Congratulations! You've managed to score some sweet publicity coverage. Now that you have a blog review, or a TV appearance, or a magazine write-up, or a newspaper article in your back pocket, will customers come flocking to you in droves?

Not exactly.

While you may see an increased amount of traffic, or even an increased amount of sales, your job doesn't stop here. Check out these 5 simple ways to explode your PR coverage.

Brag About It

Come on, you know you want to! Don't be shy about sharing your coverage with customers, family, friends – really anyone who will listen! At the very least, you should post the coverage somewhere on your website. If you want to be an A+ student, then for each new piece of press you get you should:

• Blog about your coverage
• Send an email newsletter with links to the coverage
• Post it in your online press room
• Use the logos of your press coverage on your homepage with an "As Featured In" blurb
• Share it on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Hang it on the wall or display (if you have a physical store location)
• Include it in your email signature

Send it to Retailers

If you have a product-based company, send a copy of the coverage to your retailers so they can share it with their customers. This works especially well if you have a magazine placement. You can send the actual page you were featured on in a clear plastic frame so they can put it next to your product on the shelf. Also send electronic versions in case they want to post it on an e-commerce site next to the image of your product. This is important to help your retail accounts boost sales, and increase your wholesale orders!

Ask for Comments

If your coverage is online (and most things are posted online these days) there will likely be a comments section underneath where folks can post feedback. Encourage your 'peeps' to go and post a comment under the coverage. Remember, the media is looking for an audience just as much as you are. If your blog post or newspaper article generates a lot of comments and feedback, they may be more apt to cover your business again in the future!

Testimonials

Use quotes from the coverage you have and use it in your offline and online marketing. How cool would that be to have the back of your business card read "The best skincare I've ever used – Glamour Magazine."

Welcome the Audience

When you get a press mention, you will likely have at least one person visit your website or come to your store to inquire about your business. Make them feel welcome! If you know you're going to be featured in a major outlet, like Redbook Magazine or the New York Times, post a welcome note on your homepage:

"Welcome <media outlet name> readers!"

Then include a call to action depending on what the coverage was.

"To purchase the product featured in the article, click here"

"If you enjoyed our tips, contact us to set up a consultation"

You get the drill. Make it easy for customers to buy from you and you'll be much more satisfied at the results of your press coverage!

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Many of my coaching clients have the same gripe – how do I come up with pitch ideas?

Here is my surefire way to always have a stack of pitch ideas ready to go for the media:

• Start a pitch idea folder. Mine is a manila folder that I use to hold magazine tear-outs, random notes scribbled on paper, or anything that sparks my interest that might be a future pitch.
• Read Google News to stay abreast of what’s happening in your industry. Set Google Alerts for relevant keywords (example: organic skincare if you’re an organic skincare company) and set Google Alerts for your direct competitors to see who is covering them.
• Use Chase’s Calendar of Events to look for any holidays your business may tie into.
• If you’re a product company, think of “tips” you can give audiences surrounding your product. If you’re a dog product company, maybe you can do a pitch on “How to Travel Safely with Your Dog in Summer” or “How to Buy Gifts for Pets when you’re not an Owner.”
• If you’re an author, use themes within your book and pitch as excerpts or as talking points/tips.
• Pay attention to seasons – August/September is great for back to school, November/December is great for holidays, March/April is great for spring cleaning your life, summer is great for beating the heat topics, January is great for resolutions and weight loss, February is perfect for love, relationships. May is all about Mother’s Day. April is great for finance/tax pitches.
• Stay on top of “breaking” news and pitch right away. Often when something happens (example: Tiger Woods and Jesse James’ affairs) the media is hungry for panelists and commentators to weigh in on the issues. This is great for authors and industry experts.
• Make a calendar for all 12 months of the year (don’t add dates specifically, just list out months with about 5-10 lines under each month). Then think about media lead times (magazines work 4-6 months ahead, TV works 4-6 weeks ahead, newspapers 1-2 weeks, radio 1-2 weeks, online 3-4 weeks (depends on outlet). Using this calendar, fill in your possible pitch topics, and get working on crafting those pitches!

In today’s DIY-Publicity Case Study, artist Matt Snow of Ex-Boyfriend, an apparel company based in Baltimore, Maryland, shared with us how he scored a placement in People Magazine. Here’s how he did it:

Matt contacted People Magazine just by reading the publication and noting the contacts within the sections and in the masthead. Then he emailed the appropriate contact with the following pitch:

Hi!

I’m a Baltimore-based artist with a clothing and accessory label called Ex-Boyfriend. In honor of April’s status as Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, I’m donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale of my new keychain bottle openers to the Maryland SPCA and shipping them out for free. This fundraising promotion is in conjunction with Ex-Boyfriend’s on-going commitment to donate 5% of all net profits to Maryland animal shelters and rescue organizations, and the bottle opener deal ends on April 17th, culminating with the Maryland SPCA’s annual March for the Animals.

A mention on PeoplePets would be a huge boost for my efforts on behalf of homeless animals, not only in Maryland, but all over the mid-Atlantic region, as the Maryland SPCA often steps up to help over-burdened rescue organizations in PA, DE, WV, VA and even the Caribbean.

If you’d like to help out with a feature on PeoplePets, please visit www.ex-boyfriendcollection.com for more information, or feel free to get in touch with me via email or telephone at (801) XBF-TEES.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this!

Cheers,

Matt Snow

This pitch secured coverage for Ex-Boyfriend in the People Pet’s Section. Using Matt’s example, here are some great elements you can apply to your own campaign:

• Be familiar with the publication and know what section you’re appropriate for. Matt took the time to read the publication and knew they would be a perfect fit for the Pet section.

• Custom-tailor your pitch to that appropriate section and tell the editor why they should include you.

• Include a newsworthy tie-in – Matt included both the timely element of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month and his charitable contribution as reasons they should include Ex-Boyfriend.

• Keep it short and to the point. There is no lengthy press release here – just a succinct pitch as to why they should receive this exposure!