Maybe it’s not yet a mainstream opinion, but if you’re entrenched in the world of online media, you understand this headline.
Press mentions are great for business, whether they’re happening online or offline. However, an online mention can often do more for your business than being featured in traditional print media.
Think about it. Say you just designed an awesome new bag that you started selling in your online shop. An editor from O Magazine sees it and decides that it’s perfect to include in an upcoming product roundup for the magazine. You’re totally thrilled! Who wouldn’t be? It’s OPRAH.
It’s time for your issue to come out. You’re getting ready for all your new orders. More people are entering your company’s name into their favorite search engine and you’re getting more traffic and orders for a little while. Then…nothing.
If your product had been featured on Oprah.com, your story would be different. While there wouldn’t be a rush of new search traffic on the day your post is published, your benefits would be long-lasting.
There would be a direct link from the post to your online store for immediate purchases. If a consumer finds out about your product from a print magazine a lot of steps have to happen before they even make it to your product page, including being interested enough to stop reading their magazine, go look for your website, then search for that specific product. You don’t have to be nearly as interested in a product to end up buying it from a link you click on online.
Blog posts are tagged with keywords and post titles are optimized to ensure that the content is picked up by Google, resulting in a bigger audience than just your typical Oprah.com site visitor. Search engine traffic would deliver over and over again while magazines end up in the recycling bin.
While being mentioned in a glossy magazine is still seen by some as more prestigious, being mentioned online has the ability to put your product in front of lots of interested buyers, especially if you’re mentioned or pinned by an influential blogger. Did you click the link? 14 million plus Pinterest followers!
So, next time you’re feeling bummed out because your product ended up on the blog instead of the magazine, you can console yourself with knowing that you got the best deal. Because at the end of the day, prestige doesn’t make your business profitable. Sales do.