Brian's B2B blog...

However, a strong and current news section shouldn’t be the only reason why a journalist should visit your website. The best sites go a lot further, providing excellent ‘Thought Leadership’ content that examines the broader aspects of the specific marketplace a particular company is competing in, like generic industry data, latest market stats, research material, insightful commentary of new legislation or regulations, all of which provide that all important thing for a journalist―context. Those same sites also tend to feature regularly updated blogs, downloadable podcasts, tweets and YouTube videos. Anything to capture, and keep, the media’s attention. But whatever you do provide on your website what you see first should always be current.

Do you use your website as a platform for that kind of useful media content? Or is it just a shop window for your products and services? There’s nothing wrong with the latter, especially if a journalist is only after some basic facts-and-figures. But It’s surely a missed opportunity to stop there. Within any organization there are usually some highly-knowledgeable individuals who can provide the kind of market knowledge, context, and wisdom that journalists are desperate to get hold of, and leverage in their stories. The obvious analogy is with those financial analysts who produce regular market updates and research studies that are snapped-up by the media. And guess who gets a name check along the way? Actually, you don’t need to guess as it’s pretty obvious!

If you do want your website to be a gateway to the media and starting point for conversations with journalists (and as PR resources are stretched ever thinner websites are a cost-effective way of getting strong messages over to the press) then whether it’s the latest news, insight, or unique market research, make sure you give them something to think about…and use. And the more you provide, the more likely they are to keep coming back to you.

Your website is the World’s window to your business, so why pull the blinds down and make it hard for any member of the Fourth Estate to interact with you? Of course, you may not like the idea of journalists ringing you up out of the blue. You may prefer to only talk to the media when it suits you. At least that way there’s a chance you’ll be in control when it comes to releasing information. If that’s your attitude good luck. Only don’t be surprised if a rival starts getting all the attention simply because they made themselves more available when the press came calling.

If you’re under the impression that the only time a journalist wants to call you is to ask awkward questions, you’re rather missing the point of press relationships. They could just as easily be calling to find out about a successful business deal, a new contract or project, or a recent major product launch. In short, they could be looking for some good news that could be read, heard, or seen by potential customers or indeed anyone else. Then again, they might want some ‘Thought Leadership’ from you on what’s happening in your market, the trends in your business, or the effect of forthcoming legislation on your industry. Unfortunately, it’s hard to be a Thought Leader if you’re hard to reach.

A journalist working to a tight deadline won’t warm to an organization whose default position on press enquiries is an answerphone message that constantly states: ‘The person you’re calling isn’t available right now, please leave a message and we’ll deal with it on our return…’ And then you don’t. If you think a chatbot could handle your press enquiries better, try it. It might work. But then again it probably won’t. Meanwhile, an organization or business that goes out of its way to be easily accessible to the media via as many routes as possible and responds quickly to press enquiries will stand a better chance of getting coverage than one that prefers to erect barriers to good communication. Which one are you?