How to become a Sketchfab Rockstar: Connect with the Press

This is the fifth post in the Sketchfab Rockstar series which focuses on how to reach a larger audience for your work on Sketchfab.

In this post, we’re looking at how to build up a relationship with the press.

Don’t forget to check out the other articles in the series too:

• • Be an awesome artist
  • Tell a great story
  • Share some downloadable models
  • Engage with the community
  • Connect with the Press
  • Audience hacking

Chibi Gear Solid has gathered over 69,000 views. You can, too!

Journalists and bloggers are always hunting for great content and for illustrations to go along with that content. A feature with the right publication can result in thousands of views in a single day, so it’s well worth investing some time in understanding how the press works.

My first tip is simple: keep your eyes open for news! If you see a news story that’s related to one of your works, just ping the website or journalist and suggest that they embed it! Most of them have their twitter handles or email address available these days. Or ping the publication, leave a comment. Just try to get your work embedded with the article—it is often easier than you might think!

That’s how Steren Giannini’s Rosetta model got featured on TechCrunch, resulting in 7,000 views.

Now on to the work that requires some more preparation…

Think about where you’d like to be featured. Mainstream publications are great, but niche websites are just as important (and might get you more relevant traffic). Create a list of your top publications, and prioritize by relevancy or potential impact for you.

Now that you have your to-do list ready, spend some time to get to know these publications better. Learn about their sections and the journalists that cover them, and set up a list with their contact information.

You want to have a conversation going with them well before you launch your big story. Engage with them on their own content—leave a comment or retweet their work.

Once you’re ready to present your work, come prepared: think about their audience and explain why this is a good story to share with them. Also, include enough background information about your project and create a pack with all relevant media (links, renders, logos, etc.). If you’re providing images, make sure they’re larger than required so they can be cropped or scaled down as needed.

Lumecluster’s 3D Printed masks were featured on 3D Printing Industry.

And finally, the Sketchfab team has a large reach: ping us if you are working on something big, so we can tip off our journalist friends (Kotaku, TechCrunch, 3D Printing Industry, etc.). Just reach out to us and share your idea.

Pro tip: don’t give up! Journalists are very busy people and they work with short deadlines. Maybe they did see your work but it didn’t fit into the article they’re working on today. Keep trying, you will succeed!

– Bart