What do journalists think about your online newsroom?

Axia PR shares results from the TEKGROUP 2015 Online Newsroom Survey Report

Knowledge is power and at Axia Public Relations, we believe the more information you have about how the media works, the more successful you’ll be at attracting positive news coverage for your company. Therefore, we would like to share the TEKGROUP 2015 Online Newsroom Survey Report, which covers how reporters, editors and other news professionals work with online newsrooms and press releases.

When it comes to capturing media interest, companies face an uphill battle. There are simply too many businesses fighting for limited publication space and television air time. Keeping up with industry trends and having a PR firm to help you can give your company the upper hand.

Key findings from the TEKGROUP survey

TEKGROUP is an award-winning Internet software and services organization. For its Online Newsroom Survey, it interviewed approximately 700 journalists with questions about social media, online newsrooms and digital media and how they use these tools to craft their stories. Some of the findings might surprise you.

A whopping 97 percent of survey participants agreed that it is crucial for a company to have an online newsroom.
More than half of the journalists admitted that they visit corporate online newsrooms once a month, and 45 percent stated that they visit at least once a week.
Approximately 85 percent of respondents said they visit online newsrooms of small, medium and large-sized companies, compared to only 8 percent who visit only large companies.
Nine out of 10 reporters said they visit company Facebook pages and most report that they like to access newsrooms from mobile devices.
One of the main reasons that journalists visit online newsrooms is to get PR contacts. Other motives include news releases and information on breaking news. Photos and videos are also useful.
More than 90 percent said that it’s important to be able to access product information in an online newsroom. This will ensure that visitors have access to accurate details about your products and services. Approximately 80 percent said they expect to be able to find financial information, as well, which helps when they need to verify details.

How you can improve your online newsroom

There are certain features and items that journalists want to see in your online newsroom. Including these things on your company’s site will improve it and increase your chances for attracting positive news coverage.

PR contact information: Make sure this is prominently displayed in your newsroom.

Event calendars: This makes it easier for journalists to cover your events because they can find accurate information about those events.

Executive bios: Journalists like these because it saves them valuable time when checking titles and name spellings. It’s also helpful if you include quality, high-res photos.

Branding: It’s vital that your online newsroom have the same look and feel as the rest of your website.

Easy URLs: If journalists have to search too hard for your website, they’re likely to just move on to another company.

News from other outlets: Being as helpful as possible will keep journalists on your site and identify your company as a thought-leader in your industry.

The benefits of enlisting a PR firm to help you

Maintaining a great online newsroom that journalists will return to again and again takes a lot of time and effort. It’s best to hire a PR firm to manage the task for you.

At Axia PR, we know what’s important to journalists and will work to ensure that your online newsroom is one of the first places they turn to for information and story ideas. For more details on how we can help you garner media attention, contact us today or download our e-book Learn Media Relations from the Media.

Lisa Goldsberry is a writer for Axia Public Relations with more than 15 years of public relations experience. She specializes in business, higher education and technology PR. Connect with Axia Public Relations on Twitter @axiapr.