If there was ever a prime example of why the traditional press release must die, this release over the weekend has got to be it.

Take a look:

Video to Demystify Social Media and Web 2.0

ECommerce Rocks Video with Ben Wills helps demystify social media websites for business owners.

West Midlands, United Kingdom, September 29, 2007 –(PR.com)– Top US marketer Ben Wills is interviewed in a virtual web 2.0 video as part of video tutorial series.

As the buzz about social media grows ECommerce Rocks launches a new video interview with US Search marketer Ben Wills about web 2.0 and social media websites.

Interviewed by Gareth Davies of GSINC Ltd, Ben Wills discusses the key social media websites and what they can mean to business owners.

Whether it’s YouTube, Digg, MySpace or Bebo the video helps to explain the functions and value of these websites as part of the ECommerce Rocks series of virtual video interviews.

Davies commented:
“It’s always great to interview marketers like Ben Wills and I hope that folks can benefit from his enlightening commentary.”

He added “Hopefully the interview combined with the cutting edge format of virtual video means that others can benefit from Ben’s insights and advice, and that the video helps to explain to viewers the basics of web 2.0 in an engaging and easy to understand format”.

The latest ECommerce Video is available to watch online at XXXXXXX

Lazy, Lazy, Lazy! I wish I could say this press release was a joke. I wish I could laugh at it’s irony. But I can’t. Not even the Dadaist in me can look at this as art.

From the Headline and matching sub-head, to the shining cliched spokesperson quote, this release has it all. What makes this one particularly painful is that it’s announcing a product intended to explain social media to the ignorant. Here’s a concept: use a social media new release!

Let’s imagine this same announcement in a social media newsroom. First off, it’s a video announcement. Maybe a trailer? Interview outtakes? Come on guys, don’t be so lazy.

Think how much more engaging and valuable this release would be if it had links to del.icio.us pages with bookmarked articles discussing the importance of social media for marketers. Maybe another one with articles on or interviews with the “experts.” Hell, even a link to a wikipedia entry on this “top US marketer.”

We have to stop being contributers to the info-clutter. A press release should not be noise pollution. It should help reporters, Bloggers and Netizens quickly find key information, place it in context, validate the facts, and then use that information how they want to use it.

Take a look at the presentation Todd Andrlik gave at the Ragan Communications Social Media Summit. It offers a great discussion on the history of the news release and the importance of the new SMNR. (Thanks to Todd Defren for passing Todd Andrlik’s presentation along.)

Here are two great video explanations bBy CommonCraft on Social Bookmarking and Social Networking.

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Related posts:

1. “Apple’s Social Media Efforts Need to Ripen”
2. “Killing the Buddha: PR 2.0 and Social Media Marketing Nirvana”
3. “From the Backseat: Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet?”