Protecting the reputation of your company

Needless to say, a journalist can make or brake your company’s reputation. A good relation with journalists is essential. Every journalist is looking for news. Helping him to get the information he needs quickly and in a straightforward and transparent way, improves both the coverage and the quality of reporting. This reduces the risk of reputation damage: a satisfied journalist is less tended to be distracted by arbitrary details.

So, invest in the quality of the relationship with the media. Partly you have to do this by personal contact. However, the press section of your corporate website plays a crucial role as well. Poor website usability or a lack of information are the most common bottlenecks. Some simple advice.

Get your basics right:

• Make it easy for a journalist to find you: present the personal contact information of your press officers clearly on your website, together with your field of expertise. Some companies still provide a general, anonymous telephone number on their website!
• Make sure you respond quickly and informatively on requests. React accurately on news and developments within your company and the market. Make sure your website is up to date! Offer alert services on your website for upcoming events, page updates and press releases.
• Restrict yourself to provide only the basics and present these in a clear and neutral way. Journalist will see through marketese and vague language - this will certainly not affect your image in a positive way!
• Enable journalists to make use of your material: provide downloadable documents, i.e. Excel sheets.
• Disclose your news and releases in an accessible way: consider a search functionality for your press section.

GE helps journalists with a good search engine

• several search entries (keywords, date, business unit and category)
• terminology designed at a journalist’s needs
• recent press releases are visible as well
• supporting usability features: e.g. free text and predefined categories
• a reset button is very user friendly. GE can enhance its usability by switching the ‘search’ and ‘reset’ button. A search button at the right hand side is more logical: this is the most important action and most users have a predominant right hand.

General Electric's press search engine

Keeping your press section on your website clear, simple, transparent and up to date is the best way to help a journalist. You are able then to manage your reputation as good as possible!

For more free best practices for your corporate website visit CorporateWebsite.com!

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