The 4/20 cannabis holiday is less than a month away, and if you’re just starting to think about your publicity push, you’re cutting it close.
Public relations is more of a marathon than a sprint. Successful PR campaigns—whether they’re for 4/20 or another notable event—require time and planning to execute and ensure everything is in place for the big day.
Print publications usually plan issues months in advance. For publications that print monthly, issues are usually released at the end of the previous month. This means the April issues of your favorite print publications started to hit newsstands last week.
Give yourself the chance to make it onto a coveted print page by giving your publicist everything they need with at least two months of leeway whenever possible.
Are you planning on doing a 4/20 sale or event? Have new products that will be out in time for 4/20? Any new assets like high-resolution photos or product descriptions to send to your publicist? The more time we have, the more we can work on perfecting our pitches and targeting them for the best possible outcome.
Now that you’ve laid down most of the groundwork, it’s time to snag those leads!
Two helpful things to keep in mind:
- Timeliness matters! Deadlines get pushed up right and left. The sooner you respond to inquiries, the better chance you have to make the cut. Giving your publicist time to review your answers is also a great idea; we usually know what a journalist is looking for and can give you feedback and edits when needed.
- Respond to everything in full sentences and complete ideas. Journalists are wordsmiths; they appreciate when you can give them more to work with. Giving them more of your ideas will help them tell your story in the best possible way.
In short, planning a successful PR strategy requires lead time and patience. Give yourself and your brand enough time to position itself for PR success, and help your publicist help you succeed.
Photo by snakegirlproductions on Flickr.
