Does Your Website Strategy Serve the Media?

Posted by Gino Cosme

May 15, 2008

A good website strategy is built on one very important factor - it considers the various user groups that the website (dubbed company) must speak to. One of these interest groups includes the press.

That said, many a company does not see the Internet as an important part of their media relations. However, those that are clued up (see my examples below), do offer effective services based on journalists’ need to get the latest information first. But before I continue, let’s agree that in the new digital age “Journalists” need a new definition…

Journalists should include both the professional community of print, radio and television reporters who subscribe to a traditional code of conduct and research techniques - many of which now rely on new technologies to keep up with the overflow of information - as well as individuals who engage in meaningful dialogue with a growing network of followers by regularly gathering and reporting on news.

With is in mind, where does one start?

The basics of a well thought out online media room should ensure that press releases are easy to browse, search and read, have a comprehensive list of relevant contact details, contextual press kits and above-average image, audio and video libraries. These of course should all be optimised for Search. But that’s just the start.

Aside from offering the above-mentioned basics, I think a company’s news room should look for ways to build and sustain close relationships with the community. This can easily be done by enabling social media tools such as blogs, videos, podcasts, micro-publishing, bookmarking tags and RSS feeds as just some good examples.

Need a point of reference? Check out IBM, Cisco, Siemens (no, not because I’ve worked there), Nestle and Hewlett-Packard. Also add Media Relations, Murphy’s Law and Ogilvy to your RSS readers (also check out yesterday’s links).