Hyperlink Graveyard Or Online Newsroom?
In this guest post, Gerry McCusker (pictured below), author of PR Disasters and founder/principal advisor at Engage ORM, offers some advice to PRs (and publishers) on what good news in this digital age should look like…
Was it Twain, or Jefferson, who mused: “If you don’t read the news(papers) you are uninformed. If you do, you are misinformed”?
This is a big problem for ‘tough-to-love’ government, political and big business brands whose PR is often at the mercy of scathing scribes and social media scuttlebutt. How do they communicate their news effectively and accurately?
Today, many brand managers, marketers and even social media-savvy PR’s fail to harness the publishing tenets and technologies that can effectively counter misinformation, and adeptly address (even win) the challenge of accurately and productively informing online audiences. Let’s get right to it…why continue to waste resource on text-heavy, hyperlink graveyards?
I’m talking about that ‘news’ section of your website (offer pixelated sample graphic?), piled page-high with dead body copy and a corpse of self-congratulatory, headline-led URL links.
Like a heap of weeks-old, unsold sausages; link after link, after link of unappetizing, unappealing and untouched churn. All so unnecessarily, Web one-point-oh-deary me!
Studies by brand journalism advocates indicate that stakeholders now expect more from company news. Clearly, the citizenry consumes and enjoys social media formats and its vibrant mix of audio, visual and text overlay formats. Can we still expect them to scroll inanimate, colourless text on a news page? Or let them ‘Download a PDF version’? When was the last time someone shared a beefy, portable document format across your most popular social feeds? And it’s not enough to “up” your content game, either. Because you need to improve your presentation and delivery functionalities, too.
And that why the hyperlink graveyard doesn’t cut it at all.
Professionally, journalists have high expectations of how you should present brand news. Way back in 2012, TekGroup research showed (no surprise) that 99 per cent of journos wanted to see media rich, media releases in online newsrooms, and in addition:
- 94% wanted to see breaking news in that same location (today that means social media news, I venture)
- 94% wanted web and print ready photos there too
- 93% wanted news well-organized by category and type (by keyword too, I’d suggest)
- 75% wanted video assets
- 63% wanted audio files
- (0% expressly asked for months old, text only hyperlinks)
These stats give some baseline pointers as to the kind of functionality you should feature in your online newsroom. I’ll discuss more specifics in the Part Two article coming later.
Today, the switched-on brand, community, corporate and – certainly – the crisis communicator surely wants their messages to get seen, get shared, go further and exert real influence? You can’t achieve that with a hyperlink graveyard!
And before you rail that it’s “all too hard” or that you “don’t have the time”, the news portal platform that many switched-on clients in Oz (and more worldwide) use, actually makes your content work harder, more productively, with a lot less effort. Don’t get relegated to the graveyard shift! You can manage content, plus media and online reputation more cohesively and effectively with an online newsroom.
I’ll discuss more in the second instalment article coming soon.
Latest News
History Has Arrived: It’s The Cairns Crocodiles Inaugural Shortlist
Pen the acceptance speech and ready your best thongs and muumuu, because the Cairns Crocodiles shortlist has arrived.
IAS Launches First-To-Market Integration With Roblox To Provide 3D Immersive Measurement
Integral Ad Science, a global media measurement and optimization platform, today announced a market integration with Roblox, a global immersive platform for connection and communication. Available for advertising campaigns on Roblox later this year, IAS’s Viewability and Invalid Traffic (IVT) Measurement products will provide advertisers increased transparency into the quality of their Immersive Ads within […]
Fast And Furious: Top Gear Australia Launch Thrilled Motorheads, Car Entusiasts And Guests
B&T is still no closer to knowing who the new Stig is, except that she is a woman and a ridiculously fast.
TV Ratings (02/05/2024): Seven’s The 1% Club Wins The Night
The 1% club did not live up to its name when it comes to TV ratings last night.
TRA Welcomes Raft Of New Hires; Bolstering Expertise Across Markets
Insights and research agency TRA announces slew of new hires. Still no news on the return of marble wash denim, however.
CX Lavender Hires Boston Consulting Group’s Kim Verbrugghe as Chief Strategy Officer
CX Lavender announces new strategy hire and channels 'acoustic folk act at local RSL' for the publicity pic.
Opinion: Community standards, will they be the death of us?
This columnist is talking community standards. Sadly not those people who put dogs in trolleys in supermarkets.
Tegel gets heads bobbing with new free-range chicken platform
Sure, there's a lot of moral considerations when buying a chook. Yet, not as baffling as buying eggs or canned tuna.
Study: 66% of Aussie men believe masculinity is under attack
Two-thirds of Aussie blokes say masculinity's under attack. That said, sales of Solo lemon drink appear robust.
