Get Ready for the New Face of the Press Release

Meet the new face of the press release. Earlier this year, Shift Communications released the first social media press release template – a modern type of press release that addresses the demands of today’s information consumers.  This type of interactive press release is essential for SEO marketing and for attracting attention in a overcrowded online world where only the most effective survive.

Shift’s template is being touted by PR Web’s CEO, David McInnis, meaning that this trend has merit. McInnis says that his team is working on an upgrade to the Shift Communications social press release template. The reason this major online PR distribution company is so interested, he says, is because today’s press releases are often read by the end reader.

In the past, it was the media that received a press release and decide whether or not to run the item. Today, the info is going straight to the end reader. And these information consumers are hungry. They want information they want it quickly, and they want it now.

They are informed, they are tech savvy, and the rigid, bland, PR template of old is in desperate need of an upgrade. Shift Communications social media press release template is our first glimpse at how this new format may look.

The PR template includes space for product photos, logos, video, MP3 sound bytes, Podcasts, as well as RSS feed buttons, the ability to add to Del.icio.us, and tag for social news sites like Technorati, and Digg. All in all, the new format pull out all the stops.

In coming posts, I’ll cover how exactly to build a social media press release that utilizes all of these functions. Posts will cover every aspect of the new format from Skype to De.lico.us along with the “how to’s” of getting all of these elements prepared.

The internet development is moving at an amazing speed right now after somewhat of a lull. The advent of the social media press release presents a good reason to recap and get up to speed on some of the latest technology. So get ready to have some fun! Progress is exhilarating and this new trend marks the beginning of a much needed content revolution! –Christine