Social Media and PR go hand in hand.  There are so many new outlets for your news items.  Today, we are going to look at the blogosphere and the opportunities that are available there.

To get started, make sure to do your research and find the best outlets for your news items.  Technorati is a great place to start your search as they have an exhaustive index of blogs.  Google blog search is another good outlet.

EMarketer reported that a national phone survey of bloggers finds that most are focused on describing their personal experiences to a relatively small audience of readers and that only a small proportion focus their coverage on politics, media, government, or technology. Blogs, the survey finds, are as individual as the people who keep them. However, most bloggers are primarily interested in creative, personal expression - documenting individual experiences, sharing practical knowledge, or just keeping in touch with friends and family.

With this in mind, it is important to tailor your news more to the story than the standard press release.   Look for ways to personalize the news so that it fits with the audience’s lifestyle.  Use customer or personal examples where it makes sense and tone down your language from corporate speak. There is a story behind everyone and everything, so don’t be afraid to share yours.

There are several groups that have begun to set standards, practices and recommendations for alternative PR and social media.  We will revisit this topic on an ongoing basis with an effort to continue to bring you up to date info.