When promoting your firm and work to the media, there are a few things to consider that will dramatically improve your chances of getting published and more importantly, to be invited back next time. In a recent piece, we talked about how to go about choosing media outlets to promote your work, in this one, we touch on the dos and donts of media relations:
Write a compelling story: too many designers think of their work strengths solely based on the features of the work (e.g. how sustainable it is, the luxury of its materials or that it was delivered on-time, under budget). While these are important considerations for your clients, they're not ultimately what people are interested in. Rather, people want to hear about how your work helped your client and by proxy, them, overcome a major issue they were dealing with and how that issue is now nothing but a distant memory. Look up Joseph Campbell's work (The Hero With a Thousand Faces) to learn more about storytelling.
Be succinct: Media people are busy and they have to sift through thousands of submissions to find the rare pearl that they'll want to publish. Make their job easier by teasing with a few (no more than 2-3) hero shots of your project and a very brief description (1 paragraph or less) of why it's in their best interest to publish it (do your research on what writers and publishers are looking for)
Drop the archispeak: I've written about this time and time again. Write in a language that your 8-year-old nephew can read. Period. Anything more complicated and you'll just piss people off and come off as pedantic, or worse, condescending.
Don't pester journalists and editors: Once you've submitted your project to the press, it's great to be persistent and consistently follow-up, but don't pester them every day or even every week. If after 2-3 attempts all your hear is crickets, move on. It will work in your favour next time you submit again as you won't be remembered as the crazy guy who phones every other day and verbally abuses the receptionist.
Be nice and generous. The same way you would wine and dine clients to keep a good relationship with them, doing so with the press will help you built strong long-term relationships. Don't cross the line and use that as an excuse to ask for favours. But a nice meal or a small gift after they published your first project will be remembered next time to submit a project. If you're unsure of how far you can go, err on the side of caution.
What do you think? Are there other tips that you employ to talk to the press?
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