{"id":346,"date":"2007-03-13T21:45:30","date_gmt":"2007-03-14T01:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/?p=346"},"modified":"2007-03-13T21:45:30","modified_gmt":"2007-03-14T01:45:30","slug":"new-comm-forum-the-social-media-press-release-solution-in-search-of-a-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/2007\/03\/13\/new-comm-forum-the-social-media-press-release-solution-in-search-of-a-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"New Comm Forum: The Social Media Press Release, Solution in search of a problem?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I attended the New Comm Forum session on the Social Media Press Release, but lucky for you,\u00a0 I am not going to report on it.\u00a0 Others<\/a> have<\/a> already<\/a> done<\/a> so, and quite frankly, not much new was said. Read this blog,<\/a> read Chris Heuer<\/a>‘s stuff, read Todd Defren’s blog PR Squared,<\/a> read Brian Solis<\/a>, Kami Huyse<\/a> and Robert French<\/a>. You’ll have the gist. Of both the session and some of the questions raised.<\/p>\n

I’m still of the mind that this new format is a solution in search of a problem. Not that there isn’t value in providing links to additional information. Or del.icio.us pages for background. Or images without requiring the writer — journalist or blogger — to navigate multiple levels of security just for the privilege to access the "stuff." All of this is terrific… for the reporter who wants it. For a story that merits it.<\/p>\n

But it just seems so complex. Unnecessarily complex.<\/p>\n

The fundamental problem with public relations is a content problem. Bad, poorly targeted pitches. Poorly written press releases. Worse, content-free, news-free, jargon laden releases. I want to know how this new format will help solve this problem.<\/p>\n

When I asked this of the panel at New Comm — how does this format make a better pitch, help the journalist write a better story, I got two answers. One which I am about to reject, full stop, in this post. And the other edging toward a real response.<\/p>\n

First, the answer I do not accept. The gist:<\/p>\n

\n

Absolutely, content is an issue. But we are separating format from content in this discussion, they say. Focusing on format, and how this new format benefits companies, bloggers and journalists by making releases more accessible, easier to find in search engines, easier to parse.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

To which I politely say, bull. Search engine optimization is in NO WAY a sufficient answer. I cannot count how many odd sounding Web sites I’ve stumbled across in the last few years because folks were "optimizing" instead of focusing on telling a good compelling story on their Web site that would drive someone to, umm, buy something. And we want the press release to follow suit? Why? The current format is causing enough problems, with companies shoehorning non-news into releases with a big TA-DUH. I really don’t see why we need a new format that can be just as content-free as the old. But with links.<\/p>\n

Now, the better answer.<\/p>\n

\n

It was an example of a pharmaceutical company which issued an important release, but in the usual fashion. Images and so forth were reserved to credentialed members of the press who contacted the company. However, the topic was of vast interest to many, many bloggers who had to resort to whatever clip art and images they could find to illustrate their posts. The story would have been far better served if the company had made their materials widely available.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

YES!! This tells me how the new format helps tell a better story. Let’s stay here for a minute.<\/p>\n

With all my skepticism, I actually do think the proposed new formats could help us solve the press release content problem. They make us chunk up the story, so if you are looking, you can clearly see if there is no there, there<\/strong>. But only if we are looking. Willing to let it help us tell a better story. If all we are worried about is SEO and whether we have a del.icio.us page, we will not get there. And quite frankly, if we make this a "big thing," corporate PR departments are going to run for the hills. I know. I managed one for years.<\/p>\n

We have to embrace this in baby steps. Instead of presenting this as THE social media press release, we have to think about it as a toolkit, a process.<\/p>\n

First, let’s open up the corporate media room. Understand that releasing a few images without authentication won’t kill the story for the more exclusive media outlets. Hold those back for the top targets, by all means. The bloggers and third tier media won’t care. They’ll just be happy that they got what they needed without standing on their heads.<\/p>\n

Now, let’s keep the baby and the bathwater, and deep six all the jargon. Stop "leveraging synergies" and start "working together." Convince our clients and our companies to communicate in human language. Preferably with a minimum of BS, but yeah, I know….<\/p>\n

Everybody benefits from clearer writing. Make sure there is some real<\/strong> news, and tell me WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN WHY and maybe HOW.<\/p>\n

And if in all this, a different, "social media formatted" press release makes sense for your audience, whether journalists, bloggers or both, by all means, go for it. But let’s not leave corporate communicators with the impression that they have to go all the way to the (all caps) SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS RELEASE in order to get this right.<\/p>\n

They don’t. All they really have to do is understand that the world now contains a whole new class of reporters, bloggers, and that all<\/strong> their reporters, whether bloggers or professional journalists, appreciate open, clear, honest and hassle free communications.<\/p>\n

With links <VBG><\/p>\n

Tags: social media press release<\/a>, new comm forum<\/a>, new communications forum<\/a>, press release<\/a>, PR<\/a>, public relations<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I attended the New Comm Forum session on the Social Media Press Release, but lucky for you,\u00a0 I am not going to report on it.\u00a0 Others have already done so, and quite frankly, not much new was said. Read this blog, read Chris Heuer‘s stuff, read Todd Defren’s blog PR Squared, read Brian Solis, Kami […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}