Public relations is evolving before our eyes. A new type of press release, the social media release (SMR), is beginning to dominate the public relations scene and is becoming the standard among journalists and PR people seeking to use social media to boost news distribution and information dispersal. Your agency needs to learn about this new type of press release or risk getting left in the proverbial dust!

PitchEngine is a tool that is quickly rising to the top of social public relations. According to PitchEngine, the traditional public relations model included sending press releases to broadcast and print journalists, who then conveyed the information to consumers. Brands with more money could reach more broadcast and print journalists, and therefore more consumers. This was fine when people were watching television and reading newspapers and magazines (read: before the internet). Traditional public relations distribution fails to harness the viral power of social media, says PitchEngine. Traditional broadcast and print journalists are not reaching consumers on social networks, online news sources and blogs, thereby completely missing a large audience prone to forwarding, sharing and “retweeting” news they find interesting or valuable.

The modern (social) press release is rich in social content. It is directed to influencers, bloggers and journalists who consume information online and generate their own link-rich content. The hope is that these consumers will share your clients’ stories with more influencers, friends, fans, followers, bloggers and so on, so the audience for your social media releases increases very quickly.

PitchEngine and other modern public relations tools are less about traditional “push” marketing, and more about the social media conversation you’ve no doubt become familiar with. Users can create social media releases incorporating videos, images, PowerPoint presentations and other Web 2.0 content, then share these releases via the social web across other social media including Facebook, Twitter and social bookmark sites.

The easiest way to learn about modern PR is to get started with a site like PitchEngine. Sign up and create your first SMR. Second Wind is now using PitchEngine to promote our seminars, desktop learning events and the launch of our blog. Visit Second Wind’s PitchEngine pressroom to see how it works. Social media releases are similar to press releases with the addition of tags/keywords and a brief overview of the company or brand. Users can search and filter releases according to topic.

Here’s an example of a Second Wind release about our upcoming Desktop Learning sessions: Marketing in Your Pocket. To learn about all of the advantages of sites like PitchEngine, including features like customizable social media newsrooms, explore the site and their examples included in the Case Studies and FAQ sections.

Social media is here to stay. The social media release is part of this change. For smaller to mid-size agencies, social media releases help you deliver complete PR to modern media outlets. Bottom line: it’s about communicating and sharing with your clients’ consumers, bloggers and journalists, and reaching everyone who influences your clients’ brands.