Aplus.net Blog

Some call it a Social Media Release, or a New Media Release. It’s not brand new (first introduced three or four years ago), but with the exponential rise in social networking tools, online video and audio capabilities, etc. – it is perhaps an idea whose time has come. Ready for prime time. The dawn of PR 2.0.

The social media release (SMR) is mostly the standard press release – evolved. That is, it complements traditional releases by taking full advantage of online social and multimedia tools: embeddable photos, video and audio (mp3s or podcasts), as well as links to blogging platforms, microblogging (Twitter, Tumblr), RSS feeds/news aggregators, tags (Technorati), bookmarks (del. icio .us), and communities (Digg, Reddit). Social and professional networking is another huge plus with SMRs that make it easy to post in Facebook, Bebo, MySpace, LinkedIn or discussion forums such as Google Groups and elsewhere.

Brian Solis has always been one of the biggest advocates of social media releases, noting in “Social Media Releases - Everything You Ever Wanted to (or Should) Know”:

“This does require an entirely new approach, but unlike traditional releases, these new approaches can engage readers in a way never before possible. But first, you have to know what you’re talking about and why it matters to those you’re trying to reach.”

He also points out that it isn’t just all the hyperlinking and embedded multimedia that make SMRs different; it goes much deeper. SMRs also represent a new way to connect with journalists, bloggers and a company’s customers. It’s about sharing news in a more concise and compelling way. About making sure your news is newsworthy and believable; stripping out the hyperbole (the PR-ness) and spin. And it’s about engaging readers directly on things that matter to them, giving them a reason to share or even comment.

Tomorrow: It’s all in the format.