Back in the days of yore – you know, the late ‘90s – I was an intern for a corporate bank in Buffalo, New York. It was my job each morning to organize the clips sent to us from Reuters. I’d neatly cut them with scissors to fit on a sheet of paper so I could then copy and compile them into a stapled report. And, that was how the executive team received their daily briefing. There was no tracking of hashtags, no blogging about what a particular reporter covered, no sharing over LinkedIn. It was a physically delivered paper assembly of the day’s print coverage.
It’s scary thinking how much has changed since that college internship. I’m not even yet at the 15-year reunion mark and already – the way in which that bank and every other company can leverage their media hits alone has exploded. But what I’m still finding with many companies, unfortunately, is that they still consider a media hit to be just that – a one and done story that a day after it has run is yesterday’s news.
As a content strategist and director of New Media at Carabiner, one of my duties is helping clients realize just how much value remains in their media coverage secured by our PR efforts. By using this five-step strategy to repurpose and re-energize gained media coverage, it’s possible to stop throwing away media hits like some half-eaten banana and instead extend their longevity and impact.
Here are five ways to get more out of a media hit:
1) Blog about it in context of what it means to your customers. When you do, ask for readers’ opinions. You’ll get a story going on your own website which is where you want your target audience congregating, anyway.
2) Tweet it with references to the media outlet, reporter and other companies or individuals referenced in the article. They’ll likely re-syndicate it as well – furthering your efforts.
3) Start a LinkedIn discussion about it to further engage your targeted audience in meaningful conversation.
4) Repackage the article into a customer communication, either as a standalone piece or as part of an email newsletter. Include a link to where readers can comment on it, such as on a company blog or LinkedIn page.
5) Frame it. Yes – it’s old fashioned – but if it’s a significant media hit, go for it. Blow it up, mat it on foam core and put it on your wall for all to see when they enter your office!
Media hits in today’s digitally congested world are a huge accomplishment. And, if you’ve invested resources into a PR team to secure that coverage – you can only further your investment by applying a prolonged content usage strategy.