To recap this series on the ins and outs of public relations and publicity, the most important thing to remember is to do it. Getting your name out there usually doesn’t happen by itself.

It all starts with a plan. Take the time you need to think things through. P.R. doesn’t need to cost much in the way of money for an independent designer or small shop. But, it does require an investment in time.

Once you have your plan in place, start building your media list. While you’re doing that, you can also start putting your press kit together. Begin to think like a reporter. What’s happening with your business that can have a newsy spin? Fire up your favorite word processor and draft some news releases.

After a while writing starts to get a little easier. You may even find you have a natural talent for it. If so, great. Write some articles about your design specialty, working with a designer, the design process, etc. Get them submitted online and also to print publications. Those should include relevant industry trade publications where you want to get work.

The next thing you know, your name starts showing up all over the place. You might even land some interviews. Then you’ll have something for yet another news release. And so the cycle begins …

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt

Being interviewed is akin to the holy grail of p.r. It can give you instant credibility and an endorsement from somebody, other than you, who says, “Hey, this designer is all right.”

You sent out your press kits and a flurry of releases. After a while, the phone rings or the inbox jingles. You found an editor who’s hot for more and contacted you. They want an interview. You put out the big promise and now it’s time to deliver. Your head is spinning. “Can I do this?” “What if I screw things up?” Trust me, when your first interview rolls around, all this and plenty more will have your head whirling.

Step back. Breath. You’ll be fine. It’s no biggie. All it is, in reality, is a simple conversation. You do that all the time.

The most important thing prior to the interview is to prepare. Consider what they might ask. In most cases, you’ll be given a list of questions prior to the interview. You’ll have time to prepare. At least that’s how it’s been for me. Also, be up to snuff on the issues related to your topic and industry.

For example, I was interviewed by Chris Ritke of 49Sparks.com a while back. The topic was BoDo’s launch. I had to fly down to Fort Lauderdale on personal business and Chris and I emailed back and forth to set the day and time. He also sent me the questions he wanted to ask. I had several days to prepare. Whew!

We did the interview on a Saturday. Here’s where things get typical when it comes to interviews. I was so rushed at the time, I gave Chris the wrong phone number. Sheesh! It’s my family house and I couldn’t get the phone number right. I finally did get it right, he called, and the connection was so lousy we couldn’t make out what each other was saying. We finally connected by mobile phone.

I was in one of the bedrooms and had my papers all laid out on the bed. Nice and tidy and in the order I thought (Key phrase: “I thought”) Chris would ask. Well … the best laid plans of mice and men. Although we did talk about BoDo, one thing lead to another and we ended up talking about all sorts of design-related topics. It was fun and we did get several compliments on the interview. But, it sure didn’t go as I thought it would.

Lesson learned: Know the issues. Even with an agenda, you don’t really know where the conversation will go. Be flexible.

Also, you never know where an interview will originate. I was interviewed by Pitney-Bowes’ Priorities magazine about small business branding. The writer had seen a logo on my site that I had done for a client. From my point of view, he called me out of the blue to set up an interview.

I was also interviewed by a freelance writer for, of all things, American Massage Magazine. That one was about figuring hourly rates for service businesses. The writer had come across my article about how to calculate hourly rates and figured it would also work for massage therapists. She was right. But, I sure wouldn’t have thought to put American Massage Magazine on my media list.

Lesson learned: Get your articles, press kit and news releases out there. They might just result in an unexpected interview.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt

Okay, so now you’ve got a press kit and maybe a press release or three. What the heck do you do with them? Well, it’s probably a good idea to get them into the hands of the media. That means you’ll need to build your media list. It’s a cousin to your prospects and contacts list.

The first place to look is your own backyard. What local and regional publications are out there? Check for newspapers, business magazines and newspapers. A trip to your local bookseller can help you find media along with editor and reporter names and contact info. Grab some pubs, score a cuppa joe and start writing things down (or into your laptop).

Don’t stop there. You want widespread fame. Look into national publications, too. What the heck. They may not print your stuff right away, but you’re not out too much postage dough. If they see your a good source of information that’s relevant to their readers, you just might find yourself in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Inc. or USA Today (or top pubs of your country du jour).

Also, look for industry publications within your niche. You do have one of those, right? Trade associations are also a good source. Many produce magazines and newsletters.

When building your list, don’t forget radio and TV. These folks need people to interview. You want them to interview you. So, send them your kit and releases and then keep in touch.

