The Social Media News Release Table of Contents

The New World of the Journalist .................................................................... 2 Microformats.................................................................................................... 7 Social Media Tools........................................................................................... 9 Search Engine Optimization ......................................................................... 15 Further Resources ......................................................................................... 22

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The New World of the Journalist In the fast-changing online world, journalists are looking for information that is easy to access, read and re-publish. They want brief pitches, bulleted news releases and digital newsrooms. I like bullets. I am running through hundreds of emails a day, former New York Times Reporter Lisa Guernsey said. I will take the time to read full paragraphs only when Ive settled into a focused project. But when Im culling information and trying to filter what is important, I need things to be short and sweet.1 Reporters want brief messages not only because they receive hundreds of e-mails, but also because the new online setting has created more work for journalists. For example, reporters have to dedicate time to online production, and NPRs Howard Berkes illustrates that. The evolving Web environment is a challenge to old-school reporters like Berkes, who have to master new skills in order to appeal to an online audience. Recently, Berkes turned to multimedia storytelling to offer listeners a fresh way to experience a radio story online. To add to the audio report, Berkes used NPRs Web site and posted a slideshow. As a result, his story about a man who photographs rural landscapes from a small airplane became the most e-mailed NPR story for 48 straight hours and was on the top-10-stories list for a week. Creating a hit story is a challenge in the fast-changing online world. To stay on top, journalists are expected to learn and apply a variety of skills from taking pictures and shooting video to writing and adjusting recording levels. Reporters have to juggle more
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E-mail interview, Aug. 2, 2007

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duties if they want to produce for the Web. Yet, in return, the Web allows them to cover more issues and offer a variety of perspectives. Writing a Web story, and incorporating charts, images, unused audio, slideshows, relevant Web links and documents, gives me the ability to tell more of the story. It enhances the journalism and the radio storytelling, Berkes said2. Berkes is right that the new online environment enhances the journalism; it does it in a few ways: it gives reporters a chance to offer another angle, present unique visuals, update information quickly and receive feedback immediately. Most importantly, though, the Web gives journalists an opportunity to interact with consumers because everyone who has Internet can provide a news tip, investigate a story or write an opinion. In the online world, everyone can create and forward news content. Conversations about facts, people, companies and products happen. What's more, while talking, people are often browsing for information that supports their arguments. To be part of this environment and to land a hand to journalists, public relations practitioners have to provide information in a format that is easy to access and re-publish. Offering information in a convenient way would allow the PR industry to contribute to the online conversation. Not only that, but supplying timely, accurate and easy-to-manage information would allow PR professionals to be heard. That PR practitioners should start providing straight-forward information in an easy to re-organize format was a point first introduced by Tom Foremski, a former Financial Times reporter. In February 2006, Foremski wrote that PR people should offer their news

When Old Radio Dogs Learn to Use Pics; June 14, 2007, http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=101&aid=124679

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in an easy to edit format. In today's hard-pressed newsrooms, having access to highquality, pre-produced copy would be incredibly useful, he wrote. And by providing that, the PR industry would become a partner in the news production.3 As a result, Foremski proposed a deconstruction of the news release. He suggested PR writers divide the release into sections: announcement, quotes from C-level executives, quotes from customers, relevant sources and so on. Foremski argued that the information should be straight-forward and tagged. Tagging is essential, he wrote, as it would allow online producers to preassemble their stories.4 Foremskis view inspired Todd Defren, principal of the firm SHIFT Communications, to create the Social Media Press Release Template. The template gives the essential elements that a social media release should include and is based on the idea that people not only consume media content, but also create it. Defren argues that the social media release is intended to make it easier on people to identify and share the most important pieces of information with others around the globe while adding their own perspective.

