What to Highlight on Your Newsroom
“There is no such thing as bad press”
Ever heard of that expression? It’s true! Any press is good press. What you do with it is what really matters. You can take a story highlighting the growth of your company and boast about it all over social media. You can take a bad review about your business and reach out to that person and try to make things better. It all depends on the action steps you take.
All types of earned media are hug wins. Someone took the time to say something about your business, whether good or bad. How you take that information and what you do with it can help you grow as a business. It is your job to convert these mentions into an Earned Media Advantage. Now, if you want to showcase those reviews, articles, mentions, etc., what’s a great way to do so? —Through a newsroom!
A newsroom is a great way to showcase your Earned Media Advantage. Press releases that were picked-up, resolving customer issues, or your most liked social media posts. The opportunities you can display in a newsroom are endless.
Let’s take a look what you should highlight on your newsroom:
What is a Newsroom?
A newsroom is a website created by a business used to properly showcase any earned media. It is a central place where potential customers, investors, media contacts, or anyone who wishes to learn more about the company to be directed to.
Possible Newsroom Posts:
- Press Releases: Upload any of your recent PRs into your Newsroom for maximum exposure. Make sure the most recently published appear on top.
- Awards and Recognitions: Grants, certificates, and rankings are all great examples of any awards that your company has earned.
- Boilerplate: This is the “About Us” information you include in each press release. It provides a detailed description of what your company does. It includes your company’s vision, mission, customers, solutions, etc.
- Images: Have stock company images anyone can use? Include a folder of hi-resolution images of stock photos or your company’s logos for anyone to use.
- Media Mentions: A great component to having a newsroom is being able to highlight any media mentions you have received. Whether it’s an article about a press release, or an interview someone gave on behalf of your company, highlighting it in the newsroom showcases the newsworthy buzz your business has received.
- Contact Info: If someone needs more information regarding your company or would like to reach out with a specific request, or question, a “Contact Info” section is much needed. Make sure to include a name, email, phone, position, and possibly social media handle.
- Other: any downloadable items that you think the media may be interested in or may provide value. Ex: white papers, pamphlets, etc.
Highlighting Earned Media to Gain the Earned Media Advantage:
A newsroom provides great opportunities to organize your earned media mentions and help boost your chances of future coverage. Here are a few examples of how to highlight your earned media mentions in your newsroom:
1. Awards and Recognitions
If you’ve gained any earned media mentions regarding awards and recognitions, include links to the content or create images of the earned media (screenshots) and add them to the section. Any press releases you have done relating to awards or recognitions your company has obtained can also be highlighted in your newsroom. This helps develop your Earned Media Advantage because it shows visitors that your company is highly acclaimed in your field.
2. Media Mentions
Has a your company been in the news recently? Let everyone know! Add your media mentions into your newsroom. Don’t be afraid to boast about an article your company was mentioned in or a news segment highlighting the work your company does. It is good to share this information with anyone who visits your newsroom, especially other media contacts. They will see the buzz that surrounds your company and most likely reach out to you to create their own story.
3. Press Releases
Your press releases are sent to a multitude of distribution channels. They get hundreds, maybe even thousands of views. Why not increase the stats and add your PRs to your newsroom? It is a great way to update visitors on what your company is up to.
Having your press releases on your newsroom shows how in sync your company is. The second your PR is sent out, it should also be uploaded into your newsroom as well. What if someone stumbled upon your newsroom and not your release? They would never know about the release unless it was highlighted into your newsroom.
Those are just three examples of how and what you can high light in your newsroom to gain the Earned Media Advantage. Of course, as listed previously, there are countless items that you can showcase, all dependent on what you want for your business. Having a newsroom is a great way to highlight any exciting news, display any information that you think is necessary and needed to help your business grow. Think about the people who would be coming across your newsroom: journalists, potential customers, or investors, etc. What information would they need to move forward or write about your business? –Knowing this can help your create an organized and comprehensive newsroom beneficial to visitors.
