Congratulations! You just got some media coverage. There you are in the press or on someone’s blog. You’ve been mentioned. It feels great doesn’t it?
But as the warm fuzzies wear off, the big question sets in…
What do I do now?
You’re getting a flurry of attention and traffic. But it won’t last long. Usually, the spike in website traffic from media coverage lasts only for a few hours. Traffic goes back to what it was within a day or so.
Here’s what a classic “press hit” looks like in GA4. It’s visible in your referral traffic and often your direct traffic.
How do I get maximum value from a press hit?
Your goal now is to maximize the impact of the press mention by amplifying the reach and building trust in your brand. If you move quickly, you have a chance to capture all of these opportunities:
- Social media reach
- Networking
- SEO and rankings
- Trust and credibility
Here is a quick guide for maximizing the value of media coverage, capturing all of those benefits in 20 different ways.
Promote the piece persistently
Our first job is to drive traffic to the article. The more, the better. There are two benefits, one obvious, the other not-so-obvious
- A branding benefit to us, since readers will see our name on the media publication
- A traffic benefit to the publication …giving credit to the writer and editor
Journalists are now expected to drive traffic to their own articles. They are judged on this.
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Sandra Guy, Sunday Sitdown personality profile reporter, Chicago Sun-Times“My editors closely watch the number of my Twitter and Facebook followers, my Klout ranking and the numbers of clicks, tweets, re-tweets, Facebook likes and LinkedIn shares each of my stories receives. These reports are shared at news meetings regularly. It is vitally important for our careers to be at the top of these rankings.“ |
Maximizing traffic to the piece is a nice way to say thanks and a great way to help your new friend succeed at their job. You want their article to be the traffic hit for the week. Here’s how to make this happen.
1. Post it, then put it in social rotation
This is the first, easiest and most important step, so we’re going to spend extra time on it. This is important. Our goal is to share it many times times on many networks.
First, share it on social media and mention the writer. Giving them credit …and thanks.
Then share it again and mention the publication. This will get the attention of the marketers at the brand, thanking them …and giving them the chance to reshare it.
Next, share it again and mention anyone else (person or brand) who was included in the article. This will bring it to their attention and might enlist their help in sharing and driving more traffic.
Here’s how I thanked Ruth Stevens for including me in a post she wrote for the MarTech blog.
And of course, use hashtags, questions, numbers and any other trick to drive reshares and clicks. Over this short series of social posts, use every element on the social media post checklist.
You can set up all of these shares at once using social scheduling in your social media marketing management tool. We use Agorapulse.
Not sure what to put in those third and fourth social posts? AI can help. Copy and paste in the article text with this prompt and see what it suggests.
Which statements in this article are readers most likely to be surprised by?
Which data points, statistics or facts are the most compelling?
Which sound bites would make a good social media post?
Rather than asking the AI to write you social posts, let it find the nuggets of gold and then use those to write the social posts in your own voice.
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Bob Rowley, Medill School of Journalism & School of Communication, Northwestern University Mann“You should post media mentions intentionally on your personal and organizational social media accounts, and be sure to tag the reporters involved and media outlets where they run to increase sharing, reach and visibility—and be sure to use direct quotes, hashtags and visuals whenever possible when posting these in Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and more. Following up with a reporter with a thank you also helps build that connection and trust—and it will help them keep you in mind for a future piece where they know your expertise will be valuable.“ |
2. Did anyone else share it? Thank them when you share again
The tactic isn’t as obvious. But it has huge networking benefits. If the post was shared by others (or if anyone engaged on your social posts) look closely at the shares. Who shared it? Anyone interesting? Maybe another blogger or journalist?
If they look like a blogger, journalist or editor, we’ll want to take extra steps to connect with them. Those tips are coming soon.
