What is a Social Media News Release (SMNR)?
A social media news release (SMNR) is a press release formatted for online media. Social media news releases consist of a press release along with additional information associated with the press release such as contacts, links, multimedia (e.g. pictures, videos, audio, etc.), quotes and a boilerplate which is additional background information about the contact, organization or company.
Source: http://www.realwire.com/servicesSMNR.asp
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a SMNR?
Advantages:
- Optimised for search – can easily be found in search engines
- Optimised for conversation – provide feed back or commentary
- Optimised for sharing – easily share the link with others with minor effort
- Tells the entire story through multimedia – video, images and audio better explain the story
- Provides context on complicated stories – different means of explaining the story by way of links or other add-ons
- Visually more appealing – the viewer is more apt to read it because of the multimedia
Source: http://socialtraining.wetpaint.com/page/Social+Media+News+Release
Disadvantages: (During my research, I could not find many disadvantages.)
- People who are not computer savvy may have difficulty navigating through a SMNR
- Multimedia attachments may malfunction
When should a PR practitioner consider using a SMNR?
PR practitioners should consider using a SMNR when they want to demonstrate more than a typical press release that includes audio, video, etc. SMNRs are great tools to use when practitioners want to reach a mass audience and save money at the same time. SMNRs are more user-friendly. It can demonstrate a product more effectively versus reading about it on paper. SMNRs can also provide reviews and feedback from critiques, consumers and the like.
The following links are to websites that provide help for those who want to create a SMNR:
The following is a link to an SMNR that Southwest Airlines created: (Use this as an example)
The following is the link to the SMNR that I created by using PRX Builder:
http://www.prxbuilder.com/link.aspx?p=1581
The purpose of this press release is to inform Georgia Southern University students and Statesboro residents about an event entitled “Sunday’s Best G.S.U. Edition” that a G.S.U. organization called Soul’d Out Campus Choir hosted. Soul’d Out Campus Choir’s goals were to inform students and locals about the event so they would attend. This would help Soul’d Out both financially and publicity wise.
Tips for creating an SMNR:
- Use accurate yet attractive headlines and sub-headings to grasp people’s attention
- Use bullet points and numbers to help viewers understand listed information more easily
- Use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tactics for keyword choices so the SMNR will ascend in search engines
- Use links within your text so people can easily navigate to other sites
- Use multimedia links such as audio files, embedded videos or images – this is visually appealing while remaining informative
- Use the “share with” plug-in for popular bookmarking sites like Digg or Del.icio.us
- Use additional information such as logos, maps, charts and photos of your product, event, website location and contacts
- Do SEO research and have measurable goals
- Know the target audience
- Put the readers first
- It’s better to give than receive – offer advice, tips, instructions, etc.
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