While you or your staff can certainly scan print- and web-based media to find mentions of your company, your industry, and your competitors in the press, poring through articles isn't exactly the best use of time. You have a business to run, after all.

Enter the clipping service. These service bureaus act as your company's eyes and ears in the press.

Not only do they keep you abreast of how you and your competitors-or even your clients--are faring in the news, but many also offer reporting to help you analyze the success of your own press campaigns.

And if you often make many sets of copies at a time, you'll like the ability to go onto the next task almost as soon as the job begins -- with originals in hand. A copier that can "scan once/print many" is able to scan the set of originals once and then use these scans to produce all the resulting prints, limiting wear and tear on both the machine and the originals. (Buyer beware: not every digital copier features scan once/print many, and dealers that sell those that don't won't tell you so voluntarily. Be sure to ask.)

Clipping services regularly track coverage in thousands of publications, from daily and semi-weekly newspapers to trade, consumer and professional magazines. Some services also scan television and radio broadcasts; still others focus almost exclusively on the Internet.

The information they disseminate can be as bare-bones as the article and publication title. On the other hand, clips can be further analyzed for editorial slant, circulation, and effectiveness-either on a standalone or comparative basis.

More in-depth services provide monthly reports that compile various data like number of publication hits, date ran, and circulation.

Traditional clipping services cull much of their information the old-fashioned way. Using key words you submit, human readers scan printed materials for matching references.

You can receive clippings on a weekly, semi-weekly, or daily basis. While the majority still mail clippings they find to their clients, some will fax or email them for an additional cost.

Unless you require same-day delivery (up to $5 per clipping), you can probably expect a 7- to 14-day lag between the publication date and the date you actually have the article in your hands.

If your industry is heavily covered on the Web, you may want to consider choosing both an Internet and print-based service. Internet clipping services use a combination of proprietary technology and search engines to locate relevant articles on the Web.

The majority also tap into newsgroups and online forums, providing a unique informal slant on how your company is perceived. These services often allow password-protected online access to clippings.

Focus on what you want monitored when choosing a service, as they can vary in terms of the newspapers and publications they cover.

Prices also vary. Traditional clipping services tend to charge a minimal set fee per clipping (usually less than $2) on top of flat monthly service costs that range anywhere from less than $100 to $300.

Internet-based clipping services are generally less expensive, with some even offering their services free, but their coverage can be drastically limited since print mentions are not tracked .

Then you can put down the magazines and scissors and get back to business. Your only concern will be making sure your company's name is spelled right.