How to Get Media Coverage

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (London, actually) I got my first job as Press Office Assistant for a well-known UK fashion brand; Hobbs. As a fashion graduate, this was as close as I was ever going to get to fashion glory. To be honest, I was a dreadful fashion designer and can hardly believe I was awarded my degree - my saving grace was the 1st I got for my dissertation 'How Can We Justify Fashion?' (a clue to my attitude towards fashion in 1996!)

My primary objective at Hobbs was to get their clothes and shoes into all of the press; Elle, Marie-Clare, Good Housekeeping, all the Sunday papers etc. I worked under a truly wonderful manager; an elegant, professional PR who showed me the ropes. But our Boss was a witch - I think I can safely say that after 17 years. Watching "The Devil Wears Prada" a few years ago brought me out in a cold sweat. I was Anne Hathaway's character. Trembling and in constant fear.

"How many editors did you call? How many journalists have you chased? Why aren't we in Vogue this month?" plus the classic fashionista put-down "What dress size do you wear, Emma?"

It was all about numbers, numbers, numbers. This was all before email and social media, so contact was  made via telephone. Very dry. My eyes swam in mind-boggling lists of editors and journalists to call every day. Relentlessly. And Vogue was her raison d'etre, the Holy Grail. Nothing else mattered. As a naive but hard-working 22 year old, those levels of stress were utterly alien to me.

Fast forward to sunny Sydney, 2010. Time has seen me become a wife, mother, selling artist, newly arrived Aussie Permanent Resident and business owner. As many will know, Bespoke Art launched first and being new to Sydney, I had to promote it, which meant doing my own PR.......flash backs!  Eek! Would I tremble? Would my mind boggle?

No, thankfully. And I continue to do the PR for My Bespoke Chair. Only this time, it's a happy work environment! And I've learnt that individuals matter.  Not numbers or lists.

Everyone has a story to tell and everyone likes to hear a story. Doing your own press is just story telling, and making sure the right people hear it.

Here are 5 tips for getting media coverage:

1. Be a reader. Buy the magazines your ideal customers read. Compile a directory of editors, key journalists and stylists. Update regularly as people move - and it's a great excuse to read magazines under the guise of work! You can buy media lists or employ a PR company, but My Bespoke Chair is bootstrapped and self seed-funded, so I'd rather spend money elsewhere.
2. Be personal. Often I send news and updates via email to groups of key editors, journalists and stylists. That's simply efficiency at work. But just as often I will contact someone individually if I think the news would resonate personally. One-on-one contact is nice. 
3. Be remarkable. Everyone likes nice parcels in the post. Intriguing in this digital age. For an event, I sent beautiful perspex boxes filled with the invite, a press release and great photos to key editors, journalists and stylists. Vogue Living came and a few months later my work graced their hallowed pages.
4. Be chatty. Follow and comment on blogs and e-zines you admire.  Don't write inane "yes" or "I love this." Be respectful and add value to the conversation that someone else started. Blogs and e-zines are the future (and present) of media. Follow in the same vein for social media.
5. Rinse and repeat. Information, opinion and players change so often that you have to be on the ball at all times. It's exhausting, a huge learning curve, but rewarding. 

P.S - I tried not to gloat on the inside when my work was featured in Vogue - in respect for my old boss, you understand. :-) To see the media coverage for My Bespoke Chair, click here

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It's a Lonely Life!

If you know me personally, don't panic and call my mother. I'm not lonely in my real life, nor in my virtual life. My family, friends, gym and cat keep me happy in the real world. My personal and business social media communities keep me happy in the virtual world.

But I am alone in the every day My Bespoke Chair world. Apart from the people who work with me to build the website, print the fabrics and make the chairs, the buck stops with me.

Being a solopreneur is tough and there are times when I sit back from the screen, look around, realise that I've spent the best part of the day clacking away at the keyboard....and for what? For whom? What's the point? Am I a madwoman for starting this impossible journey - building a business with a product, website and ethos that is so unlike my competitors?

Questions:
a) What do I do next and how do I know it's right?
b) Who can I look to for inspiration?
c) Where can I find guidance?
d) Why am I torturing myself by embarking on this journey?

Answers:
a) I recently completed an online business marketing course, lead by an incredible woman called Marie Forleo. She's been sought out by Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey for being the voice of the modern woman in online business. This 8 week course taught me customer targeting, marketing strategies, website optimisation, copywriting and lots of American "yay-go-girl" kookiness. I gained precise insights and strategies, I gained affirmation that much of what I am doing naturally is correct and most vitally, gave me access to a community of women (+ a few men) who are starting out, just like me. It is a life-long membership to her course and supportive community.

b) On Saturday, I was humbled to be part of the TEDx Sydney audience. TED is a global organisation, spreading ideas worth sharing. If you haven't experiences a TED talk, hop onto their site and pick any; they are free online and totally awe-inspiring. I sat for 12 hours at the Sydney Opera House, listening to clever people talk about the Digital Data Black-Hole, Housing for Health, Drugs to Slow Aging Genes, Marketing to the Masses and Nature as a Designer. Plus a fabulous chap who created an entire Jazz Band with his mouth, voice-box and a mike. Inspiring stuff.

c) On Monday, I went to a Pitching Competition, organised by TiE and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. This event showcased entrepreneurs pitching for Venture Capital and a 1st Prize to attend TiECom in Silicon Valley. A bit like Dragons Den without the cool warehouse studio. I was encouraged to hear people pitch their dreams and disruptive business ideas. I felt less alone. And TiE is a global mentoring organisation, linking entrepreneurs with Business Angels. I attended a 2 hour mentoring introduction last month but now I shall join the organisation. Launching and working unguided is daunting, but now I have some of Sydney's best business brains on my side. The start-up industry is burgeoning in Sydney especially and there are opportunities to be explored.

d) Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, explains perfectly why I am compelled to run My Bespoke Chair and Bespoke Art, to use my talents and follow my ambitions. I don't want to be 80 years old and regret not exploring my life's possibilities. But he explains it better! Watch it here.

So I'm not alone in being alone.  I'm just alone in pushing my own boundaries.


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