Published in Modern Restaurant Management Magazine
The holidays are here and if we could pick any year to relax and let go a little more, it’s this year, right? Not so fast. Before putting your feet up and roasting chestnuts on an open flame, remember this: November to January are the busiest and most profitable months in the year. According to Deloitte, holiday retail sales this year should rise between one and 1.5 percent, amounting to between $1.147 trillion and $1.152 trillion during the November to January time frame.
With the recent stay-at-home orders and kids out of school soon, more and more people will be home consuming content. This is a perfect time to get in front of your customers with meaningful content that reinforces your brand and positions you as a thought leader. If this is not part of your public relations strategy plan, here are some reasons to rethink your strategy:
Digital Remains Strong
Globally, consumers have moved much of their lives online. From May to August of this year, online shoppers spent 23 percent more when choosing local pickup or delivery, according to Shopify. It’s no surprise that more people are choosing to buy this way. PR efforts are an excellent way to take advantage of the increase in online sales. This is a great time to up your game in social media, blogs, and media placements on trending news topics.
This is also a good time to check for any broken links and optimize your online content. For example, if someone is searching for chocolate online, they will find the websites that have the word chocolate first. No matter what you are selling – a product or a service, pay close attention to the keywords you use. With holiday travel put on hold for many, people have more time to look online and brand has become even more important. Be sure you can be found.
Media Is Looking for Content
No doubt that 2020 has been a busy year for the media with much to report. As we wind down the year, the media is still operating at the same fast speed. Use this opportunity to position yourself and your brand by contributing leadership pieces, offering quotes and accepting media interviews that allow you to jump in the driver’s seat and position your company in a positive light. Be sure to offer valuable content that is trending. Creating a good story means finding interesting and important information. Think ahead about what that could be and do a little research before approaching the media. The more prepared you are, the better off you will be.
Stay at the Top of Search Engines
Establishing yourself as a recognized brand takes time. However, this is a time of year where your competitors will take some time off and you will reap the benefits by staying in front of the media and serving as a thought leader on trending topic ideas and other news content. This is also a great time to guest blog and contribute on social media often. By contributing regularly, you will improve search results and how people view you. You will also show that your brand is synonymous with the things that matter to consumers who are close to your business.
No matter what your PR approach is, it is essential to determine some goals for the holiday season. Boosting your brand can boost your chances of finding new clients after the holidays have ended – so be sure to make time for PR to forge ahead in 2021.