You’ve surely heard the term “social media news release” in all the buzz about the new, social Web, but what does it mean? A social media news release is just like a traditional news release, except that it is also social media and Web 2.0 optimized. In short, this kind of news release encourages interactivity, is easily shared in the social Web, and contains a number of other Web 2.0 elements.

Generally, these additional elements include:

* Multimedia items, such as downloadable images, PDF/DOC files, or audio/video files.
* A way for readers to comment directly on the news release content.
* An obvious and easy way for readers to bookmark the news release in social bookmarking sites, or to share it via email.
* Technorati tags and links to purpose-built del.icio.us pages.

If you or your business produce online or email press releases regularly, you should be utilizing social media news releases. Like everything else on the Internet today, there is an expectation that content will be interactive, easily shared, and will offer sources to similar information. If your news releases do not live up to these expectations, your chances for major media coverage may be hurt. It’s fairly simple to create your own social media releases, or you can use a service like PRWeb. And, since a social media news release is just a traditional release with added elements, you do not need to change your present format, just include some additional sections. These added elements include:

Multimedia section: Here you will offer a number of downloadable items, including PDF or Word documents, such as book excerpts, advanced reviews, white papers, brochures, etc., and images, like author photos, company executive photos, book cover art, company logos. Also provide any relevant podcasts and video clips in this section.

Technorati tag section: Use this section to list links to Technorati pages that are tagged with a list of good key terms relevant to your news release.

Social bookmarking section: In this section, provide links to any of your relevant purpose-built del.icio.us pages. You could also provide links to relevant pages on Digg.com or any other social bookmarking and crowd-sourced news sites.

Sharing and commenting: In addition to the sections listed above, you should also make it as easy as possible for your readers to share or bookmark your release in any number of ways. Allowing visitors to comment on your news release makes it truly interactive.

Social media section: If you don’t have a social media newsroom to refer your readers to, you should consider adding a section to your news release that lists where you have a presence in the social Web. Link to your profiles in places like MySpace, Facebook, Squidoo, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc.

Creating your news releases using a blogging platform like WordPress makes it easy to incorporate the additional social media optimizing features. Commenting is already built in, and there are a number of good plugins for adding Technorati tags to WordPress posts and for social bookmarking, among other features.

Check out some social media news release examples here:
http://owenegertonnewsroom.com/?p=54
http://www.shiftcomm.com/Web20Releases/6102008.html
http://www.puresoapboxnewsroom.com/?p=13
http://www.hiddenlandsofnodnewsroom.com/hiddenlandsofnod/?p=33

Wauconda, IL (PRWEB) – Getting the word out to the world has gotten easier since the advent of television, radio and the Internet. But today’s headlines don’t just appear by themselves. Professional journalists are being joined in their quest for the truth and entertainment by a slew of armature news hounds and video reporters.

The Video News Release is the video equivalent of the newspaper press release and just like a press release and VNR provides for distribution of the elements of the story; script, sound bites or video clips to the local or even National media outlets around the country or the world in some cases.

It works through the uploading of the video tape into a broadcast system that has predetermined satellite transponder signals transmitted at a scheduled time. These VNR pieces are captured by television stations searching for interesting and provocative items to help them fill time during their daily broadcast. The stations use the majority of these stories as part of their soft news segments.

According to Video News Release experts Satellite Communications System (www.satellite-commsys.com ), “There has been no better time than now to get involved in Video News Releases. From Television to Internet broadcasts, the VNR is invaluable to these news organizations that are screaming for content from on the spot Video journalist.”

Satellite Communications Systems is a full service video broadcast and production company with years of experience and offers inside VNR information to help those interested in becoming video reporters or organizations wishing to utilize this growing venue to get their message out.

1. Days before the broadcast, information about the feed will be sent to stations around the country. SCS only uses industry respected outlets such as the Associated Press Newswire and contacts these outlets numerous times to confirm the video segment has been placed in front of them.

2. Video News Releases sent through SCS will generate reports indicating what portion of the VNR was used along with who used it and when it was shown.

Understanding the ins and outs of the Video News Release business can make the difference between having millions of viewers watch an important video story and never having the message sent. Key to the success of the VNR is hooking up with the right production and broadcast company that will take the time to explain how the business works, has the skill and experience to make it happen and provides complete accountability for the work being done.

For more information on Video News Releases and other Satellite broadcasting and video production work, contact Satellite Communication Systems on line at www.satellite-commsys.com

Internet news releases are the key to getting a quick flow of traffic to your web site.

Whilst Internet news releases can drive traffic, very few web sites use them as part of their Internet marketing strategy, as they think they’re too expensive and just for larger companies.

Internet news releases are for ALL companies, large or small, and they are surprisingly cost effective. They are similar to the press releases sent to newspapers and magazines – only we’re using the more cost effective version – web, or Internet news releases.

Press Releases – Why they don’t Work

A press release is of very little value to you – a web address in the newspaper or on the radio, requires the potential site visitor to write the information down and visit later, when they’re at their computer. It simply doesn’t work like that

If they’re not already at their computer, looking for what you have to offer, and able to get it by simply clicking a link, then they’re not interested!

What they do

A web news release can be similar to an article, but it’s put together differently, as it’s targeted at the journalists that provide content for Google News, Yahoo News, MSN News, etc.

Nothing released onto the Internet ever goes away, so you may get traffic over a long time span, but we are aiming for a lot of traffic over a short time span – we expect most of the traffic will arrive within 3 to 7 days of submission to the various news release web sites.

Like keyword articles, a news release is re-distributed via .XML feeds, so they will also appear in blogs, and in the news section of a wide variety of web sites.

Get a Traffic Surge

The web, or Internet news release has a shorter life span than an article, but the traffic can come in a large surge, whereas an article will bring in a steady stream of visitors over a long time span.

A good news release, which catches the imagination of news websites, can see traffic of tens or even hundreds of thousands.

How to Write a Good News Release

Of course, your news release needs to be of interest to viewers to get visits to your website, so what makes a good one?

· Something topical that people are interested in

· Something that has a high perceived value, that you are giving away for free

· Something that you have that is unique

The fact is, most websites can put out something to catch the public’s imagination, but they haven’t thought about it!

A good Internet marketing company can draft, and distribute a web release that will pull traffic.

Cost Effective

The cost of an Internet news release is very low – not the $2,000 US dollars charged by many press release agencies, in most cases it’s just a few hundred dollars!

Targeting news release sites is one of the most cost effective, if not the most cost effective way of marketing on the Internet.