NEWSFLASH: This past decade has seen a shift in the way PR practitioners communicate with the media. The Social Media Release has completely changed the face of media and public relations.
Among the advocates of the Social Media Release are Tom Foremski, who called for the demolition of the traditional press release, and Todd Defren who is responsible for the first-ever "Social Media Press Release" template. Others include Brian Solis who stated: “The social media release is not a miracle pill to cure the ills of poorly written press releases. It is merely a tool that is most effective when combined with a strategic arsenal of relevant company blog posts, traditional releases, relationships and an emerging category of releases that tell a story.”
The Social Media Release allows PR practitioners to provide the same truthful and factual information as with a traditional press release but goes a step further by making the reporting process easier for journalists. It deconstructs information into sections and with tags making the information more digestible and useful for journalists. Publishing the news release on the web also allows for a one-stop resource for information. But do remember to use relevant key words that appear upfront during search engine results.
This new kid on the block is not just geared towards the journalist but appeals to an entirely new generation of influencers – bloggers, and also enables organizations to reaches consumers directly. Online readers can bookmark and share the content with others.
The Social Media Release is just one way to tell the story and should not replace the traditional news release but complement it. It may also work well when combined with a social media or blogger campaign. So, some feel the traditional press release is OUT and the Social Media Release is IN while others advocate using both. What are your thoughts about this new type of packaging? : )
This is probably the most important point. Consider categories to be communities within a community. If you choose the wrong one, you’re putting your content out in front of an audience that isn’t interested in it.
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Thank you for your comments, Lary. I certainly agree with you that one must carefully consider one's purpose and the audience when deciding whether to employ the social media news release, the traditional news release or both. : )
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