Get Ink DIY Blog

One of the questions I get most often from interior designers who are interested in getting press is: 

Where do I even start?

Let me take you back to the very basics because, as you may know, I believe that the magic bullet for smashing PR success is going back to fundamentals, doing them well, and doing them consistently. Here are the three areas you want to focus on and some practical tips to get started.

• Be ready.

• Have a website that reflects your brand and has all the info a journalist would need: Who you are, what you do, where you are, projects, press, contact.
• Have a social media presence that’s aligned with your website and brand. Be active, share about yourself & your work.

• Be proactive.

• Media coverage isn’t just going to happen. At least, it’s highly unlikely.
• Connect on social media
• Follow editors and freelancers on social, interact and engage with them. Respectfully!
• Generally, pitch your stories/projects to them via email. Only...

When interior designers think of getting press, it usually revolves around placing a project in a feature article in a design magazine. While that is a noble goal and absolutely doable, it’s a lengthy and involved process that can easily take close to a year, or even longer.

But, wait! There is an easier and more immediate way to get published.

Have you ever read a magazine or online article and wondered how the designers quoted in the article did it? There are a few ways it can happen but let me share the path of least resistance with you to get quoted as an expert by the media. If you take my advice and act on it, I will pretty much guarantee you that you will see your first expert mention in an article within the first month or two.  

And I am not just saying this without proof. I have seen it happen over and over again in my Design PR Insider Membership. My rockstar members have been featured in outlets like the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Apartment Therapy,...

It’s interesting how things come full circle. I have been doing PR for more than twenty years. Time really does fly, whether you’re having fun - or not. Kidding aside and being the optimist I am, most of my career in PR I would definitely list in the positive column when I look back. I’ve certainly learned a lot, traveled a lot, been to many tradeshows and events, written a lot, talked a lot, attended a LOT of meetings, build great friendships, and landed some very cool media placements along the way.

But you know what? There are still moments when I feel like a novice. There are so many things to know, and part of the wisdom that comes with experience is knowing what you don’t know. Do I know all the editors at all the design magazines? No, definitely not. (They keep moving around too!) Do I know how to write a pitch that 100% will turn into a placement? No, definitely not. (But no one does!) Do I meet all the pitch deadlines and is my...

Today I want to have an earnest chat about doing your own PR and getting your own ink. From my many conversations with designers I know that PR is important to them and that everyone understands the benefits of being featured in the press. But there are a lot of open questions - and preconceived notions - that prevent people from actually doing their own PR. 

A week ago I asked for the top questions on this topic and I am so grateful for all the responses. I noticed a lot of the same themes: how to approach PR overall, what goals to set, where to start, how to do it without spending a lot of time, and of course the ins and outs of pitching and getting placements.

The questions have definitely helped me finetune the topics I am covering in my upcoming course, but at the same time I was excited to see that most of them focused exactly on what I will be teaching: Laying the foundation to do your own PR, and doing so in a way so you don’t have to spend a lot of time or money....