The Beginning of a Love Unending

Guide and Tips for SMNR

John Cissel — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 04:48:20 +0000

What is a Social Media News Release?

A Social Media News Release is a news release distributed by the major electronic distribution services, “ such as business wire, PR newswire, and marketwire and other companies. They embed a news release with high resolution photos, video, and audio components also using tags and links to reach a high number of people. These services have joined in partnership with search engines such as google, yahoo, and msn for maximum exposure.”- Wilcox

A social media news release focuses on targeting “traditional journalists bloggers/podcasters and consumers/readers through the internet” - Social Media Training

What are the advantages & disadvantages of a SMNR?

Some advantages are:

“Optimised for search
Optimised for conversation
Optimised for sharing
Tells the entire story through multimedia
Provides context on complicated stories
Makes a better impression, visually, than a wire release” - Social Media Training

Some disadvantages are:

If someone is not familiar with computers it may be difficult for them to navigate and understand your SMNR.
It is very limited to the online world, because of all the links and tags it contains.
Not every has flash player which is often used for video, and some graphics so some public will not be able to view your whole SMNR.

When should a PR practitioner consider using a SMNR?

A PR practitioner should consider using a SMNR when they are trying to reach a broad number of people. This is because a SMNR can stretch between many types of search engine being shown to all categories of the public. Another great time to use a SMNR is when you have a product you are trying to retail. This is because graphics are often used, or video. This will show the public what the product looks like and will also provide feedback on the company and product through tags and links chosen by the company. These are two great reasons to consider using an SMNR.

Here are two helpful links that will lead you to creating and understanding a successful SMNR.

http://www.shiftcomm.com/downloads/smprtemplate.pdf

Pressitt

Here are links to SMNR’s that organizations have created:

Here are ten tips to remember and consider when creating a SMNR:

1. “Think modular. Whether you are using the template approach or a traditionally written press release enhanced with multimedia and social media elements, make sure each component or section of the release can stand alone.

2. Link, link, link. Optimize links for search engine visibility. If your SMPR is being distributed by a news service, make sure to link back to a landing page or newsroom at your website. Include links to related information at other pages on your website. Link out to social bookmarking and social media sites, such as delicious, Digg, and Technorati.
3. Post content in multiple channels. In addition to including multimedia elements in your SMPR, post components of your release to appropriate sites for increased search engine visibility. For example, post your videos on YouTube and your photos on Flickr.
4. Write your SMPR content for online readers. They scan rather than read word for word. Write short, use bulleted lists, and write message headings.
5. Use keywords to maximize search engine ranking. Repeat the keywords in headlines, subheads, and in the text of the social media release.
6. Use visuals. Include your logo, a headshot of your organization’s CEO, maps and charts, and photos of products or services. Also include video. Videos don’t have to be professionally produced. YouTube-quality videos help reporters understand your product, and that helps them explain it to their readers.
7. Incorporate interactivity. Engage in a conversation with the media and customers by providing a way for them to comment or ask questions” -Writing Matters

8. “Provide a page of quotes from analysts, if applicable.

9. Provide financial information in many different formats.

10. Provide a brief description of what the announcement is, but leave the spin to the journalists. The journalists are going to go with their own spin on the story anyway, so why bother? Keep it straightforward rather than personal.” – Social Media Training

Other Sources:

Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques

WHAT DRIVES JOURNALIST CRAZY?

John Cissel — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 02:30:31 +0000

1. ) Hype: Journalists get tired of receiving news releases that contains words like “unique,” and ” revolutionary.” More than 50 % of journalists thought ” poorly written materials” was a major problem with public relations. A way to stop this is for PR employees to become more familiar with editorial requirements and format.

2.) Don’t know the product or service. This can be fixed through more research, and personally going to try, or use the product.

3.” Repeated calls and follow-ups. This can be fixed by communicating when you will talk next, and that it is appropriate deadline for the next phone call.

4.) Spokesperson not available. This is crucial information being missed because someone is not present to talk and get details. Better planning, and connections can fix this.

