8 Essential Things to Do When Working With the Media
Find out how to maximize your exposure in digital and print publications
Mastering the art of concisely communicating your work to the media with clarity is an important skill in today’s digital world. But what if you haven’t done any basic media training? And how should you advise your staff to proceed? Worry not — simply follow these eight essential tips to put your best foot forward when working with digital and print publications.
2. Do Return Calls and Emails
You’ll be surprised to learn how many professionals, even those who court media coverage of their work, aren’t able to respond in a timely manner to writers’ and editors’ offers to feature their projects. We all get busy but it’s always worth a quick email or call to say you’re interested, even if you can’t answer questions straight away. If you don’t reply, that’s one less title or media organization that will be likely to reach out to you in the future, regardless of how exquisite your work is.
Editorial staffs often work on tight deadlines and budgets and have fast turnaround times, so if an opening arises to interview a professional for a future story, they won’t prioritize someone who didn’t return their previous calls or emails.
You’ll be surprised to learn how many professionals, even those who court media coverage of their work, aren’t able to respond in a timely manner to writers’ and editors’ offers to feature their projects. We all get busy but it’s always worth a quick email or call to say you’re interested, even if you can’t answer questions straight away. If you don’t reply, that’s one less title or media organization that will be likely to reach out to you in the future, regardless of how exquisite your work is.
Editorial staffs often work on tight deadlines and budgets and have fast turnaround times, so if an opening arises to interview a professional for a future story, they won’t prioritize someone who didn’t return their previous calls or emails.
3. Do Be Realistic When Agreeing to Provide Information
“As with life, so with media: It’s always better to overdeliver than overcommit,” says Julia Fairley, a Houzz Australia editor.
“If you’ve promised to reply to interview responses or send in photos of your work by Friday, try to follow through. Better yet, if there’s a possibility you might be pushed for time, commit to next Monday instead and aim to deliver on the Friday beforehand. You’ll officially be early, and which writer or editor doesn’t love an early bird?”
And if unforeseen events prevent you from delivering on time, try not to leave your contact hanging. Always get in touch to let them know, and offer an updated (realistic) timeframe.
If you want to free up time by making your workflow faster and more efficient, take a look at Houzz Pro business software. Not only does it streamline almost every facet of running your business, but it also cuts down the duration of pesky admin tasks, leaving you with extra time for other things.
Find out more about how Houzz Pro can help you run your business better
“As with life, so with media: It’s always better to overdeliver than overcommit,” says Julia Fairley, a Houzz Australia editor.
“If you’ve promised to reply to interview responses or send in photos of your work by Friday, try to follow through. Better yet, if there’s a possibility you might be pushed for time, commit to next Monday instead and aim to deliver on the Friday beforehand. You’ll officially be early, and which writer or editor doesn’t love an early bird?”
And if unforeseen events prevent you from delivering on time, try not to leave your contact hanging. Always get in touch to let them know, and offer an updated (realistic) timeframe.
If you want to free up time by making your workflow faster and more efficient, take a look at Houzz Pro business software. Not only does it streamline almost every facet of running your business, but it also cuts down the duration of pesky admin tasks, leaving you with extra time for other things.
Find out more about how Houzz Pro can help you run your business better
4. Do Be Transparent
“If a writer or editor approaches you about featuring a project in their publication, it’s important to let them know if it’s already appeared online or in print, or if it’s scheduled to run in another publication,” says Georgia Madden, Houzz Australia senior writer. “Publications don’t want to run the same story at the same time and will often want an exclusive on a project, meaning they’re the first ones to feature it.”
“If a writer or editor approaches you about featuring a project in their publication, it’s important to let them know if it’s already appeared online or in print, or if it’s scheduled to run in another publication,” says Georgia Madden, Houzz Australia senior writer. “Publications don’t want to run the same story at the same time and will often want an exclusive on a project, meaning they’re the first ones to feature it.”
5. Do Be Concise and Detailed
Most people know to avoid one-word answers when giving interviews, but remember to be concise as well. The longer your answers are, the higher the chance they will need to be cut and edited for brevity. Now is not the time to waffle, and remember to reread through your answers before you send them to your contact — not all publications have the budget for copy editors.
