At the center of a solid online public relations program is an accessible corporate press room on your website. What goes into it depends upon your audience. In its third annual survey on best practices for online newsrooms, Vocus reports that 92% of journalists in the survey use corporate websites for gathering information yet only 24% usually find the information they are looking for. Further, 45% say that finding the right information on a corporate website affects their decision to include a firm in a feature story. The most popular items journalists want online are:
- Press releases,
- Contact information, and
- Corporate information.
With that in mind, Softscribe® offers its Block Backgrounder, which segments your corporate information into the accessible pieces journalists want.
Setting Up a Corporate Press Room
When setting up your online corporate press room, remember these key points:
1) Press Releases: Include current and archived releases, being sure to post any releases distributed within the last 24 hours. Have an easy search option.
2) Twenty-four hour contact information: Include a specific contact person by name, title and phone number and how to reach them.
3) Corporate information: Include a company profile, statistics that place your company in context, and executive biographies. Journalists are looking for insight into your company and its management. Again, include a press contact.
4) Latest news coverage: Post links to recent press stories.
5) Graphics: Provide high resolution photos of the executive team, product images and the company logo.
Online Public Relations Elements
Online PR also has a greater measurability and synergy with Search Engine Optimization than print media. Softscribe’s online public relations services, which are rooted in the RACE formula (Research, Action/Planning, Communication, Evaluation) include:
