Clip Searching
What is This Section About?
This section discusses the importance of searching for “clips” (media, analyst, television, and/or blogger coverage) and several tools and techniques for doing so.
Why is This Section Important?
Clip searching is a tool of the PR trade that is utilized as an activity to research and record the number and quality of news hits a particular client has accrued. This is an especially important practice for Trainer Communications given our Metrics Matter methodology and our guaranteed results. The key to great clip searching is to completely encompass all outlets in a comprehensive search in order to ensure that all coverage is recorded and delivered to the client. While there are several tools (to be discussed below) that aid in the process, this will require some creativity and research on your part. Clip searching is an integral part of Trainer's public relations activities. As briefings are secured and news is distributed through the news services on behalf of our clients, we need to track and document the coverage for Trainer and client records.
There are a variety of different tools and approaches that are utilized when completing a clip search. Trainer has an arsenal of tools that we use to track and record clips of coverage that are obtained. In fact, when completing the search, we use the Meltwater platform, Google Alerts, and a thorough internet search to ensure that we've captured all clips in our reports.
Meltwater
Meltwater is a media monitoring platform that Trainer uses to obtain industry-wide clip searches and analytical measuring tools. The platform provides the capability to house comprehensive clip searches for individual clients and includes analytical capabilities that will evaluate trends, target markets, and all press activity. Meltwater is a robust tool that minimizes the amount of research required and the potential for clip oversights.
To have proper functionality using Meltwater – and to receive alerts via email as coverage is garnered – one must establish the client as an "agent" on the platform. To establish the new agent, one must access the Meltwater platform and fill out the information form as it relates to the individual client. Each client will demand different criteria and search terms, so be sure to verify with account leads before creating the agent. After the alert has been created, regular emails will be delivered to internal aliases as coverage is garnered.
A particularly interesting tool that Meltwater offers is the ability to create competitive analysis reports for clients. After an agent is established in the platform, Meltwater creates a "Dashboard" for that client that can be used to compare against competitors. The Dashboard will show: number of hits in each month, the source of each hit, and the location of the hits for each agent created.
Google Alerts
Google Alerts are another useful tool that helps automate the clip searching process. A client, their competitors and industry news can all be automatically tracked using Google alerts. Each alert is simple to establish and will send automatic emails to internal team aliases of any news or coverage the client and/or competitors has garnered in frequent intervals.
While these automatic tools are a solid start in clip searching, they aren't full-proof and are not to be relied upon for 100% accuracy. It is important to remember that Trainer prides itself on providing the most robust and comprehensive research techniques, so the harder we scrutinize and scour for coverage, the more positively it reflects on the company.
Sharing Clips With the Client
The research for clips that we complete is not simply for internal use. In fact, we must package up the coverage for delivery to our clients. The clippings act as justification to our clients that the outreach Trainer is engaged in is beneficial to their company. There are several different outlets for presenting the clippings to the client that we utilize, see below:
While all coverage and pickup can be beneficial, not every clipping is weighted and valued the same. In fact, each scorecard is designed and bound by specific definitions outlining how clips should be recorded. When providing the clippings to our clients, simple "reposts" of a press release are not recorded as coverage. Clients value independent articles/reports that have been written and/or when the press release has been utilized and reshaped into a new piece covering the news.
This is a something that will be learned with time, but there are many outlets that act solely to reprint press releases. These reprints, as mentioned above, are generally not of much value and are not recorded as hits on the scorecard. Clients place the most emphasis on articles that have been written independent of the press releases and/or have utilized the press release as a reference when writing a piece.
Tracking a release that has been slated to cross the wire is exceptionally valuable to our clients. For this reason, Trainer will monitor for press release pickup after each individual release has officially crossed. The first step in the process is to immediately research each outlet/firm that was briefed on the news prior to its release. It is necessary to research specifically for the journalist and/or analyst to determine whether they have provided any coverage on the news.
In addition to the briefed media/analysts, there will be instances where the news is covered by other persons. This requires a comprehensive search for all pickup of the release or articles written around the news by utilizing the Meltwater platform and completing a manual search via the internet.
What is This Section About?
This section discusses the importance of searching for “clips” (media, analyst, television, and/or blogger coverage) and several tools and techniques for doing so.
Why is This Section Important?
Clip searching is a tool of the PR trade that is utilized as an activity to research and record the number and quality of news hits a particular client has accrued. This is an especially important practice for Trainer Communications given our Metrics Matter methodology and our guaranteed results. The key to great clip searching is to completely encompass all outlets in a comprehensive search in order to ensure that all coverage is recorded and delivered to the client. While there are several tools (to be discussed below) that aid in the process, this will require some creativity and research on your part. Clip searching is an integral part of Trainer's public relations activities. As briefings are secured and news is distributed through the news services on behalf of our clients, we need to track and document the coverage for Trainer and client records.
There are a variety of different tools and approaches that are utilized when completing a clip search. Trainer has an arsenal of tools that we use to track and record clips of coverage that are obtained. In fact, when completing the search, we use the Meltwater platform, Google Alerts, and a thorough internet search to ensure that we've captured all clips in our reports.
Meltwater
Meltwater is a media monitoring platform that Trainer uses to obtain industry-wide clip searches and analytical measuring tools. The platform provides the capability to house comprehensive clip searches for individual clients and includes analytical capabilities that will evaluate trends, target markets, and all press activity. Meltwater is a robust tool that minimizes the amount of research required and the potential for clip oversights.
To have proper functionality using Meltwater – and to receive alerts via email as coverage is garnered – one must establish the client as an "agent" on the platform. To establish the new agent, one must access the Meltwater platform and fill out the information form as it relates to the individual client. Each client will demand different criteria and search terms, so be sure to verify with account leads before creating the agent. After the alert has been created, regular emails will be delivered to internal aliases as coverage is garnered.
A particularly interesting tool that Meltwater offers is the ability to create competitive analysis reports for clients. After an agent is established in the platform, Meltwater creates a "Dashboard" for that client that can be used to compare against competitors. The Dashboard will show: number of hits in each month, the source of each hit, and the location of the hits for each agent created.
Google Alerts
Google Alerts are another useful tool that helps automate the clip searching process. A client, their competitors and industry news can all be automatically tracked using Google alerts. Each alert is simple to establish and will send automatic emails to internal team aliases of any news or coverage the client and/or competitors has garnered in frequent intervals.
While these automatic tools are a solid start in clip searching, they aren't full-proof and are not to be relied upon for 100% accuracy. It is important to remember that Trainer prides itself on providing the most robust and comprehensive research techniques, so the harder we scrutinize and scour for coverage, the more positively it reflects on the company.
Sharing Clips With the Client
The research for clips that we complete is not simply for internal use. In fact, we must package up the coverage for delivery to our clients. The clippings act as justification to our clients that the outreach Trainer is engaged in is beneficial to their company. There are several different outlets for presenting the clippings to the client that we utilize, see below:
- On the day of the release, Trainer completes a comprehensive clip search utilizing the aforementioned methods. At day's end, Trainer will provide the client with a complete recap of all pickup and/or coverage that resulted from the news. While each client will be specific about what information is valuable to their company, typically, Trainer will provide a short summary that includes the outlet that covered the news, the journalist/analyst reporting the news, the title of the article, and a URL link to the coverage.
- The weekly agenda is a document utilized to drive for action during weekly calls with clients. It also acts as an additional forum to present coverage to the client. Trainer includes all major coverage hits on the weekly agenda to be discussed on the client calls.
- End of Month (EOM) reports, which have been discussed in previous chapters, will also house a comprehensive report of all the coverage that the client news produced. While not limited to client news, the reports should also include any editorial coverage that was proactively established by Trainer.
- A final clip book is a document completed by Trainer that houses all relevant clippings that were gathered during the clip search. It is designed to provide the client with one, clean document that showcases the outlets, media/analysts, and stories/reports that were a result of the news and/or editorial outreach.
While all coverage and pickup can be beneficial, not every clipping is weighted and valued the same. In fact, each scorecard is designed and bound by specific definitions outlining how clips should be recorded. When providing the clippings to our clients, simple "reposts" of a press release are not recorded as coverage. Clients value independent articles/reports that have been written and/or when the press release has been utilized and reshaped into a new piece covering the news.
This is a something that will be learned with time, but there are many outlets that act solely to reprint press releases. These reprints, as mentioned above, are generally not of much value and are not recorded as hits on the scorecard. Clients place the most emphasis on articles that have been written independent of the press releases and/or have utilized the press release as a reference when writing a piece.
Tracking a release that has been slated to cross the wire is exceptionally valuable to our clients. For this reason, Trainer will monitor for press release pickup after each individual release has officially crossed. The first step in the process is to immediately research each outlet/firm that was briefed on the news prior to its release. It is necessary to research specifically for the journalist and/or analyst to determine whether they have provided any coverage on the news.
In addition to the briefed media/analysts, there will be instances where the news is covered by other persons. This requires a comprehensive search for all pickup of the release or articles written around the news by utilizing the Meltwater platform and completing a manual search via the internet.
- Per above, it is exceptionally important when completing the search that creative techniques are utilized. Not all news will turn up under the release headline. One must be creative with one's search terms when searching for coverage by utilizing Boolean search phrases and altering key terms.