Social news releases are fairly new to the PR world. For ages, PR practitioners have sent press releases to journalists and other media specialists with ideas and material that seemed newsworthy and interesting. I have always liked the concept of a press release. It seems very old school, and I would like to think I’m a very old school kind of person. Don’t get me wrong, I am loving learning about social media, but the idea of someone pulling out the company stationary, sipping a Starbucks and crafting the perfect message to send to his/her friends at the local news station is rather sweet. I believe press releases build bonds and relationships that have begun to fade with each new technological advancement. I know I am getting a little off subject, but think about it…how many times do you pick up the phone to text someone instead of call? Or, if you need to tell your co-worker something important, you send an email instead of visiting them in the adjacent cubicle? Please don’t think I’m pointing a finger (I am very guilty of this), but our relationships with people are diminishing and our field (public RELATIONS) is losing its sparkle.
Ok…I’m off that soapbox and on to discuss this new form of press release. From the research I’ve gathered on the topic, SNR (also called social media releases) have been around approximately four years. This form of release is done online and you you able to share information to many people in a matter of minutes. You can add audio, video and contextual tags that will allow you distribute content over all social networks.
This concept sounds tech-savvy and intriguing, but like me, some are a little skeptical. Ben Ayers, a senior publicist for ITV in the UK, said, “Anecdotally, there are mixed views from journalists, ranging from ‘Ooh aren’t you high tech’ to ‘I prefer a good old press release,’” Ayers also said, “Overall, the response has been fairly muted. The release has definitely resulted in more online coverage, which was the aim. It has also given us a certain amount of kudos internally and externally for embracing new ways of distributing information, which again is a good thing.” Click here to be linked to the entire article where I got this information from Ayers. The article entitled, “The Social Press Release: Multimedia, Two-Way, Direct to the Public,” by Mark Glaser also has sample SNR’s for you to see and other professional opinions on the subject. I found the article enjoyable and informative.
To sum up, personally I like the old-fashion press release but like Ayers, give kudos for opening up another way to distribute information.
As a bonus, I would like for you to watch this YouTube video. I probably should have added to my post last week on YouTube, but it will make your jaw drop. Hopefully, this will allow you to put into perspective just how big social media is becoming. Enjoy and God bless!
I present to you…the social media revolution!
Posted by Jon Marc on March 31, 2010 at 2:47 pm
That’s a good looking blog you have here Hollon. You took my video!! I think that social news releases could potentially place stories on the forefront that are not newsworthy. I do see the purpose because everyone uses social media so much.
Posted by Hollon McKay on April 1, 2010 at 4:42 pm
JMJL,
I’m sorry I took your video, but I just love it so much! It makes my head spin to see how much social media is a part of our lives and how fast it’s growing. I also believe we have the same outlook on SNR’s…guess great minds think alike!
Posted by Tiffany Talks! on March 31, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Hollondaise,
You touch on very interesting and controversial points which I never thought of until now! The point that says the relations has been taken out of public relations is very deep and very true! Hopefully, we don’t lose what little we do have, but at this rate, we might, let’s all pray for the best! Great post!
Tiffany
Posted by Hollon McKay on April 1, 2010 at 4:45 pm
I did not mean to get so deep, but we’re slowing losing touch with each other and depending on the Internet to be our voice and face. It’s super fast this way but not personal, and I love the personal part of PR. It’s one of the main reasons I wanted to go into the field.
Thanks for your comment!
Posted by collimd on April 2, 2010 at 2:04 pm
You do make a good point about the loss of relations in PR, but I wouldn’t be so quick to shun social news releases in an effort to prevent this trend. Social media and internet-based communications are just the tools, PR could become just as impersonal without stepping into the online realm and sticking to “traditional” methods.
It’s how you use the tools that determines whether relationships are formed or not, so if you leverage and exploit online tools the right way, you could bring the personal touch back into PR. Better still, keeping using the traditional methods along with the new with the express intent of putting the relations back into PR.
Posted by Hollon McKay on April 12, 2010 at 8:55 am
Matt,
Thank you for your comment. I appreciate the honesty and wise words. I do agree with you that I was a little quick to downplay the SNR. Please do not think that I’m stuck in the 90s and not willing to accept our world is quickly moving toward social media and online presence. You are so correct in saying that the tools we use determine how our relationships are formed and using a mixture of old and new could very well be a balance that is needed in today’s world.