So Long Press Release, Helloooo Social Media

We've got a couple of clients who're releasing new services with a standard PR-driven media campaign (press release, etc), and we're attempting to enhance them with a viral marketing component. While a press release targets mainstream media, news sites, and the like, we're hoping the complementary Digg submission can hit the viral channels of the web. This is a good time to mention that the Digg-bait doesn't replace the press release; it simply complements and enhances it (hopefully).

We've seen both success and failure at getting articles Dugg in the past for SEOmoz and other sites we write for, but this is the first time we've tried to incorporate it as a complement to a PR blitz. What I've noticed as we work to create this is the process is very similar to creating the press release itself. We know our target audience, we know what they like, we know what tends to get their attention, and now we have to spin and package our client's product to appeal to them. So how do you go about Diggifying something that wouldn't normally be Diggable?

• Trying to Digg the normal landing page for a feature seems way too spammy, so we're creating a carefully targeted blog post about the feature and its unique, "wow, that's cool" aspects. Obviously, this will link out to the feature itself.
• Creating a headline for the Digg submission is tricky business. In other Digg efforts we've found that the headline and description can make or break a Digg submission. Since you only get one shot, it's important to be very strategic about the headline you use. Certain formats such as how to's, top tens, and others tend to be very popular--sometimes too popular in that they could send up spam flags.
• Timing your submission to Digg is also key. Once again, you only get one shot, so it's important that you make the submission in order to control the content of the headline and description. If Digg user '8thGradePimp' scoops you and uses a mangled, worthless headline, you're sunk.
  

Once you've prepared your strategy, launched your content, and submitted it to Digg, you're unfortunately left in a classic hurry-up-and-wait scenario. Do the Diggs come? Do you get buried? Does your server crash from too much attention? Do you wanna dance?

Just like any publicity effort, Digg's very fickle and never foolproof, but if you can manage to get Dugg and make the front page, it could certainly be a juicy piece of artillery in the PR arsenal.

Since we're just beginning to experiment with this tactic as a PR tool, I'd love to hear what you guys think. Do any of you use social media sites as PR tools? What sort of success and/or problems have you found with the tactic? Is it something you'll attempt to use in the future?