Creating an online newsroom is a great tool for getting out the right message about your company. An online newsroom sends a message to journalists that you are serious about providing them the information they need. However, it’s important to build your newsroom with all the right elements.
Relevant Content
Original relevant content forms the foundation of a good newsroom. You want to give journalists and customers alike a reason to visit your newsroom. Press releases can be the most useful form of content for sharing information and announcements, so your newsroom should contain a searchable archive of press releases. This offers a thorough record of details that can be used in media coverage. Hire article writers who can craft press releases that offer a balance between being accurate, newsworthy, unbiased and relevant to your audience.
Recent Media Coverage
If your business has been featured in the news recently, including links to that coverage can be a great promotional tool. Create an archive of current and past stories on your business. It lets your business create an editorial response to any media coverage that puts it in a negative light. It also suggests some new angles and new stories journalists can pursue by giving them an idea of what has already been covered.
Multimedia Offerings
The digital age is also a visual age. People are more inclined to search for photos, watch videos and listen to podcasts than simply read articles. Turn your online newsroom into a multimedia hub that offers information through every means of communication. Embracing multimedia allows you to take standard newsroom staples and do a different spin on it. Relevant photos could accompany each milestone on a company timeline. Executive bios could pair a video interview with an article or written transcript. High quality photos and videos should be a fixture in your newsroom.
Press Kits
It helps to have all of the important information in a series of central documents. This is why press kits are one of the best tools for sharing information with journalists. A press kit collects all of the relevant information about your company history, executive biographies, fact sheets and relevant multimedia like photos or videos. Creating an HTML or PDF press kit can support the press releases you already have posted on your newsroom page with additional information.
Upcoming Events
An online newsroom is not just a chronicle of the past. It can also detail upcoming events and projects involving your company. Publishing a list of upcoming events with dates, times and locations will make it easier for the media to connect with you. It can facilitate media coverage of the event and interviews with key leaders in your business. This will multiply the exposure your business receives.
John C is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
