If your online pressroom looks anything like mine did about two hours ago, it’s time to drag out the dust mask, the Shop-Vac® and maybe even a garbage dumpster.
I found so much outdated information and ancient publicity photos in the pressrooms at my website and at the PressRoom247 site that I almost didn’t recognize myself! And then it dawned on me that the current photo at this blog is about a decade old. That, too, is being replaced.
Here’s a list of some of things to look for in you rown pressroom, including some not-so-obvious things that might escape your attention.
Old Photos
I trashed most of my 10-year-old photos and replaced them with the 2010 versions. All the old ones will disappear when my website eventually moves over to this blog in a few months. I’ll do a wholesale cleaning after the transition. But for now, at least the really old content is gone.
You may love that photo of yourself taken 15 years ago sans the baggy eyes and gray hair. But trying to pass yourself off as somebody who looks a lot younger than you do now is disengenuous. Besides, it makes people who know you and see the old photos wonder, “If his photos are that outdated, I wonder what else at his website is out of date?” (Please contact me if you find old photos of me at my website.)
Old Addresses, Phone Numbers and Fax Numbers
I found one old address, and a fax number that was disconnected two years ago. Try typing an old phone number or address into Google and see what comes up in the search results. If the old number is at your own website, update it!
Email Addresses
Scour your site, not just your pressroom, for any old email addresses that need to be removed.
Awards and Other Bragging Rights
Does your profile include an industry award you received recently? What about that major publicity hit from a few months ago? Have you mentioned it and linked to the article or the broadcast clip?
Does your bio mention the new books you’ve published? If not, add them.
Out-of-date Products & New Product Sites
I found several references to products I’ve pulled from my inventory.
If you’re an artist, you might have started selling products at sites like Etsy. If you write, you might sell ebooks for the Kindle at Amazon.com, or for the Nook at BarnesandNoble.com. There’s nothing wrong with linking to those sites.
Logos, Taglines and Other Branding
If you’ve introduced new elements like a logo or tagline to your marketing, make sure they’re part of the pressroom. Nothing would be more embarrassing than to be featured in a two-page spread in a magazine, with your old logo right there at the top of the page.
Journalists don’t always take time to double-check these things. Smart Publicity Hounds do.
Links to Social Media Profiles
Let people know where they can follow you on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Quora. Do you have photos and slideshows at Flickr?
Have you created Squidoo lenses or HubPages? And don’t forget the link to your Google profile.
Your Ezine and Blog
Remember that journalists and others might be entering your website from your pressroom, not necessarily from your homepage. If so, will they know that you blog and that they can subscribe to the RSS feed?
Will they know that they can subscribe to your ezine? I need to add a sign-up box for my ezine to my pressroom. What a great way to stay in touch with journalists!
Other Free Content
Do you have a podcast or online radio show? Have you written articles for sites like EzineArticles.com?
I’m even thinking of adding a section where visitors can find several guest posts I’ve written at other blogs, including this one on 17 Freebies That Build Thought Leadership, one of the Top 10 posts at The Distributed Marketing Blog.
What Have I Missed?
Go ahead. Inspect your own pressroom right now and comment below on what you’ve found that’s outdated. Or let us know what you’ve added.
This is a great checklist, especially for publicists who counsel their clients to keep their online pressrooms up-to-date, but don’t do it themselves. (I swear I will update my site this weekend!)
Our ranks are filled with shoemakers whose kids don’t have shoes, Gail.
I’ve got some work to do. Thanks for the reminder.
Boy, do we all! Thanks for stopping by, Teri.
I have just published a new Novel and don’t know where or how to start with a blog or set up a web page. I need step by step information on who to sell my self and Book.
I read a book or two a week and know that my book is one of the best out there. No one knows it, book stores have it, and they don’t even know it.
Where do I start????????????
Richard, the easiest thing for you would be to start blogging about your topic. Use WordPress, which is free. If you don’t know anything about this, try to find somebody local who can set this up for you. Blog at least 3 times a week about your topic.
You assume that I know what a press room is. I do not. I have checked you page and did not find what a beginner needs to know to get started.
Good point, Richard. An online press room is a place, usually at your website, where journalists and others can go and find background info on you and your company. It often includes photos, press releases, bios, Q&A, facts about the company, etc.
What is a press room and how do I set one up?
An online press room is a page or pages at your website where journalists or visitors can go and find out basic info about your company. It includes your bio, photos, history of your company, frequently asked questions, etc.