PitchEngine: social media releases at their best

When I first learned of PitchEngine--again, another great find via Twitter--I knew it was a cool PR concept but I didn't fully understand it. I had a couple questions. One, what exactly is social media; and two, what makes PitchEngine so nifty? Today's mompreneur monday will hopefully answer those questions and introduce you to the PitchEngine phenomenon.

Wikipedia defines social media as "primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information. ... The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction ... depends on the varied perspectives and 'building' of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences." The term "social media" is exactly what it says--media shared via social groups and networks. (Wikipedia actually has quite an in-depth page on social media and it's worth a few minutes of your time to learn more about the ins and outs of this fairly new type of media.) Now for question two... why all the hype about PitchEngine?

PitchEngine is an online tool that helps PR professionals, brands and agencies to share digital, social media releases with media contacts for free. Their PitchEngine SMR (social media release) eliminates the need for those often time-consuming (often left out) extras like email attachments, Word docs, and image CDs. And because PitchEngine believes "the conversation is as important as the message," they're committed to connecting PR and media in innovative ways.

The result? The social media world is abuzz with the PitchEngine phenomenon. And how could it not be? PitchEngine has made it super simple to create and share your company's press releases with your media contacts...for FREE! There are only three steps to the process:

1. Create: Create your account, upload logos, boilerplates and contact info.
2. Build: Build a media release by adding images, video and networking links.
3. Share: Share your SMR with your media contacts for free!

Want to see how it all works? PitchEngine has a great video tutorial to help you get SMR feet wet--and I promise you're going to want to get them wet. If you want to get the word out about new products, new distributors or any other newsworthy item, PitchEngine has offered you a fantastic--and affordable--way to do it.

Social media isn't going away any time soon and it's sure to give traditional media a run for its money. When it does you can bet PitchEngine will be keeping pace. --Emily