| From time to time, people ask me how public
relations has changed during the two decades in which I’ve been seeking publicity. My
answer: technology. Twenty years ago, the fax machine was a newfangled novelty. Our
primary means of communicating with journalists was the telephone and the US Mail. The
advent of e-mail and the web has made life easier in many regards and tougher in others -
namely, thanks to hordes of clowns with money making schemes and software that
"blasts" press releases indiscriminately to reporters, it’s become very
hard to get your e-mails through to spam-weary reporters.
But there’s another great advantage provided to
publicity seekers by the Internet -- the ability to create an "online news
room". In the "old days", the press kit reigned. Big bulky folders loaded
with press releases, glossy photos and slides were standard. They were expensive to
design, costly to reproduce and required lots of manpower and postage to assemble and
distribute. Today, you can simply direct a reporter to a web URL, where all your press
materials and high definition artwork awaits, ready to be used. It’s a huge time and
money saver.
A quick note: the traditional press kit isn’t dead.
It’s still handy to create some physical kits to use with key journalists, as the
very novelty of printed material can give you an edge at times. Also, some journalists
still prefer a physical kit. Press kits are an important tool at trade show booths &
press rooms, and special events. However, gone are the days of sending out large press kit
mailings. Keep the kits for targeted use only.
Creating a useful online news room is really pretty simple.
One of the main things a busy reporter wants is easy access to press releases, corporate
and executive info and artwork. A well put together media room should provide a seamless
walk-through.
Where Should the News Room Go?
There are two schools of thought on where to put your
online news room. Some companies prefer to have it as a section on their main site,
visible to all as a link on a menu bar or other navigational element. Others build
entirely separate sites just for the media.
There are pros and cons to each. Putting it as part of your
main site allows a journalist to "poke around" your site, absorbing more of the
feel and culture of your company and its products. It also makes it easier if the reporter
wants more information about a particular product than can be found in your media
materials. Of course, since you’ll need to provide clear links to the online news
room to help such reporters find their way back, anyone visiting your site can access your
press materials. This is probably not an issue but, if you feel potential customers may
become confused if they wander into the online news room, this could be worth considering.
Creating a separate site allows you to tailor everything to
suit the needs of the reporter and prevents the possibility of confusion for potential
customers visiting your main site. The reporter however, will be unable to quickly
"poke around" the main site as described above, so you may consider that in your
decision. If you do choose a separate site, give it a name that incorporates your company
(if you’re the Acme Company, go for acmepress.com or acmeonlinenewsroom.com). Also,
provide clear links to your main site throughout, and code them so that they open in a new
window, allowing the reporter to see your main site without having to backtrack to the
online news room.
Some Do’s and Don’ts
DON’T force journalists to register or sign in for
access. They’re busy folks and may very well decide not to bother. Make life as easy
as you can for them.
DO offer the opportunity for journalists to enter their
e-mail address if they wish to be kept abreast of the latest news from your company, but
don’t link it in any way to the ability to access any portion of the site. DON’T
confuse non-journalists who may wander into the site. Make it clear at the top of your
main page of your online news room what it and who it’s for.
DO provide a link to your consumer FAQ page and an e-mail
link for customer service to give non-journalists a place to go to get their questions
answered. This will save you a great deal of time responding to messages from
non-journalists asking "why am I looking at a press release? How do I download a new
driver" or some such thing. Here's what Gateway says, "Gateway press contacts
are only able to provide assistance for qualified members of the news media. They are not
qualified to respond to product or technical support needs...If you are not a member of
the news media, please feel free to visit our pages for Product Service and Support."
DON’T try to lay out the online news room if
you’re not a talented web designer. Don’t use flash, heavy java scripts and
other doo-dads. The face you put forth to the media must be highly professional, and the
ease of navigation and logical flow of the news room is vital.
DO hire a professional designer who has a portfolio that
includes simple, easy-to-navigate, clean-looking sites.
What To Include in Your Online News Room:
Personal Contact Info.
The name, address, e-mail, phone number, fax number and
cell phone number of your primary media contacts must be front and center. If you have an
Instant Messaging ID, put it in there, too.
Press Releases.
Place press releases in chronological order (most recent at
the top). Keep traditional press release formatting and use easy-to-read fonts.
Executive photos, product photos, charts, graphs, and
other appropriate artwork.
Provide multiple versions -- 72 dpi (lower resolution) for
online publications and websites, and 300 dpi (higher resolution) for offline
publications. Put instructions such as To download, right-click and choose
"save" next to the graphics. Make sure your pitch letters and press releases
provide links to the appropriate artwork on your site.
Backgrounders, executive bios, white papers, investor
relations info (if applicable), fact sheets, speeches, awards, streaming media of: press
conferences, product demonstrations, president's speeches, etc.
Search Tool.
Make it easy for journalists to find just what they want,
by making all your press materials fully searchable.
Online News Rooms to Study:
The best way to learn how to put together an online news
room is to see how some very smart folks have done it. Here are three outstanding
examples....
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/default.asp
http://www.google.com/press/index.html http://www.crayola.com/mediacenter/ |
