A primary goal of any PR program is securing media coverage. Having a news outlet write about your company, quote your executives or use your client case study as an illustration of an industry best practice is an unbiased validation of your company’s approach, solution and success. However, once the media coverage comes, many companies are unaware of all the opportunities to maximize the visibility through other relevant sales, social media and marketing channels. Here are five ways to fully leverage media coverage generated.

1. Website – Including media coverage on your website demonstrates that your company is worth talking about. All company websites should have a newsroom for posting recent press releases and websites. If you don’t, make it a priority. News coverage can be highlighted with media logos and/or a description of the article. You could also give your homepage a dynamic content boost by including a newsfeed on the home page.
2. Social Media – Social media is all about sharing so make sure to post company news on Facebook and Twitter. A note about Facebook: be selective about which articles you share as most people are fine to see daily corporate posts but no one wants their newsfeed clogged with corporate news. Twitter, however, is a place where you should retweet all coverage. Mix it up by also offering a quick overview of the article and don’t forget to credit the news source with their handle, e.g., via @Forbes.
3. Newsletter – If you have a company newsletter you should be highlighting recent and relevant news coverage with your customers, prospects and employees. It is a great way to mix up the often copy-heavy design by including the headlines and links to 2-3 recent articles.
4. Sales Collateral – Nothing expresses a company’s value more than third-party media validation. Arm your sales team with appropriate media coverage to demonstrate the company’s thought leadership, market presence and reputation.
5. Blog – Most blogs are in need of content – something to break up the barrage of thought leadership and how-to’s. Institute a monthly recap of recent news coverage or write your own synopsis of a story that featured your company.

This is a timeless issue – many companies only want to discuss topics directly related to their product or service. While this sweet spot is undeniable, it doesn’t have to mark the boundary of what corporate spokespersons can comment on. In fact, only entertaining topics that solely focus directly on a company’s products or services can prevent the business from reaching its full media coverage potential, not to mention stifle their potential visibility in related marketplaces.

Salesforce.com is great example. While beginning its path as a CRM software provider, the company, thanks in much part to Marc Benioff and a savvy PR/marketing team,  has transformed itself and entire industries including SaaS and Cloud computing. The company looked beyond the CRM marketplace and pushed the envelope – not only in it’s technology but it’s forward-looking views that distinguished Salesforce.com as a revolutionary leader. Bottom line – thoroughly evaluate what your business means to the future of your industry and the greater marketplace – and don’t be afraid to discuss periphery topics. It just may be the door-opener to a new market or expanded use of your solution.

Over the last six months, on behalf of clients, I have participated in numerous meetings with SEO firms on improving online rankings, increasing web site traffic, etc. No doubt many are masterful and have proven track records at their trade. But, much to my chagrin, many also talk about SEO press releases. I am not opposed to an SEO strategy that incorporates keywords into press releases. Certainly any savvy PR pro knows that keywords and SEO hyperlinks are an important element of a well-crafted press release campaign. But, for the SEO professionals presenting, the purpose of the press release was not to convey an important corporate message but rather to push out the organization’s top 20 keywords.

In several examples presented, I was shocked to see that the headline and first paragraph or lead repeated the same phrase six separate times, resulting in utter nonsense. As a journalism school graduate, I am dismayed when I see organizations distribute keyword laden messaging and pass it off as a press release. Ultimately, you are damaging your credibility as an innovative thought leader and maddening the folks that can help you push out your message – the media.

The flying car unveiled at the New York Auto Show and Google’s project glass topped headlines last week, making me think are we that far off from a Jetsons-like era and more importantly what is next for PR?  In 10 years, will the press release still exist?  Will Twitter or another social site be the preferred method for distributing news to reporters?  Will mobile devices be our primary (or only) tool for consuming news? I don’t know for sure, but I guarantee there will still be a need for public relations practitioners.

The value a good firm provides its clients goes far beyond distributing news releases.  It begins with strategic communications counsel, thoughtful planning and insight and reaching goals that align with the organization’s overarching business objectives.  The tools used – a press release, blog post, social media channel – are less important.  It is the skill and thought process behind the tactics and the savvy professional or firm that really makes PR invaluable.  Those in PR have an uncanny ability to look at a company as a whole (its products, offerings, brand awareness) and quickly assess its ability to effectively communicate with customers, partners, investors, media, etc.  This is not always easy to assign to a marketing department or other team within an organization.

Plus, PR pros are known for multi-tasking, meaning we are most likely to succeed at navigating our flying car while communicating with clients through our Google glasses.