Who knew? Who knew that a press release could be short, personal, interesting or even specially constructed for small business? Social media changes everything, and in this case, social media drastically changes the feel and purpose of a press release and how it suits your marketing efforts.
For many, the idea of a press release was once a far-off consideration when thinking about marketing strategies for non-corporate enterprises. What’s different today is the way they can be created, disseminated, and positioned, thus making them a completely different beast. Before social media enabled us to distribute news and announcements regarding our businesses, press releases were the end all and be all of getting any important announcements out to the public, short of a television or magazine advertisement, the kind of tools rarely on the radar of small business. And because different media outlets received such a huge influx of press releases on a consistent basis, it was expected that they should fit a certain mold and outline, with exact specifications and style rules to be followed. While today, press releases in this more traditional format still exist, social media allows us the opportunity to redefine the press release, and make this tool fit our business, rather than the other way around.
All you need in order to justify creating your own ‘specialized’ press release is to ask yourself this question; do I have a story that is news? If your answer to this question is ‘yes’, then it’s time to consider how a press release could fit in with your social marketing efforts. It may be a new location of your business, an important addition to your team, or a new product that is about to be revealed. Any of these reasons would constitute a newsworthy press release. Once you have made the decision that you want to disseminate this information to the public, create a press release that will grab your public’s attention and give them reason to be interested in what you have to say.
Here are some simple tips to get you going in the right direction:
- Decide what your newsworthy topic is
- Figure out what your angle will be before you begin to write
- Visit this link for further details on general rules for creating a press release: eHow Press Release
- Forget about how a formal press release is supposed to look, and instead, write to suit your audience – something exciting, enticing or surprising.
- Take what is unique and special about your news, and let that be what sets it apart.
- Write from a third person perspective and keep your words clear and concise. It is better to have a simple and short press release that is read in its entirety rather than a long and drawn out piece that rambles on to the reader.
- Decide what channel you would like to submit your press release through. The best options are your WordPress blog or website, or your Facebook Fan Page. Even better, if you post your press release on your blog or website, then simply post a link to the post on your Fan Page and a link to it in your Twitter feed.
The beauty of utilizing social media for your press release is that no one has to ‘approve’ your release for it to be disseminated. You decide what is newsworthy and you put it out to the world in whatever format you prefer. Then put it up under a NEWS page in your main navigation. This will help you look like there is a tremendous amount of newsworthy activity that is going on around your business.
So for those for those of you that think of press releases as a tool only the ‘big guys’ can use, think again. It’s re-emerging as a tool for you, your business and your marketing needs. This time, that tool simply comes with fewer rules, less hassle, and more possibilities.
