When we secure a solid media placement for a client, they often ask how they can further leverage that placement in order to maximize its value. This is a great question. There are a number of things you can do to extend media coverage that can help increase awareness about your company, strengthen its reputation, and move the sales needle.
Maximize your media placement.
Post It On Your Website. Most companies have a news or press page on their website. If not, you should consider creating one. This is a good place to showcase your placements. If possible, also dedicate some space on the home page to feature your latest coverage. Visitors to your site will immediately see the placement, which can act as a strong third-party validation while also keeping your site updated with fresh content. Adding placement links to your site will also help support your SEO strategy.
Use Social Media. If your company is active on social media, then sharing a link of your media placement across your social media channels is a no-brainer. By doing this, you are surfacing the content to additional eyeballs and audiences that have elected to follow you. Be sure to include relevant hashtags, so your placement becomes a part of – or starts – the right conversation.
Give It To Your Sales Team. Generally speaking, sales teams interface with customers and prospects more than anyone in an enterprise. They are forever looking for tools or content they can use as outreach touch points, particularly if it supports their sales proposition – for example, from a well-respected publication. Quality copies of media placements also make for excellent leave-behinds at business meetings, trade-shows and conferences. Before making them, be sure to get proper copyright permission from the publication or writer.
Publish It In Your Newsletter. Assuming your company has a newsletter, a media placement is a good addition to its overall content. If you don’t have a newsletter, consider emailing the placement link directly to key audiences, including employees, customers, vendors, prospects or anyone you think should know about it and, more importantly, would also share it. At the very least, encourage your communications manager to create a weekly internal “News You Can Use” email that features positive media coverage of your company, as well as relevant competitor and/or industry news.
If you haven’t already done so, consider systematizing a process whereby your best media coverage doesn’t stop at the coverage. By employing the tactics above, you will be able to extend the value of your media placements and your overall public relations efforts.
