PR Fundamentals for Interior Design (CPD)

Our interior designers recently attended a CPD organised by the BIID on PR Fundamentals for Interior Design. It was a very interesting hour-long lecture on what PR is and how we can incorporate it into our busy professional lives. I thought I'd share some of our learnings for your benefit.

Definition of PR
Public relations is about reputation - the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you. The aim is to talk less about yourself and to create enough material around yourself or your business so that others do the talking.

Social Media
Social media outlets such as facebook, twitter, pinterest, linkedin (the list goes on) are vital parts of handling your own PR. Make sure you join all of these outlets and become an active member - circulate your photographs, articles and other PR material regularly and start to build online contacts who you talk to regularly. Social Media is a great way to find new contacts in the industry as well as to raise awareness of yourself or your work.

Collaborate
Collaborating with like-minded professionals is a great way to generate new interest in your company. For example, an interior designer collaborating with one of their trusted suppliers in bespoke rugs by designing their own range or one-off piece. If the designer markets the rug to their clients and the rug manufacturer markets it to theirs, both companies can expand their viewer base.

Network
Everyone always talks about networking - but it is important! Nowadays we tend to do most of our networking online (in which case we call it social media - as above) but I think it's important to keep a distinction between the two. Especially for us lucky enough to live in London - we tend to be too 'busy' to make the most of the many exhibitions, opening nights and other PR events happening almost daily. You never know what might happen and who you might meet at one of these events!

Get Published
We spend our whole professional lives striving for great projects - that's what we do! Then we post the pictures on our website and move on to the next one. Unfortunately it's not good enough - first of all, what a great waste to limit your audience in such a way (unless of course you already have thousands of hits on your website every day?)... secondly, we put all this effort into creating beautiful interiors and then we don't share those images! It's a travesty! Get your work photographed and try to share it in as many outlets as possible and let everyone enjoy the finished result.

Speak your Mind
I know very few interior designers who don't have an opinion (none, in fact). If you have something to say, there are plenty of people out there who are waiting to hear it. Find an issue that interests you and write about it, many magazines and blogs are always looking for material from designers to publish and what better way to make yourself heard than to have your outrageous views published for all to read?
In fact, we are always looking for guest posts to share with our readers so send us your thoughts!

Update your Blog
We have been writing a daily blog for over a year now and the interest has been very positive. It's free and it doesn't take that long (you don't have to post daily, we're just very enthusiastic)! We have a solid group of daily readers and a lot of new readers too - the list is growing daily! In fact, our blog was selected by the Telegraph as one of the Top 50 Interior Design Websites (sneaky bit of PR right there)!

I hope you enjoyed our PR tips. ;)

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BIID

In case you haven't yet seen the new logo that's popped up on our homepage, we are now official members of the BIID, registered as a Design Practice Member. The British Institute of Interior Design is the pre-eminent professional organisation for interior designers in the UK. In addition to rigorous entry requirements which assess training, experience and professionalism, members are required to continue their professional development throughout their career to ensure their continued expertise in design process, practice and regulatory matters. The British Institute of Interior Design is the only professional organisation for interior designers which has been granted the prestigious and rare accolade of Institute status by the Minister of State as the pre-eminent body in its field.

So it goes without saying that we're very proud of this achievement (well done to Laurence, the lead designer, for passing the interview)!

In the coming months we will both be attending CPD events in London (and probably some abroad as well). Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a common term shared by numerous professions in many countries. It is the way by which all professionals maintain and update their knowledge and skills after qualification. It is a requirement of Membership that a number of core CPDs are undertaken each year

A commitment to a CPD programme helps to ensure that members of this Institute are keeping up to date with the latest developments in a rapidly changing industry. CPD provides an opportunity to update personal and professional skills, a platform to engage with experts in the industry and a forum for the exchange ideas and best practice.

The BIID is also a great way to check that the designer you are hiring has achieved a high level of professionalism and has achieved both a respectable degree of education and experience in the industry.

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