Online, print, and broadcast press coverage is a tool to fuel your entire marketing campaign. The privilege of being included in a story with the top guns in your industry validates and endorses your position as an emerging leader and company to watch. Media mentions legitimize your brand in the market and build credibility from mentions.

As a recent Entrepreneur article on measuring the success of a PR campaign aptly pointed out, PR is much more of an art than it is a science. If you’ve been lucky (or diligent) enough to be featured by a target media outlet in your niche, your job isn’t over. The most important steps in your PR strategy campaign come after your media coverage.

So, while measuring press coverage is more of a vanity metric, ultimately creating more brand awareness and not necessarily click-throughs, you can increase the power of a plug by helping journalists share their stories and letting customers, clients, and prospects know about your latest accomplishment. The goal is to garner attention from the target audience.

In other words, don’t be shy about shameless self-promotion

Truth be told, you aren’t going to get a lot of link love back from top-tier media hoping to keep their readers inside the paywall, so it is in your best interest to drive those interviews and reviews forward. Talk to the right reporters and explore social media platforms as much as you can. Again, awareness and engagement aren’t as tangible as sales figures, so it’s crucial that you share the coverage you worked so hard to get.

11 tips on how to use media coverage to convert more customers and clients

• Link your coverage to your website home page and press page and make it a part of your “About Us” page.

• Send out an email to your customers and clients, and be sure to embed the clip into the email, not just a link. Add an offer while you’re at it so you will have something to measure.

• Start a conversation. Create social media buzz using the article topic, quotes, questions and include an offer, a call to action. Drive traffic to the article.

• Share the coverage with current and future clients to close a sale.

• Speaking of sales, make sure all of your reps and distributors have a copy of the article or clip to share with future prospects.

• Blog and vlog about it while you dive deeper into the article’s topic. This is your chance to expand on that quote. Be sure to link out to the reporter for added bonus points.

• Don’t forget to add it to your brand’s LinkedIn page.

• Go old school and print out a copy and laminate/frame it in your store, gym, spa, or office. Good press will boost employee morale.

• If it is a product review, add it to your online e-commerce site with the right snack next to the product that was featured.

• Track it through Google Analytics, Open Site Explorer, Trackur, Radian6, and Sprout Social. Do more of what’s working.

• Blow it up and add it to your marketing decks, brochures, and trade show booth banners.

Another idea is to take this list and add it to your marketing plan and strategy for each and every time you land a big story. When you take the time to promote your media clips the right way, it can also lead to additional opportunities for press coverage, collaborating with influencers in your niche, and converting new customers.