It always amazes me when I go to an organization’s website and discover they don’t have a corporate newsroom when clearly they have retained a firm and are getting ink. From time to time, we’ve even heard a variety of reasons from our own clients why earned media, press releases, thought leadership and even awards can’t get a dedicated page on the website – from not enough space to too much work to no one reads it. Well, guess what, they do!
Whether it be prospective or current clients, partners, investors or industry influencers, an established corporate newsroom credentializes the organization and showcases current happenings and trends. In many ways, the newsroom is the living organism of the entire website as it is dynamic, cuts across many aspects of the business and gives the latest on positive ongoings.
So, without bogging down the website and establishing a full-time job to manage the news center, here are a few simple tips to either kickstart a Press Room or refresh your current one:
— Delineate Coverage, Bylines and Releases: If you do have enough space or website changes aren’t terribly difficult, separate earned media, press releases and even bylines into buckets. That way, visitors can easily find what they are looking for.
— Call Out Publication Titles or Earned Media: If you have just landed coverage in a significant trade publication or the Wall Street Journal, don’t let it go to waste by burying it in the newsroom. Call it out in the title of the listing and add the publication logo.
— Cross-promote on Company Blog: When you have significant news, a published byline or an award, make sure to develop a quick blog post which highlights the effort. Cross link it to the newsroom as well as the publication site.
If you spend the time, effort and money on garnering earned media, make sure you shout all about it!