Die! Press release! Die! Die! Die!, Tom Foremski, Feb. 27, 2006: http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2006/02/die_press_relea.php Tags are keywords associated with a piece of information such as a picture, article or video clip. A tag describes an item and enables keyword-based classification of information. Tags are usually created by the author and are used for resources such as computer files, web pages or images. Tags put the information in context as they give the reader a sense of the different conversations around a topic. Technorati describes a tag as a category name. People can categorize their posts, blog, photos, videos or music with any tag that makes sense to describe it.
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I hadnt heard of the SHIFT template before. Interesting stuff, former New York Times Reporter Lisa Guernsey said. I could see this being a big help: I know Id like to have all of this information gathered in one place.5 Guernsey, now a freelancer, uses the Internet to prepare for interviews and stories. I dont use AP terminals and never did in my work as a journalist in a newsroom at two different newspapers from the mid-1990s through 2002. I go online ALL THE TIME, she said. I Google names to get context before interviews. I pull up online maps to get a better sense of space and location. I download white papers and research reports every day. I run through myriad blogs and listservs each day to make sure Im not missing something in the news that would relate to the story Im writing about, Guernsey said.6 Guernseys comments show that the SHIFT template directly addresses the journalists need for information in a digital format. Reporters rely on the Internet to do their job, which is why using the social media template could help the PR industry become part of the online discussion. The fax and the traditional wires have certainly been overtaken by the Internet when it comes to journalists doing research, John Burke at the World Association of Newspapers in Paris, France, said. Burke, who is in charge of publishing the associations Editors Weblog, thinks that journalists would always first look for information on the Internet because the news breaks online.7

5 6

E-mail interview, Aug. 2, 2007 E-mail interview, Aug. 2, 2007 7 E-mail interview, Aug. 9, 2007

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Journalists use the Internet not only to prepare for a story, but also to enhance their stories and to attract more readers. However, as print readership is dropping, print journalists also have to juggle more duties. I can see how, with diminishing resources in print publications, reporters will have to do more, New York Times Technology Writer Bob Tedeschi said. For instance, reporters at the Times are being asked to write blog entries in addition to their usual duties. Others are doing audio and video presentations. We'll have to be jacks of all trades in the future if we want to preserve our value with consumers, Tedeschi added.8 It is clear that journalists can use help, and this is why communications specialists should start using the social media release template and provide searchable, easy-tomanage information. The social media news release template, the hRelease and the social media release all refer to the same thing: a tool applying structured data (microformats) to deliver information in a fast and convenient way. The social media template is designed to take full advantage of the Internet network effects by using structured data in the form of a microformat. As Todd Defren, creator of the template, puts it, microformats increase the chances interested parties find the information, which is ultimately the driving purpose of public relations and the press release specifically.9 To illustrate how the social media release addresses the need of those generating content, the PR industry should understand microformats.

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E-mail interview, Aug. 8, 2007 http://www.socialmediarelease.org/

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Microformats Wikipedia defines microformats as a way of adding simple semantic meaning to human-readable content that is otherwise, from a machine's point of view, just plain text. Microformats allow data items such as events, contact details or locations, on HTML, to be meaningfully detected and the information in them to be extracted by software, indexed, searched for, saved or cross-referenced. This way, the information can be reused or combined. To explain a microformat, Wikipedia gives an example: 52.48-1.89 is a pair of numbers that may be understood from the context to be a set of geographic coordinates. By wrapping the numbers in spans (or other HTML elements) with specific class names (in this case part of the geo microformat specification) machines can be told exactly what each value represents, and can then index it, look it up on a map or export it to a GPS device. This is how a microformat looks: <span class="geo"><span class="latitude">52.48</span>, <span class="longitude">1.89</span></span> Various microformats exist and more are being developed. A few specific microformats include o hCalendar, for events o hCard, for contact information o hResume, for CVs and resumes As a result, the social media news release template is often referred to as the hRelease.

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Chris Heuer, another pioneer in new media with more than 16 years of marketing experience, supports the idea that the social media release elements have to be in a microformat. The Microformat is a relatively new standards body for defining structured information using HTML and XML in a way that increases its findability and usability. The combination of RSS, tags and structured information is a powerful force for connecting people and organizations who have information to share, with the people and organizations who are most interested in that information, Heuer said.10 In the last year, Heuer, Defren and Foremski have built a discussion around the social media release and the benefits it brings to the online conversation. The release has many advantages because it directly responds to the needs of content generators. Journalists have confirmed that they need information that is easy to read, or even scan. For instance, John Burke at the World Association of Newspapers thinks that PR professionals should send short releases. In today's fast-paced world, bulleted is better. After the quick glance, the journalist will always do a follow-up call for more info, Burke said. New York Times Bob Tedeschi also prefers working with PR people who are to the point. When pitching, be brief, lead with the news and include some broader perspective on why it's legitimately important news, he said. It is clear that if a company wants to establish relationships with these journalists, it has to send its news in the right format. The PR industry has to adjust to the new

