If you’re serious about getting media coverage for your company, one of the first things you should do is build a newsroom on your website.
Your Company’s Newsroom
A company newsroom, often referred to as a press room or media center, is a section of a company’s website or a dedicated platform where the company publishes its press releases, news stories, announcements, and other media-related content. This area is specifically designed to communicate important information to journalists, investors, industry analysts, and the general public.
The newsroom is a page specifically designed for the media, where they can get more information on your company to help build their story.
To get the most from your online newsroom, you need to make sure it contains all the right elements. Here are 9 features to include for the media.
1. News releases – News releases, or press releases, are tools for sharing the latest information about your company. In media relations, providing access to your past news releases gives journalists a sense of what your company is up to, and it’s often helpful for filling in details for a story. Always make sure your news releases are accurate, up-to-date, newsworthy, and unbiased.
2. Company history – Company profiles are basically like an “about us” page. You’ll want to include important facts about your company history, your mission statement, corporate philosophy, and any other relevant company information you can think of. You can organize it as a “fast facts” style page if you want, where key facts are laid out in a bulleted list.
3. Contact info for the company’s media spokespeople – It’s important that you’re easily accessible to the media. You never know when they’ll want to get in touch to do a story, so make sure the contact information you provide includes the best way to reach you. Have a phone number and email address on your contact page. You can even include a contact form or chat function that goes specifically to the media team in your newsroom’s homepage.
4. Executive bios – You don’t have to go ridiculously in depth in your executive bios. Just make sure you have a short paragraph with key information about the top executives at your company. Include the title of the employee, length of time served at your company, and any relevant experience. Remember, just stick to the facts. That’s all reporters care about.
5. Case studies – Case studies boost your credibility by showing how your products or services have benefited customers. Make sure your case studies are factually accurate, and feel free to include images if it helps to tell the story. Keep your content interesting and easy to read.
6. Searchable archive of news releases – If you post a lot of news releases, help visitors out by adding a search function to your news room. This allows them to find the information they need quickly, and it could be the difference between earning media coverage or a reporter giving up on your story.
7. Links to past media coverage – Has your company been featured in a magazine or newspaper? Did you do a media interview on TV or radio? Include links to your media coverage as they boost your credibility and give reporters more information to work with.
8. Transcripts – If you’ve given any speeches or presentations, post the transcripts from these events on your website. Double-check all transcripts for accuracy, because the last thing you want is to get misquoted.
9. High-quality graphics – Make sure you have high-quality pictures of your logo, products, corporate office and key executives.
10. Event Information – Details about upcoming events, conferences, webinars, or any public appearances that the company is hosting or participating in.
11. Multimedia Content – Visual and audio materials such as videos, podcasts, infographics, and photo galleries that can be used by the media or interested parties to gain a better understanding of the company and its activities.
12. Websites and Social Media Links – Be sure to include links to all your company’s web presences, including websites and social media. Prioritize your primary contact points, especially the social media account you are most likely to communicate with the public through in times of crisis.
Media Kits
Many of the elements in a newsroom are commonly grouped together into a package called a media kit. This goes back to the time when you kept packets of paper containing key information that you could distribute to members of the media prior to an interview, press conference, event, etc.
Most of the elements listed above would likely be included in a media kit, including your company background, fact sheets, executive bios, high-resolution images, logos, etc.
Your Company’s Press Room
The primary goal of a company newsroom or press room is to provide a centralized, easily accessible source of accurate and up-to-date information about the company. This helps in building and maintaining a positive public image, managing the company’s narrative, and ensuring consistent communication with the media and other stakeholders.
Do you have a newsroom on your website? Which features does yours include?
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Grab your free copy of the Big Press Release Book – Press Releases for Every Occasion and Industry here: https://www.ereleases.com/free-offer/big-press-release-samples-book/