Getting Press is the Easy Part
What to do after a story lands to compound your impact
When entrepreneurs and new brands come to me, it is usually because they want to get in the headlines… and fast. They want the fancy logos on their websites and to show off to prospective retailers, buyers and clients.
Here is a sneaky secret - landing the media is the easy part. The tricky bits come before and after… setting up your brand for successful outreach and then knowing how to compound your impact with actions AFTER the headlines hit.
Many brands want to skip these two important steps, because we want the instant gratification. We hope that if we land the placement in Byrdie, New York Times or Vogue, our business will naturally go gang-busters. Sometimes that happens, but I’d say 95% of the time… you need to do some hard work before and after the hits come.
Locking in your brand story & messaging - You need to have an excellent, clean and clear brand story before you start pitching the media. How does your product or service solve a problem? Where did the inspiration come from? Why are you the best person to offer this product or service? Make sure you not only have relevant answers to these questions, but your language is clear and easy to understand. Editors will not try and decipher why you’re the best at-home pilates instructor for new moms or the most delicious vegan ice cream bar… they will simply move on to the next.
If you are not the expert, get someone on your team to help tell your story: If for some reason, you are not the #1 person to help an editor understand why your product or service is the most incredible offering for their readers, get someone on your team who can help. This might be a dermatologist, an instructor, a dating specialist, whatever! Media love quoting experts, as it helps validate their reporting. Make sure your expert is credentialed and has a history in the industry - including if that is you!
After the placement hits, it’s time to get to work: Congrats! You put together an amazing pitch with your brand messaging and got an incredible placement. Now, let’s make sure this media coverage does some work for your business. While media features naturally help SEO and have their own readership, you can make sure you get more eyes on the piece by doing your own promotion. Think posting on your website, including it in your Instagram bio, LinkedIn, sharing on your newsletter, and including in your future pitches. If you land a placement in Vogue, it’s worth calling that out when you pitch non-competing media, like broadcast or business.
Landing media is an amazing way to promote your business and show off your expertise, but there is some elbow grease involved! The great thing is, once you get in the habit of thinking about how to cultivate an incredible brand story and sharing your hits once they’re live, you’ll LOVE working to show off your brand and media hits.
Have more questions? We’re here to help. Check out our Vision to Voice and Mini 1:1 offerings to learn more!
