Connectly: Smarter Marketing for Media Exposure

Securing meaningful media exposure is essential for any business aiming to build brand awareness and drive growth. But with so many platforms and publications vying for attention, how do you cut through the noise and get your story heard? The answer lies in strategic, targeted marketing. We’re focused on providing actionable strategies for maximizing media exposure, and in this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to use Connectly, a powerful tool designed to streamline your media relations efforts. Ready to transform your media strategy?

Step 1: Setting Up Your Connectly Account (It’s Easier Than You Think)

Creating Your Profile

First things first, you need to create an account. Head over to the Connectly website and click the “Sign Up” button. You’ll be prompted to enter your name, email address, and a secure password. Once you’ve verified your email, you’ll be guided through a profile setup process. Be sure to fill this out completely. This includes your company name, industry, target audience, and key marketing messages. The more information you provide, the better Connectly can tailor its recommendations. I had a client last year, a small bakery in the Marietta Square, who initially skipped this step. Their results were underwhelming until they fleshed out their profile with details about their specialty cakes and local delivery service.

Connecting Your Social Media Accounts

Next, connect your social media accounts. In the “Integrations” tab, you’ll find options to connect your LinkedIn, X, and other relevant platforms. This allows Connectly to gather data on your existing online presence and identify potential media outlets and influencers that align with your brand. Pro Tip: Ensure your social media profiles are up-to-date and reflect your brand’s voice before connecting them. A consistent brand image across all platforms is critical. According to a 2025 study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), brands with consistent messaging across all channels see a 23% increase in brand recall.

Defining Your Media Goals

What do you hope to achieve with increased media exposure? Are you looking to drive website traffic, generate leads, or build brand awareness? Clearly defining your goals is essential for measuring the success of your media relations efforts. Within Connectly, navigate to the “Goals” section and specify your desired outcomes. You can set targets for website visits, social media mentions, and even sales conversions. Expected Outcome: A clearly defined set of goals will provide a benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of your Connectly campaigns.

Step 2: Identifying Media Opportunities with AI-Powered Media Match

Using the Media Match Feature

Now for the fun part! Connectly’s AI-powered Media Match feature analyzes your profile, social media data, and goals to suggest relevant media outlets and influencers. To access this feature, click on “Media Match” in the main navigation. You’ll be presented with a list of potential publications, bloggers, and journalists that align with your brand. Connectly uses natural language processing and machine learning to identify media opportunities based on your industry, target audience, and past marketing campaigns. It even analyzes the sentiment of articles and social media posts to ensure a positive brand association. Common Mistake: Don’t blindly accept all of Connectly’s recommendations. Take the time to review each suggestion and ensure it’s a good fit for your brand.

Filtering and Refining Your Search

The Media Match feature includes several filters to help you refine your search. You can filter by industry, location, publication type, and even audience demographics. For example, if you’re targeting local customers in Atlanta, you can filter for publications that cover the Atlanta metropolitan area, like the Atlanta Magazine or the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. You can also filter by domain authority to prioritize publications with high search engine rankings. Pro Tip: Experiment with different filter combinations to uncover hidden media opportunities. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. In my experience, sometimes the most unexpected partnerships yield the best results.

Analyzing Media Profiles

Once you’ve identified potential media outlets, take the time to analyze their profiles. Connectly provides detailed information about each publication, including its audience demographics, social media engagement, and recent articles. Pay close attention to the publication’s editorial calendar and look for opportunities to contribute relevant content. For example, if a publication is planning a special issue on sustainability, you could pitch a story about your company’s green initiatives. Expected Outcome: A thorough analysis of media profiles will help you identify the most promising outlets for your media relations efforts.

Step 3: Crafting Personalized Pitches with Automated Outreach Sequences

Creating an Outreach Sequence

Now that you’ve identified your target media outlets, it’s time to craft personalized pitches. Connectly’s automated outreach sequences allow you to create a series of emails and social media messages that are tailored to each individual journalist or blogger. To create an outreach sequence, click on “Outreach” in the main navigation and then select “New Sequence”. You’ll be prompted to choose a template or create a sequence from scratch. I strongly recommend starting with a template, as it provides a solid foundation for your outreach efforts. Here’s what nobody tells you: personalization is everything. Generic pitches get ignored. Always tailor your message to the specific journalist and their past work.

Personalizing Your Messages

The key to a successful pitch is personalization. Use Connectly’s merge tags to automatically insert the journalist’s name, publication, and other relevant information into your messages. Reference their past articles and explain why your story is relevant to their audience. For example, you could say something like, “I enjoyed your recent article on the impact of artificial intelligence on the healthcare industry. I believe our company’s new AI-powered diagnostic tool would be of interest to your readers.” According to eMarketer, personalized emails have a 6x higher transaction rate than generic emails.

Scheduling and Automating Your Outreach

Once you’ve crafted your personalized messages, you can schedule and automate your outreach sequence. Connectly allows you to set the frequency and timing of your emails and social media messages. You can also set up triggers to automatically pause or adjust your sequence based on the journalist’s response. For example, if a journalist responds positively to your initial pitch, you can automatically send them a follow-up email with more information. Pro Tip: Don’t bombard journalists with too many messages. A well-timed, personalized pitch is more effective than a barrage of generic emails. A good rule of thumb is to send no more than two or three follow-up messages over a period of two weeks.

Step 4: Monitoring and Measuring Your Media Exposure

Tracking Media Mentions

Once your pitches are out there, it’s crucial to monitor your media mentions. Connectly’s real-time analytics dashboard provides actionable insights into your brand’s online presence. You can track mentions across news articles, blog posts, and social media platforms. The dashboard also includes sentiment analysis, which helps you gauge the overall tone of your media coverage. This is a critical step – are people saying good things, bad things, or nothing at all? Knowing this helps you adjust your strategy.

Analyzing Brand Sentiment

Connectly’s sentiment analysis feature uses natural language processing to determine whether media mentions are positive, negative, or neutral. This allows you to quickly identify potential PR crises and address any negative feedback. For example, if you notice a spike in negative mentions related to a recent product launch, you can proactively address the issue with a public statement or a customer service initiative. We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm when a client’s new app had a bug. Monitoring sentiment allowed us to respond quickly and minimize the damage.

Measuring ROI

Ultimately, the success of your media relations efforts depends on your ability to measure ROI. Connectly allows you to track website traffic, lead generation, and sales conversions that are directly attributed to your media exposure. You can also use Google Analytics to track the referral traffic from specific publications and influencers. Expected Outcome: A clear understanding of your media ROI will help you justify your marketing spend and optimize your media relations strategy. For example, let’s say you secured a feature article in a local business journal. Using Connectly’s tracking features, you notice a 20% increase in website traffic and a 10% increase in lead generation in the weeks following the article’s publication. This data provides concrete evidence of the article’s impact and justifies your investment in media relations. According to Nielsen, businesses that actively measure their earned media ROI see a 15% higher return on their marketing investments.

Mastering Connectly is a continuous process of learning, adapting, and refining your approach. By consistently applying these strategies, you can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility and credibility within the media landscape. The ability to see what’s working and what’s not allows you to make smarter decisions about where you focus your energy and resources. You can also boost your content ROI with a clear strategy.

Don’t wait for media exposure to magically happen. Connectly gives you the tools to proactively shape your brand’s narrative and amplify your message. Start today by setting up your profile and running your first Media Match search. The potential for increased visibility and brand recognition is within your reach. Consider how press releases can build authority for your brand.