in a Press Kit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWhat\u2019s a Press Kit, you ask? Read on.<\/p>\n
PR strategy #2: Make Headlines<\/h2>\n
Want to talk to a newspaper, a blogger or a radio station to reach your target group? Go for it! Let’s get people talking about you.<\/p>\n
How do I find the right medium?<\/h3>\n
First step: ask yourself who might be interested in your story. Take a look at your local city or neighborhood newspaper or city magazines. Journalists love a local success story! Think about publications that reach your niche. If you have a Shop with dog designs, for example, go for dog magazines. Or if you illustrate e.g. goldfish, a fishing blog might be just the ticket.<\/p>\n
Then try to find a direct contact (e.g. “local editorial office”, “cultural section”). You will often find the contact details in the imprint. Some good old-fashioned Googling can also help.<\/p>\n
How do I address journalists and bloggers?<\/h3>\n
Editors usually work on several stories at the same time and deal with tight deadlines. You are one of many people trying to get their attention. Make your story sound relevant and fascinating in your very first contact.<\/p>\n
Think about trending topics. For example, let\u2019s say you design T-shirts about reducing plastic waste in your city. Save the Koi fish in the local park\u2019s pond! Stop throwing trash in the river! Great! It\u2019s topical, it\u2019s important, and journalists would be able to connect it to other global and local topics. Another thing to consider: is there an upcoming event near you that relates to your Shop?<\/p>\n
If you want to stay in the media spotlight over the long term, it\u2019s a good idea to create a press kit<\/strong>. This makes you seem very professional and makes life easier for journalists.<\/p>\nWhat does a press kit include?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- A short text about you and your Shop, including important links<\/li>\n
- Relevant data, facts and figures about you and your business<\/li>\n
- Your logo (in RGB format for digital publications, in CMYK for printed publications)<\/li>\n
- Photos or other imagery (which you own the rights to) that you can make available to journalists free of charge.<\/li>\n
- Videos or video links, if you have them<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You can provide your Press Kit as a link to your website or as a PDF file.<\/p>\n
How to keep in touch?<\/h3>\n
Once you\u2019ve been featured, maintain that connection with the press. Write to the journalist who wrote about you to update them: What’s new? What is planned? What exciting developments are underway? This is exactly what PR is all about: building and maintaining long-term relationships.<\/p>\n
PR strategy #3: Blog, Post, Respond, Repeat<\/h2>\n
What applies to your press contacts also applies to your customers and followers. You\u2019ll only build up a long-term, stable fan base through interaction. Increase your reach with these three steps:<\/p>\n
1. Create relevant content<\/h3>\n
To be found on Google or other search engines, you have to create relevant content. For example, if you sell plant designs, you could write a blog post about how to make DIY flower bombs or how to propagate your houseplants.<\/p>\n
“Write small posts or blog articles on topics that aren\u2019t directly related to your shop, but are still of interest to those who don’t know you. That way, you guarantee that your articles will be shared even among those who don\u2019t know your shop yet.”<\/p>\n
2. Involve your personal network<\/h3>\n
Every follower counts\u2014especially when you\u2019re just getting started. Get support from your friends and family and ask them to share your posts or write you a review. Kit them out with your awesome products to turn them into walking brand ambassadors.<\/p>\n
3. Be part of the conversation<\/h3>\n
Respond to feedback from your followers\u2014be friendly and courteous. You should also follow your social media channels closely. Has anyone written a comment and praised you? Then thank them and return the favor, if possible.<\/p>\n
You can also think about specific hashtags, competitions, features and promotions that your fans can use to stay in touch with you.<\/p>\n
“At Spreadshirt, we regularly feature great projects from our Shop Owners and designers on the blog in the form of interviews. Feel free to apply! On Instagram we use the hashtags #spreadshop and #spreadmystyle. We check back regularly and feature Instagram posts that we especially like on our own @spreadshirt account.”<\/p>\n
A little example of how hashtags can work to your advantage: In March 2019 we did an interview with Eleanor from eph designs and followed her on Insta. She posted a picture of a poster for sale on her Spreadshop, and we liked it so much that we wanted to feature her. We commented with the #spreadmystyle hashtag, which Eleanor now uses to bring new people to her Instagram feed. Thanks for that, Eleanor!<\/p>\n
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