Social media press releases are present virtually everywhere - but it's hard to find guidelines on how to approach the topic. They differ vastly from your regular press releases and might be taken over by the marketing department.
When you’re given the challenge of coming up with a social media press release, fear not - it's easier than you think.
What is a social media press release?
The social media press release definition lists a few characteristics, it:
- aims to get a buzz from social media users
- focuses on social media as a tool to share a story
- is written with a general audience in mind, not only journalists
- shares a ready-made story rich in multimedia
- doesn't have to follow all the strict press release rules
Let's start right away with two social media press release examples coming from Prowly.
This first one is published in an online newsroom. As you can see, even in the intro there's a clear story angle - apart from presenting the facts.
Let's look at a press release social media post example. It's an X post sharing the newest report on PR trends for 2024. Although it doesn't have your regular press release elements, it's definitely made to be shared and get engagement - the most important elements of a social media press release.
Social media press release vs. traditional press release
Here are the three most prominent elements that make social media press releases different.
The most important one is the audience. While a regular press release is aimed at journalists, a social media press release can be read by anyone: journalists, influencers, and - most importantly - customers.
The consequence? Style. When crafting a social media press release, you need to think about language and a story angle that will appeal to your customers. It won't follow the traditional structure and might even leave out some elements.
Think of it more in terms of an article, giving your audience a ready-made story instead of a collection of facts. It's like going a step further with a regular press release.
Both elements combined affect the technology you use - from publishing media-rich, shareable content in your online newsroom to pushing the announcements on social media.
What does a social media press release do?
This type of press release gets your audience to share your story.
You probably won't get the same results by sharing regular press releases on social media without any tweaks. These are usually more fact-orientated, which is ideal for journalists, but not so appealing to most readers.
How long should a social media press release be?
There are no strict guidelines, unlike a traditional press release. A good rule of thumb is one similar in articles - long enough to convey the meaning, but no longer.
If you share your press release directly on social media platforms, it can be even shorter. Cover just the most important points - or use a few posts to highlight different aspects of your story.
Elements of a social media press release
Story angle
The story angle that you choose for your social media press release will determine all the elements below. Think about the value or the idea that you want to share with your audience. Is it about the innovative side of your company? Or maybe your product being recognized in the industry?
In need of inspiration? Check out our story angle ideas.
Structure
Make sure to start with a hook. Whether it's in the form of a title and subheading or the first line in your social media post, an attention-grabber is definitely a must-have.
All the other elements depend on where you publish your social media press release. One that appears in your newsroom might follow a traditional structure. Yet, if you opt for a social media news release, the post structure should meet the platform requirements.
Content
Use facts and details that are most valuable to your reader - not all the data you have on the topic. A social media press release is a complete, coherent story. That's why you need to filter the content ideas and choose the points that best support the storyline.
Multimedia
Add graphics and videos that enrich your story and are suitable to share on social media. Social media press releases rely as much on multimedia as they do on written content, so don't cut corners here!
Links
As a social media press release’s aim is to get shared, links are what bring visitors to your site. If possible, add links to relevant sources on your website, like the product page or newsroom story. Keep the context and minimize the risk of losing that extra traffic.
If you publish it on your website, include a boilerplate at the bottom with the most important data about your company. Remember that it's still a press release - and you might get visitors who don't know anything about your business.
How to announce a press release on social media?
When you announce a social media press release, it should go along with your social media strategy for a given profile. In case you don't have a clear gameplay, there are some tips to help you out.
Fit the platform
Common press releases and social media don't go well together - their dry form doesn't use the full potential of the platforms' possibilities. Use videos, graphics and other multimedia means to convey your message to your audience. For example, a quick video on TikTok can work perfectly as your social media press release!
Speak the audience's language
You might find your social news release sounds more relaxed than the online newsroom version, and that's ok! As long as you stay within your brand voice, it helps to be natural and authentic.
Social media press releases - examples
Let's go through a few social media press release examples!
We’ve included here:
- two product releases - one with professional material and the other opting for authenticity
- an event press release post
All of them fall into the category of social media press release examples, and each is executed in a different way.
Rare Beauty announces its new collection in cooperation with Selena Gomez. They show the product used by the celebrity and various other models in a carefully prepared video clip.
In the post, they decided to include products that the collection contains, stores where they're available, and the shades used by the celebrity.
This short story conveys the urgency of getting and trying out the new additions.
Here’s a vastly different product release - a new blend of chai from Chamberlain Coffee. An employee shows how she prepares the blend in a simple, natural video, talking to the viewers as she might talk with friends.
The brand focused on the message that the blend is easy to prepare and fits everyone. They also highlighted the quality of the ingredients.
The last example comes from WaysConf, a conference for developers and UX specialists. The post announces their 2023 edition and includes the basic venue and date info, the target group, and the main theme of the conference.
Looking for more brand story examples to get inspired by? Read this article.
Support social media releases with a traditional press release
As we mentioned above, social media press releases are mostly aimed at a non-journalistic audience. So it's best to reinforce this message with a regular press release - and keep it in your online newsroom.
Pro tip: To save up on time, use a press release template from Prowly!
Follow the standard structure
With press releases, there's no space for non-standard formatting - and that's for a reason. A well-structured press release lets journalists quickly grasp the value of your story. Also, it ensures you deliver all the crucial details.
A standard press release follows these points:
- Headline
- Subheader / Lead
- Dateline
- Body
- Quote
- Company info (boilerplate)
- Logo
- Media contact information
If you need to dig deeper into the structure and find ideas on what to include, check out our guide on writing press releases.
Speed up the process with templates
A standardized structure has perks for you, too. When you produce a lot of similar press releases, it's smart to automate (at least just a part of the work) with templates. This helps you start quicker (no blank page barrier!) - whether you're a seasoned specialist at writing or onboarding a junior team member.
Feel free to use the press release template database made by Prowly. We’ve added tips to make sure your content gets wider media coverage.
Take care of distribution
With traditional press releases, direct distribution to relevant journalists is your key to success.
Speed up contact lists creation with Prowly's Media Database. It gives you access to over 1 million journalists' contacts worldwide. With advanced filters and a friendly interface, you'll quickly find the best media outlets for your story.
The tool can analyze your press release and come up with contacts based on smart recommendations. That's how you can make sure you don't miss an interesting opportunity.
To find relevant journalists, start by simply typing in the keyword related to your story. You can immediately choose contacts working in a given country or region to further limit your results.
Later on, you can apply more advanced filters like city, media outlet, or language to further refine your search. You can automatically add interesting contacts to your list and share your story.
What's more, Prowly helps you manage your relationships with journalists with a built-in PR CRM. That way you won't have to start from scratch every time you have something to share.
3 key points to remember
Let's wrap up the social media release guide with 3 key points:
- focus on the story angle - it makes your social media press release work
- look around for social media press release examples - they're literally everywhere
- support them by distributing press releases for professional journalists
