Social marketing, and social press releases

Ralph, at his worldcad access blog, has recently been running coverage on press releases. His latest post covers Social Media releases, instigated by a few releases he has received, plus some postings by Brian Solis from Future Works PR. . This company is focusing on how to leverage what is being termed Social Marketing, and they have even published a guide to writing Social Media Press releases.

Now this guide is quite comprehensive, and runs through using Technorati, Tags, del.icio.us, RSS and flikr for making information available on demand. Ralph, by contrast, is pushing back on the idea of being fed yet more information, and on the possibility of having a 'conversation' on demand with promoters of products.

I still feel there are a number of problems with Social Media - mainly that it is as yet unformed and different for every person. I personally get bored with press releases that have a bunch of various links to technorati, del.icio.us etc. I really just want to see the pertinent info on the release, in a single place. If I want more info, I expect to be able to go to a single web link and find what I want. And we try and get clients to achieve that.

However, indications are that while standard practises may devolve to a single set of links for information, we don't yet know where it will be. It is highly evolving and unstable at this time.

Further, PRnewswire and the others have nly just recently started allowing links within press releases that are distributed. I feel that's pretty poor performance given that we have all been sending out releases with links through personal or office means, having had to bypass PRnewswire's lack of tools. However, now that the ability to link is in place, we are going to see a rash of links across press releases and editor communications...not something that the editors are going to be too happy about.

Press releases now also fulfill a further function that they never used to - communication directly with potential customers. In the past, press releases were only seen by editors, to be edited, cut down, added to and then published. Customers never saw them. not any more! Press releases are now a direct marketing tool for vendors, and need to be shaped as such. And we need a different vehicle for editors. As to what it is - well, some of these newer tools (technorati etc) may provide the answer, but so far we are not sure what it is!

Time will tell. In the meantime, keep the press releases precise, add a link or two that are actually useful, and simply tell the story! (preferably in 4 paragraphs or less.)

rach

Comments

[Adena Schutzberg]

"I personally get bored with press releases that have a bunch of various links to technorati, del.icio.us etc." Please give an example. I've get to see any **reputable** site post a PR with such things below it.

PRNewswire didn't allow links until now? Can you explain that? I've been putting links into material for BWire for years.

Finally, yes PRs are now directed at end-users. It's why "all the usual suspects" in the CAD/GIS media reprint them on their websites. Is this valuable? Readers tell us that it is.

[editor]

Adena
First off, I agree with much of what you say. But the press need to be vocal about it to get precisely what they need. Right now, we have the PR community creating this for people like you....but I am not sure if anyone has actually asked what editors want. (I may be wrong there, but have seen no evidence.

First off, the guys at Shift Communications created a template of what is generally accepted to be the first ever social media press release, late last year. It is at (http://www.shiftcomm.com/Web20Releases/5232006.html).

Funny thing is, when they released an announcement about it, the wire service could not display the various links and tags (I believe it was PRnewswire.)
Then, Jan 1 2007, PRNewswire announced that they now could communicate the various tags and links...finally. I suspect that BusinessWire also now does the same, but really, it took long enough didn't it?

I have since seen various press releases, posted to sites, that have started tagging, but have yet to see the true social media idea catch on, with full del.icio.us and Technorati links and so on. When i do catch one, I'll share...

But it still comes down to this: what do editors want? And now that press releases are a direct marketing piece, what do users want? i think those questions need asking
rach

[Brian Solis]

You're right! Whatever the format, keep it focused based on the needs of the person receiving it - and position it so that it provides information for your readers.

Shift started the movement....and
as your commenter points out, the wire services could not, and still for the most part, can not distribute a social media press release. I experimented with it here...
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=180480

But the truth is, nothing legitimately "social media" will ever cross a wire. Releases that are social media-enabled, will still be press releases - which is ok, but it's not conversation. It's still a release, but the technology is different. MarketWire did go out of their way to make sure that this release crossed correctly.

[Adena Schutzberg]

Here's a sample: http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/26379005cp.shtml

but then, this is a PR site.