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http://www.socialmediarelease.org/2006/11/02/the-impact-of-the-social-media-release-and-how-itchanges-everything/

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requirements and embrace not only the social media template, but also all social media tools. And this is the argument Foremski and those supporting his view have been trying to get across. PR professional need to grasp the big idea: why social media tools are important. Social Media Tools Social media tools allow companies to participate in the online conversation and to monitor it. To achieve good results, however, RSS11 feeds, tags, SMO12, search engine optimization and various other tools should be used together, just like the different disciplines of marketing give best results when used interchangeably. These tools are not just channels allowing marketers to send their message. Channels, like the fax machine, were used in a one-way communication process, and social media tools are used to enter a dialogue. Since the tide of power is shifting towards the consumer, companies might have to wake up and become more transparent. Social media is the best, most efficient and economical way to go about this, John Burke at the World Association of Newspapers said. Social media will put them in direct contact with their customers who can access their press releases and pass them on to friends, tag them, etc. It will also open up companies to direct questions from customers. The lesson, however, is that PR no longer has to go down the standard route of getting their message through to the consumer via the
Wikipedia defines RSS as a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blogs, news or podcasts. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner.
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Social Media Optimization, including RSS, Digg This button, You Tube videos, etc.

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press: a smart company nowadays will use their own websites and digital media to go directly to their consumers, Burke added. Of course, some journalists and marketing professional argue that social media tools are a trend that will pass. For instance, according to the 2007 State of the News Media Online report, which examined 38 Web sites between Sept. 2006 and Feb. 2007, journalists are being slow to adapt to the changing needs of the news consumer and some of the most interesting experiments in journalism continue to come from outside the profession. The report concluded that a few media Web sites are still largely an online morgue for the content their owners produced in another medium. Only about a quarter of the sites were redesigned or made noticeable changes, the report stated. Nevertheless, the leaders in the news industry have taken steps that should give PR professionals an idea about the state of the media online. In 2007 alone, outlets have shown that social media tools matter and that the online conversation is not only real, but also powerful. A few examples: 1. The BBCs online news sites attracted a record 763 million page impressions in March 2007, up from 546 million compared to March 2006. There were a record 38.5 million unique online users across the globe during March 2007, up from 32.8 million a year ago.13 2. Americas largest newspaper publisher, Gannett, finished an ambitious multimedia project. The initiative required Gannetts newspapers to think beyond once-a-day publishing and rename their newsrooms to information centers (24-hour, local, multimedia publishing operations). The company chose three papers of different
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http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/004211.php, July 2007

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sizes small, medium and large to test the project. The three papers tested all areas but were asked to focus on two or three; for instance, databases or community blogs. By using these papers as laboratories, Gannett was able to understand how to implement new media concepts across its 90 papers. All of Gannetts newsrooms officially became information centers on May 1, 2007. Additionally, Gannetts journalists are undergoing extensive training, including courses on video journalism and database management.14 3. CBS Canada partnered with Technorati, becoming the world's first broadcaster website to do so. CBCNews.ca stories now include direct links to blogs around Canada and the globe. A new section, cbcnews.ca/blogwatch, highlights comments that are generating the most discussion among the 86 million blogs tracked by Technorati.15 4. The new generation of blogs, such as those added on the Chicago Tribunes relaunch or the Washington Posts Loudon Extra, are legitimate sites for reporting news written by professional. Furthermore, many journalists keep blogs that are not hosted by the outlet they are working for. For instance, Cyberjournalist.net lists four U.S. blog categories and gives their number in parenthesis: o Blogs published by news sites ongoing (199) o Blogs published by the news site limited-time news & events such as elections (85) o Blogs published independently by journalists not on a newspaper site (96)

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www.editorsweblog.org/analysis//2007/05/countdown_to_cape_town_managing_the_info.php#more http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/004260.php

