Have some information that OEC’s audiences need to know about? Share it as a news item on the OEC website.
Get a refresher on adding a news post on WordPress.
Follow a News-First Strategy
As soon as you have information to share, the quickest and easiest way to share it is with a news post. It’s a flexible, simple way to get the word out.
Then, link to that news post in emails and social media posts, so even more people see it. Using that single news post as your anchor, you can easily reach a broad audience with minimal effort.
1. It saves time and effort. Rather than reworking information into different formats — such as social media posts and emails — you just do it once with a single news post.
2. It’s a flexible format. The form of a news post can vary depending on your audience and goals. It can be a formal press release or a few simple sentences with a link.
3. You can correct mistakes. When you have a typo or other error in a PDF press release or email, you have no choice but to swallow your pride and send out a correction. Fixing a mistake in a website news item requires a few seconds and zero pride-swallowing.
4. You’ll increase traffic to the website. By having people follow a link to the news item, you’re bringing them to the OEC website — where they’ll have an opportunity to learn more about what we do.
5. It’s low maintenance. Once you publish a news item, you never need to look at it again. No need to change it or remove it. If you have new information to share, just create a new news post.
What’s news and what isn’t?
News posts are…
Information or announcements about
- New programs or RFPs
- Changes to regulatory processes
- Webinars or other upcoming events
- Recent work from other agencies or organizations
- Updates to the website
Essentially, if it’s new information your audience needs to know, it’s a good fit for a news article.
News posts are not…
Meant to last. After a few weeks, people may not assume a news article is still accurate (which makes sense). If you have information people will need to refer to in an ongoing way, create it as web content instead.
Get started
Go ahead and add a news post now.
You can also get a quick overview of the steps for posting in WordPress first. Or, watch our training about adopting a news-first strategy below.
OEC Training: News