PR tips HOW TO GET INTO PRESS words by Karolina Barnes
As an editor, I get around 150-200 pitches a day. And as I said many times before, I ignore 99% of them. Why? The biggest problem for me is that I can’t do anything with the material presented to me. If you want to be featured in a publication, the first thing you need to do even before you can start a press pitch campaign is to have the best quality tools available to you. It’s very simple: no tools, no results. Poor tools, poor results. Surprisingly, most pitches I get are actually highly researched. They clearly understand what stories I'm looking for. It’s very frustrating when I know that someone spent time researching but didn’t invest enough time, resources and thinking into the presented content. As magazine publishing is going through challenging and changing times, it’s more important than ever before to grab people’s attention through emotion. We need to feel connected. YOUR PRESS TOOLKIT 1. Your project / product story packaged in a press release The most important element of successful press pitching is your story. No other designer or brand can be like you. Brand storytelling goes well beyond your USPs. It needs to be relatable, inspiring, educational or motivational. Hence, the focus of your story should be on the problem and how you solved it. If you're an interior designer, this might mean building your story around the changes and improvements you make in your projects. If you're an artist or brand, build your story around the emotion / lifestyle, giving a few key points from before (problem) to after (solution). 2. Your background story Every press pitch / press release should have a little story about you and your own professional journey. Please include your contact details as well as website link and social media handles. 44
