public relations: May 2008 Archives
I've done some search marketing, so the concept of writing for computers instead of humans isn't alien to me. But I initially failed to fully realize how much public relations writing is also writing for computers.
Traditionally, the press release is written and distributed to - well, the press. But when the press release is distributed online, it goes straight to web sites, blogs, and - you guessed it - search engines. It's classic disintermediation. Suddenly, it's not as crucial that the New York Times picks up your story. You can get to your target audience through multiple channels. Don't get me wrong - major media play is important. But not like it used to be.
PR-Squared, the blog from Shift Communications, pioneered and popularized the social media press release, which includes lots of hooks for an interested reporter or blogger to follow. It's like an onion. Some readers just want to peel back one layer. Others may want to peel back several. By using the tools in the social media press release, the reader can get as much or as little information as he or she needs, in the formats that are most meaningful. And all the while, you control the frame.
Here are some bonus articles from PR-Squared to help you transition to PR Practitioner 2.0.
