🌱 Plant Publicity Seeds Now: Why Smart Timing Fuels Next Year’s Business Growth

Timing Is Everything: Plant Your Publicity Seeds Now for a Strong Q1

As the year winds down, you might be sketching next year’s product roadmap, marketing calendar, and budget. Here's a practical — and often overlooked — idea: think about the timing of your publicity. When you launch a PR campaign can be just as important as what you launch. The weeks around holidays present a uniquely fertile window for publicity, especially if your product or business benefits from seasonal buying.

Many magazines and online outlets are already planning holiday issues, and editors are actively looking for fresh, relevant stories. Some media teams expand or reshuffle their schedules during this period to cover more product-focused pieces. In short: right now the media is more receptive than you might think — and a well-targeted pitch can land you placement that pays off immediately and into the next quarter.

That said, waiting until January 1st to start pitching rarely produces instant results. Editorial calendars and lead times vary — sometimes a few weeks, sometimes several months — and journalists process hundreds of pitches. I call this the “media digestion period”: a stretch of time editors need to see, consider, and then find space for a story. This delay is normal and expected; it’s why savvy business owners plant their publicity seeds earlier.

Good media relations shorten that digestion period. A strong publicist doesn’t just send releases — they make the reporter’s job effortless by tailoring the pitch, answering questions quickly, and helping secure details that make a story run. Even with a perfect match between your product and an outlet’s editorial profile, placement isn’t automatic. Persistence, polish, and helpful follow-up increase your chances dramatically.

Think of publicity like gardening. You plant seeds now — well-targeted pitches and thoughtful follow-ups — and with reasonable care those seeds grow into articles, TV spots, or podcast interviews that can bloom across multiple outlets. A placement in one magazine can lead to pickups elsewhere; a timely feature can open doors to interviews and speaking opportunities months later. The small effort you invest this season can yield a harvest that lasts well beyond the first quarter.

If you’re planning publicity, work with someone who understands editorial timetables and can quietly cultivate relationships on your behalf. Send your pitch, allow editors time to digest it, then follow up strategically and professionally. That steady rhythm of outreach and nurturing is how you turn a handful of well-placed stories into ongoing visibility and sales.

What’s your experience? Have you ever launched a PR push that paid off months later — or watched a late-season pitch sprout into new business? Share your story in the comments and help another founder decide when to plant their publicity seeds.