5.) Don’t meet publication deadlines. This is just laziness, its their jobs they should plan sooner, and be more organized to get things done according to the calender not their own lives.

6.) When gimmicks that often accompany news releases are over used. Research new items new use, instead of using pens, and mugs. Some creative ones are a new light bulb along with a lam to test its use, or a miniature harry potter broomstick wrapped in a scroll announcing a press luncheon and movie screening.

7.) Sloppy/biased reporting. 82% of executives think news coverage today reflects the reporters personal opinions and biases. they need to learn to stick to facts and getting the whole story, not what they personally feel.

8.) Not picking up the phone. A PR employee should always be ready to be contacted by a journalist if he has a question. It is better for an employee to have more than one contact, and for him to know he will have at least one on him at all times.

9.) Clarity of written information. A journalists needs all the details, and details that connect to make a story, a good journalists will link everything together but can do that unless the employee send him all of the information in a clear outline.

10.) Pushing the journalists job out of its duties. PR people should not stress a journalists by asking questions about more publications than what he is suppose to be doing.

Source Cited: Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques, by Wilcox, 6th Edition

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Producing Newsletters and Brochures

John Cissel — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:59:10 +0000

Many companies use print as apposed to email, because places like walmart have up to 226,000 employees, not all of which can jump on a computer when they like.
Gary grates says, ” a Print publication is unique; employees can hold it, touch it, mark it up, pass it around, take it home, and refer back to it.”
An advantage of a print publication is its portability.
Newsletters are essentially messages from the organization to various publics who want news and information.

Source Cited: Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques, by Wilcox, 6th Edition

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Choosing the Right Words Count

John Cissel — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:58:55 +0000

Making sure you are focused, and prepared are essential when it comes to news reporting. In this video there are many examples of what it means to either forget that your working, or you are just not prepared. When a camera is on you, it is important to remain professional and remember the basic rules to keeping yourself from looking like these employees.

Facebook Vs Google

John Cissel — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:42:44 +0000

Google has always been know as the biggest search engine on the web. Facebook, now the biggest social network on the web. It started out as google haveing a much better rate of population flow, but numbers have changed. Google standing at 9% of all webs traffic, and Facebook at 7%. This was not the case a few years ago, but this graph is a great example of the change we see in the two great web developments of all time.

Both these graphs show the intense competition between the two very different sights. As time passes though, it is clearly

showing the growth of Facebook over google.

5 Apps For Business Companies on Facebook

John Cissel — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:39:00 +0000

A first great app is Static FBML for your side bar page. This makes it look neater, and makes it so you can add HTML and better quality graphics. Another app is Promotions. Promotions is an app that allows you to use graphics to connect to give a ways, and sweepstakes run by your company. Many people follow companies on Facebook for deals, and free stuff. This app attracts customers online, and also advertises your product. The third app is a social RSS. ”It’s a useful way to automate your content and eliminate the need to republish things manually to your Facebook Page.” second to last we have poll, “ Sometimes you just need a little feedback. That’s what social engagement is all about, right?On Facebook, it doesn’t get any simpler than the Poll app. There’s no account to sign up for. Once you connect it to your Page, all the setup and data lives right in your settings panel.A poll can be a casual way to get a read from your fans about a new product, a new page design, or your business in general.” Last we have youtube for pages. If you do commercials or any video production, this is a great app. It connects your Facebook to your youtube channel. “The app “features” your most recent upload or favorite, and displays thumbnails for previous videos on a simple, clean interface. The videos play directly on Facebook of course, so fans can watch without ever leaving your Fan Page. Just be sure to add the tab in the app’s “Application Settings.” These are five product full apps for companies to make their Facebook, the best Facebook.

Sources used:

5 Essential Apps for Your Business’s Facebook Fan Page

Subconscious Advertising

John Cissel — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:03:05 +0000

The smartest people in the world, don’t even catch the reasons they buy the things they buy. We believe to go into a store not knowing what a product is, but subconsciously we can know how much it costs, and what its best used for! This is done by secret advertisement. This can be done by spilt second coke cans during movie scenes, or a billboard that if you turned upside down becomes another product sold by the advertiser. The video above is a great example of the power of our brain, and the reasons we shop the way we shop.

