A social media release virgin has extolled the benefits of online website promotion after gaining extensive press coverage.

Traditional press releases would not have generated the same interest, communications firm Nortel told Marketing Sherpa.

Although most of Nortel's media contacts were interested in the increasing price of petrol, first Nortel decided to go with different angle.

April Dunford's team created social media release entitled Breaking the Pajama [sic] Stereotype: Responding to Soaring Fuel Prices, Nortel Provides Primer on Telework.

Because this topic appealed to bloggers it gained wider coverage, which in turn appealed to journalists.

This resulted in coverage from the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, BusinessWeek, Forbes.com, and Canadian television.

Ms Dunford said her release "totally hit a nerve with the press folks out there, who had a thirst to write about this stuff at this particular time".

Using a social media release, Nortel was also able to attach video, include keywords and use a specialist distributor to tap the right places.

The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games have been urged to use social media to tap into a "critical mass audience", according to networking site Where Are You Now (WAYN).