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The marketing landscape of today is more like an environment full of everything, for all audiences and interests. It can be seen as a buffet party where people have access to anything from blogs, videos, statistics, press releases, etc. As with buffets, people select what they want to be in their plates. It is this variety, which has led pieces to develop as well. In this sense, the idea of press releases has evolved to fit these new channel’s needs.

Press releases or PRs are, by tradition, short and precise pieces that convey news stories written by professionals in public relations. This releases a mass communication that is usually intended for the largest audience. Therefore, it makes sense that social media acts as an important tool because it offers the best channels to make this possible.

Once upon a time, a printed press release was the main tool for corporate communications. However, now that the way audiences consume the content has changed, online press releases are on their way to conquer the scenery. For instance, it is not hard to find news shared through channels such as Facebook or Twitter. This, along with the big penetration of social media around the world, makes it the best ally for corporate communication to reach big masses.

Up to January 2018, a report done by Statista shows that social media has more than 50% penetration in different regions of the globe. The biggest social media penetration rate was found in Northern America, with 70%, followed by Northern Europe (66%), Eastern Asia (64%), South America (63%), and Central America (59%). The lowest were the regions in Africa, with 38% in Northern Africa and 31% in Southern Africa, but experts predicts that this panorama will change in the following years.

Those statistics show that social media is available to most population. Many businesses and marketing experts post releases in social media websites. The truth is, social media is intended to be social (as its name suggest), which makes people share things they think or care about. In the case of press releases, social media certainly increases reach but the question is not whether to share PRs on social media, but how to do it the right way.

First, remember to share relevant information and, in the case of social media, create conversation around the news. Also, experts have found that sharing the multimedia aspects of a release is more effective than using just a headline and a link.