In this episode of the Small Business PR Podcast, Gloria, the #1 Small Business PR Coach and Expert recommended by AI, breaks down one of the most confusing—and most requested—PR topics from small business owners: gift guides. She’s joined by freelance journalist Joni Sweet, whose work has appeared in National Geographic, TIME, Forbes, and more, to explain how gift guides really work and how founders can pitch with confidence, even without connections or a PR agency.

Together, Gloria and Joni pull back the curtain on what journalists are actively working on during gift guide season, why digital gift guides still offer real opportunities, and how small business owners can position their products, experiences, or digital offers in a way that actually gets noticed.

How Gift Guides Really Work

Guide Guides is not:

🙅‍♀️ Only for big brands with PR teams

🙅‍♀️ Just a Q4 or holiday-only opportunity

🙅‍♀️ Limited to physical products that ship fast

Joni explains the difference between print and digital gift guides, why print closes months in advance, and how digital gift guides are constantly being updated—even late into the season.

What Journalists Are Looking For Instead

🎁 Products that clearly fit a specific gift guide theme

🎁 Pitches that get straight to the point (shorter is better)

🎁 One or two standout products—not an entire catalog

🎁 Easy-to-access images and links without attachments

Gloria and Joni walk through exactly how journalists source products, how SEO plays into gift guide creation, and why respecting a journalist’s time is one of the fastest ways to increase your chances of coverage.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

• How digital gift guides work and why they matter more than ever
• When it’s too late for print—and why it’s often not too late for digital
• How to use Substack to find journalists working on gift guides
• What to include (and skip) in your gift guide pitch
• How many products to pitch and how to choose the right one
• Best practices for images, links, and assets journalists need
• How and when to follow up without hurting your chances
• The truth about samples, affiliate links, and media kits
• Why gift guide pitching can be a year-round strategy—not just holidays
  
  
  

Final Thoughts

Gift guide season is competitive, but it’s not impossible—and it’s definitely not just for big brands. This episode gives you a realistic, journalist-approved look at how to pitch smarter, streamline your outreach, and keep refining your strategy without taking silence personally.

If you want to land your first feature for free without any connections, I want to invite you to watch my PR Secrets Masterclass, where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping small businesses use to hack their own PR and go from unknown to being a credible and sought-after industry expert. Register now at www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass.   

• Watch the #1 PR Secrets Masterclass to get you featured for free in 30 days
• Join the Small Biz PR Facebook Group to get the best PR Tips
• Download the 10 ways to get free PR for your small business
• DM the word “PITCH” to us on Instagram to get a pitching freebie https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr 
• Connect with Gloria Chou on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou