So you landed some excellent local coverage on Valentine’s Day — congratulations!
If you haven’t promoted that media, however, you might be missing out on some valuable and low-cost PR, said Jennifer Sparks, SAF’s vice president of marketing.
Here are some of her top tips on how to leverage good news exposure for maximum benefit:
- Keep it social. “Don’t stop with just the audience who saw it first hand,” Sparks warned. “Post about it on social media, ideally before it happens, while it’s happening, and then after with a link to the story.”
- Give it a permanent home. News clips from third parties add credibility to your brand year-round. “Put on your website to live longer and show your credibility to those who visit your site,” Sparks said. “It’s simply the contemporary version of a restaurant physically posting a printed news article in a frame hanging at the entrance for all to see. People notice!”
- Re-engage soon. “Keep the media coming back to you by being accessible and a good source of information even during the busy times,” said Sparks. “Doing so could pay off beyond the initial interview.” Remember, if you host a news crew, say for Mother’s Day this year, “send the reporters and camera crew off with flowers so they can experience the ‘happiness effect’ firsthand,” Sparks said.
