Clipping Services
What Is a Clipping Service
A clipping service is a tool generally used to by public relations firms to monitor their client's coverage by other publications. The user puts in search instructions into the service, and people within the clipping bureau read printed materials and articles for references that match the search terms provided. The clips are then gathered and sent to the client along with information about the publication the articles have appeared in.
Many clipping services also find relevant articles on the website by getting into newsgroups and online forums. These are informal sources of information, but they often provide a unique angle on how a company is perceived. In addition, some clipping services analyze the clips as well as provide them, telling their clients the editorial opinion as well as circulation of the material concerning the client's company.
Generally speaking, a clipping service will provide their clients with the entire clipped article. The articles are faxed directly to the client the same day they are published on a publication. This is advantageous because the client does not have to wait for the article to be posted online, which can take some time if it is not timely information. If a company conducts its business primarily online or is mostly covered through online sources, it makes more sense to utilize an online clipping service. However, doing so means printed articles will not be covered.
Advantages of a Clipping Service
While it may seem pointless to pay a clipping service when articles can be accessed on the web by simply entering in a search term, there are advantages to hiring a clipping service. Sometimes, they are the only source for coverage of local newspapers or other limited publications.
Clipping services also provide articles that are more inclusive and can get a larger number of articles than a regular search. They can find references in the entire published piece rather than just the abstracts, which are often only what the publisher puts online. As a result, the number of articles the clipping service gets back from a search is more inclusive.
Hiring a Clipping Service
There are around 50 clipping services in the United States. Each offers a variety of different services, and the amount their clients are charged is dependant upon whether the service is national or regional. Obviously, national clipping services will charge more as they cover more publications. However, a regional or state clipping service is advantageous because they can offer more complete coverage of local publications and can deliver the information faster than a national service.
The fees for a clipping service's services depends on a number of things, but as a general rule, a client can expect to pay both a monthly fee as well as an additional fee for each clipping generated. Monthly fees range from $100-500 each month, and the average fee for each clipping is usually around a dollar a clipping, dependant on the number of publications being covered. In addition, the fees might be higher if the client wants foreign publications covered or if the clipping takes up several pages or is particularly long.
Usually, online clipping services are less expensive; sometimes certain services are even free. However, they are limited as far as coverage goes, so it still makes sense to go with a traditional clipping service.
For more information about public relations and related topics, visit the following websites:
http://101publicrelations.com
http://www.publicrelationsideas.com