Online syndication services are another key ingredient in your media mix. My Creative Latitude and About.com graphic design forum bud, Calvin Lee, of Mayhem Studios, posted several in his recent e-newsletter. By the by, if you don’t receive Cal’s newsletter, you should. It’s a quick, albeit great, read. There’s a spot to sign up on his home page.

So, without further ado, bookmark these sites, courtesy of Mr. Lee.

Fast Pitch Networking

PR Compass

Free Press Release

PR Leap

Press Arrivenet

24/7 Press Release

PR Log

1888 Press Release

Click Press

Free News Release

I-Newswire

PR

PR 9

Press Base

Keeping in touch is important. Work to build a relationship with editors, reporters and writers. These are the folks that can get your name in front of Mr. or Ms. Deep-Pockets. You want to treat your media contacts with kid gloves and become a resource for them. Think of them as a treasured prospect, worth their weight in publicity gold, because they’re the ones who can put you in touch with scores of other prospects.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt

In my previous post about press kits, I wrote that press releases are often the anchor of your publicity efforts. To help ensure your potent prose sees the light of day, be sure your releases conform to accepted format standards.

I dusted off one of my older releases to use as an example. First comes the release (and a plug for BoDo bud, Jeff Fisher’s, first book). Next, we’ll look at each element of a release. Get your release writing down and pretty soon you’ll be the media darling you were meant to be.

News Release

Contact:
Neil Tortorella
330.305.1554
[email address here]

December 6, 2004

For Immediate Release

Local Designer Featured in New Graphic Design Book

North Canton, OH: North Canton-based graphic designer, Neil Tortorella of Tortorella Design, is featured in the newly released book, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career, by Jeff Fisher.

The book includes advice on the building blocks of a graphic design career; education options; what designers have learned in the “school of hard knocks;” how to get more than your foot in the door in your quest for clients or a job and various aspects of dealing with clients on projects. Communication issues are covered in some detail, as are establishing a business persona and the nitty-gritty issues of business - pricing, contracts and more.

In addition to Tortorella, the volume also contains anecdotes and career lessons from designers Jack Anderson; Habib Bajrami; Milton Glaser; Art Chantry; Christopher Gee, Von Glitschka, Nigel Gordijk, Chuck Green; Nigel Holmes; Karen Larson, Morgan Mann, John McWade, Clement Mok; Jennifer Morla; Catherine Morley; Ellen Shapiro; Valarie Martin Stuart, Travis Tom; Peleg Top; Petrula Vrontikis and several other industry professionals.

Marketing and promotion is a major topic in the book. In addition, a number of designers relate major career obstacles and how they were overcome - or avoided in the future. There’s also information on doing pro bono work and getting involved in the design community. The book is full of industry-related quotes, business resources and materials to help designers be more successful as business people.

Published by HOW Design Books, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career can be found at most major booksellers both on and offline.

With over 30 years experience in graphic and web design, Neil’s primary focus is helping small businesses effectively communicate with their audiences. He is also the recipient of numerous awards for design excellence and cofounder of CreativeLatitude.com, a popular online resource for both creatives and clients. Tortorella Design’s web site can be found at www.tortorelladesign.com.

###

Let’s take this apart and look at each element.
————————-
Contact:
Neil Tortorella
330.305.1554
[email address]

This is your contact info and should appear at the top of the release. If an editor, reporter or writers has questions, you want them to be able to get in touch with you for clarification.

————————-
December 6, 2004

The date of the release.
————————-
Local Designer Featured in New Graphic Design Book

Here’s your headline. It should immediately tell the editor what the release is all about. This release went out to my local media contacts, so the headline focused on being local, rather than something overly witty.
————————-
North Canton, OH:
Insert the dateline at the beginning of the first paragraph. Ironically, the “dateline” isn’t a date at all. It’s the location of your office or where the news originated.

————————-
North Canton-based graphic designer, Neil Tortorella of Tortorella Design, is featured in the newly released book, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career, by Jeff Fisher.

Lead off with the most important information. Think of the body of your release as an inverted pyramid with less important information lower in the release. Editors tend to cut from the bottom.

When you’re drafting your release, put on your reporter hat. They want to know who, what where, when and why. They also love facts, so give them as many as you can.

————————-
[more] and/or ###

If your release is two or more pages, let the editor know by including [more] at the end of each page. Finally, close your release with either “-30-” or “###,” the customary symbols to say “That’s all folks.”

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt