By Lauri Gagnon, Quotes vice president
Online press rooms are often a company's first line of defense for communicating with the media. Ninety-eight percent of surveyed reporters attested to the importance of a press room. Their job is to find the facts for their story and, just like us, seek speed in obtaining it. How many times a day do we go on Google and expect to get lucky on our first search? For the media, checking a company's web site is easier than picking up the phone; therefore, we must ensure the information there is both accessible and clear when they don't come to us directly. A well composed site can become respected by journalists and, more importantly, viewed as a valuable resource or expert source for the subject.
Caron Sjoberg, president of Ideaworks, a marketing consulting group, imparted her advice on the subject during her session titled, "Setting Up Online Press Roomsas Part of Your Company's Web Site." She noted that online press rooms can often be a journalist's best resource because they are available around the clock, can target specific industries, provide story ideas and facts, include archives and can be their first resource to find an expert in a crisis. Ten of the essentials to include on either the home page or within one click (to avoid excessive navigation) are:
- Contact information
- Search archives
- Background information
- Product information
- FAQ
- Photos
- Crisis communications
- Events/calendar
- Executive bios
The site should be easy to find and avoid any sign-in access to the news room. The most insightful suggestion I saw was to provide an expert finder window to build credibility for clients. The overall concepts that everyone can come away with are keeping any content current, succint and to the point.
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