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If you’re in financial services media relations or corporate communications, you know it’s challenging to earn positive press. Compared to the U.S., we don’t have many trade outlets to pitch.
So, when you do score some good press, pat yourself on the back – and then get back to work because your job is only partly done.
Be it a magazine or newspaper feature, TV interview, web profile or something else, you want to leverage the positive press as much as possible. The focus could be on a product, portfolio manager, senior executive or your company in general – it’s all good. You have an opportunity to help your Sales team start a productive conversation (with a prospect or existing client), retain assets or close a deal.
You have an opportunity to help your Sales team start a productive conversation (with a prospect or existing client), retain assets or close a deal.
3 ways to leverage good press
1. Article reprints
This is the most traditional way to push your story out to a broader audience. With article in tow, your Sales team can distribute the positive piece to clients who may be interested in a particular product, portfolio manager, asset class or sector. Every publication is different but, in general, you’ll need to contact the outlet to purchase article reprint rights. You can usually buy digital rights at the same time, allowing you to share the article electronically and post it on your internal/external websites.
Two caveats to consider. First, be selective because buying reprint rights can be costly. Make sure your Sales team and other colleagues can really use this article to their advantage. Second, the rights are typically time-bound (e.g., for six months or a year), so have a plan in place to make prompt use of the article.
2. Linking
A cheaper way is to link to the article (or video/audio clip) in email messages, e-newsletters or from a website teaser that you create. Just be mindful that the piece will be housed on the media outlet’s website, so you’ll be relying on them to keep the content posted for a certain period of time. Also, since some sites impose paywalls that may impede access to content for some of your target audience, linking is not always an effective route to take, despite the cost efficiency.
3. Social media
Tweet out article content and key quotes (if any) in a steady, methodical drip, while linking to the article, video or audio clip. If you have a corporate LinkedIn account, you can post the content there (or even do it from your personal account if you wish). You could also share it on other social media platforms to maximize exposure and keep the positive buzz circulating through cyberspace.