9 Strategies to Maximize the Impact of Your Earned Media Coverage

Earned media isn't just about getting a nod from the press – it's a vital tool if you want to build brand reputation and reach new audiences. In fact, our latest research, captured in the 2025 Comms Report, identified that 38% of PR and comms teams are increasingly relying on earned media this year, with 30% basing their overall strategy around it. 

Landing earned media coverage is a big win for PR and comms teams and shows that you’re doing something right. But where the power of earned media truly comes into play is in what you do next.

Here are nine strategies to help you extend the longevity and value of your hard-won earned media coverage and increase the impact of your efforts.

1. Syndicate Earned Media to Shared Channels 

Why is social media so important to your strategy? As this year’s Comms Report reveals: more than half of our respondents (53%) shared that branded social media is in the top three most effective tactics for influencing audience behavior.

Use social media to bring more attention to your earned media coverage by sharing snippets, quotes, images, and visuals of the media coverage you’ve received across your brand’s social media pages to reinforce your brand’s authority and expertise. For the most audience engagement, be sure to tailor your content to each platform. For example, platforms such as X and Instagram, known for their fast-paced nature, can handle multiple posts over several days, but you might want to pull out a few key points or write an intro for slower-moving channels like Facebook and LinkedIn. Use multimedia content like videos and infographics to boost online engagement. And be sure to track brand mentions and listen to online conversations to engage and keep the conversation going.

If you are still trying to find ways to integrate social media into your strategy and aren't sure where to start, consider starting with Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn – according to the same report, PR leaders identified these platforms as the most valuable for their strategies.

(For more insight into how to use social media for PR, check out our tip sheet, 4 Ways to Use Social Media for PR.)

2. Share With Prospects and Customers

Incorporate your earned media wins in email newsletters and promotional campaigns to directly reach existing audiences who may not have seen the coverage elsewhere. Include links to articles, interviews, or other mentions to reinforce key messages about your brand, products, and services, while simultaneously deepening engagement with this group. Be sure to provide some context outlining why such coverage adds brand credibility or a level of prestige.

This approach is also a crucial step toward meeting one of C-suite's top expectations: customer acquisition/engagement.

3. Integrate Into Owned Channels 

Your website and blog are prime real estate for showcasing your earned media coverage. According to 27% of comms leaders, the brand website has proved to be the most effective at influencing audience behavior. Take advantage of this owned channel by incorporating media quotes and excerpts from coverage onto your website pages and within blogs. Another approach you could take is to republish any content you’ve created for another site (with permission, proper attribution, and links back to the original content), or consider excerpting an earned media piece for your website and adding your own commentary on the subject. Share third-party coverage in your brand’s newsroom or another dedicated page on your website to enrich your SEO and boost your credibility. Don't be shy about linking back to the original sources – it's a win-win for everyone involved.

4. Leverage Paid Channels

Looking for another channel to showcase your earned media coverage? Take inspiration from your peers – 41% of them are prioritizing paid social media more than last year, according to the Comms Report. Moreover, for 28% of report respondents, their overall media strategy relies on paid channels (3% more than last year).

While earned media coverage is inherently valuable, investing in paid media can further amplify its impact. For example, you might create targeted social ads on LinkedIn with clips or quotes from your earned media, or you might create sponsored content for a third-party news outlet that builds upon the themes or topics covered from your earned media. Paid media helps you reach new audiences through trusted sources, enabling you to build brand reputation while maximizing the overall effectiveness of your campaigns. These new audiences will be primed to recognize your brand in future interactions and touchpoints.

5. Incorporate Into Sales and Marketing Materials 

Incorporating links, logos, pull quotes, and excerpts from positive earned media coverage into your sales and marketing collateral can immensely enhance brand credibility. From email signatures and sales brochures to press kits and investor presentations, the opportunities to draw attention positive media coverage abound.

By highlighting positive coverage, you’re reinforcing your brand’s credibility and trust with target audiences, which is particularly valuable in this age of increasing consumer skepticism.

6. Repurpose Earned Media Content

Extend the lifespan of your coverage by repurposing it into various formats such as videos, podcasts, or blog posts. Reuse media quotes, statistics, and other content across website pages, blogs, social media, and press releases to increase brand visibility and engagement. For example, written articles can inspire infographic explainers or YouTube recaps; webinars can offer additional commentary and analysis. By repackaging content for different audiences and platforms, you ensure your message resonates with diverse audience segments and drives meaningful engagement.  

7. Use Earned Media to Nurture Relationships with Journalists and Influencers 

Cultivating strong relationships with journalists, bloggers, and influencers is essential for securing ongoing coverage and maintaining a robust media presence. Although media outreach/influencer management ranked in the top three priorities among 37% of comms leaders, 21% of respondents feel that identifying the right media outlet for their initiative is one of their biggest challenges when it comes to media relations.

Use the earned media your brand receives as an opportunity to nurture and deepen relationships with the journalists or media influencers responsible. How? To start, expressing gratitude for coverage publicly by tagging them on social media will immediately earn you some good will. Then keep building those relationships over time by continuing to provide them with relevant news, information, and resources that could make for compelling stories – and more coverage – down the line. 

8. Track and Measure Earned Media Reach

Measuring the impact of earned media coverage is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of your PR efforts and optimizing future campaigns. Unfortunately, the ability to measure earned media impact effectively continues to be a top challenge for 60% of PR teams, according to the Comms Report.

This is where investing in quality media monitoring and measurement tools can help. The right tools make it easy to track impressions, engagement, leads, and other key performance indicators, all of which provide valuable insight into the reach and effectiveness of your media coverage.

When you understand the media coverage that resonates, not only can you demonstrate the value of PR efforts to clients, stakeholders, and leadership, you can also use this intel to craft  more compelling pitches, that will win you more media coverage in the future. 

9. Celebrate Earned Media and Socialize Internally 

Share your earned media coverage with internal stakeholders, such as employees, executives, or investors, to keep them informed and engaged with your brand. Highlight the significance of coverage and its impact on your brand's reputation. Leaders should especially celebrate milestones like award wins or inclusions in top-tier press to foster feelings of pride among employees and reinforce a culture of excellence. 

Whatever you do, don’t miss the opportunity to leverage internal advocacy programs to amplify messaging across your employees’ social media networks. Why? Because your employees are more powerful than you may realize. According to the Comms Report, employees are more effective than any other type of brand influencer – including celebrities and everyday consumers – at impacting consumer behavior. So, if they’re amplifying earned media coverage, it’s almost a guaranteed win for your brand.

The Bottom Line

Earned media coverage represents a valuable opportunity for PR and communications pros to increase brand visibility, credibility, and reputation. By strategically repurposing and amplifying earned media coverage across various channels, you can extend its reach, engage with target audiences, and drive meaningful results for your organization. 

Ready to put these tips into practice? Find out how CisionOne can help you better understand your earned media coverage – so you can start maximizing its impact even further. Explore the platform or make time to speak with one of our experts.

*Editor's note: This article has been updated from an earlier version to reflect new data and findings.