How Media-Friendly Is Your Association�s Web Site?

By Scott Proudfoot, Princiapl
March 2002

We know the net is the daily research tool for journalists.  And most associations want better press coverage. So why don�t they make their web sites more media friendly? Hillwatch gives you the scoop. This is an abridged version of a Hillwatch column that appeared in the March/April 2002issue of Association & Meeting Director magazine.

Most associations want more press coverage for their policy positions and events.  But coverage, especially good press coverage, is hard to come by.

One rationale for a web site is publishing your own material without depending on the media�s filtering.  A principal goal of your web site should always be to build direct contact with key audiences without the media in the equation.

But even a well-known association site lacks the exposure of a national newspaper or the impact of a good sound bite on the evening newscast.

Wouldn�t it be nice if your association�s web site attracted press attention and encouraged more journalists to call for a comment on issues important to your organization?

Repeated surveys reassure that the Net is now the basic daily research tool for reporters - where they go first for information. So assuming your organization is well known and your site easy to find (see the recent Hillwatch article on Search Engine Friendly Sites), you should attract some media traffic.

Getting the press to your site is one thing. Translating these visits into positive coverage of our organization is more difficult. It can depend on the media-friendliness of your web site.

What�s a media-friendly web site?

It is one that quickly gives journalists the information and facts they need to do their job. It sounds simple but most sites fall short.

Using our own E-Impact Benchmark methodology, our firm measures the effectiveness of web sites by quantitatively auditing their adherence to international �best practices�. We have developed 37 separate indicators covering both the �need-to-haves� and the �nice-to-haves� for good online press relations.  Recently, our methodology was used to test the media savvy of 25 well-known Associations and NGO sites, scoring and ranking them against each other. The results are in the table below.  Since our methodology is rigorous, we consider a score over 60% a good result. It ensures your site has covered the bases and the online media strategy only requires fine-tuning. Only 20% of our sample fell in that category, with one association, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, clearly lapping the field. When associations score in the 40% to 60% range (about 40% of our sample) some requirements are being met but key elements are missing. Below the 40% mark, a re-visiting of the site�s media strategy is worth considering.
 

Organization � Media Friendly Focus Area	Results %
Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses	82%
Canadian Marketing Association	63%
David Suzuki Foundation	62%
World Wildlife Fund	61%
Food and Consumer Products Manufacturers	61%
Canadian Federation of Agriculture	60%
Automotive Industries Association	56%
Canadian Bankers Association	56%
Canadian Construction Association	53%
Council of Canadians	52%
Canadian Taxpayers Federation	48%
Canadian Advanced Technology Association	44%
Canadian Bar Association	42%
Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association	42%
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters	41%
Sierra Club Canada	37%
Canadian Pulp & Paper Association	36%
Brewers Association of Canada	35%
Business Council on National Issues	35%
American Society of Association Executives	34%
Canadian Food & Restaurant Association	33%
Investment Funds Institute of Canada	31%
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers	25%
Canadian Soft Drink Association	13%
Canadian Council of International Business	8%

A lot has to go into creating a media friendly site but here are a few of the Do�s and Don�ts.

Don�t overestimate the patience or web skills of journalists. They search the web just like the rest of us. A few key words are thrown into a search engine. A page or two of results is checked. A few sites are visited. Snap judgments about the utility of a site and your organization are made.  If the journalist doesn�t find what they need quickly, they leave and don�t return. Consider the possibility they have already been to your site, got frustrated, and left!

Make it easy! Create a clearly labeled Press Centre button on your front page to direct them to a section that gives them what they need.

Don�t force them to register to obtain information. Registration is an unnecessary hurdle that pushes journalists away. Many will refuse! They hate being managed.

Present the option of voluntarily subscribing to a list serv where you will update them on upcoming news.

Give a press contact person. If your site only offers info@yourassociation.com, don�t expect much! Most journalists operate under tight deadlines. They have no way of knowing how long your association takes to reply to an e-mail inquiry and they can�t wait to find out. They need a real live person to provide background and a quote. Make it easy for a journalist to call - then answer the phone!

Provide a list of your press releases but don�t stop there. Journalists see most press releases as self-serving hype. They place greater credence on the words of other journalists. Why not include a series of links to press articles on your organization and your issues?

Offer your material in easy-to-print formats. As journalists work they gather first and write later.  They usually print the pages they think they will need. Your stuff goes on the corner of their desk with everyone else�s stuff until they start writing the article.

Don�t underestimate the importance of transparency. Journalists are a suspicious lot. They think everyone has something to hide. Be upfront about how your association is run, your members, your board, your sources of funding, your objectives and your interests. Frankness enhances credibility and diffuses suspicion. Giving that information directly on the site saves time and means you and the journalists can move on to the issues.

We all want better press coverage. Rethinking your site strategy and putting effort into a well-conceived online media strategy is a smart part of the solution.

Looking for help, see Hillwatch E-Services. Want to make your site more media friendly and improve your online performance in a host of other areas, consider a Hillwatch e-Impact Benchmark.