“Good interview responses are concise and detail-rich, so strive to offer the exact name of that gorgeous paint color and the finish, rather than simply referring to it as white,” Fairley says.
Most people know to avoid one-word answers when giving interviews, but remember to be concise as well. The longer your answers are, the higher the chance they will need to be cut and edited for brevity. Now is not the time to waffle, and remember to reread through your answers before you send them to your contact — not all publications have the budget for copy editors.
“Good interview responses are concise and detail-rich, so strive to offer the exact name of that gorgeous paint color and the finish, rather than simply referring to it as white,” Fairley says.
6. Do Tailor Your Answers
If you’ve been asked by a journalist to answer a series of specific questions by email about a project, do take the time to answer them.
“While you might think you’re saving time by cutting and pasting a section of your website or sending through answers from a previous interview you’ve done, this is unlikely to be exactly what the journalist is looking for,” Madden says.
“You’ll then end up in a back-and-forth email dance with the journalist as they try to extract the right information from you, which generally takes longer than simply answering the questions in the first place.”
If you’ve been asked by a journalist to answer a series of specific questions by email about a project, do take the time to answer them.
“While you might think you’re saving time by cutting and pasting a section of your website or sending through answers from a previous interview you’ve done, this is unlikely to be exactly what the journalist is looking for,” Madden says.
“You’ll then end up in a back-and-forth email dance with the journalist as they try to extract the right information from you, which generally takes longer than simply answering the questions in the first place.”
7. Do Respond to Comments
With so many publications online now, readers often take the opportunity to comment on the project they’re reading about … and to ask the designer questions about process, materials and challenges that may be relevant to their own home. If you can, get in and answer them. Editors know your time is valuable and your knowledge shouldn’t be given away for free, but this is a chance to educate and connect with readers who are potential clients.
“Building goodwill by sharing information and responding to questions is hugely important yet underestimated in the industry,” says Vanessa Walker, editor of Houzz Australia and New Zealand. “I sometimes see those professionals who reply to queries about their projects converting that person into a client.”
So many readers on platforms such as Houzz are renovation-ready. Don’t leave this as an un-mined opportunity to connect with them. At most it may result in leads and at the least it will make you feel good. We all like to help people.
4 Simple Ways to Stand Out From the Competition
With so many publications online now, readers often take the opportunity to comment on the project they’re reading about … and to ask the designer questions about process, materials and challenges that may be relevant to their own home. If you can, get in and answer them. Editors know your time is valuable and your knowledge shouldn’t be given away for free, but this is a chance to educate and connect with readers who are potential clients.
“Building goodwill by sharing information and responding to questions is hugely important yet underestimated in the industry,” says Vanessa Walker, editor of Houzz Australia and New Zealand. “I sometimes see those professionals who reply to queries about their projects converting that person into a client.”
So many readers on platforms such as Houzz are renovation-ready. Don’t leave this as an un-mined opportunity to connect with them. At most it may result in leads and at the least it will make you feel good. We all like to help people.
4 Simple Ways to Stand Out From the Competition
8. Do Keep a Record After Publication
Having one of your projects featured in a story — either online or in a printed title by a reputable publication — is something many professionals strive for. Be sure to ask for the PDF and save it in your records if your work was featured in print. And if it was published online, always record the URL so you can post to social media.
Your turn: How do you ensure you and your team enjoy a great working relationship with writers and editors? Share in the Comments.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in pro-to-pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Having one of your projects featured in a story — either online or in a printed title by a reputable publication — is something many professionals strive for. Be sure to ask for the PDF and save it in your records if your work was featured in print. And if it was published online, always record the URL so you can post to social media.
Your turn: How do you ensure you and your team enjoy a great working relationship with writers and editors? Share in the Comments.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in pro-to-pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
When contacted for a possible story some professionals are a little wary of not being able to control media coverage, despite negative experiences being rare in home and architectural publications. Most titles, such as Houzz, feature projects they love, and which receive positive feedback, or interesting questions, from readers.
If you have doubts, research the publication in question and become familiar with its coverage. Titles have a limited amount of time, resources and space to dedicate to stories on homes, and they chose yours. So take it as a compliment.