You’ve found out that the latest press release or article you sent out has gained some media coverage in the local or national press. Congratulations! Having your company’s news or thoughts in a newspaper, industry magazine or influencer’s blog is an extremely positive thing.
Whilst it is cause for celebration, many businesses think that this is the end of their work and they can now sit back and real in the success. An increase in traffic through to a website, healthy backlinks and positive reputation building are just some of the benefits of media coverage but what else needs to be done once your company is in the news?
Well, there are a number of things that a company should do to maximise the effects of the media coverage. But you need to act fast. It will only be two or three or days before the article or press release has lost its buzz and is to be buried in the depths of a news site.
You’re likely to get a burst of attention and traffic on the back of media coverage but it is your job to extend the time that it remains in front of your audience. Here are some ways to do so:
Social media posts after media coverage
As soon as the story is published online or in print, you need to open your social media accounts and get posting. There is no room for humility here. Be proud of the coverage and shout it from the rooftops. You need to get the article in front of as many people as possible in the small window that you have.
When you share it on social, tag the journalist, publication and any other companies mentioned in the article so that they can re-share with their audiences.
Our Head of PR, Helen Campbell has been featured on @bytestart, with her article on “6 reasons why local PR can be good for business”https://t.co/uvb9zHR7fS
— Ideal Marketing (@IdealMarketingC) May 24, 2018
Reach out to relevant persons to get their thoughts on the article. Try to spark debate and conversations around the subject to increase the buzz around your coverage.
Share media coverage internally
Getting media coverage is, of course, really exciting for your company. Just like we said that you need to share the news with your social followers and customers, your colleagues need to be told too.
If they are comfortable to do so, have them share the news on their professional and personal social accounts. This is an easy way of increasing the number of people the article reaches. The more shares the story gets, the happier the editor is too.
Maintaining a positive relationship with editors is an important factor in good PR so if an editor has a positive experience in sharing your news, they won’t be shy in talking about your company in the future.
Has a link to your website been included in the media coverage?
For online media coverage, having a link to your website is an important factor to look out for. News sites and industry magazines generally have a high domain authority so having a direct link from their site through to yours is a blessing for your SEO efforts.
If you have a story written about your company but there is no link, get in touch with the editor directly and ask if they can add one. As the old saying goes, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Journalists and editors understand the value of off-page SEO and are generally accommodating when you ask.
Update your website
If you have a blog or news section on your website, write up a blog explaining what the coverage is about and where the reader can find it. If the story is in print, scan it and upload the image to your blog post and if the story is online, either share a direct link or save the story as a pdf.
Having an ‘as seen in’ section on your company’s homepage with the logos of the publications your company has been featured in will reassure visitors that they are on the right website if they are searching for you as a result of the media coverage and also makes your site look more reputable.
Speak to PR specialists
For support in developing your own PR strategy or to arrange a free consultation to learn more about how PR could make difference to your business, call Ideal Marketing Company on 01858 374 170 or email info@idealmarketingcompany.com.
