How to PR? 9 Tips to Supercharge Your Media Outreach Plan
So many businesses ask us, “How do I get started with PR?”
This oh-so-common question has a lot of answers. And each involves research, asset creation, copywriting, pitching editors, etc.
But, don't worry, we simplified all that.
We distilled 16+ years of industry knowledge into the most impactful things you can do to prep for successful press outreach.
The goal? To get more media attention for your work.
You asked, “How to PR???” We answered with nine in-depth strategies for your biz.
Each topic could be a whole blog post. And many are (or are on our to do list). BUT we know it can be super helpful to have a quick outline all in one place.
So without further adieu on to the tips…
1. Make sure what you do is crystal clear up front.
Put yourself in the shoes of someone (like an editor who gets 100 emails a day). They’ve never heard of you, and an email about you pops in their inbox.
The first place they’re going is to your website.
And you have just a few seconds before they decide to stay or move on.
What you do and who you are needs to be crystal clear right up front.
Tips to improve your copy:
Create one very clear sentence about your business. It should answer “what your business is and what you do?” Put it at the top of your homepage.
Use your about page to expand on this elevator pitch. Answer the basic, who, what, where, when, why questions about your business.
Poetic copy is very hard to pull off. And it’s not very useful to people who don’t know anything about your business.
Do the “copy and paste test”. If you can paste a heading, product description, or something from your about page onto a different website, and it still works, it’s not specific enough.
Want a deep-dive on About copy? Check out our post- how to write great landing page copy.
Getting specific about what you DO is hard. The more complex your business, the harder it gets.
Enter our PR Strategy client, Notch (left), a first-of-its kind procurement software for multi-location brands.
Notch’s story is a difficult one to tell. It is a project management tool, an interior design tool, a business expansion tool, and a start-up all in one.
We worked with Notch’s founder to create *very* specific language for their homepage. Their original tagline was “Build better together” (hard to understand what that means??).
The new copy clearly states what they DO and for WHO “Procurement Software for Multi-location Brands & Businesses”.
This may not seem as sexy, but it’s much clearer. It states exactly what their product is, particularly important for potential clients and editors.
2. Tell the stories you want the media to tell.
As you grow your business you’ll want to secure press features about your biz as a whole.
But, how to start? First, you need to tell those stories on your site, most likely in a blog form.
It’s important to state what you do and what your values are, but if you want PR you need more. Editors, potential buyers, and stans need to see your whole process.
An example we love:
The image to the left is from The Fold, the blog of designer and artist Rebecca Atwood.
If you browse this blog you’ll notice she writes about product launches and sales, collaborations with interior designers, her creative process.
AND she creates thought leadership content (see our next tip!) on topics like color theory and how to set a holiday table.
A few ideas for your creative biz:
Create a blog post for each of your strongest pieces or projects. Use these posts to take us from design concepts, sketches, prototypes and models, to production.
Make a habit of creating these “behind the scenes” posts for each new project you launch.
If you source material or products in an interesting way tell us about this process. A few examples: sustainable products, working with artisans, and local manufacturing.
Show off your workspace. Take us on a tour of your studio. Use this tour to give a bit more insight into your creative process.
Once you create this content, it should live beyond your blog. Share it in your newsletter, Instagram, and LinkedIn! The answer to “how to PR?” includes telling your story across all your public-facing platforms.
For more tips about behind-the-scenes content and why it’s essential to a good PR plan, read our post Why Documenting Everything is Important for PR.
This case study is about furniture design. The concepts are useful to anyone looking to write about how their projects come to fruition.
3. Be a thought leader.
The media loves a thought leader. And no you don’t have to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company to be one. You run a business in a specific niche, so you’re likely an expert on several related topics.
Are you a furniture designer who is an expert in the circular economy and furniture buy-back programs?
Are you a travel photographer who can also help people take great images with their iPhones?
Are you a boutique food brand that knows all about sourcing local sustainable ingredients?
An example we love:
The article to the left is from Apartment Therapy’s post The 6 Commandments of Styling a Coffee Table, According to Home Stagers.
It includes expert quotes from professional stagers, interior designers, stylists, and real estate agents.
Tips to incorporate thought leadership into your media outreach plan:
If you work in a creative industry there are TONS of outlets that write thought leadership style content. They cover everything from process, to DIY-home-related articles, to “how tos”, and responses to industry news.
You’ll notice many publications publish tip-focused articles like “TKTKTK Experts Share 5 TKTKTK Tips!”
Save these types of articles that are relevant to your work.
Make note of the editors who write them.
Reach out to the editors you have saved and introduce yourself and your expertise. Offer to share your tips. Hopefully, a few will keep your contact information and come to you when they need an expert quote.
Another key tip here- Ask for what you want.
“How to PR” means clarity, clarity, clarity. Be very clear and upfront on your website about the opportunities you are looking for (it’s okay to ask!).
We love elevator pitch bios, something like “I speak on podcasts, write for publications, do in person/video workshops...etc.”
Ready to get started pitching your work and business, but want support from a PR pro? Check out our Custom Media List & Opportunities Kit.
4. Take *great* media quality photos.
If you read our newsletter, you know we're a broken record when it comes to photography.
Great photography is the *most important* part of a successful media outreach plan.
Magazines and blogs are big-picture books, after all. There isn’t an editor in the world who will care about what you do if you don’t have beautiful photos to go along with it.
Design media is visual first. Everything else second.
