Maximizing Media Coverage: 4 Tips for Cannabis Brands and Leaders

Earning your first interview in a publication that's well know and respected in your industry puts you at a new level. All of a sudden, you might begin to notice people shaking your hand and saying, "By the way, I saw the interview you recently did about the hemp and CBD industry exponentially growing over the next two years. Nice job!" This is what you want to happen. The more people that know you and the better they know you, the greater your chances are of breaking out of industry white-noise, earning others' trust, and establishing credibility. Please, don't stop there.

Sometimes, the end of a publicity campaign is just the beginning of all the new and exciting opportunities ahead of you. Here are four tips for maximizing your earned media coverage in order to continue establishing credibility, building trust, and expanding your CBD business.

Applying for Awards or to Become a Speaker? Include Earned Media Achievements In Your Applications.

There are more cannabis industry events that take place every single year than one can count. Chances are, you've considered speaking at one of these events to educate professionals in the industry about you, your brand, and new cannabis developments you're excited to be working on. To speak at these events your application is vetted by a team to make sure you have enough experience, credibility, and expertise. Attaching details about your earned media accomplishments is a sure-fire way of grabbing someone's attention and increasing your chances of landing that speaker spot.

Share Your Earned Media Coverage on Your Blog and Social Media.

Aside from creating a portfolio of earned media coverage on your site for the purpose of adding credibility and content for your visitors to read, sharing earned media coverage on your blog and linking back to the full story will help your website's SEO efforts. Creating social media posts for Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn that highlight recent coverage is a great way to spread the word and maintain a positive buzz about you and your brand.

Provide Your Sales Team With Earned Coverage.

Your sales team is always looking for new conversation starters, assets to share, and angles to use when promoting your product to buyers. Share links to interviews with your sales team while they're still fresh and new. Sometimes, getting to know the founder of a brand on a deeper level is just what a buyer needs in order to feel comfortable signing on the dotted line and making a big purchase.

Incorporate Positive Media Feedback and the Respective Outlet’s Logo Into Marketing Material.

Did you just complete an interview about one of your products? Make it easy for website visitors to see and click on the full story. The homepage is a great location to place some of your biggest and best media coverage. I encourage brands to include coverage like this on respective product pages as well. The more social-proof and credibility out there about your product(s), the more likely that visitor will convert into a paying customer.

Oh, by the way... I wrote an article titled, 3 Ways CBD Brands Can Boost Online Traffic & Sales During COVID-19. It's a quick read that would be valuable to someone looking to maximize the full potential of their brand's e-commerce platform.

I strongly recommend creating an "In the Media" page on websites of brands that actively pursue media opportunities. This will serve as your portfolio of all media coverage and will give a reporter or journalist something to look at before reaching out to you (so make sure this section is clean, organized, and easy to navigate).

It is also wise to consider incorporating logos of outlets you were featured in on marketing collateral such as trade-show banners, brochures, in-store banners, or anything else that is handed out to potential customers.

Throughout your efforts of arranging interviews, completing Q&A's, and choosing photos to send to editors, don't forget that your work has just begun. The road to expansion involves brand-building, earning credibility, and raising awareness every single day. So before you hit send to submit those interview questions, think about how you'd like to leverage this coverage in the next few months or even next few years. Often times the tail-end of a publicity campaign or an interview is just the beginning for all the new and exciting opportunities ahead.