Lofttalk: Black Friday PR Planning

In this exclusive webinar for in-house and brand-side marketers, we’ll show you how to get ahead of the Black Friday noise and give your PR activity the best chance of landing media coverage during one of the busiest and most competitive times of the year.

We’ll walk through exactly when to pitch, the types of stories, deals and assets journalists want, and how to actually land coverage that drives sales.

Transcript

2. Christmas Tree World is one of the UK’s leading artificial Christmas tree retailers. With a highly seasonal business model, their success each year is largely determined by their ability to dominate search results in the months leading up to Christmas. Our product PR strategy focused on earning links into key product pages and ensuring Christmas Tree World are featured in Christmas tree round ups alongside their competitors ahead of Black Friday. Our digital PR strategy doesn’t just ensure Christmas Tree World are at the top of the SERPs, but we also make sure they are at the top of consumers’ minds when considering purchasing their artificial tree on Black Friday. GQ is being used as a source in AI chatbots such as ChatGPT
3. But don’t just take our word for it! Last year, SEO software Sistrix published an article highlighting just how successfully Christmas Tree World dominates such a competitive market. BLACK FRIDAY RESULTS: ➔ 89 Pieces of coverage secured throughout October and November ➔ 300% Increase in organic clicks over BFCM YoY ➔ 39%Increase in referral traffic YoY ➔ 43% Increase in organic revenue YoY ➔ #1 Position for ‘Black Friday Christmas Trees’ resulting in a 89% increase in clicks
4. JD Outdoor is home to the family of iconic outdoor retail brands, including GO Outdoors, Blacks, Millets, and Fishing Republic. For Black Friday 2024, our efforts were concentrated on driving visibility and engagement with the primary objective of earning high-quality, topically relevant links and press features that amplified their Black Friday deals, through leveraging our relationships with product journalists. We positioned the brands as go-to destinations for Black Friday shoppers, strengthening their reputation as leading brands in the outdoor retail space during one of the most competitive shopping periods of the year.
5. BLACK FRIDAY 2024 RESULTS: ➔ 116 Links earned across 3 brands ➔ 3.98b Publication wide audience figures ➔ 100 Links directly into key product pages ➔ 62%Of coverage included a spokesperson ➔ #1 Position for ‘Black Friday Walking Boots’ and ‘RAB Black Friday’ Live for the Outdoors is being used as a source in AI chatbots such as ChatGPT
6. Are there still opportunities with Black Friday?
7. Black Friday 2024 was a record breaking shopping event, with global online sales reaching $74.4 billion.
8. In the UK, Black Friday was the biggest single online shopping day of 2024, with spending reaching £1.12 billion online (up 7.2% from 2023)
9. Product PR has become even more important with the rise of AI and LLM’s.
10. AI platforms commonly cite product roundups in recommendations; so to be surfaced, you need to be included in these.
13. We expect to see uncertain consumers holding off spending early as demand for value is high.
14. Black Friday is not a day nor a weekend - it’s a season. When to pitch for Black Friday (and why many PRs miss the window).
15. Preparation is key When to pitch for Black Friday (and why many PRs miss the window).
16. When to pitch for Black Friday (and why many PRs miss the window). Start thinking about Black Friday now.
17. When to pitch for Black Friday (and why many PRs miss the window). Start thinking about Black Friday now. Confirm your Black Friday deals as early as possible and consider how long these will run for.
18. When to pitch for Black Friday (and why many PRs miss the window). Start thinking about Black Friday now. Utilise last years deals for additional coverage. Confirm your Black Friday deals as early as possible and consider how long these will run for.
19. Real examples of Black Friday PR that earned high-authority coverage.
20. When to pitch for Black Friday (and why many PRs miss the window). Start thinking about Black Friday now. Get a master media list together with everyone covering Black Friday this year - publications usually have a dedicated team! Utilise last years deals for additional coverage. Confirm your Black Friday deals as early as possible and consider how long these will run for.
21. What journalists actually want to see in your Black Friday pitch.
22. What journalists actually want to see in your Black Friday pitch. Have a master document of all your pitches. Make it clear what has been outreached and to who.
23. What journalists actually want to see in your Black Friday pitch. Consider embargoed deals.
24. What journalists actually want to see in your Black Friday pitch. Don’t put all your deals into one pitch or email - be strategic.
25. What journalists actually want to see in your Black Friday pitch. Always include both the % off and the monetary value for each product in your pitches.
26. What journalists actually want to see in your Black Friday pitch. Including exclusive membership discounts can increase brand loyalty.
27. What journalists actually want to see in your Black Friday pitch. Include product descriptions - especially if you’re pitching to get included in a round up.
28. What journalists actually want to see in your Black Friday pitch. Get the hi-res images for all products on offer for Black Friday ahead of time.
29. Real examples of Black Friday PR that earned high-authority coverage.
30. What journalists actually want to see in your Black Friday pitch. Follow up with your contacts - just remember the window for a follow up might be shorted than with a regular pitch.
31. Real examples of Black Friday PR that earned high-authority coverage.
32. Real examples of Black Friday PR that earned high-authority coverage.
33. Key Takeaways. Get your deals finalised as soon as possible.
34. Key Takeaways. Get your deals finalised as soon as possible. Start creating a master media list of relevant journalists and reach out to them ahead of the peak season.
35. Key Takeaways. Get your deals finalised as soon as possible. Start creating a master media list of relevant journalists and reach out to them ahead of the peak season. Include as much information in your pitches as possible! Make sure the journalist has everything they need to cover your brand and your deals.
36. Key Takeaways. Get your deals finalised as soon as possible. Start creating a master media list of relevant journalists and reach out to them ahead of the peak season. Include as much information in your pitches as possible! Make sure the journalist has everything they need to cover your brand and your deals. Include AI and LLM visibility within your reporting this year.
37. Key Takeaways. Get your deals finalised as soon as possible. Start creating a master media list of relevant journalists and reach out to them ahead of the peak season. Include as much information in your pitches as possible! Make sure the journalist has everything they need to cover your brand and your deals. Include AI and LLM visibility within your reporting this year. You can still be reactive!
38. COME CHAT TO US… chloe@digitaloft.co.uk