Where you can get TONS of inspiration:
We created and continue to update a Pinterest account that includes 18 boards dedicated to media-quality photography. Industries range from tech products to residential interiors, lighting to textiles, accessories to consumables, and more.
How to PR - photography tips for designers, brands, and artists:
If you make products and you have a limited budget, prioritize one type of image—“silhouette” shots, also known as “ white sweeps or e-comm photos.” In these images, your work should be well-lit with minimal shadows. The background is completely white, with no wrinkles, shadows, or extra info.
Perspective correct your images in post. Those table legs or the edges of your painting should be parallel to the edges of the image.
When taking lifestyle shots for the media, images should be clean and well-styled for the photo, not necessarily for function. When in doubt work with a stylist!
Take detail shots. Show off unique textures, fixtures, and elements that are not visible in images of the whole product or work.
If you want to understand *exactly* what editors are looking for when it comes to photos, check out our guides all about photography for media outreach.
5. Organize your assets.
Put yourself in an editor’s shoes.
They have no budget, no time, and are bombarded with emails requesting coverage.
If you want to rise to the top, you have to make their lives easier.
Create individual Dropbox or Google drive folders for each editor you are pitching. This will give them easy access, so they’re not sifting through folders or dealing with zip files.
Even bigger pro tip- don’t invite them to join the folder, just send them the link so they can view all the images and download what they need.
How to name your image files:
When you set up cloud-sharing folders, develop a file naming system that will be as easy as possible for editors to understand, like:
company_productname_number.jpg
productname_company_number.jpg
To reiterate, never send editors ZIP files.
6. Know what your peers are doing well.
We’ve all had that moment where we see press on a peer company and think “I can imagine my product/ project/brand in this article.”
If this has crossed your mind you know exactly where to start your research.
Look at the companies that you admire and aspire to, the ones that have a greater reach.
Learning how to do PR can be overwhelming. It can be hard to know where to start.
We’ll always say the best place to start is research!
Tips to start peer research:
Find 5 peer companies that are 2-5 years ahead of you in their career *and* have press coverage. Look at the PR they’re getting.
Follow them on Instagram, read their newsletters, review their website and copy.
Metrics to note during your research:
media outlets
story angles / pitch angles
types of photos and styling
successful website copy
social media content / frequency
partnerships and collaborations
This work takes time but it’s invaluable in building out an effective media outreach plan.
The spreadsheet on the left is from a 1-1 client.
This was part of her peer research homework, which supported her social media strategy. One of the things she learned after doing this work, was the types content that gets the most engagement.
Learn more about 1-1s with Nora here.
7. Have a newsletter & supercharge your sign-up.
Every business must have an email list and an inviting sign-up form on its website.
This isn’t only true for bloggers and consultants. They’re essential for brands and designers.
Email is the number one way to communicate with anyone- future clients, collaborators, and fans.
Use your list to share the stories you’re telling in your blog, plug press features, and share new projects.
Tips to improve sign up copy:
Do not use default copy like “subscribe to my newsletter” or “stay updated”.
You have to tell potential readers why they should sign up. Is it first dibs at new releases and sales? Behind the scenes stories about your creative process?
Include testimonials from subscribers
To the left is the sign-up page from photographer and great newsletter author Noah Kalina.
The page tells potential subscribers what they’ll be getting and includes quotes from readers.
8. Get ready for influencer partnerships.
“How do I get started with influencer partnerships?” We’ve been getting this question a lot lately.
So much in fact, we’ll be doing a more extended post soon. In the meantime, here are tips to get started.
Tips to get ready for these partnerships:
Build out your own content before initiating influencer partnerships. This could entail something like a 6-month content plan with:
2 blog posts a month
3-4 Instagram posts a week
3-4 Instagram stories a week with behind the scenes content
A bi-monthly email to people on your list where you share what you’re doing in a more personal way
If you are getting started, start small when it comes to initiating influencer partnerships. Someone with 5 or 10k very engaged followers that overlap with your ideal client may be the perfect fit right now.
Start to follow influencers that overlap with your target audience. Engage with their posts by commenting and sharing.
Reach out! Set a goal to reach out to 5 - 10 influencers per week once you’re ready.
Don’t forget to ask your friends and network to share your content once it starts moving.
On the left is a sample 6-month content plan to prep for influencer outreach. It’s organized on a weekly schedule. Test these same column headings and see if they work for you.
9. Pitch your products to holiday gift guides.
You probably already knew that the biggest time of year for consumer spending is the holidays.
So many brands depend on this time of year to meet their revenue goals.
What you may not know is that the holidays are also the time of year with the MOST media opportunities for product-based businesses.
Securing even one or two gift guide placements can lead to millions of new eyes on your products!
But, if you want to get in on this great press opportunity you have to start in the summer.
If you sell products and want the low down on pitching gift guides, sign up for our on-demand workshop How to Increase Brand Awareness with Holiday Gift Guide Press.
What you’ll learn in our gift guide PR workshop:
Why the holidays have 5x the amount of press opportunities
Why gift guides should be your media outreach priority if you sell products.
How gift guide press can supercharge your end of year sales goals
When you should start pitching gift guides so you don't miss out on this great opportunity
5 insider publicist tips so you're sure your product is ready for gift guide outreach
PLUS Nora will be doing a live Q&A where you’ll be able to ask questions specifically about your biz.
The images to the left all include placements Nora has secured for her clients — no theory here!
