So, once upon a time, I also used to think “why bother with social media press releases? — why not simply blog?“ In fact, with Edelman’s SMPR product “release” some weeks ago, the whole meme had been bounced around for a while — and with Stowe Boyd’s post yesterday, it has once again made the rounds [my original thoughts are over here].
I think that its probably natural for bloggers to wonder why there are still press releases, and wonder at the seemingly oxymoronic existence of “social media” press releases.
After all, if one of the ideas of press releases are to put a certain amount of spin on information being presented — and the existence of “social media” is to put an honest, de-spun look at things, the two concepts seem … well, mutually exclusive.
My own totally unprofessional opinion is this:
The social web evolves fast. Really fast. And I think marketing and PR agencies are terrified (and their clients doubly so) that they’re going to miss the gravy train — like, perhaps, some missed with the first bubble in 1999.
The paradox, however, is that many seem to be paralyzed with that fear. Or, if not fear, they seem to be stunned into paralysis by something. Maybe its inertia.
In a study that I blogged about a month ago, it looks like while many PR firms RECOGNIZE how important blogging is (such as, how it can influence opinion and how people are reading them), very few are blogging for their clients, and fewer still have a blogging policy.
So, where am I going with this?
Only that if the AGENCIES can’t work up the gumption to even develop a POLICY on blogging, what makes their clients get the chutzpah to start blogging independently of their high priced agencies?
Some might. Most won’t.
And in the absence of an existing blog, with existing content, and existing authors — who presumably aren’t pumping thrice signed off pap as ‘content’ — it would seem enormously clumsy and heavy handed to START a blog to merely announce the contents of a press release.
Can you imagine the blogger reaction from *that*?
So, that’s where the social media press release comes in.
Now, I’m not saying that its the ideal situation. In my opinion its a clumsy “solution” at best. The best way to approach it would be to get companies blogging honestly and transparently in the first place. Well before any press releases need to be made in the first place.
But because many don’t — they’re forced, when they look at how important blogs are, and the “Digg Effect” amongst other things — to suddenly say: “Hey, I want some of that!”
And that’s where social media press releases live.
They are the ungainly misbegotten children of blogs, trying to live in both a spun and yet the same time un-spun world.
I know some firms are trying to get it “right”, and I’m the kind of guy who believes that intentions are worth something — but hopefully not so naive to believe that things are going to happen over night.
Social media press releases are far, FAR from perfect. But, as long as they’re used as a bridge to further conversations with clients about a blogging strategy that is honest and not filled with malarky … then you know what?
I’m willing to stomach it.
January 20th, 2007 at 10:29 pm | Permalink
[…] with del.icio.us | Email this entry | TrackBack URI | Digg it | Track with co.mments | | Cosmos Click here forcopyright permissions! Copyright 2006 Mathew Ingram […]
January 20th, 2007 at 10:45 pm | Permalink
[…] I know when Ed asked me what I thought of the SMPR that High Road put together for Weblo, I said I thought it was a good step, and I still think that. A baby step, perhaps, but still a step. Not everyone is going to jump feet-first (or head-first) into blogging. But I would also agree with Stowe and Jeremiah — and Brian Oberkich here and Jeremy Toeman and Dominic Jones — that it does not go nearly far enough. And it looks like my friend Tony Hung agrees with me. […]
January 21st, 2007 at 12:44 am | Permalink
I agree with you. Well put, too.
January 21st, 2007 at 12:46 am | Permalink
Thanks man. That means a lot, coming from you ;)
January 21st, 2007 at 1:36 am | Permalink
Yeah! Well said. Listen, if things are done with earnest and honestly, the game changes for the better. Social media strips away the wall PR has hid behind for 100 years! Here’s my on it.
January 21st, 2007 at 8:30 am | Permalink
Tony,
You’d be surprised to learn that many PR firms in Toronto are trying to tackle the idea of blogs and blogging - many people within the industry (Joe Thornley, Ed Lee, David Jones, Martin Hoffman) write their own blogs already. The big challenge is convincing companies blogs should be another extension of their mar/comm strategies. It’s going to take the publishing of Naked Conversations, et al to before this happens.
In terms of the press release, my take is you can add some web bells and whistles (digg, del.icio.us, hyperlinks, etc.) but why overhaul a vehicle that’s an efficient way to widely disseminate information. It’s like why trash the paper-based book just because the e-book is more technologically advanced.
January 21st, 2007 at 10:48 am | Permalink
As someone who receives a lot of press releases via email, most of which are totally irrelevant, I actually welcome the social media release concept. IN THEORY, it will allow me to blacklist all those releasers and instead subscribe to a feed that will only contain relevant materials. I say ‘in theory’, because PR Newswire has been supplying a similar personalisable release service for years, but the problem is that agencies and companies tag their releases as relevant to every single category. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
January 21st, 2007 at 5:06 pm | Permalink
[…] Update: For more, check out Deep Jive Interests, Publishing 2.0 and Hugh MacLeod, who offers his usual hilarious cartoon depicting the situation. […]
January 21st, 2007 at 8:56 pm | Permalink
Ian,
Indeed we will — and I think that’s the problem when PR intersects with tagging; every release is “important” and is labeled as such.
Cheers
t
January 21st, 2007 at 9:00 pm | Permalink
Mark,
Funny that you mention these folks.
In November (or December?) I had the fortune of breaking bread with a few PR folks at a Geek Dinner hosted by Joel Mitch. In fact, I blogged about it over here:
http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2006/11/29/geek-meets-are-stu-tastic-or-is-it-stu-tacular-or-mitch-erful/
Got to meet quite a few folks, and some were even from the agencies you mentioned from the above. Its how, actually, I got to know Chris Clarke, and brought him and Ed Lee in to the Blog Herald.
I’ve also read (most) of Naked Conversations, thanks — its great for people who “aren’t into blogging”, but I’m afraid it’ll take more than a book to get (big) business interested in integrating it into their marcom.
Not that I know exactly what *will*, but I suspect it will be an overwhelming fear that they’re missing something. Which is all the more reason to applaud some folks who are trying to get it right … right now.
Cheers
t
January 21st, 2007 at 9:01 pm | Permalink
Brian,
Thanks — already read your opinion … its why I linked to you in the first place! :D
Here’s a question for you. Who is doing “social media PR” in a real and earnest way *already*? Who is walking the walk?
t
January 22nd, 2007 at 5:49 am | Permalink
What’s next from the PR spin doctors?
Virtual World Press Releases?
http://mediavidea.blogspot.com/2007/01/pr-20-why-cant-press-releases-be-proper.html
April 28th, 2007 at 11:29 am | Permalink
[…] blogging just as much as the next man / woman / person, but as you can see in Flex’s case, sometimes it just makes no sense. Starting a blog for the purposes of promoting “awareness” about a product seems fairly […]
May 11th, 2007 at 6:20 am | Permalink
I like your blog, it’s always fun to come back and check what you have to tell us today.