As a PR professional, there’s nothing more rewarding than generating positive media coverage for a client. After dedicating a great deal of time researching and pitching to the media, it makes it all worth it when you see your client’s name in big, bold black letters…in print, broadcast or digitally.

But what happens after the hype has dissipated? Thanks to the digital world we live in, businesses can take advantage of several online tools to truly capitalize on positive media coverage. Following are four tips to get the most mileage out of your media coverage.

Sharing is caring
Social media is no longer an option – it’s a necessity. As soon as a story drops, start sharing it across your social media channels. Develop a strategy that includes several variations on the post and image so you can engage with different audiences while keeping the content fresh. There’s approximately a two- to three-day window in which people will be interested in the article, so do what you can to get it in front of as many people as possible.

If the coverage positions your client as a thought leader, it might be worth implementing a paid advertising campaign to reach a much larger target audience. Digital ads not only give you the ability to reach a larger audience, but most social media platforms (such as Facebook) allow users to reach extremely custom demographics.

Update profiles
Take advantage of the free, simple tools available to showcase media mentions, such as LinkedIn. Develop a short list of some noteworthy publications you have been featured in and save them in your LinkedIn “Summary” section. Instead of making a bulleted list, take it up a notch and create a simple graphic that includes the publication’s logo and the title of the article.

Tap into your network
Email is still considered a highly effective platform to reach people, so make sure you are taking advantage of your existing network. Once your article goes live, develop an email blast to send to the company’s distribution list. There’s nothing wrong with informing clients, colleagues and potential clients about the successes of your company.

Remember to share the article with your team members. Sharing a positive article is not only a morale booster, but it can also lead to additional shares on social media.

Embed on company website
Even though your article potentially reached thousands of people, it doesn’t mean that everyone saw it. Make sure to develop a “news” section on your company’s website to post and promote positive media coverage. This not only helps increase your website’s SEO ranking, but it makes it easy to track your noteworthy articles.

Achieving positive coverage is a key business goal; however, it is even more effective when these extra steps are taken to ensure your message is reaching as many people as possible. There are several other ways to gain traction with media coverage and we would be glad to discuss.

Cooksey Staff