Social Media News Release

A Look into the World of SMNRs

A social media news release (SMNR) serves as an effective online media communications tool that is essential to every public relations practitioner. It is a more extensive version of the traditional news release.

The Social Media News Release is a press release format created for the online media realm. The press release is said to be written with only the “press” in mind, however, your story needs to be told in a format that is appropriate for a variety of people including bloggers, journalists, publishers and the internet world.

Realwire.com quotes, “The SMNR is also designed with the community nature of the online world in mind so it can be shared and commented on in social bookmarking, micro blogging and social networking communities.”

The SMNR does not have many disadvantages other than its struggle to create. There are many bells and whistles (images, video clips) incorporated and one must have certain technological skills to complete the task of creating one.

The subject matter of the SMNR can either be broken down so that the main facts, quotes, contact details and boilerplate are all individually separated to allow users to disseminate the different elements or it could be fashioned in the “traditional” narrative style. All the while, SMNRs go well beyond the written word.

6 Tips I received from http://socialtraining.wetpaint.com/page to implore into your writing when creating a social media news release go as follows:

• Provide a brief description of what the announcement is, but leave the spin to the journalists. The journalists are going to go with their own spin on the story anyway, so why bother? Keep it straightforward rather than “spintastic”.
• Provide a page of quotes from the CEO or other C-level execs.
• Provide a page of quotes from customers, if applicable.
• Provide a page of quotes from analysts, if applicable.
• Provide financial information in many different formats.
• Provide many links inside the press release copy, and also provide a whole page of relevant links to other news stories or reference sources.

The release can be company branded and should contain images, audio and video (including embedded social media video such as YouTube) as well as navigation hyperlinks to applicable websites and coverage of online conversation results. The links should include various references, company websites, and/or background information. The audio, images and multimedia videos can be shared directly through Twitter, Facebook, E-mail, etc.

Like all press releases, it is the content of your story that is most important. Making certain the content is directed at the right demographic also holds key importance. However, the coverage analysis from http://www.realwire.com/servicesSMNR.asp suggests that layout use can support in the achievement. The website reveals this variable can yield around twice the editorial exposure and up to four times as much coverage for blogs, encouraging clients to utilize greater creativity in their storytelling.

Upon creating a social media news release, it is important that you find a strong foundation from which to launch your release. Doing so will provide you with a better overall SMNR and the more popular the platform, the more credit your SMNR may receive. Two gateways I recommend are PitchEngine.com and PRXbuilder.com.

When writing the release you must include the fundamental elements: “Who, What, Where and When” for the event, product, etc. that you are promoting. Even though the social media news release involves interactive features that draw in the attention of the audience, those features will not cover up a flawed and poorly written release. Like previously stated, content is key.

After identifying the essential information, comes the “fun” part in which you will enhance the online platform. You should try to direct viewers to your site or to related articles using hyperlinks, including your social contact information.

SMNRs allow for supplementary information and resources for readers to interact with as well as information that is relevant and/or helpful to them. These features allow for better search results, easy sharing, and greater viral conversation.

You can learn more about how to write a proper SMNR at  http://technorati.com/blogging/article/how-to-write-a-social-media.

You can view a SMNR that was created for IBM at http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/IBM-Tackles-Global-Energy-Crisis-NYSE-IBM-867136.htm

Nervous About Graduation?

I am currently a senior at Georgia Southern University and I would be lying if I said I am not constantly worried with thoughts about post college life and my future. I know that many of my fellow classmates feel the same way as well. There are some things that I have found helpful in working through these feelings and fears.

The CreativeCareer.com is very helpful with its podcasts of PR professionals and their experiences and helpful tips to entering the career world. I stumbled upon this website when I had an assignment do for my PR class and found myself listening to more podcasts than I was required to just because I was interested in what they had to say.

LinkedIn is also a good website that has been created to focus on professional relationships and can be a helpful tool in gaining contacts for your professional life. I recently linked with my uncle who lives in Washington D.C. for my first “friend” and he has about 60 contacts in the public relations industry that I would have never known about had I not linked up with him.

Twitter can also be a useful tool. I recently saw an article about 30 PR experts you should follow on Twitter. By doing so you could connect with them and see the steps they took upon entering the workforce and request any tips they would have.

