Social media releases for dummies

A social media release is a PR 2.0 version of a press release that allows both media and public audiences receive and share an organization’s news online. What is PR 2.0? It’s a term coined by PR celebrity Brian Solis in his attempt to name the fusion between PR and social media that’s happening in our industry. PR 2.0 has evolved the PR industry in a way that allows us to do more than go through the media to get news to the public.

However, when you’re turning your press releases into a social media press release, remember to cater to both audiences. Here’s a list of the elements you should include in your social media release to ensure your information is shared and used on other sites:

1. Fill your headline, subhead and first paragraph with keywords relevant to your audience so you’re more likely to appear in search engine results
2. Use a bulleted format for your news facts, making them easy to read and pass on to others
3. Add multimedia elements, such as photos, videos and podcasts of information related to your news story that media and bloggers can use when covering the story online
4. Add tools for users to share your information via Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, etc.
5. Include multiple quotes from key spokespeople at your organization
6. Add social bookmarking links
7. Include your organization’s RSS feed
8. Embed live search tracking to Digg and Technorati that feed what people are saying about your release
9. Include a list of resources you used to develop the story and/or links to resources that would help a journalist or blogger write a more well-rounded story
10. Include a link to our organization’s social media newsroom and Web site for more information
11. Don’t let your social release to anti-social by forgetting to allow comments. If your social media release platform allows comments, use them to engage readers.
12. Include intelligent keyword navigation so blogs, news sites and online readers can find your release easily

Don’t know how to create a social media release? Sometimes you need a little help from your PR friends – try these:
Pitchengine
Marketwire
PRWeb
EON: Enhanced Online News