In the world of PR traditionalists, there have been plenty of questions raised as to the effectiveness of the changing face of the age old press release. That face being the ‘SMNR’ or Social Media News release. Although the reality is the two things are completely different. The reasons why the former is no longer enjoying success are fairly obvious. In a recent survey by iFocus, a Virginia based think tank, nearly half of the almost 2,000 people surveyed get their news and information from the internet. That is up from 40% less than 1 year ago.
The press release of days gone by was a one sided statement with facts and figures and a good bit of carefully chosen words. Sterile. Its more relevant counterpart, the SMNR, is far from sterile. These releases not only offer the facts, but supply multimedia resources, and oftentimes links to additional coverage. The conversation begins. Something like this: The Fresh Air Fund Season SMNR will undoubtedly cause more of a ripple effect than the standard text medium.
Dan Krueger, Director of Client services for Abraham Harrison, believes that in order for companies to most effectively get their word out, it is imperative that they are reaching out through the plethora of social media outlets. Although it isn’t rocket science, there is a methodology that needs to be applied in order to be successful.
That is where the SMNR comes into play. Know your demographics. Seek out and engage people in a conversation who are likely interested in your message, product or event to create a buzz. By correctly identifying a target audience and providing that audience with a comprehensive SMNR that clearly defines the 4 W’s + as well as supplying multimedia links, photos, graphics and feeds to the client’s other news releases, you have begun the conversation.
The key being…’begun’. In order to gain success it is imperative to continue the conversation. Do most Moms read trade magazines to learn about the latest tools? Nope. But they do turn to one anothers’ blogs for just about everything. So when Iron Bridge Tools wanted to promote a line of hand tools for under $20 they went to directly to those blogs to reach the people who are handling the majority of the holiday shopping. With something as clear as this Husky Tools SMNR, they were able to quickly and effectively get their products seen, talked about, and most importantly sold.
The creation and implementation of an effective SMNR, as well as correctly identifying your target audience, will largely determine the success of the campaign. Additionally, it is important to remember that you are dealing with people, not simply words or images on a screen. You are in the process of developing relationships, and are working within those relationships to spread the good word about a product, an event, or a need. How better to engage a community of people in making a difference than to be transparent and welcoming. How can you possibly be heard? Begin by knowing that people are listening.
Get into the conversation.
