SKC Insights

In ye old days of print, a newsroom was the physical space where journalists gathered to pound out news on their typewriters. Now, the term refers to where companies post their news and all the information they want journalists to find.

Also known as digital pressrooms or media kits, your newsroom is the PR hub of your website. It not only attracts traditional journalists, but podcasters, bloggers, and influencers who are curious about your business. To ensure that they find what they are looking for, be sure to include newsroom essentials like:

1. PR Contacts - The most important item in your newsroom. Your PR contact information should be highly visible. Informative content is great, but when it comes to journalists on deadline needing to speak to your spokesperson urgently, make sure they know who and how to get in touch.

2. Social Links - Social media is another way for interested parties to both learn more about and contact you. Make sure all of your channels are available for journalists to follow and view your profiles.

3. Company Info - Don't just give the facts, tell your story. Include interesting information like how the company was formed, your mission, vision, and milestones.

4. Product/Services Info - Most of your product information will be in a dedicated section. Presenting and packaing in creative, smaller bize-sized chunks, like via a fact sheet or infographic format, would whet appetites for more information and longer stories.

5. Downloadable Images - Providing high quality images of your logos, products, and team secures an approved and flattering look for your coverage. Taking low quality images from Google frustrates everyone.

6. Executive Bios - A quick background on you and your team is just the thing to pique a journalist's interest for an interview. This can range from one sentence describing their role in the company to a few paragraphs on their journey.

7. Expert Profiles - Slightly different than a bio, an expert profile tells journalists what you can reliably speak on as a thought leader for industry stories. Mention any education or background that can position you as a resource.

8. Press Releases - Your newsroom is both a resource and showcase when it comes to company news. Post your latest releases prominently. They are likely the reason the journalist is there in the first place.

9. Recent Media Coverage - In addition to displaying all your wonderful coverage, adding links to coverage in your newsroom also lets journalists know what others are saying about you. Tools like automated RSS feeds help keep you up to date.

10. Mobile friendly - People love their phones and grow frustrated when a website is impossible to view on their small screens. Keep eyes on your newsroom with a mobile friendly site. While this lands more on your web-developer's plate, responsive websites are a top priority to display your content.

Once you have the essentials, you can play around with content attractive to journalists. Companies like Coca-Cola, Lenovo, and Cisco have newsrooms that incorporate all of the above plus their own flare, like videos and client stories.

If you can benefit from media interest and coverage, you need a newsroom. A professional PR agency can help you create the needed content and organize it to appeal to the right media and relevant stakeholders.