By Jordan Baker, Founder of Fair Public Relations and former UK national journalist
Getting your first proper press feature feels like a finish line.
It should not be.
A journalist has chosen to quote your expert, review your product, interview your founder or write about your business.
That is valuable in its own right.
But the article going live creates a new set of opportunities.
You can make the coverage easier for prospective customers to find.
You can use it appropriately in sales conversations.
You can measure what happened.
You can learn which angle interested the media.
You can strengthen the relationship with the journalist without immediately annoying them.
And you can start building a larger body of credible editorial visibility rather than allowing one article to disappear into the internet.
The key word is appropriately.
Being featured in a publication does not mean the publication now endorses your company.
It does not automatically give you copyright permission to reproduce its article, photograph, screenshot, logo or page design.
And it does not prove the article caused every sale, website visit or future ranking change.
The best post-coverage strategy gets maximum legitimate value from the result without exaggerating what happened.
First, check what the journalist has actually published
Before celebrating it publicly, read the article.
Properly.
Check your company name.
Expert name.
Job title.
Product name.
Price.
Website link.
Important factual claims.
Photographs and captions.
And the context in which your business appears.
Most editorial differences are not errors.
A journalist may describe your business differently from the wording in your press release.
They may shorten a quote.
They may use only one of five points you supplied.
The headline may focus on a different part of the story.
That is editorial control.
Do not ask for changes simply because the article sounds less promotional than your own marketing copy.
What if something is factually wrong?
Contact the journalist politely and be specific.
For example:
"Thanks again for including us. I noticed the article lists the product at £79. The confirmed retail price is £69. Would you mind updating that when you have a moment?"
That is very different from:
"Could you rewrite the introduction, add our award, change the headline, mention our founder more and include our mission statement?"
One is factual correction.
The other is trying to edit somebody else's journalism after publication.
What about a missing backlink?
If a natural link would be useful, ask politely.
When I was a journalist, backlink requests were not unusual.
Sometimes an editor allowed them.
Sometimes not.
Publication policies change.
My view is that it generally does not hurt to ask once.
Be prepared for the journalist to say no, ignore the message or have no control over it.
Do not turn an excellent piece of coverage into a dispute because the publication did not give you the SEO asset you wanted.
The first 24 hours: save the details and thank the journalist
Fair's own process after publication begins with properly recording what exists.
Capture:
headline
publication
URL
journalist/byline
publication date
client/spokesperson
subject
whether there is a backlink
any obvious follow-up information
This becomes useful later when reviewing campaign progress, case studies, journalist history and possible marketing use.
Then thank the journalist.
A short, normal message is enough.
You do not need to send a gift basket.
You certainly do not need to respond to:
"Thanks for your help"
with a completely unrelated new pitch five minutes later.
What should happen to the journalist relationship?
Our usual approach is simple.
Check the article.
Thank the journalist.
Ask politely for a relevant backlink where appropriate.
Then leave them alone unless there is a genuine reason to contact them.
Fair generally prefers pitching journalists with fresh content rather than repeatedly chasing the same material.
As a rough internal principle, we avoid bombarding the same journalist constantly and often leave around a week before another unrelated proactive pitch where appropriate.
That is not a universal newsroom rule or a contractual frequency.
It is simply part of treating media relations as a professional relationship rather than a mailing list.
Can you save a copy of the article?
Maintain an internal record, but understand the rights around what you copy and how you later use it.
The original article is normally protected by copyright.
So are photographs and many designed publication assets.
UK copyright exists automatically in original written, visual and other creative works.
That means:
The fact that the article is about you does not mean you own it.
This distinction becomes especially important when somebody inside the company says:
"Great. Screenshot the whole thing and put it on our website."
That may not be something you have the right to do.
Can you share or reproduce the article?
There is a big difference between linking and copying.
UK Intellectual Property Office guidance says that sharing a simple link to material lawfully published online is generally not restricted by copyright, while copying and rehosting online images will usually require permission unless a licence or legal exception applies.
So the lowest-risk practical route is usually straightforward:
Write your own description of the coverage.
Link readers to the publisher's original article.
That sends traffic to the source and avoids pretending the publisher's work belongs to you.
Can you quote part of the article?
UK law contains a fair-dealing exception for quotation in certain circumstances, including requirements that the work has been made public, the use is fair, only as much as necessary is used and sufficient acknowledgement is given. Whether a particular commercial use qualifies depends on the facts.
So do not turn:
"Quotation may sometimes be lawful"
into:
"We can copy three paragraphs of every newspaper article onto our sales page."
If significant reproduction matters commercially, obtain appropriate permission or advice.
Can you use the newspaper photograph?
Do not assume so.
A publisher may have licensed the photograph from an agency or photographer for its own use only.
Government guidance notes that using images found online on a commercial website will generally require permission unless a relevant licence or exception applies.
The safest marketing asset may actually be your own original photograph that the publication happened to use, provided your business genuinely owns the necessary rights to that original image.
Check.
Can you put the publication's logo on your website?
Again, do not assume the article gives you automatic rights to every brand asset owned by the publisher.
