Most business owners struggle with the seemingly constant uphill battle to keep their customers informed about (and interested in) their business. Press releases can help, but they’re not your only option anymore. If you’re on social media, you can also release news and updates through those channels. More and more businesses are choosing to release their news on social media some of the time. Here’s why you may want to consider using social media for your own press releases.

Traditional Press Releases: Benefits and Drawbacks

A traditional press release is essentially a distilled news article. It’s written in news style, and it contains all the crucial information about the story you’re trying to promote. Most press releases are generated by businesses and organizations, although anyone can write one. The releases are sent to journalists and other media contacts. If the topic of a press release catches a journalist’s eye, they may develop and publish a full piece about it.

Press releases can be a valuable way to gain media exposure. However, they have some drawbacks. First, it can be hard to get anyone’s eyes on your press release in the first place. Most journalists receive dozens or even hundreds of press releases every day. If there’s nothing interesting or special about yours, it will get ignored. Second, you don’t always have a lot of control over what gets published in the news after you send out a press release.

Why Use Social Media for Press Releases?

Social media can help you reach your audience in ways that traditional press releases sometimes can’t. For instance, if your audience is on the younger side, they might rely more on social media for their news and information than on traditional news outlets such as newspapers. Going where your audience is can help you get in front of people who wouldn’t see you otherwise, and you’ll have an easier time building relationships with customers if you connect on their favorite social media platform.

Social media also gives you increased control over your press releases. It’s your choice where to post your release, what to say, and how to represent your business. You can choose creative formats like video, which are much more user-friendly than stuffy press releases. By contrast, the tight formatting and tone requirements of traditional press releases don’t allow for much creative freedom.

When to Stick With Traditional Press Releases

There’s still a time and a place for traditional press releases. Here’s how you can decide whether you should go the traditional route or take things into your own hands.

First, consider who this news is intended for. Ask yourself where your target reader gets their news, which sources they trust most, and why the information in your press release is interesting or relevant to them. If your audience gets a lot of their news filtered through social media, then releasing your news there could work well for you. If they tend to trust mainstream news outlets over social media, then traditional press releases may continue to work better for you.

Some industries are also better suited for social media press releases than others. This point overlaps with the one above — it’s a matter of who is reading your release and why. B2C businesses announcing a new product line may do well breaking the news on their customers’ favorite social media platforms, for instance. B2B industries with less mass social media reach may see better results from well-targeted press releases.

Press releases have one other advantage over social media releases: they help with SEO. Posting press releases on your website increases your total page count and bulks out the keywords your site ranks for. If improving your SEO is a high priority, then writing traditional press releases may be worthwhile for this reason alone.

How To Get the Most out of Social Media News Releases

Thinking about using social media for some of your news releases? Start by considering whether you’ve got the audience for it. A news release is only helpful if it reaches plenty of people. If you’ve got a wide following on social media, read on!

First, avoid limiting yourself to the format of a traditional press release. Social press releases don’t have to follow the same set of rules. In fact, you can do pretty much whatever you want with a social release, as long as your news or announcement is clear. Get creative and use features like images, video, or audio in your release, in addition to text. The more attention-grabbing your release is, the more people will pay attention to it.

Your social news releases will also be more successful if you subtly spin them towards your audience. Emphasize why your news or announcement is important for buyers to know about. Your social press releases are also good places to seek audience feedback and invite conversation about your brand. Most people use social media for personal reasons, so taking a customer-centric approach with your social media marketing can make all the difference in whether your subscribers pay attention or scroll on by.

Wrapping Up

When it comes to spreading the word about your business, you’ve got more options than ever before. You don’t have to write press releases and wait for the media to take an interest in your business. If you’re on social media, try skipping the middleman and staying directly in touch with your audience through platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Are there still good reasons to use regular press releases on occasion? For most businesses, yes, so it’s still important to know how to write one. But using social media to post less formal news releases is a good way to keep your audience updated on your business while maintaining control over your brand’s image.