3. Did the publisher share? Amplify that post
If the story appears in the X (FKA Twitter), Facebook or LinkedIn accounts for the publisher, be sure to engage with those posts. Like, comment, share and retweet it. This will further expand the reach and show the writer that you’re paying attention and helping to promote, especially if you mention them again
4. Add it to your next newsletter
If you have a list and your email strategy has room for it, add the article to your next email. You don’t have to send it as its own message. You can simply add it to the bottom with a little postscript. Every newsletter has room for a PS at the bottom…
After the email goes out, forward a copy to the writer, letting them know that you shared the article with your list.
5. Link to it from your other articles
Depending on the topic of the article, it may be perfectly natural to link to the media mention from a page or post on your site. To quickly find every mention of the topic on your blog, use Google to search through the posts on your blog using the site: search operator:
site:www.website.com/blog/ “topic”
So if I’m looking for articles on this blog that mention “B2B websites,” I would search for this in Google.
site:www.orbitmedia.com/blog “B2B websites”
Google found three posts that use that exact phrase. If I was mentioned in a post about B2B websites, I could pick one of these, link to the media mention and then let the author know. The idea is to show them know that you’re doing everything possible to drive traffic their way.
6. Find relevant questions on Quora, answer them, link to it
Probably, the article answers questions that are asked on Quora. Just start searching Quora for the topic, find relevant questions, then write a detailed answer. Within that answer, drop in a link to the article. If possible, mention the writer again.
7. Share it in groups where your prospects spend time
Your target audience likely gathers in certain places online. Often, these are associations websites, trade publications, industry forums and conference blogs. If you’re active within the community, you know where these are. Each of them is an opportunity to reach out to the community manager and share the article.
If it’s a blog and it accepts guest posts, you can use the press piece to help you pitch something similar. Find an editor, show them the article and ask if they’d be interested in a similar post from you. Better yet, send them a link to the social post of the article (which by now has a lot of engagement) and they’ll see just how the topic may get traction on their website.
Not sure where your audience spends their time? AI can help. Here’s a prompt from AI advisor and CMO, Liza Adams. Just fill in the blanks and let the AI suggest “watering holes” where you can share or pitch your post. She originally shared this method in a LinkedIn post.
AI prompt:
For a [company type] in [industry] we are targeting the following verticals: [list target markets]
You are an expert [B2B industry] marketer who is deeply familiar with these target markets and the buyer persona for [industry] solutions, including where they tend to congregate.We want to diversify how we reach this market and go beyond search and other digital marketing channels. We want to identify a variety of “watering holes” where these potential customers learn, engage and interact with each other, so we can target and build relationships with them.
Create a table with the categories of watering holes as rows, the verticals as columns and the specific watering holes as the cells. (e.g., the actual names of the communities, industry forums, events, groups, marketplaces, webinars, content platforms, partnerships, financial institutions, associations, etc.) Be as comprehensive as possible with the categories.
Think about this step by step. Do you have any questions for me?
8. Share it in private groups
A lot of social media activity has moved off of public platforms and into private social networks and small groups. A lot of these are niche Slack channels, mastermind groups and membership societies. If you are active in any of these, they are all good places to share.
Now that it’s obvious that you’ll do anything possible to drive traffic to any piece that you’re mentioned in, you are much more likely to be mentioned again. But it’s still important to follow up and build a stronger connection with the writer. It’s time for some networking.
Next we’ll use the press coverage to grow relationships, starting with the blogger or journalist who wrote the piece…
9. Ask your team if they wouldn’t mind sharing it
You may have co-workers who would be proud to share it. Pass along the link with an offer to help with a social post. Or drop it onto the company intranet or Slack channel with a gentle nudge.
It’s not polite (or legal) to push employees to post on social media, but it’s fine to give a no-pressure suggestion. They may be thrilled to help and proud to do so.
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John Hall, Relevance“Use digital press as a way for your employees to share it with their networks. This is great for additional distribution and also can create a sense of pride within the company. A lot of times their parents and friends see it then get excited about where they work. Other times, they can get a partner to see it and share or link to it as well.“ |
John and his team also use a content toolbox to make their client’s press hits more visible. You can find it here in this detailed guide: What is “Digital PR”
Another idea: rather than sharing a link to the original article, share a link to your own social post. This brings the article to their attention, but also gives them a chance to amplify your promotional post. This may help trigger the algorithm to put it in more social streams, especially if done quickly after you created the post.
