When most people think of social media marketing, the usual suspects come to mind: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and possibly Foursquare. But what they don’t think about is the type of information to distribute on these channels.

Over many years of research, I have found press releases to be one of the most effective tools for social media marketing as well as SEO. I’ll tell you why…

For one, given the fact that content is king, content (press releases) published on reputable news websites have the potential to rake in loads of social engagements, which greatly improves exposure. The above image shows a press release we submitted to PRlog.org, and the 76 Retweets it has received so far. From a marketing perspective, that’s certainly a good outcome for a free press release. Paid releases gain even more exposure on social sites, but if I went into more detail I would have to kill you. Plus, what fun is social media marketing if all the answers are handed to you on a silver platter.

Secondly, in regards to SEO, many of the press release websites offer submissions free of charge, which sometimes allow 1-2 backlinks, however paid releases provide much more value. For example, i-newswire.com has a package for $35 that allows 5+ backlinks with targeted anchor text. If you ask me, that’s pretty darn good. There’s also an option for monthly plans, such as the enterprise/platinum membership we have, which cuts costs down.

If you’ve been pondering the use of press releases for your social media campaign, there should be nothing holding you back. Be sure to follow a standard press release format, optimize the release for search engines, then send it on its way.

Aaron Schoenberger
@TheSchoenberger
The Brainchild Group

Aaron Schoenberger is Founder of The Brainchild Group — a forward-thinking Internet marketing agency that specializes in Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). He’s known for his work with celebrities, top restaurants, automotive manufacturers, professional athletes, educational institutions, luxury brands and Fortune 500 companies.