What is the purpose of press?
Butts in seats? A stamp of approval?
Now, what is your purpose for press?
Self validation? More sales, thus more revenue?
One of the first questions that I ask prospective clients is “what do you want to accomplish with media coverage?” The usual response is “more sales.”
Then they get the press coverage and it doesn’t translate to more sales. Sometimes it’s a negative review that kills sales momentum. But this happens even with a positive review. And if there’s a positive review, suddenly there’s really no concern about sales, even if it ain’t selling.
If they are after self validation, it’s also evident in the reaction to a negative review. After a lot of grumbling, they kind of give up and go silent. There’s no push for sales. There’s no embrace of a positive review from a smaller publication or blog that can pull them out of their slump.
So it’s important that you ID your purpose with press. If it is self validation, (and there’s nothing wrong with that, we all need to know that we are on the right track) then be ready to not get it and put more faith in the people who encourage you daily. If it’s for primarily for sales, think about other avenues in addition to media coverage that can help you reach your financial goals.
Whatever your purpose for press, make sure you search out other ways to get this apart from the media. They are fickle. You can’t invest your heart and soul into what they think, or their power to improve your sales funnel.
So, what’s your purpose for the press? And how has this purpose been (or not been) realized?
I am constantly on clients to re-purpose the media they get as door openers, because it’s the most elegant way to initiate a sales conversation. That by lined article that appeared in the influential trade publication that everyone reads? Get a reprint and send it, along with a personalized cover letter (or email) to prospects. Put a link to it in your next e-newsletter. Tweet the link out to your followers. DO something with it — hopefully a lot of things with it — things that will maximize its reach. Self-validation is good too, but I think for most business owners, getting a new customer is the best validation of all. Thanks for pointing this out.