The Big Hit: Why Media and Podcast Coverage Is Just the Beginning

National media coverage can feel like winning the PR lottery. There’s nothing quite like telling a client, “We landed the Washington Post” or “CNBC wants you on tomorrow” or “Joe Rogan read your book, when can you fly to Austin?”

The celebration emails fly, champagne corks pop, and for a moment (and just a moment), you feel like you can do anything.

And seasoned communications professionals know a crucial truth: securing coverage is just the first step. What you do next determines whether that media moment becomes a lasting asset or a fleeting victory lap.

This has never been truer, as all news seems to be breaking, the 24/7 news cycle feels like a distant memory, and distrust of (corporate) media is at an all-time high. The most popular podcasts are constantly releasing new episodes, and there are no shortages of platforms to consume content.

The Amplification Imperative

A national media or popular podcast hit without an amplification strategy is like catching lightning in a bottle—then leaving the cap off. Without a plan to extend and leverage that coverage, even the most impressive placements quickly fade from public consciousness.

I like using the “before, during, and after” mindset:

Before: Prepare your digital infrastructure for increased traffic. Is your website ready? Are conversion pathways clear? Do you have follow-up content ready to engage new visitors? What’s the call to message? Have you created a summary blog post (linking back to the media/podcast source)?
During: Create a real-time amplification plan across owned channels. How quickly can you share the coverage? Which stakeholders need immediate notification and on which platforms? Which media and podcasts should receive an ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) to spur new interviews?
After: Develop a strategic repurposing calendar. How evergreen is the content? How can this coverage feed your content ecosystem for weeks or months to come? Should you record a corresponding video and/or podcast to go deeper on the subject?

Each piece of coverage should serve as a building block for your next opportunity. A thoughtful approach includes:

Using coverage as third-party validation in future pitches
Creating content packages that combine multiple pieces of coverage to tell a cohesive story
Identifying related angles that weren’t covered in the original piece for follow-up pitches
Leveraging timely national conversations (even those not mentioning your organization) to secure local commentary opportunities

The Multi-Directional Media Flow

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of media relations is understanding how stories travel between different tiers of media and podcasts. Generally speaking, you have hyper-niche/local, niche/local, statewide, regional, national, and international, and industry/sector. Whew!

Coverage doesn’t just flow downward from national to local—it moves in all directions:

Local to national: Regional stories with broader implications frequently get discovered by national producers scanning local outlets
Industry to mainstream: Trade publications often serve as research sources for mainstream reporters looking for emerging trends
Digital to traditional: Social conversations and digital-first content regularly spark interest from legacy media outlets

This multi-directional reality creates strategic opportunities for savvy communicators. Owning your local media market isn’t just about regional visibility—it’s often the most effective pathway to future coverage that reaches and expands your targeted audiences.

The Bottom Line

Don’t measure success by the prestige of the placement alone. Evaluate media and podcast coverage based on how effectively it advances your strategic objectives and how successfully it’s integrated into your broader communications ecosystem.

When approached with this mindset, even “smaller” placements can deliver outsized impact, while seemingly impressive national hits might underperform without proper amplification.

The question isn’t just “Did we get covered?”—it’s “What did we do with the coverage we received?”

Author:

Laura Braden

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