How To Monetize Your Media Features

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There’s nothing more satisfying than the thrill of seeing your business featured by a media giant. After a huge feature, many business owners sit back and wait, expecting new business to come flooding in. The problem is that this rarely happens. Why?  PR alone won’t result in more sales. Sadly, many business owners across the globe fall prey to the same dangerous assumption.Long gone are the days when a single feature by Good Morning America would be enough to make you overnight famous. Businesses have to hustle to maximize their media coverage, no matter how big the feature may be. That isn’t to say that media placements aren’t valuable, of course. But if you want to get maximum mileage out of your coverage, you need to learn how to monetize them correctly.

You work hard for your media mentions. Don’t let that hard-earned buzz fade into the abyss. Use these seven tactics to make the most of your press coverage with minimal fuss.

Create a press page.

Do you have a website? Fantastic! You can easily monetize your coverage by adding a press page to your site. Think of your press page as a place to publicly showcase where your brand has been raved about. Showcase all the media features of your brand to establish credibility when consumers go to your website to purchase. If they see your brand was featured in the media, they are more likely to buy from you online.

Post a digital press kit.

Make it easy for the media to learn about your brand by adding a digital press kit to your site’s press page. A digital press kit builds your credibility while giving the media important information about your company. Everyone’s press kit will differ, but you’ll generally want to include:

• Your company background or summary

• Employee and founder bios

• Fact sheets about your product and service

• Awards and publications

• Notable coverage or press releases

• Contact information

A press kit helps journalists easily access your brand story without digging. And if you make it easier for them to tell your story, you’ll make it easier to score more coverage with zero added effort.

Publish a press book.

Although the world loves all things digital, sometimes you have to go old school. Consider transforming your press kit into a press book. That doesn’t mean you should simply print your press kit, of course. You want the press book to stand on its own. Create an impressive, magazine-style press book to highlight your brand. This improves your credibility, especially when presenting your line to buyers.

Logo it up!

Let’s say you got a feature on Good Morning America. That’s the kind of coverage that you want to shout from the rooftops. One great way to boost your credibility and get extra mileage from your coverage is to add “as seen on” logos to your collateral. Whether it’s your trade-show booth or a website banner, media logos help you quickly earn trust. Just make sure you have permission to use the logos.

Connect with other media outlets.

Media outlets want to know what’s hot. And there’s no better way to let them know your brand is on fire than by sharing past media coverage. This greatly improves your chances of getting featured by other reputable media outlets. Let them know that while this was past coverage, you’d love for them to be one of the first to feature your new product.

Share features on social media.

Social media is a fun and effective way to get more mileage out of your press coverage. Share the feature organically in your posts, as well as your paid social media ads. You never know where a share will take you.

Remember, all press is good press.

Never discount a media opportunity because the outlet has a lower circulation — those media mentions can still be used to your advantage. A blogger may have a lower follower count, but a highly engaged following with your target demographic. When pitching your brand to retail stores, you can showcase all those positive testimonies from their target market.

Don’t underestimate the power of smaller features, either. It generally takes at least three to five impressions for someone to remember your brand. They won’t necessarily remember if they saw it in a small local publication at the doctor’s office, a smaller blog when scrolling through their social feed or onThe Today Show. And you may be surprised; a local media outlet with a loyal following could give you more sales than a national magazine.

Furthermore, there is always the added bonus of SEO value from the media mention. If a blogger with a higher domain authority shares a link to your brand, you are establishing more credibility in Google’s eyes. Backlinks from blogs and online publications in your niche will boost your rankings and help people discover your website.

The bottom line: Don’t let media mentions pass you by.

While media features can be powerful on their own, you shouldn’t let them pass you by. As a business owner, it’s your job to squeeze every ounce of coverage and attention out of media features. Use the seven tips in this guide to get the most bang for your buck. It’s the difference between fading into the background and standing out.