Listening to Learn

John Cissel — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 01:57:05 +0000

1:50- Mike talks about his internship experience

5:00- Mike mentions Twitter Sheep – a neat site that displays a word cloud of a Twitter account’s folllowers

5:40- Mary brings up Klout – a service that calculates Twitter users’ influence

7:30- Mike reinforces the importance of learning about social media, because lots of people already in the industry don’t know that much about it

8:30- Cheryl talks about learning about social media yourself. It’s still so new that some college programs don’t cover it nearly enough

12:00- Mary discusses her experience with the digital practice at the agency she interned with.

14:45- Cheryl asks Mary who decides who will handle a client’s social media – the client or the agency?

16:07- Cheryl wants to know what new PR students are leaning towards: agency or client side? Let us know!

16:50- Mike asks Cheryl and Mary if they have any advice for those just starting school.

17:58- Mary closes the show.

Coming Up PR, Episode 11- September 14, 2010

This is a great podcast because it really shows the importance of social media. It also explains in depth the important of digital media and the effect it has in social media sites.

Coming Up PR, Episode 15 – November 9, 2010

Download on iTunes here.

Stream on Posterous here.

1:00 – Cheryl thanks Joshua Massaro for his blog post about Coming Up PR.

2:27 – Mike introduces this week’s topic, the 2010 Toronto mayoral election and thecandidates’ use of social media.

3:13 - Mary cites Malcolm Gladwell’s article Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not be Tweeted and the “echo chamber” theory.

4:14 – Mary mentions Sysomos‘ analysis of the share of “voice” between the candidates.

4:50- Mary contrasts the inability to use Twitter to predict overall support in the Toronto election versus the 2008 American presidential election.

5:40- Mike outlines the alleged unethical use of Twitter by the Rob Ford campaign’sdeputy communications director. Check out this Torontoist story for details.

13:05- Cheryl asks how wide the reach of the fake Twitter account “Queen’s Quay Karen” actually was, and what this suggests about “her” influence on the campaign.

13:39 – Mary asks what Cheryl or Mike would have done if they were working for the opposition and had become aware of the fake Twitter account.

19:19- Cheryl draws a parallel to the Netflix fiasco.

20:15- Mary, Cheryl and Mike close the show.

This podcast was equally as important to the first because of its ethical viewpoint, and how to use twitter appropriately. It is important in our society to remain fair, and to follow guidelines that will help us remain in truth. We have the capability to persuade people through wrong methods, such as a fake twitter. Just because we have the capability does not mean we should use it. To see true progression it and opinion it should be done fairly and in truth.

Tapping the Web and New Media

John Cissel — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 00:48:25 +0000

It took nearly 40 years before there were 50 million listeners of radio and 13 years until television reached 50 million viewers.
The estimated number of worldwide internet users are 1.5 billion.
About 73% of North americans use the internet.
US internet users spend an average of 15.3 hours a week online is 2007.
There are an estimated 112 million blogs.

Source Cited: Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques, by Wilcox, 6th Edition

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Where is That Song From?

John Cissel — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 23:39:14 +0000

Ever have a song stuck in your head, but your not sure why? Often times its from a commercial, movie, or radio advertisement. Music is an essential to set a mood, and picture for a commercial. Music brings “entertainment. Music helps making an advertisement more appealing to the viewer by simply making it more attractive respectively more aesthetic. It also gives Another basic attribute of music is to support an advertisements structure and continuity. Therefore music is used to mediate between disjoint images. Also it can emphasize dramatic moments within the advertisement” Music is such an essential for a commercial to be remembered, understood, and respected. Many commercials use what is called a 1451, or authentic perfect cadence. This gives the commercial is flowing sound and ends with a resolve. This leaves the listener feeling content subconsciously, which brings a positive attitude to the commercial.