Whether through word of mouth or dedicated PR efforts, you've been quoted by or mentioned in the media. Congratulations! But now what? That clip is going to be yesterday's news by, well, tomorrow, so how can you make the most of and really capitalize on it? Here are a few tips:
1. Put a link to the story in your online newsroom.
Don't have a dedicated Newsroom tab or page section on your website? Consider adding one! This can function as a landing pad for all sorts of content, including press releases, event or other announcements, or even (if you don't have a separate blog) blog-type posts.
Another common approach is to create an "As Seen In" section featuring media outlets' logos, linked to their respective stories about you. As the logos are the intellectual property of those outlets, proceed carefully and consider these tips if you decide to go this route. When creating such a section, give some indication of what the story is about (e.g., with the title of the article), instead of hiding everything behind the linked logo.
One thing that you should NOT do -- at least not immediately and unless you are certain you have permission -- is to reproduce someone else's story about or mentioning you, in full, on your own website. This is not only inappropriate from a copyright law perspective, but it is downright discourteous. It 'rewards' the outlet that was kind enough to mention you by pulling traffic away from their website. The proper way to do this is to promote the story, with original copy and perhaps a brief excerpt, and then link out to the story's original source. (Note: there are some exceptions to this, especially when it comes to articles that are published under your byline, or if the publisher and contract specifically allow use of the full unbranded article copy alone, for marketing or other specific uses.)
2. Show off your biggest media "hits" in a pop-up box or by otherwise highlighting them on your website homepage.
Newsrooms are great, and all of your coverage should indeed "live" there, but these pages or sections can often be buried within your site.
Does your website also have a pop-up lightbox, news carousel, "featured" section or other breaking news equivalent? If so, be sure to showcase your proudest media accomplishments there as well. Some websites are built so that new newsroom and other key items are automatically also promoted on the home page in this way. If not, you can always do this manually.
When sharing your coverage on social media, don't forget to tag and/or thank the journalist and the outlet. They need and appreciate PR as much as you do!
3. Socialize.
This is no time to be shy, or modest. Share the link to your press coverage on all of your social media platforms, with a brief introductory message. While that message will depend upon the content of the story, something like, "I'm excited to be included in this month's issue of..." or "Really enjoyed speaking with..." usually does the trick. This excited/grateful approach should also ease any concerns you might have that this promotion will be perceived as you, bragging.
Especially important: when sharing your coverage on social media, do not forget to tag and/or thank the journalist and the outlet. They need and appreciate PR as much as you do!
If Instagram is one of your platforms, and your account level doesn't yet allow you to include a "swipe up" link, consider creating some art (Canva is a great tool) using a small excerpt of text from the article and the name of the outlet. You can temporarily link to the article in your bio—and be sure to indicate that you have done so, in the text accompanying your image.
4. Create another article "around" the article, for your newsroom or blog.
Again (see Tip 1), while you usually can't, due to copyright limitations, reproduce articles from external outlets in their entirety on your blog, you can simultaneously promote them and use them to create something else.
In your new blog post—in addition to referencing, linking to and describing the published article—consider creating a longer original article that is inspired by, expands upon and perhaps quotes from the original piece of coverage. One great reason for doing this might be that you provided the reporter with a number of great talking points (which took you a lot of time to prepare), but they only included a small portion of them in the story. Don't waste that valuable thought leadership!
There are numerous ways you can approach this derivative article, including expanding the scope of the original discussion; interviewing other people; and/or providing additional context, behind the scenes content, data or (info)graphics.
5. If you haven't already done so, pitch the topic more broadly, to other media.
If this article was a one-off, and not the result of broad media outreach, you should also consider turning its topic into a campaign and reaching out to other media as well--of course, tweaking or repositioning your pitches as required.
The fact that one news outlet already covered this topic is proof of its newsworthiness, and others will likely be interested as well. The ideal result is to have numerous outlets cover your news, each with their own focus and style. And, with the right approach, this is definitely possible!
Optional: Request a formal reprint.
Most publications offer formal reprints, with the official logo on them. They are very pretty and you can certainly go this route.
I personally find this approach to be a bit old fashioned, not to mention exorbitantly expensive (sometimes in the area of $1,500)—hence the optional nature of this tip. It you are appropriately linking to the article, and utilizing all of the above tips to share the coverage with your contacts, you have already covered the ways that most people consume such content, so a formal reprint is arguably unnecessary.
But, for a once in a lifetime story? Your mug on the magazine cover of your dreams? If you really want to be able to reproduce the full article (with the logo and other official branding) on your site, and your budget allows, go ahead and order that reprint and hang it proudly on your wall, or include it in the hard copy materials for a particularly important client pitch. You’ve earned it!
This article is intended for informational purposes only, and is NOT intended to constitute legal advice. Please consult your attorney. But if we can help your business get more media coverage that you can then make the most of, please email us at info@zamopr.com.
Comentários