What Do Reporters Want to See On Your Media Page?
There are a few reasons to have a media page or a media kit on your website. One of them is for advertisers. A media page is a tremendously useful tool and it helps potential advertisers know if they want to pay to advertise on your website or blog.
However, media representatives also leverage the information in a media page. They use it to help them decide if they want to cover your news release, write a story on your company, and to research information for content they are actively working on.
So a media page can really help you get the results you want from your press release efforts. Additionally, having a good media page gives your organization credibility, authority, and transparency – all of which media appreciates. It makes their job easier. So what do they want to see?
Contact Information – It may seem like a given, but many media pages forget the thing that reporters actually need to pursue a potential story idea; they need your contact information. They need someone to talk to and they like to know their position, their email address, and their phone number. Please designate someone to be your media contact, and include their information on your media page.
Images – Media representatives most often need to use images in the stories they write. They need photos of people, logos, and product photos, and sometimes they also appreciate graphs and charts. If you have those images, media ready, on your media page, it gives you a boost. If you have audio and video clips as well, share them.
Facts – Journalists are supposed to report the facts. You make their job a lot easier if the facts of your company are included on your media page. Facts include information about your company, your upper management and hierarchy, your history and your message, as well as sales facts, growth facts, and facts about your competition, your audience and whatever else you think may be relevant to your industry. For example, if you have multiple locations then include those locations, along with what your company does at those locations and the address.
Press – Has your company been covered in the media before? When? What were the stories? Include that information on your media page. Reporters want to make sure they’re not duplicating story ideas and that they are taking a unique approach.
Recognitions/Awards – If your company has received any recognitions, awards, or other notable accomplishments include those and a brief description about what they are.
Finally, put yourself in the reporter’s shoes for a moment. What would they want to know that would help them write a quality story for their audience? What makes your company unique? You might include a description of your products or services, or a paragraph about the charities or causes that are important to the company. Your media page is about setting you apart and giving the media the information that they need to write their story.