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o Personal sites of journalists independent Web sites (51).16 All of the above examples show that media outlets across the globe are looking for a way to increase their online presence and popularity. Companies like Gannett are changing their policies and investing in the World Wide Web. Blogs are shifting the traditional news model and transitioning into full-fledged journalistic outlets. It is obvious that the way news is produced and distributed has changed. Some even argue that newspaper publishers would eventually abandon print to become a network of blogs, avoiding the high cost of producing a printed edition. An example is the tabloid Weekly World News, which, after 28 years in print, closed its print edition in July and went web-only. Time will show if other papers would follow, but what is clear right now is that the Web is essential to journalism and that social media are certainly not a trend that will pass. On the opposite, journalists are adjusting to the new environment and many prefer to receive content that addresses their unique needs. For example, in July, PRWeek U.K. announced that 75 percent of journalists who participated in a recent survey prefer mediarich releases.17 Yet, the bulk of the 128 journalists surveyed said they hardly ever receive such releases. A media-rich release is delivered via email, but differs from a standard release by linking directly back to a site where journalists can access additional information, high resolution images, statistics, graphs, video and sound clips.

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http://www.cyberjournalist.net/cyberjournalists.php Clare OConnor, Press releases with a song and dance, July 18 2007, PRWeek U.K.

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For a press release to stand out, it really has to make a song and dance, said Will Ham-Bevan, deputy editor of Telegraph Create for PRWeek U.K. If I can click to a packshot at 300dpi, I am far more likely to use it.18 This is why one of the first steps organizations should take to join the online conversation is to provide resources such as pack-shots and RSS feeds in a location their target audience can easily access. An online newsroom with social media tools is a good way to provide these resources. A newsroom can allow companies to start a conversation with their customers and also encourage customers to share information about the company. Furthermore, an online newsroom gives reporters the opportunity to subscribe for updates and find exactly what they are looking for by topic or by date. As a result, it not only saves PR practitioners time (by not having to respond to media requests), but also eliminates the frustration journalists experience when they receive documents they have not requested. An online newsroom is where the interaction between a company and those interested in it should start, Todd Defren, who created the social media template, said.19 More so than anything else, the social media news release is about enabling conversations between companies and their customers; these conversations should ideally spawn at their own website, not at _____wire.com," Defren added.

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Clare OConnor, Press releases with a song and dance, July 18 2007, PRWeek U.K. PR Squared , June 13, 2007 (through LexiNexis).

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Organizations can secure an easy-to-update online newsroom through vendors such as Vocus and PR Newswire. The main advantage of an online newsroom is the easy management through special software, a companys PR team can manage all content instead of waiting for an IT department to upload or modify it. For example, Vocus provides software that allows companies to maintain and update an online newsroom with the click of a button. A Vocus-hosted newsroom could be designed in any way; moreover, the newsroom could automatically post news materials that have been sent through a Vocus media list, thus saving time to the PR person who would have had to manually post the release. Vocus also allows visitors to search the sites news release archive by date, topic and headline. As a result, journalists and consumers can easily find what they are looking for, from management bios to corporate logos. Visitors can even sign up to receive news alerts based on their interests. The newsroom software is easy-to-manage and doesnt require extensive training. A company can decide what tools to include on the site, how much space to allocate and how much to invest. PR Newswire, for example, offers two newsroom variations at two different prices: MediaRoom Communicator and MediaRoom Strategist. The Strategist is more expensive and comes with more features, yet both newsrooms provide traits such as opt-in emails and RSS distribution. Optional site sections and features are available at additional cost and include o Web Video Channelviewer tracking, streaming or download option o Audio Channel and Webcastsup to 250 MB storage

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o Blog Moduleintegrated with Site Manager o MediaRoom Content Migration10 hours of initial content upload o MediaRoom Content Package10 uploads per month Companies that have already realized the advantages of an online newsroom and use the services of PR Newswire are Bank of America, Cingular Wireless, Expedia and Six Flags. Every month more companies realize the importance of an online newsroom because statistics show that consumers are going online for news and research. According to PRWeb, for instance, more than 27 million people in the United States use Google News and Yahoo News to find the latest information. 20 When people conduct a news search, they often find relevant press releases along with articles from thousands of news sources, which is why PR practitioners should consider not only linking news releases to their corporate Web site, but also making sure every release is search engine optimized. Search Engine Optimization Search engine optimization is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a Web site via natural ("organic" or "algorithmic") search engine results. The earlier a site is presented in the search results, or the higher it "ranks," the more people will visit that site. SEO ensures that search engines pick up the message a company is trying to communicate. When optimizing a release, a writer should choose two to three keywords (ones that consumers will be looking for) and use them consistently throughout the document.