Logos can be protected as trade marks and may also involve other IP rights. GOV.UK guidance says businesses wanting to use an existing trade mark should generally contact the owner and, where appropriate, obtain a licence.
A text statement such as:
Quoted in The Example Newspaper
can be very different from copying and prominently displaying the publisher's logo in a way that could imply endorsement.
Check the publisher's permissions or brand-use policy where you want to use their visual identity.
The first week: make the coverage easy to find
This is where businesses often underuse good PR.
They celebrate internally and move on.
I think a strong feature should become part of the business's credibility ecosystem where appropriate.
You can reference it on your website.
Share it on LinkedIn.
Use your company social channels.
Mention it in a newsletter.
If you are a B2B company that sends proposals, it can sometimes be useful in a credibility section.
A relevant expert could add a restrained text reference to an email footer.
Salespeople can naturally mention it when the subject comes up.
Founders can talk about it with customers, suppliers and professional contacts.
The article becomes a piece of independent evidence showing that somebody outside the company considered the subject worth publishing.
Do not make your social post sound like an award acceptance speech
A factual social post is often stronger.
For example:
Our founder, Priya Shah, was quoted by [publication] this week on the financial pressures small retailers can face when seasonal stock arrives before customer payments. Priya discussed the importance of cash-flow planning and separating short-term working capital from longer-term business costs. Read the full article at the publication here.
That tells people:
what happened
why the person was included
what the article is about
It is much more useful than:
WE MADE IT! Absolutely humbled and honoured to announce that the world's leading media has finally recognised us!
The publication has not necessarily "recognised" your entire company.
It published an article containing your contribution.
Describe the achievement accurately.
Scenario A: an accountant quoted in a national newspaper
Imagine an accountant is quoted in a national newspaper explaining a change affecting small-business finances.
The firm could create a short news or media-coverage entry on its own website:
Our director, James Patel, contributed to a national newspaper feature explaining how small-business owners can interpret changes to X.
Then link to the original article.
James can share the feature on LinkedIn with two or three useful observations from the subject.
The sales team can include an accurate "recent media commentary" reference in proposals where credibility is relevant.
The firm's expert page can note that James has been used as a media source.
What the firm should not say is:
The newspaper recommends James Patel as one of Britain's top accountants
unless the newspaper actually did.
Quoted by is not endorsed by.
Scenario B: a small consumer brand appears in a product roundup
Imagine a small homeware brand is included in a newspaper's "10 useful gifts for new homeowners" feature.
The company can share the original article.
It can accurately say:
Our product was included in [publication]'s roundup of useful gifts for new homeowners.
It can monitor referral traffic from the article.
It can watch whether branded search increases.
It can ask new customers how they heard about the product.
And it can record the feature for future retailer or press conversations.
The PR lesson may be that the product performs particularly well in gifting content.
That might suggest future seasonal opportunities.
What the brand should not do is keep emailing the same journalist every fortnight demanding inclusion in more roundups.
One successful angle is evidence.
It is not ownership of the journalist.
Use the result in sales conversations without exaggerating it
PR can be particularly useful in B2B sales because trust matters before somebody signs a contract.
If your managing director has been repeatedly quoted about cybersecurity in respected trade publications, that can reassure a prospect that the business has genuine subject knowledge.
If an architect has contributed expert views to homes publications, that can support their professional profile.
If a financial professional is used regularly as a media source, it contributes to public evidence of expertise.
But use the article for what it actually proves.
A quote shows that the journalist considered the expert useful for that story.
It does not prove the publication has audited and endorsed the entire company.
Look for commercial signals, not only a traffic spike
Some press articles send a lot of referral traffic.
Others send almost none.
A highly credible newspaper article can have substantial reputation value while generating surprisingly few clicks.
That is one reason I dislike judging PR through one metric.
Look at:
referral sessions
branded search
relevant enquiries
sales conversations
new followers where useful
newsletter sign-ups
direct customer comments
any sales that can genuinely be attributed
Do not manufacture causation.
If somebody buys six weeks later after seeing the article, hearing a recommendation from a friend and receiving three sales emails, the press feature may have contributed.
That does not mean it single-handedly caused the sale.
AMEC's Barcelona Principles 4.0 explicitly encourage communications measurement to distinguish outputs, outcomes and organisational impact rather than reducing everything to publicity volume.
That is a much more sensible way to think.
What about SEO, backlinks and AI search?
If the article contains a natural editorial backlink, record it.
The link may provide referral traffic and can contribute to the wider website link profile.
If it does not contain a link, the article still has credibility and public-information value.
We also increasingly monitor whether businesses and experts become more visible in AI-driven discovery.
But do not take one article and claim:
"This will now make ChatGPT recommend us."
AI retrieval and recommendation involves many factors.
Our dedicated guide, Do Backlinks and Unlinked Media Mentions Help With AI Search?, explores that in much more depth.
What can the first feature teach you?
The first article gives you information.
Which angle worked?
Was the journalist interested in the company or the expert?
Did they ask for more data?
Was the founder's story surprisingly compelling?
Did they ignore the press release but respond to one specific comment?
