Because of limited budgets and staff time, small business marketing communications professionals often overlook the power of media coverage in their struggle to increase leads and sales. The MarComs pro, as we like to call them, is often the multi-tool of the company: from strategist and ghostwriter, social marketer and graphic designer, to webmaster, etc. With so much to do, how can a MarComs pro increase website traffic with such limited time? One strategy is leveraging media coverage to secure valuable website backlinks. These backlinks will strengthen the quality of your site, helping its ranking in search results.
Let’s dive into the connection between media coverage, backlinks, and their value for small businesses.
Media coverage: Building credibility in the digital landscape
Traditionally, media coverage has referred to instances where media outlets feature your company, its leadership, or its products and services in full length articles, interviews, or profiles.
These outlets can include:
- Traditional print publications
- Online articles
- Blogs
- Podcasts
- Social media platforms
Certainly, this type of focused media coverage establishes credibility, builds brand exposure, and promotes your company to a broader audience. Often, a company will have a dedicated PR department or an agency to secure in-depth coverage.
Focused, feature-length articles take expertise and finesse to land. However, there’s one type of media coverage that can be easier to secure—without hiring a PR agency. What is it? Simply, expert source quotes. A quote from a relevant expert gives stories credibility, at the same time positioning the source as a trusted expert in their field or industry. Expert source quotes have even more benefits, of course!
The symbiotic relationship: Media coverage and backlinks
Establishing trust and authority
Media coverage and expert quotes act as endorsements that not only increase brand visibility but also contribute to building trust and authority within your industry. When reputable media outlets feature your company employees’ expertise, it enhances your businesses’ credibility. Backlinks from these media mentions further validate your authority to search engines, positively impacting your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.
Backlinks: The currency of online authority
A backlink is a hyperlink that directs users from one website to another. Backlinks serve as digital endorsements, telling search engines that your content is valuable and authoritative. Quality backlinks are crucial in SEO, as they improve your website’s ranking and visibility in search engine results. Consequently, building backlinks from reputable sites—such as media outlets—is essential for boosting your online presence and attracting potential clients.
Boosting search engine rankings
Search engines, like Google, consider the quality and quantity of backlinks when determining the relevance and authority of a website. As more high-quality websites link back to your pages, your website’s search ranking improves, making it more likely to appear in relevant search results. This increased visibility can lead to more organic traffic (as opposed to traffic from advertising) and, subsequently, more leads and sales.
4 Strategies for securing media coverage and building backlinks
1. Creating shareable, valuable content
Investing in high-quality content is a cornerstone of successful backlink building. Develop shareable content that addresses your target audience’s pain points and interests. This content could include in-depth industry reports, survey results, or multimedia content. Not only are other websites are more likely to link to it, but journalists also appreciate data-based content and are more likely to link to it, enhancing your backlink profile.
2. Building relationships with journalists
Establishing solid relationships with journalists is another route to securing media mentions. Engage with them on social media and LinkedIn, share their articles, and offer insights on topics relevant to your industry. Building a rapport over time can lead to journalists reaching out for your company’s expertise for future articles.
3. Crafting compelling pitches using Qwoted
Another way to get media coverage is to use Qwoted, a popular network that connects journalists with expert sources. To increase the likelihood of being featured, read the journalist’s request thoroughly. If the reporter is looking for comments, be sure to include your expert’s comments in your response. When suggesting a company representative or executive, provide details about their suitability, and address any questions included in the request. Many journalists are under tight deadlines, so if they ask for answers to specific questions, be sure to include them. Don’t send AI-generated text, however, as journalists can’t use it.
4. Leveraging social proof
Highlighting media mentions and coverage on your website, social media sites, and marketing materials serves as social proof of your industry expertise. Showcase logos of media outlets that have covered your company and include snippets or links to the articles. You’ll reinforce your credibility to website visitors and give a signal to search engines, contributing to your overall SEO strategy.
Measuring success: Tracking media coverage and backlinks
As every MarComs pro knows, the proof isn’t in the pudding—it’s in the metrics. Perform regular audits of your backlink profile to ensure the quality and relevance of incoming links. The results should guide your future outreach efforts and content creation strategy.
To measure the impact of your media mentions and backlinks:
- Use analytics tools such as Google Analytics or specialized SEO tools like Ahrefs.
- Monitor changes in website traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates.
- Determine how you’ll attribute specific metrics to your media coverage efforts to quantify the success of your strategy and refine your approach over time.
Media Coverage: You don't have to do this alone
For a MarComs professional striving to increase web traffic, leads, and sales, strategically using media coverage and backlinks can be a game-changer. Whether building your backlinks strategy on a shoestring budget or opting for the expertise of a reputable agency, the path to a robust set of backlinks is a solid media mention strategy.
If time or budget is a constraint, opt for the expertise of a reputable agency, such as Dogwood Solutions.
Contact us today to learn more about our cost-effective editorial link services to manage and enhance your media presence for increased leads and sales.