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http://www.prwebdirect.com/aboutsep.php

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Important keywords must appear in the headline (within the first 80 characters) and be echoed in the first paragraph. Additionally, they should link to relevant areas of a companys Web site. SEO can be done through services such as Business Wires EON: Enhanced Online News. EON helps writers research and place the keywords they need to optimize their news for search engines. EON also allows writers to make a list of the keywords they think people will use when searching for news and then use the tool to analyze and rank these keywords. The words are ranked by the average daily number of searches they get on top search engines. Business Wire and EON clients can also see suggestions for related and similar keywords. After writers pick the top three keywords they want to use, EON suggests placement and frequency for each. Optimization of a document through the tool is easy one has to upload the release and follow the steps to optimize its content. People can also customize a headline for the proper length and use keywords placement suggestions. Furthermore, the service allows style changes (bold, italics, etc.) that can increase visibility on XHTML-compatible sites. Once a release has been optimized, it could be distributed via Business Wire, EON or both. Companies can use services like EON or free Web tools to optimize their release. Other services that provide unique features and allow effective news distribution are PR Web and PrimeNewswire. The advantages of paying for services like PrimeNewswire is that the news is distributed to more than 3,500 online sites, including Yahoo! Finance, NASDAQ.com,

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AOL, Reuters.com, MSNBC and ABC News.com. More than 1,000 newspaper sites, including USA Today and The Los Angeles Times, can access a news release. In addition, releases are archived through services such as Lexis-Nexis and Factiva. At PrimeNewswire.com and PRWeb.com, marketing specialist can choose what social media tools to use depending on the goal they need to accomplish. A few features to keep in mind: o At PrimeNewswire: HTML E-mails: the latest in HTML technology can enhance the look of an outgoing e-mail with interactive links, graphics, color and Flash. RSS newsfeeds: PrimeNewswire distributes press release newsfeed via RSS. Visitors of the PrimeNewswire newsroom can subscribe to one or more RSS channels directly from the wire or by adding the RSS channel to a My Yahoo! account. o At PRWeb: Quality Assured Deliverability: The PRWeb media database is opt-in. This means that the database contacts have asked for PRWebs news releases and provide valid and current email addresses. Additionally, PRWeb staff reviews each release to make sure that it does not contain keywords that will trigger spam filters. Yahoo Press Releases: PRWeb claims to be the only wire service that has different methods for getting releases into the Yahoo News system. In addition to feeding press releases directly into the Yahoo News search

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through a network feed, PRWeb has special agreements that make it possible to inject a press release directly into the press releases section of the Yahoo News site. Blogs: PRWeb has technology that ensures news releases get news coverage. Syndicated Network News Feeds: With more than 2 million RSS news feeds downloaded more than 10 million times each month, PRWeb has the most news feeds of any online news distribution service. Recently, PRWeb extended its reach by launching more than 500 global and local news feeds categorized by country or region. Archives: A press release is archived indefinitely on PRWebs site, which gets over 4.5 million pages views a month. In addition to choosing the most appropriate tools to contribute to the online conversation, organizations have the ability to monitor the discussion and learn from it. Most vendors provide a way to find what consumers and journalists are talking about. Companies can use monitoring tools to track print and online media coverage and examine blogs, portals and public discussion areas for what is being said about their competitors or industry. PR practitioners can take advantage of services that monitor non-editorial sites, such as activist sites, hate groups and competitors, to show changes that impact their organization. As a whole, PR practitioners can find numerous social media tools and use them in different ways: one could distribute a release using a social media template, send a search

