Sharing Company News

I remember back in the pre-internet days, many companies would send out a press release every time one of their team attended a conference or got a promotion or wrote an article. That’s what was in the Business section of the newspapers, for the most part. Now, it’s tempting for companies to do the same on their blogs and social media.

Truth is, most of your customers didn’t read those announcements in the 20th century and they don’t care any more in 2015 than they did in 1995.

But there were good reasons to share that company news back in the day, and there still are good reasons now:

• They provide evidence of your company’s active participation in and stature in your field and your community.
• People who knew that guy who got a promotion were happy for him and glad to know — and they still are.
• There are people who want to read that paper or attend that talk, and your announcements help to get the word out.

What’s more, now it is possible that spreading the news about your company can provide high-quality links to your website.

Rosie and I will be featured on 8th & Walton’s Saturday Morning Meeting for Suppliers special on Social Media on February 28th, so this is a perfect time for me to think about the best ways to share company news. Maybe you’ve been thinking about it, too. If so, read on for some guidelines.

First, social media is perfect for this kind of announcement. As long as that’s not all you share, there’s no reason not to share your company news. Think about where you share, though.

We have a Pinterest board where we announce speaking gigs.

One of our medical facility clients shares fun pictures and videos from their events on Facebook. This is ideal — their friends and family see and share their photos and it’s the perfect venue for it.

Another company presents their serious side in the blog posts we write for them and uses Instagram to show their many cool team building and training events.

LinkedIn lets you share details of Projects. If your company builds stuff, conducts research, or does anything else that qualifies as a project, this is a perfect place to let people know.

Each social media platform reaches different people with different needs and interests, so don’t just post your press release everywhere.

But press releases are worth doing. They can spread the word well, and the more exciting the news, the better they’ll perform. Once you’ve sent out your press release, send a link to news outlets and individuals you think will really find your news interesting and valuable.

You can also put your company news on your blog. Many of the sites we build call their blog “News” and feature plenty of company updates there. Just be sure to think about your audience. Is this something that will be valuable for your readers? One of our clients speaks to Walmart suppliers. We’re writing a whole series of in-depth reports on their visit to a major Walmart meeting, and sharing lots of great details. Visitors love it.

On the other hand, the company picnic is mostly interesting to the people who attended it and their friends and family. You can certainly do a post at your company blog to humanize your company and show what your people are like on their downtime, but avoid a dry announcement and a series of posed photos of your team. It can come off as, “We had a party and you weren’t invited.” Take that stuff to Facebook.

So spread the word — just make sure that you keep your medium and your audience in mind.