Special Issue: Gift Guides

Put a bow on it

My name is Meghan Kowalski and I'm an outreach librarian working in Washington, DC. Some days I struggle with making content because my brain is tired. I share noteworthy items and idea prompts to, hopefully, help *spark* an idea for your content.

In this special subscriber issue, we’re exploring how you can use gift guides in your content. We’re covering:

• An overview of gift guides

• 41 ideas to try

• Recommended links and resources to explore

Gift guides are everywhere this time of year, and honestly - it makes sense. They’re fun to read, easy to share, and they tap into the universal feeling of wanting to give something meaningful. But while most people jump straight to lists of products, there’s a lot more room to play with the format than it might seem. Not every guide has to be about buying “stuff,” and that’s where creators can really stand out.

A gift guide can highlight experiences, memories, community connections, personal rituals, or even the non-material things people genuinely value. When you frame gifting around thoughtfulness instead of just items, you open the door to more honest storytelling. These kinds of guides tend to spark conversation, saveable ideas, and the kind of engagement that feels more like connection than marketing.

Here are some ways you can try using gift guides in your content:

• Compile a guide to gifts you can’t wrap - experiences, moments, and memories

• Record a video of local experiences under $25 to share

• List the gifts you gave yourself this year - whatever they may have been