.
When you get a media mention in form of a gift guide, people start talking about your brand, sharing your story and recommending your product. What’s not to love?
These opportunities can be year-round and are often well-liked by readers. That means magazine and newspapers are very happy to write about them. In fact, many journalists work exclusively on gift guides.
Seasonal Gift Guide
These should be products that journalists can recommend, products that people look for during a season.
🧠 💬💡Brainstorming session:
Summer time clothing with UV protection
Sunscreen for winter skiing
Hair care products for more time spent in the pool
Gardening gloves to welcome in the spring gardening season
Favorite Fall blanket for leaf peeking picnics
Holiday and Celebrations
Focus on specific holidays and cultural events.
🧠 💬💡Brainstorming session:
Chinese New Year mooncakes made by Mother Daughter team
Luxury Spa Products for Mother’s Day
Handcrafted Fishing Gear your the Fisherman in your life. Father’s Day
Giant Lollipop Table Chargers for unique party decor for X holiday
Diversity
Showcase products from diverse makers or those breaking industry norms.
🧠 💬💡Brainstorming session:
A female welder making art sculptures, unique art gift guide
A grandpa knitting cat collars, gifts for your pet
A black female tech founder who’s made an app to make lives better
Trending
Connect your product to current trends, celebrity endorsements, or alternatives to hard to find.
🧠 💬💡Brainstorming session:
Do you have a product that is cheaper than a luxury brand but just as good?
Do you have an outdoorsy gift that is for those interested in adventure activities?
Maybe you make customized neon signs that are trending on social media platforms, like TikTok, for a gift guide for the influencer in your life?
Unique and Innovative
Highlight first-of-their-kind or unique offerings of your product.
🧠 💬💡Brainstorming session:
Skin care with a unique formulation, for a self-care gift guide
Shoes with innovative features gift guide for the shoe fanatic in your life
Jewelry made from wine corks for the wine lovers gift guide
Sustainability and Wellness
Promote eco-friendly, clean, or ethically made products. Tie self-care products to holidays and ongoing wellness trends.
🧠 💬💡Brainstorming session:
His and hers eco-friendly clothing for best of cruise wear gift guide.
Teacher day gift of fair-trade coffee with sustainable mug
💫 Pro Tip: Make your pitch more like article idea, rather than a straight up asking for coverage.
Found a guide? Make your pitch.
Getting media coverage for your product with gift guides can increase sales, build backlinks, and boost your credibility all of which are valuable to any sized business.
“The only true gift is a portion of thyself.”
Do this now:
Examine your product catalog.
Which product would make the best candidate for a gift guide?
What angle can you use when making a pitch?
Next Week:
Specific recommendations on how to send the pitches, and other 💫 Pro Tips that are must-knows to get your product listed.
Term to Learn
B2C, or Business to Consumer is a business model in which a company sells products and services to a consumer.
FAQ
Q: Can I pitch, even if my website isn’t perfect?
A: Yes you can. It does not need to be flawless, it should give a way for customers to learn about and purchase your product. But don’t pitch if you don’t have a sales channels ready and product ready to ship.
Get PR techniques from recent news.
Newsworthy
🎁 GQ Gift Guide
Since this episode of Attention Seeker is about gift guides, I randomly chose one to examine.
GQ says: “Here at GQ, we go big on gift guides every year, but in 2025, we're turn the tireless present-hunting dial to 11 for everyone on your list, from your hard-to-shop-for dad to your enigma of a colleague. Below, you'll find dozens of shopping guides packed with under-the-radar hits from smaller businesses and can't-miss bangers from big box stores—all sprinkled with a healthy dose of our editor-favorite products from GQ Recommends (from stylish barn coats to staffer-tested coffee grinders).”
And they do! The list is huge. It gives you an idea of how gift guides are written and different categories ideas they use.
You can also see there are three journalists, Lori Keong, William Goodman, and Tyler Chin that wrote just one of the the recent GQ Gift Guides.
💫 Pro Tip: Don’t pitch multiple products. Pick the best one for the category.
Learn from others.
100% Cool : 0% Cringe
🚒 LA Firefighters Roasting the Elite
During the Oscars, as a way of acknowledging and thanking the bravery of the LA firefighters, they were invited on stage and were able to deliver some punch lines.
This is a great way for the Oscars, who industry is based in Los Angeles, and have been personally touched by the help of Firefighters, to thank and shine the spotlight on the LAFD. It is also a good opportunity for the LAFD to work rebuilding its reputation.
✍️ Key PR Takeaway: Can you highlight a local hero in your marketing efforts? Do you need a little help rebuilding your reputation? Showing your human, funny side is a good first step.
Useful PR Resources.
🧰 TOOLKIT
Market and Business Research
We love free resources at Attention Seeker. Thanks to sba.gov, here are some reliable sources that provide customer and market information at no cost. These free statistics are can help prospective small business owners do market research to help find customers for your business combined with competitive analysis, you’ll have a competitive advantage for your small business. Some of the stats include:
General business statistics
Consumer statistics
Demographics
Economic indicators
Employment statistics
Income statistics
Money and interest rates
Production and sales statistics
Trade statistics
Statistics of specific industries
Click here for a list of links to federal business stats to use in your market research and competitive analysis.
Attention Seeker of the Week
Sam
Meet Sam, the 14-year-old Beagle. This sweet girl has supported many during very difficult times. She gets up close you, and if you stop petting her, she lets you know with a nuzzle.
What does your favorite fur friend do for attention? Send a picture of your pet and we will feature them on an episode of Attention Seeker.
Must send a shout out to LA firefighters, since one of my favorite people is one!
Until next week, keep your shades on and stay cool.
Your fellow Seeker,
Keren
🕶️
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