Kitchen & Bath Design News

JAN 2018

Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.

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She concludes, "It's important to have good material, good pictures, so invest in some nice styling and a good photo shoot so it shows [your project] off to its best potential." ATTENTION WORTHY Of course pitching media correctly is only one part of the equation – you also have to have noteworthy projects and a story to tell. For award-winning designer Werling, unique designs and eye-catching colors are a great place to start. She explains, "Everyone's showing a gray kitchen or a white kitchen, so unique designs with unexpected colors or a close-up detail [of something different] helps you to stand out. Particularly on social media, "It's all about the pictures," she says, adding, "People scroll by so fast, you have to have something that catches their eye." Miller agrees that something dramatic can certainly be eye-catching, but she believes it's more important to have a story. "Have a reason for why this is a great project, not just for the editor but for the project itself. Is there a space chal- lenge, a client challenge, big family, small family, sustain- ability, wellness? What's your angle? When you have a hook, even as you start designing it, it will help you pitch it later on; you can give them more than pretty pictures, you can give them your vision." She believes that details also make a difference, noting, "As you're pitching, highlight those story elements by not always going with the full room shot right away. Have vignette shots." Hashtags can be attention-getters, too; Werling is a fan of Instagram, and has garnered many followers from all over with simple, descriptive hashtags that would be likely to turn up in a search, such as #seededglass or #whitekitchen. YOUR PERSONAL BRAND If your goal is to build your personal brand, a blog is a valuable tool, according to Mills. "I get most of my media on the national and international level from having a great website and the blog," she notes, adding that her blog's readership spans 130+ coun- tries. The blog spotlights her knowledge in a variety of areas, and has garnered everything from national and international press write-ups to offers to audition for national television shows. Anthony Michael Salerno, who handles much of the social media at his father's firm, adds, "Social media is free and plays a huge role [in building your brand]; we have over 1,200 subscribers to our blog and about 1,300 blog viewers a month; roughly half of them click through to our website and that has led to several high-profile jobs. The fun part about the blog is that it is not just about our designs – we talk about recipes, wines, colors, restaurants, vacations, charity work, kids and grandkids, etc. Aside from being on the same design wave- length as your prospective client, you want to connect with them on an extracurricular level as well!" While pitching great designs and interesting stories is always important, having a clearly defined personal brand can also make a difference. In TV and radio, Mills notes that there will always be demand for people "who are entertaining, who are interesting, who are knowledgeable, and who are lively and able to give a good answer." She adds, it's important to cultivate a positive attitude that makes people want to work with you, noting that being warm, friendly, approachable and reliable will also add to the advancement of your personal brand. Relationships also matter, according to Abramovitch. She concludes, "One of the things that may be old fashioned but is still very important is to develop a relationship with an editor over time. Be a 'go-to' person for them." After all, media are people, too! ▪ something recently completed, with a few sentences about what was done and why, as well as where the home is located. If it's a good fit for BH&G;, we'll go to their website or blog to check out the rest of their work." She continues, "We're looking for innovation with main- stream appeal. We love rooms that look sunny and bright, so we're drawn to rooms with windows. The impression of nat- ural light and a view makes a room seem bigger, brighter and more interesting. And we like to see photos with a focal point: a range with a decorative hood, an apron-front sink in front of a window, an island with seating and storage. A wide-angle lens may capture most of the kitchen components in one shot, but it doesn't always produce the prettiest picture. We're look- ing for photos of rooms with an intimate, real-life feel rather than a showroom display." Abramovitch also encourages those looking to get published to "Follow the editors who work for the publications you want to be in on social media. Comment on what you see; you might catch their attention, and that might lead them to your page." She appreciates being tagged on Instagram with photos of projects that might be a good fit, noting, "We're interested in technology and how that relates to the kitchen and sometimes the bathroom. And we are extremely interested in spaces that are gorgeous." A blog is a great tool for enhanc- ing your firm's visibility; designer Karen Mills has received numerous media opportunities through her blog, which has follow- ers in more than 130 countries. 84 Kitchen & Bath Design News • January 2018 PUBLICITY

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