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engine optimized release or a short e-mail pitch. In addition, that pitch could include images in two ways: through links to an online newsroom or through links to social media photo-sharing services such as flickr or zooomr. Marketing professionals could use the initial SHIFT template, which promotes bullets instead of paragraphs, or they could develop their own template. The Washington, D.C.-based public affairs shop, the Adfero Group, for example, is working on its own template combining the old story narrative with the new media-rich content. Adfero Managing Editor Jeff Mascott argues that bullets take away from the story.21 Clearly, communications specialists can package their pitches any way they want. The point, however, is that the package does not matter PR practitioners have numerous options of how to bundle a social media release or a social media newsroom; different firms have different preferences. What matters is that everyone in the PR business should understand why these options and tools are important and how and when to use them. The PR industry should realize that all social media tools, networks and applications are a chance to contribute. They are the connections between the consumers and the company. As Brian Solis, principal of the PR agency FutureWorks, puts it, They [the tools] represent the ability to spark conversations with people directly, as well as those that influence them, in new and unique ways. And, they're forcing PR to evolve and step out from behind its cloak of anonymity.22

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http://www.adweek.com/aw/iq_interactive/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003608601 http://www.briansolis.com/

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It is essential for PR people to understand that PR has to abandon its anonymity. Social media tools are a way to connect to real human beings through a human (not canned) voice. When used the right way, they can open the door to a persons life and experience; they can make a brand personal and create brand loyalty. This is why the PR industry should understand what social media means. If PR practitioners continue to send the same mass messages without taking time to get to know the consumers, PR would keep its reputation of a spammer and would not be able to engage in the conversation. The price of admission is respect, listening, and transparency. This is about relationships, Solis said.23 In his blog, Solis added, The idea behind the SMR aka hRelease aka Social Media Release aka New Media Release is not about capitalizing on trends in order to take an archaic, dying press release formula and present it to newsmakers in a fancy new package labeled as social media just because it has trackbacks, Technorati tags, RSS feeds, links, etc. The IDEA is to strip out all of the bullshit and hype from traditional mechanical, and useless press releases and rebuild it as a focused compilation of relevant facts, links, media and a subscription feed to help readers write, tell, and share a story their way (without having to sort through a sea of crap to find out what's real, what's canned, and what's important.) This is what a good release should be anyway, regardless of trends and titles. That is valid for all communication efforts. Communications specialists should use new technologies to improve their messages, not to package them in a new way. The PR industry should appreciate the opportunity to improve its relationships with consumers and
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http://www.briansolis.com/

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the media and reach more people. However, it should also appreciate the chance to be real and transparent and use social media to improve its reputation. Because, although some journalists like New York Times Bob Tedeschi think that PR professionals are a partner in the news production, others disagree. NPRs Howard Berkes, for example, thinks that PR professionals should worry about improving their image before they worry about formatting information in a new way. I'm not fond of story pitches from PR people, Berkes said. They almost never involve anything more than promotion of a person or product or concept. There's almost never any news value. They rarely result in stories for me. I would never describe the relationship as a partnership, he added in a message that ended with p.s. please do not add my name to any PR lists.24

Howard Berkes also added that he loves working with PR people who are straightforward, honest and helpful. I've had the pleasure of working with many who fit that description, he said.

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Further Resources Examples of hReleases: o Virtual Thirst: http://www.crayonville.com/press/ebel_cd_release.html o HP: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/rel.jsp?id=738205 o Second Life: http://blogit.webitpr.com/?releaseid=6166 o Coca Cola: http://www.virtualthirst.com/virtualthirst-socialmediarelease.html

An Online Newsroom Example: o Social media newsroom template

o

Social media news release about the template

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How to Create a Compelling Social Media Press Release

Headline:
Insert a short, compelling headline that features keywords, not buzzwords, to attract attention and legitimate interest by those who cover your space as well as potential customers.

Sub Headline:
The Subhead should further explain why someone should continue reading, providing a bit more clarity to the news

News Summary
List a few compelling features of what, why, and who caresdo not use buzzwords or hyperbole (and try to keep the entire release below 400 words). You can use bullets or sentences or a combination of both.

Quotes
Not every press release needs a quote, especially if the quote doesnt lend anything to the value of the information. If a quote is necessary, there are a couple of ways to implement into the SMPR. Corporate quote: Please do not start with, We are excited or We are thrilled Keep the quote on target explaining why this is a significant milestone. Expert or customer quote (if necessary): Keep it related to the news and how the product/service benefits customers in real world applications.

