When I’m pitching new business to prospects and clients, the talk inevitably comes around to press releases–how to write them, what to say, how to distribute them and so on.
No matter how many times I have this conversation, it surprises me just how little most business people know about public relations and how to catch the attention of journalists, bloggers and other people who might write about their companies.
I came across a new report today that looked into how journalists use the Internet to research and report stories and I thought the results would be useful in helping you tailor the press section on your Web site.
The survey was conducted in September by Bulldog Reporter and TEKgroup International, two companies that provide services for public relations professionals. Their second-annual report is based on a survey of about 2,400 working journalists.
Here are some highlights from the executive summary:
- About 79 percent of respondents research corporate and other news online 24 hours a day and about 66 percent find media contact phone numbers and email addresses online.
- Nearly half of all journalists report visiting a corporate Website or online newsroom at least once a week, and almost 87 percent report visiting a corporate Website or online newsroom at least once a month. The problem is, nearly 50 percent of respondents say, is that when they visit these Websites, it’s difficult to find the contact info for media and other company representatives.
- Journalists also report a significant increase in using blogs, social media and RSS feeds to stay on top of the news. Almost 75 percent of them read one or more blogs and 29 percent of journalists regularly read five or more blogs to stay on top of their beats.
The takeaway? Build a clearly defined section on your Web site geared to journalists. Provide the contact information (email addresses and direct telephone numbers) of personnel authorized to speak in your behalf and who can arrange interviews with the company’s higher ups. List your releases in chronological order, starting with the most recent. Regularly update your press section. Start a blog. Put your best face forward on social networking sites.
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