By Christine Dardet, APR
When I began my public relations career, the post-print media coverage process would go something like this:
1. Cut (with scissors) the newspaper article out of the magazine or newspaper. If the company had the luxury of a paid clipping service, the service would mail the clip, and we would receive it a week or more later.
2. Record and measure the clip on a spreadsheet to be reported to management or the client at the end of the week or month.
3. Make copies of the clip and distribute with a memo via mail, fax or internal office mail.
4. If relevant, make more copies of the clip for press kits or marketing materials.
5. File it.
The industry has made progress since the early ’90s. Turnaround time on clips is immediate. We have software available for creating clips and e-mail for immediate distribution.
Now, though, the chances of a targeted audience member – such as a prospective patient or referring physician – being in the right place at the right time to read or watch or listen to a news story are slim. We are competing with so many other mediums, so it is essential to give each news mention “legs.” In addition to making hard copies of a print or video clip, here are six ways to give your story legs and reach more people than when it initially published or aired:
Six Ways to Give Your Media Placement ‘Legs’
1. E-mail blast it to your contacts.
2. Post it to your Facebook page.
3. Tweet a link to it from your Twitter account.
4. Add a link to it from your LinkedIn account.
5. Post a link to it on your Web site.
6. Write a blog post about it and publish it on your blog.
Sure, it takes extra work, but you automatically increase your chances of your target audience seeing your story. Good luck, and check back for future posts that explain each of the social media tools I mentioned above.
Be well,
Chris