Did the product photographs help?
Did the company take too long to reply?
Did the journalist ask a question that reveals another possible angle?
Good PR should learn from that.
Do not simply repeat the same pitch forever
If an article has been published around:
Five mistakes homeowners make when choosing flooring
sending six variations of that exact article back to the same homes journalist is unlikely to create an endlessly renewable opportunity.
Think about what the result reveals.
Perhaps the expert is clearly useful on home-renovation mistakes.
The next angle might be seasonal.
Data-led.
Linked to a current trend.
Or directed at a different audience.
The underlying expertise can continue.
The content should evolve.
A 30-day post-publication action plan
| Timing | Action | Why | Evidence to record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within 24 hours | Read article, verify key facts, record publication details, thank journalist, ask politely about useful missing backlink if appropriate | Protect accuracy and maintain relationship | URL, headline, date, byline, backlink, topic |
| Days 2–7 | Share original link through suitable website/social/newsletter channels; add accurate media reference where rights permit | Extend useful life of earned coverage | Social engagement, referral traffic, customer comments |
| Days 2–7 | Brief sales/client-facing team on how to reference article accurately | Turn credibility into useful business evidence without exaggeration | Proposal use, sales feedback |
| Weeks 2–4 | Review traffic, branded search, enquiries and identifiable commercial responses | Look beyond publication itself | Analytics, enquiry source, sales notes |
| Weeks 2–4 | Analyse why the story worked and identify adjacent fresh angles | Improve the next campaign | Journalist questions, successful hook, missing assets |
| Following months | Build additional relevant media opportunities rather than repeating the same story | Create a broader public record of expertise/brand visibility | Further coverage, journalist interest, backlinks, enquiries |
What if the press feature brings in new enquiries?
A feature can introduce your business to people who have never heard of it before. That is excellent, but the business needs to be ready to answer ordinary questions rather than assuming the publicity will turn itself into sales.
If an interested reader arrives at your website, can they quickly understand what you offer, who it is suitable for and how to contact you?
If a journalist has mentioned a specific product, is the correct product page easy to find?
If the article quotes a specialist professional, does that person's biography explain their genuine experience and services without exaggerating their credentials?
Make a quick practical check of the journey:
the home page
the most relevant service or product page
mobile contact form
telephone or enquiry address
stock or appointment availability
the person who should respond
A broken enquiry form or unclear next step is not a PR problem in the traditional sense, but it can waste the opportunity the article created.
Then give the sales or customer-service team the accurate context. Tell them what the article actually says, which questions it may prompt and whether a published claim needs explaining.
Do not tell staff to say that the publication has officially recommended the business unless it has.
If several people independently mention the article, record that feedback.
You can ask new customers a simple, non-leading question such as "How did you hear about us?" and keep their answer alongside any normal attribution data you collect lawfully.
The answers may help you see whether the feature reached the audience you hoped to reach.
And if nothing immediately happens, that is not proof the article failed. Some editorial contributions are valuable because they build a credible public record over time.
Give the result its proper context rather than trying to squeeze every mention into an instant sales calculation.
When should you continue PR after the first feature?
When the first feature reveals genuine ongoing potential.
An expert may be able to contribute repeatedly.
A founder may have a wider story.
A product can move into reviews and seasonal guides.
A business may have future announcements.
Customers may become stories.
Original data may create new angles.
The objective is not to collect articles for the sake of it.
It is to build a relevant body of independent editorial evidence around what the business wants to be known for.
One article can be valuable.
Ten genuinely relevant articles over time create something much more substantial.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a newspaper article about my business on my website?
You can normally link to the original article, but do not assume you can reproduce the full article, screenshots or photographs. Copyright and licensing depend on the material and proposed use. UK guidance distinguishes linking from copying and rehosting protected material.
Can I use a publication's logo after it mentions my business?
Do not assume coverage grants automatic permission. Publisher logos may be protected trade marks or other intellectual property, so check the publication's brand-use rules or obtain appropriate permission.
Will one press feature increase my website traffic or Google rankings?
It might generate referral traffic and a useful backlink, but neither traffic nor ranking improvements are guaranteed. A strong article may also provide credibility without generating large numbers of immediate website visits.
How can I turn one press mention into an ongoing PR strategy?
Analyse why the article worked, identify the expertise, story or product angle journalists valued and develop fresh related opportunities rather than repeatedly sending the same pitch.
Your first press feature is a good beginning. What happens next?
Fair PR helps businesses build ongoing earned-media visibility rather than treating one article as the end of the campaign.
Standard PR is designed for wider ongoing founder, business, product, service and story-led campaigns.
For credible specialists whose main opportunity is their professional knowledge, Expert Commentary PR offers a narrower route to managed journalist outreach.
If you are unsure which fits, tell us what the first feature was and what you want to achieve next.
About the author
Jordan Baker is the founder of Fair Public Relations and a former UK national journalist with more than a decade of journalism and PR experience. He writes about earned media, journalist relationships, PR measurement, media credibility and how businesses can use editorial coverage responsibly.
View Jordan Baker’s media expert profile
