If you work in Public Relations, you’re more than well aware of how to write a press release since that is your bread and butter. You are probably a whiz at writing them for traditional media outlets – newspapers, magazines, tv/commercials, etc. etc. But how comfortable do you feel having to write them for web 2.0 and social media? Is there a difference? Does it matter?

Well lets start with the basics. Of course it matters! More and more customers are spending their on their computers versus traditional outlets. You must go where your target demographic is and interact with them now to gain their attention and their loyalty.

Is there a difference between writing a traditional press release to be sent out versus a social media press release? The answer is a plain and simple, unequivocal – yes. Social Media strives on keywords. With the searching capabilities of Twitter, Facebook, & Google Primarily, people are imputting specific keywords to find things they want and companies must somehow know these keywords and use them to their advantage.

How do you do it?
As with any case of good journalism or press – the headline is everything. It must be short and sweet and have the exact keywords you’re hoping to have searched.

When you start to write the press release, keep in mind that absolutely no one has time to read a full page, single spaced article about whatever it is that you are doing. Today, people have more options than ever before and less time to choose. Get your point across succinctly and quickly.

You want to market these releases to bloggers who can disseminate your information to their networks and other interested parties. The trick here to remember, is don’t just use boring text in your body. Create hyperlinks to enrich and fulfill your press release that tie into your product, or create ways for people to get in touch with your company more easily.

Formatting is key. Use bullet points somewhere in the middle that will draw the eyes directly to the most important factors. Have headings, bold fonts, italics. Make your story pop out and scream, “Read me!”

These suggestions take minutes to do and will yield amazing results. Otherwise, your press release won’t get any snap, crackle, or pop and you’ll be left behind the competition.