How to Use Media Exposure to Grow a Business
To a lot of business owners, having their brand seen on top business media platforms is often felt like the final step to hitting great figures. The interview comes out, everybody congratulates you, then you probably announce it once on social media… and then you move on.
That particular phase is often where most business owners don’t cease such opportunities.
They are often a little too comfortable with just the exposure. But press exposure, (be it from television, podcasts, online newspaper articles, online movies or doc style business media like that of Inside Success TV) is just exposure. The value of such an opportunity now relies entirely on what you decide to do next after being featured.
Why Media Exposure Matters for Business Growth
One of the things media exposure can do for your business that marketing itself can’t is: garner credibility. When your business is profiled in a well-respected source, not only do people get to know who you are and what your business is about. They start seeing your business as “trustworthy.”
As a result of recognition, with time your business will:
- Be noticed more
- Build more trust
- Be the authority in the field
- Receive better deals
Your business might get seen thanks to the press and business media, but it’s the trust that follows that helps your business grow.
People Trust Businesses They’ve Seen Before
Look at most people and how they make important business decisions. It’s extremely rare that someone will agree to hire an individual, engage a service provider, or make an investment in your company the first time they hear of you. They have to trust you first.
A way they do that is through exposure.
Maybe it was the podcast interview they listened to, that article you wrote last month, or through their Instagram or LinkedIn feed, or listening to their colleague mention your name in conversations. Every interaction individually might feel small, but they all help build your credibility.
The more exposure people have to your name and company in well-known or trustworthy platforms, the more you come to mind when the right opportunity occurs.
How Media Exposure Creates New Business Opportunities
Being in just a single interview can completely land you unexpected opportunities, such as:
- Partnership opportunities
- Invites to conferences
- Investor conversations
- Networking with other industry leaders
- Future media sponsorship
These are the situations in which you rarely show up asking for something, rather it usually just so happens that the right people see your story at the right time.
That same media recognition means that potential partners, investors, event hosts and other business magnates learn who you are and what you are all about long before they would ever reach out to you. Oftentimes, a media feature is that one introduction of yourself that leads to several interactions that can later lead to sustainable business growth for your company.
Don’t Let One Media Feature Be the Last
There’s one mistake entrepreneurs make: They think once they’ve gotten media coverage, it’s a win for the weekend and then they can move on.
No. No. No.
You’ll need to view it as part of your business story.
Update your professional bio and highlight your latest interview, link to it on your website, cite it whenever it comes up naturally in a business conversation.
Someone asks more about your background or your expertise? Then your interview becomes a valuable resource they can explore.
Each media appearance becomes yet one more layer of credibility to put to work for your business long after it first appeared in the pages (or screens) of a media publication.
Turn Media Exposure Into Long-Term Business Growth
Your business won’t automatically grow because you got featured by a media platform. Your business will grow because you harness the influence, authority, and chances that media coverage provides you.
So whether your interviews are with Inside Success TV or another well-respected business brand or media, the “success” is never about just the exposure of your interview but what that interview will translate into in terms of conversations, relationships, and opportunities that follow.
The best part is, if leveraged smartly, a media feature will do a lot more for your business long-term.
