The Social Media Press Release

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Joe Beaulaurier of PRWeb On the Importance of SMPR

To give a deeper insight on the importance of the new social press release, I interviewed Joe Beaulaurier of PRWeb - the strongest press release distribution service on the Web!

And this is what he has to say:

PRWeb has been using social media elements with our release format long before the SHIFT template came out. When we first encountered the SHIFT template, we compared it to what we had been doing. We saw that nearly everything was covered by PRWeb’s current tools and features and in some cases we went beyond their template. We were pleased to say, “Wow, these guys get it.”

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ML: Do you support other SMPR formats as well?

JB: Maybe I’m not paying as much attention as I should but I don’t think there are SMPR “formats” to speak of. A social media press release (SMPR) is made up of elements which enable easy repurposing by social media sites. The format in which this is done may vary by industry, purpose and intended audience. Unfortunately, it isn’t enough to compile an SMPR. It has to be distributed or launched online properly. When launched properly, as is done at PRWeb, it really gets its legs. That still seems to be a challenge for others in our space.

ML: Does PRWeb consider blogs important PR channels? Why?

JB: Given the population’s increasing use of the Internet to search for relevant information and browse topics of interest, the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” Where else can you get unmitigated and immediate reaction to your news release message or announcement? In early 2006, PRWeb pioneered using Trackbacks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TrackBack) within press releases to enable PRWeb customers to monitor the reaction and even participate in the online conversations in the blogosphere that results from their releases.

ML: Rumors are that Google devaluates press releases. Is this true, and if so should that be one of the worries of online PR execs.?

JB:A poorly thought out press release and press release campaign can do more harm than good with regards to search engine ranking. This is often the result of “link spamming” and duplicate releases. Link spamming happens when placing too many links within the copy and is seen as a negative by search engines. Releasing similar or duplicate releases is also going to be treated negatively by search engines. Both of these problems are resolved by setting a goal of using fresh relevant newsworthy content when planning online press releases. Only use a link once every hundred words or so and don’t repeat yourself with press releases. This is another area where PRWeb has a responsibility to police releases and counsel our customers so they gain the most advantage from our service and not inadvertently produce content that will be negatively received on the Internet.

There are different PR tools online. Some are over-exploited (article submission directories, press release distribution services) while others are still (paradoxically for many professionals, but not for spammers) virgin territories. Such as podcasts, blogs, vblogs, RSS, tags, forums, social bookmarking, to mention just a few. The new SMPR offers content for all these channels, making the work of online journalists and bloggers much easier. And here is what Joe Beaulaurier has to say about spam, particularly about spam blogs:

Spam blogs (splogs) are already doing their thing as a result of RSS distribution which makes it easy for them to repurpose release content anonymously however they want. Tag spam is another area of concern but that can be policed. For instance, at PRWeb our editors review each press release and compare the content to the tags used to ensure relevance. We have a responsibility as the distribution point to ensure our clients get the most benefit from these tools and not place themselves in a negative position through misuse.

A Longer Conclusion

The virtual realities and publicizing possibilities go way beyond the traditional media patterns. Online a press release needs to be optimized for good search exposure, clearly structured and be able to offer information in a compact, unambiguous format. Often online press releases contain links to related content (videos, blogs, pdf documents, logos, etc) and those links have poorly formatted anchor texts or simply go unnoticed by the journalists and bloggers because of an improper placement within the content of the press release. In the new SMPR these links have a clear place and structure, as you can see in the new layout.

This new press release format simplifies the work of both PR experts and journalist. But, as a PR you should not expect this release to perform wonders. Unless the story is really newsworthy journalists and bloggers are not going to pay any attention to it. SMPRs are just a new format and do not represent a tool that enforces a story into the news. As per traditional press releases you should focus on what is really important; answer the basic journalist questions, and supplement the story with ready-to-use declarations from the CEOs and other business representatives, relevant documents and other data. This is what the new SMPR puts in your hands, a tool that enables the journalist to get to the heart of the story, fast.

In conclusion the way we do public relations is changing. If we don't adapt to these changes we are going to waste important publicizing channels. Not taking advantage of the modern PR tools means spending more on classic tools that are not always adequate for the needs of our clients and the realities of modern communication.