Dyana Flanigan, Flanigan Communications
“Scoring press coverage in today’s media environment is a BIG deal, especially since earned opportunities are shrinking as many outlets are focusing on paid programs such as ads, sponsored content and advertorials. The value of earned media in credible outlets far outweighs paid placements.
Take advantage of it! Repurposing and sharing positive coverage internally and externally will maximize reach, boost impact and extend content longevity to build trust, credibility and reinforce company messaging. Doing so also will help establish and build relationships with reporters/editors to increase opportunities for future coverage.”
Maximize the networking benefits of press mentions
Now we’ll use the media coverage to grow relationships, starting with the blogger or journalist who wrote the piece. Gratitude is our first goal. Here’s how to thank the media for coverage.
10. Send the writer a handwritten thank you note
It’s the forgotten inbox. Putting your handwritten thank you message in their mailbox immediately separates yourself from 99% of other marketers.
It’s easy to be in the top 1%. Just get out a pen, write something thoughtful and add a stamp. Even if you send it to the publication’s main address, it will make it to them eventually.
Thank you notes are the networker’s secret weapon.
11. Connect with the writer on LinkedIn with a thank you
One of your goals is to keep in touch with the writer. Eventually, you’ll want a network of content creators who all write articles on topics relevant to your brand. LinkedIn is the best way to keep in touch.
If you haven’t yet, send a quick LinkedIn connection request. This should be a reflex action that you do every time another content marketer mentions you in their content.
Always write a note with the invitation. The invitation itself can be another thank you message. For bonus points, after they accept, take a moment to endorse a few of their relevant skills.
12. Add the writer to a social media monitoring list
Another way to keep better track of the writer (and all other writers you know) in social media is use a social media monitoring tool and add them to a list. It’s a fast way to see their posts all in one place.
Now you can keep engaging with them, amplify the content they’re promoting and build a stronger relationship.
13. Send the article to other journalists, press outlets and bloggers
Now we go beyond the original writer, to other bloggers and members of the press. They may be interested in writing something similar for their audience or consider you as a source for another topic.
Once you have press, it’s easier to get more of it. The goal here is to create a snowball effect. Here are a few places to find more members of the press:
- American Society of Journalists and Authors
- Journalists on Twitter
- Muckrack Directory
- #JournChat on Twitter, Mondays 7-8pm CT
…when you share it with them, mention how well it performed, including the number of shares.
Nancy Thompson, founder, Vorticom, Inc.
“The most successful ‘media momentum’ that allows a business leader’s voice to be heard unfettered is compelling editorial content, in the form of bylined articles and op-eds and riding out that article’s momentum across other media channels. In terms of opinion pieces, media wants to connect with company leaders who have distinct, market-savvy, opinionated voices.”
An example of a carefully curated bylined article for an energy metals client as an exclusive for North American Clean Energy was shared with Canada’s leading business television network, resulting in a feature interview, an interview on a nationally syndicated business radio show and an interview on Europe’s leading business television show.
14. Send the article to top prospects
Next, use that media coverage to directly impact sales.
- For the leads already in your pipeline, you may be looking for reasons to reach out to them. A press mention is a perfect reason to do that.
- For the companies that you’d like to connect with, a press mention is a good way to start a conversation. Just find the relevant person on LinkedIn, or ask a mutual connection for an introduction. As always, avoid cold outreach at all costs.
A short, simple email with a link to the article is a smart way to get on someone’s radar and build your credibility.
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John Hall, Relevance“For sales leads, investors, or really anybody that you want to stay connected with, send them the link and mention the coverage. Don’t come off bragging, but more about how you are keeping them up to date on trends and things going on in the industry. As long as it comes off helpful it can help educate valuable relationships while also naturally seeing your company as an industry leader.“ |
Getting better SEO benefits
Here we get to some of the most enduring benefits of a media mention: search engine optimization.
