What Journalists Are Looking For In An Online Newsroom
Busy journalists are always on the lookout for content ideas for their columns because they are pretty much always on a deadline these days. It is great to issue press releases so you can convey your most important news to media representatives, or to pitch interesting ideas to the journalists who work in your niche or industry but don’t stop there. Help media reps do their job by taking the time to create an online newsroom.
There are a number of items they look for when it comes to working better with you via your online newsroom. Here are some suggestions:
1. Corporate information
Provide the most important details about your company in the same way you would on an About Us page.
2. Contact information
Provide the contact information about your company in the same way you would on a Contact Us page. Also include the name, phone number and email address of your main person who will deal with all media inquiries.
3. Images
Include your logo and some high-quality images related to your business. Provide a link to an image gallery so your page loads quickly.
4. Videos
Include videos of your products, key people being interviewed, and so on. Provide a link to a page with links to all of your videos embedded in your pages.
5. Headshots of top staff, name, titles and a brief biography
List the most important people in your company, especially if you think they would make a good expert the media might wish to consult regularly because they are so well-informed.
6. Archives of your past press releases
List the headlines and dates, starting with the most recent first. Hyperlink the headlines to the individual pages where you have published each press release.
7. Archives of your past successful media pitches
List the headlines, dates, and publications which accepted the pitch, starting with the most recent first. Hyperlink the headlines to the individual pages where you have published each pitch.
8. Archives of your available media pitches
List the headlines and dates, ensuring the story idea is current so the media knows they are still relevant and they can use them as material for their own columns. Hyperlink the headlines to the individual pages where you have published each press release.
9. Links to your social media accounts
This tells journalists how active you are online, and also gives them the chance to interact with you in a different way if they wish. Be sure to list Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
10. Newsletters and Email Alerts
Include links to your most recent newsletters so journalists can see all of the interesting things going on in your business.
Create a separate email list for them where they can sign up for news alerts, and inform them every time you issue a new press release. This will help them stay connected with you without having to dig for information every so often.
Be sure to publish a new press release each time there is something newsworthy at your business. Use the names on your list to pitch to a couple of different journalists. If you don’t get a yes, place the idea in your list of pitches not yet accepted and let the people on the list know you have a new story idea available.
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