Most of all, I have found that having a positive attitude and a strong desire to succeed will get you far. In reality, we can do anything we put our minds to. If you work hard and you want to get far, you will. There are many resources out there for us to take advantage of and it is up to us as the wave of the future to do so!

5 Pointers for your Social Media

I retrieved an article from PRDaily.com titled, “The 5 Little Things You Should Do on Social Media Every Day.” The article discusses how we can get caught up in all of our different social media and how it can be overwhelming at times. It points to how we sometimes forget the social aspect of the media by forgetting to interact and communicate as they were designed for.

The #1 point is “A Little Chit Chat” and says to say hello and maintain constant communication. Point #2 is “A Little RTing” and mentions we should give our followers positive feedback. Point #3 is “A Little Following” which points to the importance of following friends, co-workers, professionals, etc. Point #4 is “A Little Advertising” and stresses the “little” aspect of it; you don’t want to overdo it. The final point #5 is “A Little Damage Control” that tells to fix any issues immediately! If you keep current with these 5 pointers, you will find yourself more involved with your social media.

Will Shin-Soo Choo have to leave the Cleveland Indians to serve the Korean Military?

In an article titled, “Will win in Asian Games help Shin-Soo Choo avoid military?” that I retrieved from CNN.com, I learned of the Korean customary actions for young men in the military. All healthy men over the age of 20 in Korea are required to serve at least 2 years in the military. Korean athletes are offered exemption from military service if they take home gold in the Asian Games. The Cleveland Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo recently helped South Korea win the Gold medal over Taiwan in the Asian Games. Ten members of the team are awaiting their confirmation for release from their military obligation and Choo is one of them.

“Sexiest Man Alive” 2010

I retrieved an articled titled, “Sexiest Man Alive: Ryan Reynolds,” from People.com in which the actor was coined “The Sexiest Man Alive” for 2010. Having beat out hundreds of celebrities worldwide such as Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr., I have to say he was the right choice. People Magazine quotes, “He’s Canadian (and proud of it!), he can make “a mean omelet” and his eight-pack abs have caused millions to swoon. But what makes PEOPLE’s 25^th anniversary Sexiest Man honoree so very special? Perhaps his self-deprecating humor.” So it seems that his charming good looks and charming fun-spirited personality combination got him the title. It certainly is good to know that Hollywood is not being completely superficial in their categorization of “sexy” by incorporating personality traits into their justification.

Journalists’ Pet Peeves

10 Ways PR People Drive Journalists Crazy

There are many ways public relations practitioners can annoy journalists without any knowledge of doing so. I have created a list of such activities that may serve as an annoyance and tips that these professionals can follow to change such habits.

1. Giving news releases and story pitches to journalists without doing their research. It will pay off in the long run if you do your homework first.
2. Sending news releases or leaving voicemails for more than one reporter and editor, failing to tell that you have already left the same message with another person. Instead, leave one message with one reporter/journalist and they will get back to you. It is frustrating when you have multiple journalists responding to the same message.
3. Being unhelpful and unreachable when it comes to news releases. Such activities include not returning the journalists phone calls or e-mails. The PR person should make a stronger effort to be in contact with the journalist. If they need to contact you, it is probably important and the PR representative should be contactable at all times.
4. Repeatedly calling or e-mailing the journalist to see if they received a news release. They receive hundreds every week and since many of them don’t appeal to their readers, they will not respond unless interested. PR persons should reduce their e-mails or phone calls to one or two and take a hint if they don’t hear back.
5. Offering a journalist an “exclusive” when it is not in fact an “exclusive.” Don’t offer incentives without being able to back them up.
6. Being required to acquire answers for a story from the PR person versus someone involved in the company. Allowing journalists to have access directly to the source would save time and energy.
7. Not providing proof of a client or story. Make sure your sources line up and you provide the journalists with facts, not fiction, or you could be held accountable!
8. Sending gifts as incentives for journalists to cover your client. This not only looks unprofessional, but desperate as well. PR people, do not try to sell your journalists!
9. Telling the journalist how to do their job or how you want a story written. It is the journalist’s job to write and they know what they are doing. Instead of telling them what to do, offer ideas about what you may think will sound good without seeming like intruding.
10. Asking, “Why didn’t my story get published!?” Journalists cannot write every story and heckling them about a news release will only make you look unprofessional and cause the journalist to not want to work with you in the future.

