You’ve landed an incredible media hit—a sparkling feature about your organization and the amazing work you do. Take a moment to appreciate the excitement, the heightened attention, the recognition.
But here’s the thing: that attention can be a one-off if you don’t have a plan to maintain momentum. If you want sustained visibility, then you need to think of your strategy like climbing a mountain. A media hit is a boost of energy to help you keep going—not the peak.
It’s all about capitalizing on the attention and leveraging the media hit to further your mission. Without a plan, the momentum you get from a media hit can quickly dissipate, leaving you back at square one.
That’s why we’re here to share some strategies on how to keep that excitement going between media hits.
1. Amplify Your Hit With Social Media
Social media’s your best friend for maintaining momentum. After a media hit, make sure to share it on your social media platforms.
Since you control your social media, you have the opportunity to frame the media hit when you post about it:
- Weave in your messaging.
- Highlight the key takeaways.
- Promote related upcoming initiatives.
- Include a call to action.
You can also tag the reporter or outlet in your post with a note of thanks or a compliment about the piece. That helps in building your relationship with the reporter or outlet—and increases your reach.
And if a key leader in your organization is featured in the media hit, then encourage them to reshare your post too. That personal link resonates with audiences.
2. Pitch as the Expert (With Proof!)
When the media covers a story related to your organization’s expertise, don’t miss the opportunity to pitch your thought leaders as the go-to experts for further analysis and insight. After all, you’ve got proof now—there’s an audience that wants to hear what your organization’s up to and what your thought leaders have to say. So craft your pitch, showcasing your knowledge and willingness to provide valuable commentary on the topic, and reference your media hit.
That’s how one media hit can snowball into multiple hits.
3. Add Your Hit to Your Email Newsletter
Your email newsletter is a great way to spread the word about your media coverage. Your subscribers are people who are specifically interested in your organization (whether they’re previous donors, event attendees, staff, or individuals who signed up on your website). They want to see what’s going on! A media hit is exciting news to share, offering an external perspective that’s different from the other content in your newsletter.
Add a section to your email newsletter for media coverage. Include the link to the piece and key quotes that’ll pique your readers’ curiosity. And just like on your social media, you can use the opportunity to connect the media hit to your message and entice your readers to take action.
4. Connect Success Stories to Your Hit
One of the most effective ways to maintain momentum is by sharing success stories that stem from your media coverage.
When a media hit’s in the works, make a plan to share stories from the people your organization has helped, showcasing the direct impact of your work. Try to choose success stories that you can connect clearly to the topic of your media hit. So if your media hit is about a program your organization offers, find a success story to share about an individual impacted by that program.
When you share that story (in a blog post, video, or social media post, for example), add context by connecting it back to the media hit.
By illustrating the tangible results of your mission, you ignite inspiration and encourage ongoing support from your audience.
Conclusion
When it comes to maintaining momentum between media coverage, remember that media hits are boosts of energy to help you keep climbing the mountain—they’re not the peak.
A good media hit’s a big deal. Enjoy the moment and appreciate the recognition your organization and work is receiving. But there are a lot of strategies you can use in between your media hits to keep the excitement going. By taking advantage of some of these strategies like we do, you’ll not only sustain the momentum, but increase the chances of future coverage.
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