Smaller, regional magazines are often overlooked when it comes to planning a PR campaign.

We so often hear the phrase “shop local” and “shop small” but many times brands aren’t sure how to support smaller regional retailers who carry their lines.

One method that truly helps support both your retail customers, and promote sales, is outreach to smaller regional magazines.

Virtually every demographic has a good number of geographically focused magazines and media, usually named after the city or state where they are published. There are media companies that specialize in producing beautiful glossy publications for specific demographics throughout North America. Their magazine products are often truly polished and stunning.

Here are 3 reasons to include local media in your publicity game plan:

Local magazine editors are under less pressure from publicists and therefore are able to spend more time considering pitches and crafting angles that work for specific brands. In short, there’s less competition vying for an editor’s attention, and at the same time they are less focused on choosing brands to feature that have big SEO value. Therefore, smaller brands can get published in roundups and feature pages more readily.
Local readership is very loyal to their regional media and will collect and save glossy mags that have relevance to their communities. Physical magazines are often distributed in boutiques and stores and copies are on display in professional office lobbies, cafes, and meeting places. By making these magazines available in multiple spots, they get exposure to a wider array of new customers than a magazine that lives solely online.
Regional editors are willing to lavish a good amount of time on a brand that is carried locally and display it exclusively on a themed page ... usually a color theme, that contains a variety of ideas. The reason being that the magazine sells, or is hoping to sell, ad space to the boutique or store that carries your line, and they want to coax interest by mentioning great products carried by this retailer. In this sense local retailers are truly your partner in marketing your brand on a regional level.

How to approach local editors to successfully gain their attention:

Craft a locally focused pitch (not a press release) for each demographic you’re planning on pitching. It’s crucial that your brand has some sort of local angle - usually a store nearby that carries your line. If you can, get pictures of the store or boutique, and better yet include your products displayed there for reference. Of course, you’ll need to supply great product photos in addition to these in-store shots.
Consider doing a trunk show or in-store special promotion that draws local shoppers into the location. You could also create a regionally focused capsule collection. Many accessory brands create earrings, tees, and bags with the names of towns and states, sports teams, and local colloquialisms that capture the dynamic of a metro area. These details are appealing to editors who seek to boost civic pride.
Make sure you’re reaching out to the correct editor. At many smaller media outlets one writer or editor can wear many hats. And to make matters a bit more complicated, often freelancers take up the slack but may not have a by-line that you can use to track down their contact details. It may take a bit of research via their social media to see who’s tagged their accounts but once you make contact, they’re usually open to fresh ideas.
Work in conjunction with local retailers you have a great relationship with. Often, they have contacts at local media, but aren’t sure how to pitch them. By coordinating your efforts with theirs you not only build your relationship with the local community, but you develop better partnerships with your clients.

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