For more information, you can visit http://www.pionline.com/article/20100614/PRINTSUB/306149974

Chapter 14

Writing E-mail, Memos, & Proposals

• Information overload is persistent in our society and you can help decrease disorder by keeping your messages simple, short and to the point. In addition, limit messages to only those who are in your key audiences.
• E-mail bulge is overwhelming many organizations and individuals and one should use wikis, text messaging, RSS, and applications such as Twitter to reduce the flow.
• E-mail is rapid and cost-efficient but it is not a substitute for personal one-to-one communication.
• Memos should be one page or less and state the key message immediately. A memo has five components: (1) date, (2) to, (3) from, (4) subject and (5) message.
• Proposals must follow a logical, well-organized format. They are prepared to convince management to make a decision about a contract or approve money and resources for a project.

Chapter 12

Tapping the Web and New Media

• Public relations practitioners are heavy users of the Internet and the Web. They disseminate information to a variety of audiences and use the Internet for research.
• Writing for the Web requires nonlinear organization. Topics should be in index-card format instead of a long, linear narrative. This allows viewers to click on the information most interesting to them.
• Webcasting, the streaming of audio and video in real time over a website, is now used by the majority of organizations for everything from news conferences to employee training.
• Usenet is a bulletin board where users post notes and make comments. Listservs are used by organizations to send information to subscribers on a regular basis.
• You Tube is the premier social networking site for posting and viewing videos. Organizations are heavily involved in posting video clips. The clips, however, must be creative, interesting, and somewhat humorous to attract an audience.

Online Podcasts

The Creative Career Podcast

I listened to a podcast at thecreativecareer.com hosted by Allie Osmar. It was an interview with Stever Robbins, the voice behind the popular Get it Done Guy podcast and author of the new book Get-It-Done Guy’s 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More (Quick & Dirty Tips) . In this podcast, Stever Robbins discusses the way technology is taking over the world, tips for young business employees and steps we should take now versus later in getting your career started.

Robbins pointed out how hard technology has made simple communication in today’s society. Noting that everything is now much easier that used to take time and effort. He offered ways to have self control and limit yourself to the amount of technology you use in one sitting, like having the computer and television on while using your cell phone. 

There was discussion encouraging making to-do lists and prioritizing your e-mail. Robbins offered a very honest actualization of himself and the way he perceives things and the modern world and offered tips he’s used over the years to try and acclimate the newer generations, such as myself. I found his tips very reassuring, being that I am a little nervous about getting out into the workforce. 

I listened to a second interview at thecreativecareer.com with Catherine Hudson, the co-founder of Shorty Clothing. Catherine Hudson has worked in everything from music journalism to fashion. She co-founded Shorty Clothing, and she’s now working on a new line called Kaahn. Catherine’s story proves that it’s all about hard work and creating valuable relationships.

 

Hudson held many jobs in her early professional career and was even laid off from a couple and it was through her contacts and drive that she kept pushing on and eventually found her way. She had never expected when she started off as a music journalist that she would end up a clothing company founder. This interview reassured me that in life, you never know where you can go and most likely, you won’t end up where you thought you would be.

I have found listening to Podcasts to be much more engaging than simply reading an article. Since you cannot go back and re-read, listening and paying attention allows you to actually soak in the information at hand and makes it harder to pay attention to outside distractions. I think podcasts are a great tool for public relations students and practitioners.

Chapter 11

Getting Along with Journalists

• Journalists depend on public relations sources for collecting most of their information; public relations people depend on the media for wide-spread distribution of information.
• The major complaint about journalists is that they are careless in their accuracy and often don’t take the time to do their homework.
• Media credibility is weakened when publications link advertising contracts with the amount of coverage that an organization receives.
• News conferences should be held only if there is noteworthy news that lends itself to elaboration and questions from journalists. News conferences can also be held via teleconferences or webcasts.
• Press tours, or junkets, should be used only if there is a legitimate news story or angle. Avoid junkets that “simply wine and dine” journalists.