Step 12: 4 Top Tips for Monitoring Press Coverage
Keeping track of media coverage can be both difficult and time consuming, especially if you aren’t aware of the tools available to help you do this effectively.
In this final instalment of my 12 step guide to crafting the perfect press release, here are some top tips on how to monitor press coverage.
1.Subscribe to target publications: Before distributing your press release you will have identified key publications that you’d like to target. Once the release has been sent out it’s important to assess engagement and coverage and subscribing to receive regular copies of target local and trade press is a great way to do this.
ACTION: Subscribe to receive key target publications. There are usually deals available online at a reduced price.
2. Get instant notifications via Google: This is one of the most simple and useful tools for monitoring coverage. It’s very easy to set up Google Alerts for your business so you’ll receive an email as soon as you’re mentioned online or your news story is posted. These alerts are particularly useful if you use keywords in your search parameters so you can track what is being posted, by who and when.
ACTION: Set up more than one notification using Google to capture as much data as possible on a wide range of key words.
3. Set up a hashtag search: If you use social media management tools like Hootsuite, Edgar or Buffer, you can set up your own search for hashtags which will bring back a stream of posts that mention your key words. For example, if your release talks about the North East tech industry then others who post updates, opinions or links relating the same topic will be displayed within your hashtag search.
ACTION: Look at the social network management tool that you’re using and assess its capabilities for monitoring hashtags.
4.Use free and paid for media monitoring services: There are free and paid options available for businesses which offer a range of functions including press monitoring, media databases and more. To make sure you get your message out effectively to a wide audience and monitor its impact correctly try and use mixture of both free and paid platforms as this will offer the best results.
ACTION: Do some research into online distribution services and undertake some free trials to find out which of the services is the right one for you.
By Kathryn Dishman, Managing Director, KD Communications.
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