Online
Press Rooms Save the Media Time and Frustration
When Web site usability guru Jakob Nielsen tested how well major
corporate sites met the needs of reporters, he gave them a "D"
grade. Journalists who tested sites for him located basic information
such as the companies' financials, management team, commitment to
social responsibility and a phone number for a PR contact only 60
percent of the time.
An excellent way to meet reporters', editors' and producers' needs
is online press room, collecting what they need to know about your
organization in one place. Some sites offer this as a subchoice
under "About Us," while others have a
major link called "Press Room," "For
the Press" or "For the Media."
By providing press-friendly materials on demand 24 hours a day,
365 days a year, you increase the odds of someone writing about
you, using photos you've supplied and doing so with accuracy.
Your online press room should contain, at a minimum:
- An organizational profile
- Names and bios of principals and executives of your organization
- A PR contact with name, email address and telephone number
- Press releases, presented with the most recent first
- Optional extras for your press room include:
- Online versions of recent annual reports or white papers
- Downloadable photos of products or key personnel
- Statements about relevant controversial issues currently in
the news
- Suggested angles for feature stories including your organization
- Sample questions for talk show hosts
- Links to pertinent studies, statistics and news stories
- Links to previous coverage you've enjoyed
- Prewritten use-as-is stories or tips
- Audio or video clips, especially for music performers
The more lively the style in which all of the above comes across,
the more likely you are to get journalists passing through to stay
awhile and start thinking about how they can use what you've provided.
Corporate-speak may please internal bosses, but it gets in the way
here and may even provide fodder for the many sites that make fun
of pretentious marketing blather.
Keep in mind that on the Web, media from all over the world and
from outside of your industry can access your press room, so avoid
acronyms and insert the kinds of background explanations that would
be found in a quality news story.
Dates are especially important to present unambiguously. Jakob Nielsen
reported a case where a European reporter dismissed a company's
news as old because it was dated 10-3- 2000, which to him meant
March 10 rather than the intended October 3.
Nielsen also pointed out that the journalists, whom his team observed
in their actual work environment, often were using old software
or hardware which crashed when trying to access PDF files or Flash
sites. Remember that despite the apparent convenience of downloadable
files, some media folks may for many reasons still prefer to receive
a physical copy of your photos or your product - or a traditional
all-in-one-folder, expensive-to-mail PR kit.
An online press room meets some needs, but not all, so be prepared
to fulfill old-fashioned requests as well.
About
the Author Marcia Yudkin marcia@yudkin.com is the
author of the classic guide to comprehensive PR, "6 Steps to
Free Publicity," now for sale in an updated edition at Amazon.com
and in bookstores everywhere. She also spills the secrets on advanced
tactics for today's publicity seekers in" Powerful, Painless
Online Publicity," available from http://www.yudkin.com/powerpr.htm.
|
