DON’T WAIT FOR THE PHOTOS: 5 Things Designers Can Do Now to Build Their PR Pipeline
For many interior designers, PR starts when a project is finished and photography is ready to send to media. But if you wait for photos in hand, you may be missing opportunities to build interest in your work long before those final images arrive.
The strongest PR programs don’t rely solely on completed projects. They keep a designer’s name in front of the right editors over time—and create a pipeline of potential stories that can be developed when the timing is right.
Here are five things you can do now to strengthen your PR efforts, even if you don’t have a finished project ready to pitch.
1. Keep a running list of potential story ideas
Pay attention to the projects you’re working on and note details that could eventually become part of a story. Maybe you’ve found an unexpected solution to a design challenge, you’re working with an unusual material, a client has a particularly interesting collection or you’re seeing a shift in how your clients are using their homes.
Keep a running list of ideas. Something that doesn’t seem particularly newsworthy today may become a useful pitch when it connects with a trend, season or editor’s current area of interest. And if you have your own website blog or newsletter, this ideas list can be useful there too.
2. Document the process—not just the finished room
Beautiful finished photography is essential for residential design PR, but sometimes the most interesting part of a project is how you got there. Photograph materials and details as a project progresses. Save notes about why certain choices were made. Make sure you know the stories behind the artisans, craftspeople and other collaborators involved. Those details can help turn a beautiful room into a more compelling editorial story.
3. Know what makes your work distinctive
Take a step back from individual projects and ask yourself: What do I want editors to know about me as a designer? Maybe you have particular expertise in mountain homes, historic properties or sustainable materials. Maybe you have a distinctive approach to color or a deep knowledge of craftsmanship, antiques or art – or just an interesting backstory.
These broader areas of expertise can create editorial opportunities that have nothing to do with a particular completed project. They also help editors understand when you’re the right person to call for a story.
4. Pay attention to what editors are covering
We’ve said it before, but read the magazines and websites you want to appear in. Notice the kinds of projects they’re publishing and the subjects they’re returning to. You don’t have to chase trends or change your design point of view, but you can watch for points where your expertise intersects with the conversations that are already happening – which is often where the best pitch ideas come from.
5. Think beyond the project
A completed home is just one reason for an editor to hear from you. PR shouldn’t go quiet when a designer doesn’t have a new project ready to pitch. At Word PR, our clients receive regular outreach to top media whether or not they have a completed project photographed and ready to pitch. We share their expertise, news, recent media coverage (that third-party credibility matters to editors as well as potential clients), themed roundups on seasonally appropriate topics or ones that connect with trends editors are currently watching. Our consistent outreach keeps our clients top of mind with the editors and journalists who matter.
Because good PR isn’t just about getting one project published. It’s about building familiarity and credibility over time – so that when an editor needs a source, an expert or a great project, your name is already on their radar.