When you boil down the process, it looks a lot like sales pitch. You brainstorm a stellar idea that you know the media will bite on, build a media list, call the reporter, SELL, SELL, SELL and then see your idea come to life in print:
But, that's not the end of the story.
Let's talk about that red circle: Merchandising the Placement. The media placement itself will generate sales (studies show that media hits are 3x more effective than advertisements) and they're great for attracting a new audience.
Media placements are also great at reminding your existing customer base that, not only are you still there for them, but that the media embraces your product.
Here at MLMC, we post our clients' clips on LinkedIn, our own Facebook page and have been known to create a direct mail piece or two out of them. We're even in the process of revamping our blog and newsroom to better showcase these pieces.
How can you merchandise the clip? Here are a few ideas:
- Post it on your Facebook site, Twitter Feed and other social networks. If it's a print hit, take a picture of the article and post it on Instagram
- In the b-to-b world, it's a good practice to order reprints or generate your own and send a hard copy to your mailing list
- Use the clip in your e-newsletter to pump up an article.
That's exactly what Arhaus did this morning with a placement from Elle Decor. And, it got my attention!
So, go call the media. Score a hit. And, then let's see what you do with it AFTERWARD.
