Congratulations! You’ve had successful results after a big media push. You and your team have divided and conquered pitching efforts on that massive media list and know there are at least 10 pieces of pending coverage secured.
But what about all of those reporters that just won’t pick up the phone or respond to any of your emails? Are they planning on writing anything? What about other journalists that weren’t on the media list that decided to write something on the press release that crossed the wire? How will you ever capture everything that may appear in either print or online publications?
Here are four simple steps to strategically compile a coverage report, as well as ways for making sure you include all articles, while using your time effectively.
1. Set strategic search terms
Establishing a few key search terms is vital. The balance lies between choosing broad terms that won’t yield 10,000 hits, while also selecting detailed words that won’t make your search too narrow. Searching for accurate results on Google could be tricky, given the width of a topic. In order to clarify, make sure you input something similar to “XYZ Survey” + 2013. Putting the name of the survey in quotations will make sure you’re seeing results that reflect the actual title, not just variations of it, and the “2013” will significantly narrow the time frame down.
2. Go straight to the source
Checking individual sites before searching on Google helps in terms of organization. While you’re monitoring for coverage within those publications that you’re sure are planning on publishing something, also track the websites of the other outlets on your list. Even when that list is extensive, it’ll give you some direction, as opposed to starting on page 1 of 500 on Google.
3. Use Google last
As previously mentioned, Google is vast and unfortunately, Google News is not all that comprehensive. However, in order to be thorough and make sure all coverage is captured, it’s important to double-check on Google (both Google Search and Google News) for anything additional that may pop up. Make sure to set your time parameters! Sort by date first, and if matching results are limited, then sort by relevance.
4. Google Alerts, Google Alerts, Google Alerts!
Google Alerts come in handy when you’re not quite sure when coverage is going to drop. Set up specific alerts (i.e. XYZ Survey 2013 + ABC Publication), so that you’re not checking for those pending articles every other second. That said, don’t solely rely on them; consider them a friendly reminder!
Use these tips to increase effectiveness on your hunt for coverage. It’s vital to track efficiently and capture everything that results from your pitching efforts in order to gather accurate and complete results. Remember to always read the story before you flag it, determine the tone of the writing, highlight any spokesperson quotes, note if any competitors are included and verify that all information that’s referenced is correct.
Do you have any tips to share that work for you?
