The rise of Internet revolution brought a crucial change in the way messages were traditionally packaged and force fed to the consumers and the industry. With the advent of social media it has become more about facilitating conversations in a world that is always live and connected. The need now more than ever is to avoid complications and multiple messages being sent out by blending communications strategies both offline and online seamlessly so that they are able to cater to each one of their audience.

What is Social Media Press Release?

It all started when Silicon Valley journalist/blogger Tom Foremski wrote a poison pen letter to the PR industry in a blog post titled Die! Press release! Die! Die! Die!, in which he lambasted publicists about poorly drafted and uninformative press releases and urged them to refine the same. Imagine his surprise when people actually did listen to him and a few months later, some communication agencies decided to release their own versions of the Social Media Press Release. Simply put Social Media Press Release (SMPR) is an upgraded and might I add sleeker version of your traditional print press release. It is a single page of web content which feature multiple embedded links (a YouTube video, Flickr slideshow, SlideShare presentation etc.) and blocks of text similar to those found in traditional releases (spokesperson quotes, boilerplate and contact information).

The brilliance of this type of Social Media Release lay in the fact that everything was clear, concise and available at one place. You could share a gamut of information ranging from quotes/facts/pictures/ related links etc. Inclusion of related audio and video would enhance the quality of the release immensely. Also, unlike the traditional press release this method will be progressive in terms that it ensures two-way dialogue and helps build engagement with key tools being used such as comments section, RSS feeds and bookmarking.

Can it work?

We believe it can and quite effectively, since the whole objective of a press release is to convey news and create interest this goes even beyond:

It can help you directly reach out to a whole audience sitting online which comprises of not only journalist, your investors and consumers but also new audience.

• With the inclusion of more social-media elements, they are also popping up in search results which can result in search engine optimization (SEO) techniques.
• With social bookmarking you can share the release with others which results in more online coverage, which was one of the aims to begin with.
• Easy to track with all the bookmarking, links, and multimedia content you add to your release.
• The comments section can be great asset by promoting two-way dialogue through news releases.

Where it does not?

With each new discovery there is always hesitation to chance a risk and take a fall and the below mentioned add to the concern:

• Journalists surprisingly are reluctant about it and would still prefer or are happily resigned to the traditional way it is done.
• PR industry relatively slow acceptance in embracing the same.
• Organizations and brands not fully comprehending it’s usage in today changing environment.

Our Opinion

Do we endorse it..Absolutely yes! In fact LuxuryNext has created its own template specifically for the India market which we plan on using to its full potential. This template is an amalgamation of components from both mainstream PR and social media platform and we have ensured that it is designed keeping in mind cultural and industry differences. With today altering landscape and technological advancements, PR industry has to grapple with distinctive ways to connect, engage and build conversations and relationships and this is a unique method which can be customized to add value to your business. This in no means refers to the fact that you can forgo traditional media but what it does mean, consistent adaption to the evolving one!