Online investor relations helps a company track trading in its shares, monitor speculative activity, distribute information to potential investors and maintain contact with key investors and influentials. One challenge to IR professionals is how to use online to reach analysts, fund managers and investors in a marketplace where financial communications are world-wide. There is a temptation to consider online redundant to reporting from Dow-Jones, Reuters and Bloomberg. Online lets a company post key information where one can find it quickly while making investment decisions and respond to routine requests that otherwise take up an IR professional's time. Online lets a company expand on news stories that do not carry its complete message or to correct inadvertent errors.
Analysts can download company briefings without contacting a live person.
The benefits of such an approach is that an analyst can be better prepared when talking to a company representative. This concerns both regulators and companies victimized by rumors. It is faster to contact investors online than by mail or faxes. Investors with large holdings are or should be the first targets for regular online communication. The benefit of online is that it allows for addition and revision of answers immediately without the lag of printing and dissemination.