The Art of Securing Multiple Placements from One Outlet
STRATEGY BREAKDOWN
In this post written by Molly Antos, our resident Performance PR and media relations expert, we’re breaking down why multiple pieces of coverage in the same outlet can be a golden opportunity.
In this day and age of affiliate-driven PR (aka “Performance PR”), if an editor and outlet are choosing to feature a brand repeatedly, it means they are making money -and so are you!
Dadascope used to have a client for whom it was challenging to garner coverage. It was in a difficult, crowded, and competitive industry. The client did not introduce new products often and their packaging/taste/formulation was met with mediocre reception from folks who received samples (including our friends in the media).
On the bright side, we had ONE media contact at a VERY popular outlet, who just LOVED this client. She featured them once a month at least. She put them in different roundups on various topics. She did a raving standalone review. She reviewed more than one flavor. As PR people, we basked in the glory of finding such a deep well of loyal coverage for a difficult client. The only problem was — the client didn’t appreciate it. Every time we’d get a story from this outlet, they would yawn and say, “Again? Who cares?” Here’s why they were wrong.
SALES AND AFFILIATE PERFORMANCE
In this day and age of affiliate-driven PR (aka “Performance PR”), if an editor and outlet are choosing to feature a brand repeatedly, it means they are making money (and so are you!). Including a product in a gift guide, listicle, roundup or standalone review is a test to see if there is synergy between their readers and your product. If there is, the numbers won’t lie — affiliate platforms track clicks and conversions, so if a product skyrockets, the editor will want to go back to the well, again and again. This is particularly important when it comes to gift guide season — you’ll notice that a lot of items included in gift guides are previously reviewed/featured “editor’s favorites” that are already tried and tested.
FIND YOUR NICHE AUDIENCES
The above is even more important if you have a product/service that is niche in some way. Maybe it only appeals to a certain demographic, or the price point is really high. Maybe it contains an ingredient that people find polarizing or controversial. These factors may naturally limit the number of outlets that will want to share your product — it must appeal to the same people who read their stories. However, when you’ve found your niche — the editor who realizes your product is a perfect fit for their audience — you’ve struck gold.
REPETITION IS THE MOST SINCERE FORM OF FLATTERY
Speaking of appeal, in addition to wanting the outlet’s audience to resonate with your brand, you want the author of the article to love it. Nothing says love — and advocacy! — like writing about the same product over and over again. The quality, detail and depth of these kinds of pieces are unmatched in terms of getting consumers to want to at least check out what the hype is all about. Bonus: search algorithms are rumored to reward “first person content,” which includes love letters to your client’s product written in the first person by an editor.
STAY RELEVANT … OR DISAPPEAR
One final vote for repeat coverage. These days, SO MUCH content comes out on a daily basis, and consumers do not have time to read everything all at once. Stories get buried or lose out on the SEO battle, so a one-and-done approach is no longer the best chance you have of getting noticed by brand-aligned consumers. A writer/publication who is willing to constantly push you up in front of their readers is worth their weight in gold because it means you are that much closer to avoiding the black hole of the Internet where news is old mere hours after posting.
So, the next time a PR firm gets you an in with one publication that covers you over and over and over again … give them a hearty round of applause because they’ve just struck consumer media gold on behalf of your precious brand!