For other businesses, such as Tasmanian builders Skookom, media attention springs from success at industry awards. Co-owner Elise Simondson says that winning national GreenSmart awards led to a flurry of media coverage in The Mercury, realestate.com.au, houzz.com.au, and magazines Green and Sanctuary. This increased visibility, she says, has ‘built our brand significantly through recognition of the sustainable energy efficiency side to our business. We have attracted a lot more enquiries from architects from Tasmania and the mainland, and from people who are interested in passive housing’.
Interiors projects by Jasmine McClelland Design have been gracing the pages of Inside Out, Home Beautiful and interiors blog The Design Files ever since the beautifully styled images on its website caught the eye of a freelance photographer. Owner Jasmine McClelland says that media exposure has delivered multiple benefits: ‘Quite a few people have seen one of my projects in Inside Out and looked me up as a result. And when my clients see their home in a magazine, they get excited about it, they tell all their friends – so in that way it also strengthens referrals.’
For this reason, she stresses the importance of maximising and extending the benefits of any media exposure by noisily sharing it with your social media followers and email database.
In fact, social media platforms in themselves have become powerful promotional tools for housing professionals, and if you’re not successful in generating external press coverage (or you’re simply not inclined to chase it), it’s still possible to showcase your work and make meaningful connections with motivated buyers online.