Market Facts and Relevant Links

Use del.icio.us or other social media-driven site to collect relevant facts about the company, product, competition, and state of the market and present it all through one link. One Link Example: http://del.icio.us/FutureWorksSMPR Or you can provide the relevant links in its own category of the SMPR. Multiple Links Example: How To Write an SMPR http://future-works.com/about/103106_htg.html
Todd Defrens SMPR template http://www.pr-

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squared.com/2006/05/the_social_media_press_release.html Examples of social media press releases http://www.spiralfrog.com/socialmedia.aspx?control=spiralfrog-kochrecords20sep06.ascx http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/8/prweb428622.htm http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=162010 Evolution of social media press releases http://www.briansolis.com/2006/10/evolutionof-social-media-press.html SocialMediaClub http://www.socialmediaclub.com TopRank Marketing Blog - http://www.toprankblog.com/

Company Info:
Add a few sentences about the company, but leave out XXX is a leader and other filler, posturing language. Dont make it too long, you can always link to a corporate backgrounder or additional information.

Image/s Link:
Include a link to images, and the best way to do so is to use a social media photo sharing services such as flickr or zooomr. The best part about social media is the ability to not only share your photos with bloggers and reporters, but with the right tags, the pictures can make their way onto the desktops of anyone searching for similar products/services for consumption and sharing. For example, if you go the link below, you will see a set of images that I created for the purpose of sharing artwork with PR/marketing writers interested in the launch of the Social Media Club. Ive also tagged each photo with several different tags, including socialmediaclub and social media so that others can find these images when theyre searching for photos related to the subjects. Example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/briansolis/sets/72157594290369491/

RSS Link:
RSS is a simple XML-based system that allows users to subscribe to their favorite websites and blogposts. Using RSS, webmasters can put their content into a standardized format, which can be viewed and organized through RSS-aware software or automatically conveyed as new content on another website. Now, this capability can be used for bloggers, reporters and customers to subscribe to future news directly.

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The Social Media News Release, Viva Bolova, 08/15/2007

Example: http://www.future-works.com/cutenews/rss.php?category=2 or http://www.briansolis.com/atom.xml

Technorati tags:
Technorati tracks the number of links and the perceived relevance of blogs, as well as the real-time nature of blogging. Whats important for you to know about Technorati allows users to search by tags or keywords to help you identify whos talking about your areas of interest. With Social Media Press Releases, readers will now also have access to your news if tagged and published correctly. For example, this how to will carry many keywords, tags, and links, with PR and SMPR among them. Behind the words, the following tag will be hyperlinked, http://technorati.com/tag/PR and http://technorati.com/tag/smpr and updated at Technorati. So for example, if someone searches PR as a tag or as a keyword, this article will hopefully appear in the list. For more information on tags, please visit:

http://www.technorati.com/help/tags.html
Example: For the tag futureworks, it would look like this <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/futureworks" rel="tag" class="techtag">FutureWorks</a> Remember to use best practices and publish only relevant and necessary tags do not promote tag spam.

Bookmarks:
Its important to give readers a way to save the link, using their favorite tools. The whole concept here is that you provide a means to enable social bookmarking which allows other people to find and share favorite things on the web. Its also a good idea to provide suggested tags. Example: socialmedia press+releases public+relations PR brian+solis todd+defren chris+heuer socialmediaclub
Del.icio.us Furl It

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The Social Media News Release, Viva Bolova, 08/15/2007

My Web

News Sharing, Digg, Netscape, reddit

These sites tap into the potential reach of user powered content. Every article on digg and Netscape is submitted and voted on by their communities. By placing a link to these sites in the release, users can help share, discover, bookmark, and promote your news.
Digg

Netscape
reddit!

Contact Info:
Add contact info here. Please include relevant info, email, cell, and any IM client you may use. Also, insert link to vcard, see example below: http://0301.netclime.net/1_5/M/6/2/Brian%20Solis.vcf ###

Distribution:
Several wire services reach traditional media, but integrate social media optimization (SMO) and search engine optimization (SEO) elements as well to appeal to bloggers (because the releases can provide the information in a format that they can appreciate). These services include: PRWeb (traditional, SMO, SEO) PRNewswire (traditional, SEO, multimedia) Businesswire (traditional) and the new, pseudo SMO BusinessWire (alliance with PRWeb) Weblogwire (traditional - but only tech bloggers subscribe to this service) Marketwire (traditional, SEO - working on SMO) PRXbuilder - (SMO specific, aligned with PRNewswire)

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