Subscribe NowNew Internet Service, PRX Builder, Specializes In Social Media News Releases
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New Internet Service, PRX Builder, Specializes In Social Media News Releases
Exclusive Distribution Through PR Newswire Ensures Widest Reach of Social Media-Enabled News, Content
SAN FRANCISCO - October 10, 2006
- The PRX Builder service enables PR & marketing professionals to easily create Social Media news releases through a series of guided steps.
- PRX Builder was inspired by the Social Media News Release template released by SHIFT Communications in May 2006.
- Each release costs only $6 to create using PRX Builder.
- Via an exclusive agreement with PR Newswire, the global leader in commercial news distribution, any release created using PRX Builder can be seamlessly transferred and distributed using the PR Newswire platform (see below for benefits of partnership).
- All releases are developed in Portable Release XML (PRX), a simple, distributable XML document format. Once a news release is created using PRX Builder’s toolset, the content creator can preview the news release in “Social Media” format. PRX promotes a “write once” model for release distribution: users can create the release, post the PRX file to the corporate website, and then send the PRX link to distribution services for processing.
- The PRX Builder system can automatically include Technorati tags, a Digg button, and can also auto-download users’ selected del.icio.us account links and Flickr photos, to provide instant context for anyone viewing the online version of the news release. All releases created using the PRX Builder system are also optimized for RSS; releases created using PRX can be directly embedded into RSS web feeds.
- As ongoing industry initiatives such as the Social Media Club continue their work on news release “microformat” standards, the executives at PRX Builder are committed to supporting any further developments that become widely accepted by the New Media Community.
- Businesses and organizations that use PRX Builder’s recently launched social media release wizard can distribute the announcement via PR Newswire.
- PR Newswire was selected as a distribution partner for PRX Builder because of its broad reach and ability to accommodate the various elements inherent to a social media release.
- PR Newswire’s network reaches more than 4,000 newsrooms in the U.S., 3,600 websites, databases and online services, and tens of thousands of journalists registered on PR Newswire for Journalists, the company’s media-only website.
- The consumer-facing prnewswire.com site logs some 3 million page views monthly and, unlike its primary competitor, does not require registration nor track individual user activity.
- PR Newswire currently offers the ability to incorporate multimedia content, including audio, video and photos; search engine optimization for Internet and mobile devices; RSS; Technorati tagging; and del.icio.us and Digg bookmarking into news releases.
- PRX Builder customers will be referred to a PR Newswire representative who will recommend a distribution package based on the customer’s strategy and target audiences, as well as the content within the release.
- Businesses and organizations that create social media releases containing digital images, audio or video will receive further guidance from PR Newswire’s multimedia and broadcast PR company, MultiVuT.
QUOTES
- “The PRX Builder service is designed to make the creation of Social Media News Releases as easy as possible. We’re excited about the prospects for expanding the use of Social Media services within the more traditional realm of press releases.”
- “We were inspired by the simplicity and functionality implied by the SHIFT Communications template. After experimenting with the format, we realized that there was an opportunity to automate the creation of Social Media releases for a broad spectrum of PR and marketing professionals who needed guidance in this new arena.”
- “We are thrilled to know that PRX Builder releases will benefit from the distribution power and prowess of PR Newswire, the acknowledged leader in news release dissemination. Anyone who uses PRX Builder can rest assured that their news will hit as many targets as possible.”
- “The Social Media News Release is a very practical adjunct to the standard release format and has the potential to be an exciting step in the continuing evolution of public relations and business communications. We look forward to supporting its growth, as well as interest in Web 2.0 technologies and the expanded communications options that they offer.”
- “The ease by which PRX Builder’s online wizard creates social media news releases, combined with the reach of PR Newswire’s distribution services, offers PR practitioners an innovative, business-ready solution for incorporating social media functionality into their communications programs.”
- “PR Newswire is committed to leveraging the opportunities created by the rise of new Web technologies to help organizations communicate more effectively. Having already incorporated multimedia, search engine optimization, RSS and del.icio.us into our service offerings, PR Newswire has a strong appreciation for the benefits that these tools offer to businesses and organizations. The social media news release extends the impact of these tools by providing a format that promotes interactivity and the sharing of information.”
- “As the definition of mass media has shifted from print and broadcast reporters alone to include bloggers and consumers, PR Newswire has embraced the additional audiences and made them part of its distribution products, ProfNet Experts(sm) service, MEDIAtlasT targeting database and eWatchT monitoring platform.”
- “We were incredibly flattered when Whitley Media approached us about ‘automating’ the Social Media features found in our template. While Social Media by definition requires an on-going, collaborative and open effort by the community, by the same token we recognize that many people want to give Social Media a whirl without making big commitments of time and money: a lot of marcomm pros want to simply ‘press a button, fill in a blank,’ and see what happens.”
- “The Social Media News Release is about democratizing access to news content for all types of media, both traditional and new. It’s also empowering marketing professionals to create context around their news announcements, by adding social bookmarks, RSS, etc. The PR 2.0 era is upon us, and PRX Builder is a great service for people ready to take their first steps.”
About PRX Builder:
PRX Builder, a product of Whitley Media, enables PR and marketing professionals to embrace the tools and principles of Social Media. Its beta service is available at www.prxbuilder.com.
About Whitley Media:
Whitley Media is a technology company that develops cutting-edge tools and services for professional communicators and media enthusiasts. Services are provided to companies who are trying to understand new media concepts or wish to develop technology solutions for themselves or their clients. More information is available at http://www.whitleymedia.com.
Shannon Whitley, founder and president, with over twelve years of experience in corporate information technology, has applied his expertise to multiple open source and shareware social media projects. His free WordPress plugins include EasyPayPal, PostRefLookup, and Feedlinx Email Subscriptions. He has also created FeedFlares for FeedBurner and developed free blogging services such as PostRef.com. Shannon’s blog address is http://www.voiceoftech.com/swhitley.
About PR Newswire
Now in its 52nd year, PR Newswire Association LLC (http://www.prnewswire.com) provides electronic distribution, targeting, measurement and broadcast services on behalf of tens of thousands of corporate, government, association, labor, non-profit, and other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these organizations reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments.
Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 11 countries and routinely sends its customers’ news to outlets in 135 countries and in more than 40 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking news from the source. PR Newswire’s leading services include ProfNet ExpertsSM, eWatchT, MEDIAtlasT, Search Engine Optimization, MediaRoom, MediaSenseT and MultiVuT. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media plc of London.
About SHIFT Communications:
SHIFT Communications’ high performance public relations and marketing communications services bolster clients’ marketplace reputation and produce measurable results that directly lead to increased revenues. The independent agency works with both new and established companies competing in a variety of technology, business-to-business and consumer markets. SHIFT Communications’ offices are located in the Boston, Mass., and San Francisco, Calif. metros. For more information, visit www.shiftcomm.com.
RELATED LINKS
SHIFT Communications Debuts First-Ever Template for “Social Media Press Release”
SHIFT Communications’ purpose-built del.icio.us page
PRX 1.0 Technical Specification
Technorati Tags: prnewswire | whitley media | shift communications | prx builder | public relations | marketing | pr | social media | social media news release | foremski
