Increase the Credibility of Your Press Release Through Social Media Optimization

This post from Tom Foremski over at The New Rules Communications Blog based on a post by Brian Solis "Everything you needed to (or should) know about social media news releases."

Brian Comments: "I offer how to make them work, alternatives for formats, what not to do, why PR should/shouldn't participate, examples, as well as a "greatest hits" of blog posts I've written on the subject"

It really needs any comment from me. It delivers the goods on how and why to do a social media optimized press release. This is the first post I have found that gives a holistic picture of this with multiple examples. Thanks Tom!

Understanding The Social Media Release

By Tom Foremski, The New Rules Communications Blog

I had no idea that I would start such a controversial subject when I wrote "Die! Press Release! Die! Die! Die!" I was asking for a change in the format of the press release by adding URL links, deconstructing it, and labeling/tagging different parts of it for easier assembly of information.

Some of the response to the post was antagonistic, the rest was very positive. Since the publication of the post many people have worked hard to change the format of the press release and bring it into the new media age. Some call it a "social media release."

Brian Solis, principal at FutureWorks PR,  has a written a very good overview of the subject at WebProNews:

...the Social Media Release has been pushed by many influencers, including Tom Foremski’s public outcry for the death of crappy press releases; Todd Defren who offered the first template and remains an authoritative champion; Chris Heuer who helped lead an effort to propose a standard for their construction and distribution; Stowe Boyd who reminds disingenuous, lazy or opportunistic PR people that they’re not invited to participate in Social Media (and rightfully so); Shel Holtz who hosted the original NMRcast, and continues to demonstrate the value of new releases; Shannon Whitley's work to help PR "get it;" and the many others who continue to carry the flag forward.

...The social media release, aka SMR, aka social media press release, aka new media release, aka hrelease, 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 press releases that tell a story (written by people for people using SEO to reach them).

There is also a case study: Click through to Read the rest and see a physical example of a press release for Coca Cola's Virtual Coke program plus some other links to relevant sources.

Comments

[Brian Solis]

Hello Jennifer,

Thanks for running this. Just wanted to clarify that Tom's article is in reference to my post, "Everything you needed to (or should) know about social media news releases."

http://www.briansolis.com/2007/05/social-media-releases-everything-you.html

It details the beginning, the ideas, how to make them work, alternatives for formats, what not to do, why PR should/shouldn't participate, examples, as well as a "greatest hits" of blog posts I've written on the subject.