Comprehensive overview of social media newsrooms including the history of the press release, the invention of social media news releases, the benefits of a social media newsroom (SMNR), how to set-up an SMNR and how to use an SMNR for public relations and corporate communications.

1. STUART BRUCE
Corporate communications, public affairs, public
relations and social media
SOCIAL MEDIA NEWSROOMS
CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
SOCIAL SUMMER
TWEET USING #CIPRsm and @stuartbruce

2. Why the heck should I listen to Stuart?
• Started in public relations in 1989, but still no grey hairs
• Did UK‟s first social media news release in 2006 –
maybe!
• Built world‟s first multi-language social media newsroom
– probably!
• Created social media newsrooms and provided
modernised media relations counsel to lots of companies
including:
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

3. Do you know this man?
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

4. A „founding father‟ of public relations
Ivy Lee
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

5. World‟s first press release
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

6. World‟s first press release
• Atlantic City train crash – 53
killed
• On October 26, 1906 Ivy Lee
issued press release on behalf
of Pennsylvania Railroad
company
• The New York Times printed it
word for word on October
30, 1906
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

7. Declaration of principles
"This is not a secret press bureau. All our work is done in
the open. We aim to supply news. This is not an
advertising agency. If you think any of our matter ought
properly to go to your business office, do not use it. Our
matter is accurate. Further details on any subject treated
will be supplied promptly, and any editor will be assisted
most carefully in verifying directly any statement of fact. ...
In brief, our plan is frankly, and openly, on behalf of
business concerns and public institutions, to supply the
press and public of the United States prompt and accurate
information concerning subjects which it is of value and
interest to the public to know about."
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

8. 100 years later – February 27, 2006
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

9. May 23, 2006 – open source template
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

10. SMNRs not a panacea for c**p press releases
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

11. Principles of a good news release
• It‟s NEWS stupid
• Facts
• Truth
• Zero tolerance of spin and marketing bulls**t
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

12. EC = MC
Every Company is a
Media Company
Source: Tom Foremski
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

13. Benefits of a social media newsroom
• Publish your own content
• Curate other relevant content
• Make it easy to share and re-publish your content
• Reach audiences directly without media filter
• Enable journalists/bloggers to access facts more easily
• Publish multimedia content and graphics
• Reduce calls to press office
• Helps more journalists use more accurate information
• Fast and easy to publish content directly
• even from a mobile!
• Search - SEO
• … and SEO again
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

14. Elements of a social media news release
Headline Intro Body Anchor Text
Quotes Extra Facts Multimedia Infographics
Social Email Social
Links
Sharing Sharing Bookmarking
Creative
Contacts
Commons
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

15. Elements of a social media news release
Headline Intro Body Anchor Text
HEADLINES
• Write for both search engines and
Quotes real people
Extra Facts Multimedia Infographics
• 90-120 characters in length
• Keywords nearer to start of
Social headline Email Social
Links
Sharing Sharing Bookmarking
• Email subject line or Twitter
• Might be all people ever see
Creative
Contacts
Commons
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

16. Elements of a social media news release
Headline Intro Body Anchor Text
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
• Tell the whole story
Quotes • Who, why, what, when, where, how
Extra Facts Multimedia Infographics
• Might be all people ever see
Social Email Social
Links
Sharing Sharing Bookmarking
Creative
Contacts
Commons
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

17. Elements of a social media news release
Headline Intro Body Anchor Text
BODY COPY
• Bullet points or prose
Quotes • Proper prose for meMultimedia
Extra Facts everytime Infographics
• Write well – spelling, grammar
• Good writing still matters
Social Email Social
Links
Sharing Sharing Bookmarking
Creative
Contacts
Commons
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

18. Elements of a social media news release
Headline Intro Body Anchor Text
ANCHOR TEXT LINKS
• Keywords or phrases are linked to
Quotes another page on theMultimedia
Extra Facts internet Infographics
• Link must be very specific e.g.
“sharpest mobile screen” to page
Social about screen, not just the mobile
Email Social
Links
Sharing • Provides people with access to
Sharing Bookmarking
more information and good for SEO
Creative
Contacts
Commons
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

19. Elements of a social media news release
Headline Intro Body Anchor Text
CREATIVE COMMONS LICENCE
• Some companies still carry dire
Quotes warnings “for media Multimedia
Extra Facts use only” Infographics
• Type of online „copyright‟ release
• Might need different types for news
Social (allow change) and other resources
Email Social
Links
Sharing (don‟t Sharing Bookmarking
allow change, just use)
Creative
Contacts
Commons
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

20. Elements of a social media news release
Headline Intro Body Anchor Text
Quotes Extra Facts Multimedia Infographics
Social Email Social
Links
Sharing Sharing Bookmarking
Creative
Contacts
Commons
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

21. Elements of a social media newsroom
RSS Image Gallery Video Gallery
Syndicate/link
Search Tag Cloud
other content
Coverage Corporate
Spokespeople
Archive Calendar
Content
Backgrounders
Sharing
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

22. Elements of a social media newsroom
RSS Image Gallery Video Gallery
RSS
• “The report of my death was an
Syndicate/link
exaggeration” Mark Twain
Search Tag Cloud
other content
• Use it on many news apps without
realising it
• Help
Coverage people subscribe to yourCorporate
news
Spokespeople
Archive Calendar
Content
Backgrounders
Sharing
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

23. Elements of a social media newsroom
RSS Image Gallery Video Gallery
CONTENT SHARING
• Photos - Flickr / Picassa
Syndicate/link
Search - YouTube / Vimeo
• Video Tag Cloud
other content
• Documents – Scribd / Edocr
• Presentations – SlideShare / Prezi
Coverage – iTunes / Audioboo
• Audio Corporate
Spokespeople
Archive Calendar
Content
Backgrounders
Sharing
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

24. Elements of a social media newsroom
RSS Image Gallery Video Gallery
Syndicate/link
Search Tag Cloud
other content
Coverage Corporate
Spokespeople
Archive Calendar
Content
Backgrounders
Sharing
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

25. Building a social media newsroom
• Build your own using open source CMS:
• Use a commercial white label system e.g.:
• Build your own using commercial/proprietary CMS
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

26. Build it and they will come…
… in your
dreams!
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

27. Using a social media newsroom
• Think of all stakeholders, not just journalists
• News is different things to different people
• No need to broadcast your whole news release – send
the NEWS and a link
• Share news via email, Twitter, Google+, Facebook or
commercial newswire services – be sensitive to your
audience
• Frequent updates
• Always think of SEO, but write to captivate humans
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

28. Opel
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

29. First Direct
• First major „social web‟
activity by any UK
financial institution
• Unique visitors up from
less than 10 to 2,300+ a
week
• Won numerous awards
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

30. HSBC
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

31. Cisco
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

32. Nyenrode New Business School
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

33. PressPage case study
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

34. Summary
• Evolution, not revolution
• Do what you do, but better
• How you use it matters most
• Remember it‟s still about what engages your
audiences, never about marketing spin
• Must be used with modernised media relations:
• Understand search
• Multimedia content
• Interactivity and engagement
• Shared, open and transparent
#CIPRsm @stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz

35. STUART BRUCE
+44 20 3239 1093 | + 44 7852 135456
stuart@stuartbruce.biz
Twitter stuartbruce | Skype stuartbrucepr
Blog www.stuartbruce.biz
Consultancy www.stuartbruce.eu