‘Equal Writes’: Canyon reveals new campaign and refreshed brand for women and non-binary writers
As this brand redesign again proves, nothing beats black on white. Well, white on black in this instance.
Icon Agency bolsters consumer and integrated offer with major hires
Icon Agency unveils new recruits. As press photo confirms office moustache competition now a lay-down misère.
Clemenger launches agricultural graduate program
Has Farmer Wants A Wife triggered an interest in dagging & hay balers? This grads program may resonate.
Levi’s Appoint UM As Global Media Agency For $217m Account
Levi's are the jeans for rockstars, models & the cool kids. Although that's not stopped dads from ruining their image.
QMS Nabs Sean Rigby From oOh!media
Things set to get spicy at the next Outdoor Media Association dinner and dance as a rival gets poached.
Bumble Reveals New Brand Identity To Usher In New Era Of Dating
It's ironic that all the dating apps market themselves as having no weirdos, freaks or mummy's boys like their rivals.
Stay In The House From Up! Airbnb Introduces Icons
Airbnb is now letting people stay in "iconic" places that sadly doesn't include the house from Silence Of The Lambs.
Changing The Conversation: The Role Of Media In Ending Violence Against Women
Governments are finally waking up to the DV crisis. Here, B&T chats with Jasmin Bedir on the role media can play.
“If You Want To Listen To Something Else, Go For It”: Fifi Box On Blocking Out The Noise & Focussing On What Works
No one is at the coal face of Melbourne radio like Fifi Box. Here, she chats with B&T without coughing up a lung.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Ferrari Signs Landmark New Title Sponsor
B&T continuing our series on sports sponsorships. And, yet again, there's little good news for the ten pin bowlers.
Choose A Path Less Trodden This Cannes In Cairns
Not since Wonka opened the factory has there been such a hot ticket in town. Here's how to make the most of Cairns.
Cannes In Cairns MC Keeva Stratton Shares Her Top Session Picks
Quip boss calls out her highlights of the Cannes agenda. We're assuming B&T staff b-boy demonstration was an oversight.
Here Are The Agencies That Made AFR’s Best Places To Work List And What The Industry Can Learn From Them
Did your office not make the list? Make sure your boss shouts at least two schooners at office drinks come Friday.
Get Ready, B&T’s Best Of The Best Is Back With The Top Holding Company Executive Leaders – Creative!
Want to know who the Grandest of the Grand Poobahs in the industry are? Look no further than this exhaustive list.
How A Glittering Campaign Helped The Australian Museum Sell 400,000 Tickets
B&T thoroughly enjoyed the Ramses exhibition at The Australian Museum, despite thinking we were going to the Archibald.
TV Ratings (30/04/2024): A “Shoey” Straight From A Fish’s Mouth Launches The Cheap Seats Into 2024
Last night's TV saw horny farmers beat Lego nerds, who beat fame-obsessed home cooks, who beat a chap with a large fish.
Spotlight Extends Partnership With Starlight Children’s Foundation
B&T always happy to promote the excellent work of the Starlight Foundation. Less so the Starfish Fanciers Foundation.
Amazon’s Advertising Quarterly Revenue Soars To $11.8bn
There are so many Amazon couriers visiting B&T headquarters at the moment our office dog doesn't know who to maul first.
VML Wellington Welcomes Jacob McGregor As Pou Ārahi Māori
McGregor set to lead cultural competency and safety at VML Wellington in important new gig.
“They Grow Up So Fast”: Simon Fowler On Five Years Of ABEL
Abel's CEO talks lessons learned from the agency's first five years. Including staff nicking all the Nespresso capsules.
Kyle & Jackie O Urge Melbourne To Pick A Side
Who can stop Kyle & Jackie O's indelible march into Melbourne radio? Is Peter 'Moony' Moon waiting by the phone?
Future & Taika Waititi Feature In Striking New Global Belvedere Campaign
Not only does drinking vodka make you cool like these dudes, it also has great weight loss properties for the bone idle.
The Fall Of Bonza: A Case Study In How To, And Not To, React In A Crisis
Does the collapse of yet another budget airline hark back to a gentler time of 17 hours spent on a Greyhound bus?
Opinion: Agencies, Be Unique – Stop Using The Word “Unique!”
Trinity P3's Ellie Angell says agencies are overusing the word unique. You could add omnichannel & holisitic to that.
Ex Marketing & Advertising Exec Releases Melanoma Memoir
Ex-adlander Anne Gately has penned a tome to skin cancer. Which is a handy reminder to check your moles, people.
Mamamia Appoint Danni Wright As New Head Of Strategy
Danni Wright takes up Mamamia's strategy reins with a feng shui expert called over positioning of office chaise lounge.
From The Bureau: Championing Competency & Cross-Industry Collaboration
The IAB's Jonas Jaanimagi calls for more specialisation in adtech. Meaning you'll understand it less than you already do.