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Written by: Darby Rowe
Breakthrough media coverage: It’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it.
You and others in your firm will feel it when you notice the response from your peers or the clients you serve. It may be a feature story on the CEO in the New York Times, breaking news about the firm in InvestmentNews, or an article featuring an SME’s insights in your local business journal.
But if you don’t do anything with that breakthrough media coverage, the experience will just become a distant happy memory. High impact media coverage isn’t just about achieving the visibility you crave; it also implies that your team leveraged the credibility and reach of the coverage in ways that make more good things happen. People might reference the news and your firm more on social media, clients might call or text you about it, or referral sources might share the coverage with prospects.
Coverage can and should be used for more than an addition to the “In the news” section of your website. Used properly, media mentions can even be leveraged as a marketing or recruiting tool for your target audience. Here are a few key ways to ensure you and your firm receive as much traction as possible from your media hit:
Work it into your broader content marketing effort.
Nothing adds greater validation to your thought leadership content than respected third-parties referring to you and your firm in their publications. Even the most vaunted names on Wall Street credentialize their firms and leadership biographies with references to media features and citations like “a regularly featured guest on CNBC Squawk Box” as a means of separating themselves from the pack. Similarly, you can mention such media hits in your own company or personal biographies to gain an extra boost in reputation.
Let the sales team share the coverage at conferences and events.
An industry event is an excellent time to show off your media coverage, particularly if your firm competes in the hyper-competitive ETF, mutual fund or separate account management businesses. Prior to attending the event, the team can put together a leveraging document that highlights top media placements. Having this collateral on hand during a conference will give you the opportunity to show competitors, potential employees or clients how much your input is respected in the industry as an expert source.
Get the most mileage in front of the right people.
This can be achieved in a variety of ways. If the firm is looking to attract new advisors, it may be beneficial to have employees share the coverage on their social media channels . Don’t forget, if you’re asking someone to share coverage, you may want to consider providing them with a suggested status they can copy and paste. You can get the most out of the placement by repurposing it on social media if the topic is evergreen, or as it becomes relevant again in the future. When creating social posts, remember to tag pertinent parties and use popular hashtags to get the most mileage. It’s also useful to include any standout quotes or placements somewhere on your website for easy access and to demonstrate how frequently you and your experts are called upon to lend insight.
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Showcase it in the office.
Although a crystal vase in the corner of the lobby might be a beautiful touch, showcasing your top media hits can be a great way to spruce up the place while drawing attention to something that uniquely qualifies your firm and separates your story from an ocean of others. If it makes sense for your office, artfully framed reprints can add prestige to the reception area and make nice “trophies” for the thought leaders featured in the coverage.
When the time comes and your firm has secured top media placements, don’t stop there. Be sure to leverage these opportunities to ensure they are seen by the most eyes possible.