Overview of inVocus
inVocus (http://www.vocus.com/invocus/) chronicles major changes and trends in North American media. The free site is billed as “Your Media News Center,” highlighting that it includes multiple updates and tools in one place. inVocus is run by Vocus, the parent company of PRWeb and Help a Reporter Out. Media relations professionals can trust the information on the site—all news and data are researched and produced by the Vocus Media Research Group. The site is notable because it offers content on these main topics:
- Journalist Spotlights - Tidbits focus on specific journalists and their specialties, such as their beats or their background in a certain industry. The listings are divided by media type into magazines, newspapers, online, radio and TV.
- Media Blog - Posts run the gamut from general industry highlights and news (“Will higher prices at New York Times hurt business?”) to specific media relations advice (“Pitching for Valentine’s Day”).
- Media Moves - News blurbs highlight journalists’ recent employment changes, divided by industry type into magazines, newspapers, online, radio and TV.
- Pitch an Event - Mock pitches give background details and a story hook centered on a theme (e.g., Music in Our Schools Month) and then include possible media contacts for businesses looking to pitch a related story.
- Social Media Shorts - Q&A interviews between inVocus staff and media professionals showcase how others in the industry harness social media.
In addition to these sections, inVocus includes some fun features and practical tools. The homepage has a column labeled “History Today” that reflects a different media or web fact each day. The site also offers an option to follow inVocus on Twitter or to stay updated via an RSS feed or eNewsletter.
Using inVocus for Media Relations
inVocus offers a wide array of news topics and useful tools, making it a one-stop shop for media relations professionals who want to stay on top of changes in the industry. The Media Moves and Journalist Spotlight sections can be especially helpful in finding professionals to target for pitches. Anytime people are featured in those sections, inVocus provides their recent contact information. This way media relations professionals do not have to scour the Internet to learn more about a potential new addition to their media lists.
The site also scores points for its Pitch an Event section, which could be seen as the opposite of Bad Pitch Blog. Here, posts written by inVocus staffers identify important trends and break them down by aspects needed to create a well-crafted pitch (background, story pitch, story hook, etc.). The posts also include resources so media relations professionals can easily get help when pitching their own stories on the same theme. For example, a post previewing Read Across America Day lists contact information for the Children’s Book Council and advises, “An educator who focuses on reading and encouraging students to read would make an excellent resource.” Reading this section could also inspire anyone who was in a rut for pitching ideas.
inVocus does have some limitations. Although there are numerous posts, and the site is updated often, overall it is quite text heavy. There are not many photos or multimedia links, such as slideshows or videos, to break up the blocks of text. However, the site does not sell itself as flashy or interactive. Instead, it provides well-written and well-researched media updates and gives how-tos and media relations best practices. People who want to see more video clips or interactive posts should look at the blog on the main Vocus site, http://www.vocus.com/blog/. Given what it offers, inVocus succeeds in providing a bevy of content in a pleasing format that is easy for PR and media relations professionals to digest.
