Getting your business talked about in media — newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, and the Internet — is what PR is all about.
You rejoice every time you get media coverage. It’s an opportunity to reach more of your target market, as well as potential partners and investors.
However, there’s more to media coverage than just getting exposure.
It also adds to your perceived credibility and authority in your field. It gives social proof that you’re good at what you do, that your product delivers, that your business is legit.
Therefore, you should use any media coverage you get to maximize these benefits. Don’t just clip them and stick them into your media kit. Of course, you should be doing that — at the very least.
Below are 10 ways you can reuse and repurpose your media coverage:
1. Printed marketing materials
Who says clips of your media coverage belong only in your media kit? You can quote what media have said about you in your brochures, product manuals, print ads and business cards. You could put logos of the media outlets that have reported about your business or product, with a header that says “As Seen In.”
2. Online media page
Create an online version of your media kit, and add scanned images, streaming audio clips and video clips of your media coverage. If the originals are available online, you can link to the media outlets’ websites as well. This goes to show your media clips are authentic.
3. Website sidebar
Create an “As Seen In” box on your website sidebar, and place the logos of all the media outlets that have reported about you. As an example, check out my sidebar on the right.
4. Online landing pages
Quote media reports on online sales pages and squeeze pages. If any media outlet has said good things about your product, use that as a testimonial on your products page. Also, add an “As Seen In” box in your landing pages, for increased social proof.
5. Inspiration for taglines, headlines and copy
Are you revamping your marketing materials? Brainstorming a new headline or tagline? Read over your media coverage to come up with new angles. The media offer a fresh perspective on your business, which could resonate well with your target market.
6. Client communications
Send clippings to your past and existing clients, to remind them why they work with you and should continue to do so.
7. Project or business proposals
Quote from your media clippings to add credibility to your proposals. This may help “push” prospects who are still on the fence about working with you.
8. Office display
Frame media clippings and display them in your office, especially your reception area. This will “prime” clients, partners or new staff who are waiting to see you.
9. Newsletter, blog and social network updates
Your appearance in media is worthy of being announced in your own content platforms. Don’t forget your Facebook page and LinkedIn updates as well.
10. Applications
Whether you’re applying to speak in a conference or be qualified for an award, your media exposure could make a big difference. For example, it could mean the difference between you getting that keynote versus a panel discussion.
Your media coverage adds to your credibility and provides solid social proof of how well you deliver on your promise. Use it to your best advantage.
Those are just 10 of the ways you can use media coverage. Have I missed any? How do you use your media clippings?
Let me know in the comments section below.
Image from Crestock Stock Photos
Elena is founder of a technology PR agency that works with startups to billion-dollar companies. She is passionate about helping marketers and small business owners with practical publicity strategies.
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And more 
Hi Elena!
I just want to thank you for this article because sometimes
I forget about the many ways I can use certain types of media
coverage.
I almost always use #7, but I never thought of #6. Talk about
an easy way to follow up and reinforce trust with your existing
clients! I’m on it!
Have a great weekend!
.-= Marlee´s last blog ..Women Entrepreneurs! Do You Suffer From “Little Person” Syndrome =-.
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Fantastic Marlee – always glad to help!
Great tips! I also send news articles covering my clients to the e-newsletter editors who aggregate stories from various news sources. You have to be quick at this because most won’t run a story more than a day old. I’ve gotten double the mileage from a few stories this way. And if it doesn’t run, the editor sees that others are writing about my clients. He/she is more inclined to write about us in the future.
Great ideas. You may want to consider, though, that many publications (and federal copyright laws) prohibit the use of published material in some of the ways you’re suggesting without the express written consent of that publisher. For instance, if the NYTimes writes an article about your company (and it’s favorable), you need to get their permission before posting the full article on your site and/or using their logo to promote it.
Connected to jeffemundo’s comment; idea #6 certainly clashes with a lot of medias rules for re-use of published material, and would appreciate Elena’s views on this.
Jeff and Colin
Thanks for the reminder – you are absolutely right of course!
The general rule is it’s best to link to things online, and in printed materials brief quotations are okay but full articles need reprint rights.
Sadly, with scanners, color printers easily available, the reality is most companies will do it anyway.
Hi Elena,
Thanks for your fast reply. I think you are right about the scanners etc and I sense that magazine publishers know this but haven’t got the time, interest or resources to check and chase up.
Colin – what I suggest to my larger corporate clients is to get reprint rights if they are going to distribute it in a press kit, say at a big tradeshow. For most entrepreneurs, they wouldn’t need that kind of volume so you’re right in that most publishers probably won’t have the interest to chase up “the little guy”. It’s not right, but it is the reality.
Hi Elena,
These are some great tips and I am really learning a lot from you. My business is just getting started with trying to get press so thanks for all the great advice!
Kathryn
.-= Kathryn´s last blog ..PANTONE 2011 COLOR OF THE YEAR =-.
Thanks Kathryn – best of luck with your new business!
I am answering to your question: how do you use your media clippings? it goes like this, Part of my business I sell links and domains and on closing a deal I send them a spreadsheet with more available links and domains, now after your article I plan to include links to deals already closed. many thanks.
[...] Tagsmedia coveragePublic Relations Last week an interesting article by Elena Verlee called “10 Ways to Repurpose Your Media Coverage” was posted on PR In Your Pajamas and it sparked a lot of conversation in the office. We started [...]
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