5 Tips for Sharing Social Press Releases

The nature of press releases has changed greatly over the last decade, and nowhere is this as clear as in the methods for distributing those press releases. Social press releases – releases that are shared on online social media outlets – are now an important part of many businesses’ online strategies. Here are five tips for making that sharing a success.

1. Choose Appropriate Outlets. The first tip is to choose the most appropriate social media outlets for your releases. You almost certainly have an active profile on all the major sites, including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. You probably also have profiles on a handful of other sites as well. Not every press release will be well suited to every one of your accounts, though. For example, a press release regarding a new hire or promotion within your company would be great on LinkedIn, but perhaps not gain as much traction or interest on Facebook.
2. Be Active. As you know, when you prepare your press releases you should put in the necessary time and effort to make sure they’re engaging, original, and likely to resonate with the reader. When you post that press release to a social media site you should also do it in a way that is likely to resonate with anyone who sees it. This means that you can’t simply cut and paste the press release text into a social media post and leave it at that. You should make the effort to explain some of the background to the press release, or at least introduce it with some more personalized text that’s appropriate for the particular social media channels you are using.
3. But Don’t Be Pushy. Being active is not about being pushy or overly aggressive with your message. Don’t try to force your contacts into “liking” or “retweeting” any of your social press releases. Pay attention to what types of press releases get the most traction, and what methods of posting seem to be most successful. If a particular technique or method doesn’t seem successful, then try something else in the future.
4. Be Ready to Engage. Sharing social press releases is all about having a conversation. The point we made above about being active, and providing some context to your press release, is simply the beginning. Engage your audience by asking questions that relate to the press release, answering any questions and responding to comments wherever appropriate. By viewing social press releases as the start of a conversation, rather than just a one-way announcement or proclamation, you’ll go much further to accomplishing your goal of increasing business and interest in your company
5. Keep Your Audience in Mind. When looking to get the most out of sharing social press releases, it’s important to keep your audience in mind. This means that you should balance your goal of getting a wide distribution of your press release with trying to get that release in front of the most targeted audience as possible. Chances are you have a broad reach when it comes to your activities on different social media sites.

By following these tips you’ll be sure to share your press release with those parts of your various networks that will be most likely to connect with your message.

Mike