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The PR Industry's Reaction to the Social Media Release

By: Marijean Jaggers | 07/29/2008

Remember SHIFT's social media release template? When it came out in May, 2006 it was all the buzz – the New Big Thing in PR.

But what happened when the template was released? Was it successful? Were PR practitioners using it? Most importantly, did journalists (and all members of the media, social and traditional) like it?

What we saw across the PR industry was this: firms scrambling to fit the template, to integrate the practice of using social media releases into their client work.

Not to be outdone, Edelman worked up their own version, calling it StoryCrafter. Again, nothing new here but it sidesteps the suggestion that the document has to LOOK a specific way (as SHIFT's template does, with rounded corners and graphics to indicate links), or, necessitate the creation of a .pdf document – an obstacle that creates a whole new series of issues (design needs, attachments, no linkable URL, not uploadable to wire services, etc.)

You're not going to see a lot of releases out there using these very specific “social media templates” – it's not because there aren't any early adopters out there – its because they haven't been adopted.

Some reactions to SMRs: from IABC and Shel Holtz, from TechCrunch and from Tom Foremski.

The concept behind the social media release, the ideas that generated its creation have definitely made it. It's de rigueur to link externally from releases to other sites, including blogs. It's common and absolutely recommended that you include links to the online media kit, the Flickr site, or a YouTube video that corresponds with the release's news. Link to the audio, share the photos and include (if you're pitching to a savvy audience) social bookmarking tools such as Del.icio.us.

But don't feel as if you need to create a document that looks just like SHIFT's release. Chances are, your recipient won't see it and if he/she does, they won't have any idea what they're looking at. What's important is to create a release that is linkable and has its own, unique URL – you can do this by using the wire services for distribution, by posting the release on a client's Web site or better yet, a blog or by creating a release in Google Docs.

Outside of the SHIFT mold, here are some examples of social media releases that work (and note that it's only really big consumer groups doing this):

The Ford Focus
HP

The point I'm trying to make here is this: the components of a social media release are important – I think we all get that – and need to include some or, ideally all of these elements:

• Hyperlinks to relevant content or sites


• Technorati tags


• Social bookmarking options like Del.icio.us, so your news can be shared


• RSS feed from the wire service and/or, ideally, the client's own Web site


• Links to additional resources (if they exist and are relevant) such as logos, media kits, audio, video and photos

Beyond that – it doesn't need to should not be a .pdf or “match” the original SHIFT template – at all. It's all about linkable content, and making sure the media (whether they're traditional media or citizen journalists) knows what to do with it when they get it.

Posted in Social Media, Digital Communications