15. Check to see if it links to you
If the media mention links to any page on your website, you just had a great day for SEO. Links to your website increase your authority. And authority increases the likelihood that the pages on your domain will rank.
This is why PR professionals have such a huge ability to affect search rankings. The key is to understand the value of links and capture the opportunities of press mentions.
To measure the general value of a link (or a potential link) enter the URL of the publication’s website into the Moz Link Explorer. This will show you their “Domain Authority” which is a 1-100 score based on the quality and quantity of links to that domain.
This gives you a sense for the SEO value of the link from their website to yours.
Note: The specific value of the link from a page is equal to the “Page Authority” of that page. But for now, let’s keep things simple and focus on Domain Authority.
All non-spam links have SEO value. As a rule of thumb, a “really good link” is simply a link from a website that has a higher Domain Authority than yours. For the details of the value of various links, here’s a breakdown.
But some brand mentions don’t link to you. These have far less SEO value to your rankings. So the trick is to reach out and do what SEO outreach professionals call link reclamation.
It’s really just about listening for brand mentions (often using a social media or SEO tool), checking for the link, then if the mention isn’t a link, reaching out to the writer and asking nicely if they’ll update the article, linking to you.
If they link to you, celebrate. If not, move on.
Brands that are serious about search are serious about PR. They work actively to get mentions and links to their website on a regular basis. They never miss a chance to get linked or mentioned. They also actively create content that is worthy of press and links.
Use the press mention to build trust
The final checklist of things to do after you get press is all about trust.
16. Make an excerpt post on your blog
Your website visitors will probably never see the press mention, unless you create something that spotlights it.
Write a short article for your own blog that summarizes the main message of the press hit. Pull in the top quotes, excepts and data points. Then link to the original version on the media website. If the media site is famous, look for ways to use their logo.
Make sure that the headline stands on its own. It shouldn’t just say “Our brand was mentioned in the Chicago Tribune.” This is an article, not a press release.
17. Add an as-seen-in logo to your home page
The “halo effect” is a bias that we all have built into our brains. When you see the logo of a news publication on a website, the website looks more credible. You trust the publication, therefore you now trust the website.
If the publication is a well-known brand, take a minute to add the logo to your home page. It doesn’t have to link to the article. It can simply be a logo that isn’t linked. Or you can link to the excerpt post you made for your blog, as recommended above.
18. Add an as-seen-in logo to your sales materials
Pitch decks and sales presentations can also get a credibility boost from media logos. Just make a nice slide showing all of the places the brand has appeared and add it to the presentation template.
This is how PR can directly benefit sales closing rates.
19. Feature it on LinkedIn (personal and company profiles)
You’ve already shared it. Now pin it to your personal profile and company page.
For the personal profile, create a small graphic, showing the name of the publication and the title of the article. This can be added as “media” to your summary. The dimensions are 280px by 135px. Here you can see how I’ve added a list mention:
LinkedIn company pages can also feature media. From the “Edit page” menu, you’ll find a “Featured” section where you can drop the media placement link. It will make your company page sparkle for years to come.
20. Order a mounted plaque
If you’ve appeared in a major media publication, companies are probably contacting you already, asking if you want to buy a mounted plaque. If you still have a physical space with a welcoming lobby area, hanging that plaque can build trust in your brand with anyone who walks through the door.
Build on each and every win…
It starts with getting the maximum reach for the media mention. This is really just using many of the 76 ways to promote any article. But then you go farther. Use the moment to build a deeper connection with the journalist or blogger. Show them how grateful (and helpful) you are.
Then look for ways to network with other content creators. Check the SEO value. Use it to build trust with website visitors and sales prospects. As a final step, print it and put it on the fridge at mom’s house. She’ll be so proud.
A great press mention is very valuable. And for most of us, it is a rare event. So make the most of it. Make the moment last.
