An online newsroom is a crucial media relations tool for any organization. And while creating or maintaining an effective online newsroom might sound complicated, it doesn't have to be. An experienced consultant or provider can facilitate change effectively and immediately; he or she can help you demonstrate the business value to others in your organization, and minimize the impact on your resources and already limited time. In many cases, creating an online newsroom can be a matter of only a few business days.
Why should you expend the effort? Keep reading to find out why newsrooms are important and what they need to have to be effective.
The fundamental reasons to have an effective online newsroom on your web site:
- News deadlines are now 24/7. Journalists are getting to the punch quicker.
- A web site is first point of contact during breaking news. They won't call you!
- Crisis communication plans must have an online element. Stuff happens.
- PR professionals must have direct control of content. Direct means now.
- Stop the madness of e-mails with attachments. Complete waste of time.
- The PR team must be able to track the traffic and results. Demonstrate your value.
- Everyone is doing more with less—on all sides. Your IT guys are busy.
- Web site software today is better and more flexible. No excuses.
- The online newsroom products are specific to your tasks. Tired of your CMS?
The journalist's perspective:
- Reporters covering specific industries doing research. My assistant is coming...
- Editors looking for story ideas or fact-checking. My boss is coming...
- Clicking through to your site from a news release. Immediately.
- Lots of consumer-generated media, such as blogs. I need the official take.
- What is the company's angle during a crisis? Is your head in the sand?
- Technology and bandwidth is better in newsrooms. I have broadband...yippee!
- High-speed connections at home. I have broadband...yippee!
- There are a lot more freelancers now. Working from home was never better.
What your online newsroom absolutely cannot be without:
- Content that is absolutely accurate and up to the minute. That means now.
- News releases posted automatically from the wire. Automation means fewer man-hours.
- PR contacts' info by e-mail and by cell phone. Remember the 24/7 deadlines?
- Archived news releases by year or topic. That last merger or acquisition...
- Entire site searchable by topic or key word. Duh...
- Articles or headlines about your company and industry. What are others saying?
- Fact sheet, backgrounders, case studies, images. Easy filler for articles.
- Events calendar. Trade shows, media tours, speaking engagements.
- Press kit. Offer as a whole and as separate elements for cut and paste options.
- Opt-in registration for news alerts. Stop blasting. Be CAN-SPAM compliant.
Some advanced features to consider:
- A high-resolution image gallery. You can control access if necessary.
- RSS or SMS alerts. Not many journalists are using these yet, but they will.
- Streaming audio and video of VNRs and webcasts. Multimedia rules.
- Podcasting. It's buzzy, but it's relevant. Try it.
- "Dark areas" that can be turned on in crisis quickly. Merck? Kryponite?
- Poll, survey or appointment booking tools. How expensive was that last media tour?
- Access to clipping database. What are others saying?
- Subject matter experts. Direct contact endorsed by you.
- Urgent news notification by phone. Not everyone is on their computer at all times.
- Advanced site traffic monitoring. Create more budget by proving ROI.
The goals here are to educate and have fun. I'm of the belief that making webmasters out of PR professionals is a good thing! New technology does not have to be difficult. Making changes within your organization does not have to be difficult. Unfortunately, it often is—which is why I wanted to give you some ammunition to help you effect that change. You can improve your internal process for posting news and media content. And you don't have to be held hostage by a web team or a difficult content management system that doesn't work for your specific corporate communication needs.
Getting started
Walk yourself and/or your team through a high-level checklist or hire a consultant to do this for you. Feel free to use the content provided here as a guide. Be critical in considering the following questions: How does your current newsroom, if you have one, compare to the competitions'? Are you missing elements that may have a real and measurable impact on your overall communication program? Are you providing everything you can in as easy a manner as possible to a journalist working on deadline? Is your internal process for getting content posted to that site a good one?
Next, create a list of the objectives that are crucial to your organization and see if any of those align with the features listed above. For example, if one objective is to be prepared in the event of a crisis, then make sure you have a "dark area" in your online newsroom that is pre-populated with appropriate content and can be activated by a member of your PR team within minutes of any crisis.
Finally, talk to the journalists and other constituents that look to your web site as a resource. If they get news from your competitors via RSS and you don't offer the same service, it may hurt you in the long run. Ask questions. Poll your audience and find out what they want from you.
Technology facilitates communication, and your presence on the Web is the first stop for journalists when they need information. Journalists have stated repeatedly (to us anecdotally and in numerous surveys and studies) that their online experience of a company or organization's web site directly impacts their perception of that firm relative to the competition. Make sure you are prepared to impact perceptions in a positive way.
Dee Rambeau is the founder and a managing partner of DVCO Technology, a Denver, Colorado-based firm specializing in online tools for professional communicators. DVCO developed the PR Newswire MediaRoom product, and Dee is the national product champion to PR Newswire's clients. He can be reached at dmr@dvcotechnology.com.
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