The use of social media releases

The use of social media releases is becoming more common as PR practitioners work to give the media better access to information and in turn tell their stories in new ways.

In addition to the common components of a traditional media release like placelines, headlines, a lead, body a closer, contact information, a social media release also includes multimedia components like photographs, video, audio and links to additional information.

Some organizations also offer options for readers to subscribe to an RSS feed or an e-mail alert, so they can get new releases send directly to their e-mail accounts. This is a huge advantage for reporters who are often pressed for time and want to be sure they get up-to-the-minute news. These releases also allow readers to easily share the release with others through e-mail and social media networking sites, like Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Del.icio.us and Newsvine.

All in all, I think it's important that PR practitioners become familiar with using this newer format because whether we like it or not people are getting their news and information from the web far more than they are from television or print. In fact, I'd go one step further an suggest that when appropriate a video clip be added as well.

The web is a wonderful tool to get our message out, but we have to know how to use it to our advantage. Right now we're a point where our potential reach is greater than any other time in history and it's foolish not to harness it.

I think that while the traditional news release hasn't entirely lost its relevancy, it certainly needs a face-lift of sorts to make it fresher and more attractive to the media that use it.

This is especially true because news outlets are evolving as well. Today, many newspapers run online versions of their papers that include a variety of multimedia components, including blogs, photo galleries, and audio and video clips. Television news has also found a home on the web, rebroadcasting news clips online so audiences can view the news when they choose, rather than when the network chooses.

We live in a climate where demands are changing. The public demands more of the media and in turn the media demands more of the PR industry. Although it takes more time to add photos, hyperlinks and audio-visual clips to news releases, in some cases these components will be critical.

Because this takes more time, talent and planning to implement on a regular basis, I wonder if this will lead to the creation of an increasing number of PR jobs in the years to come as the social media release becomes the norm. The alternative would be more work in an already time-crunched industry.