PR WRITING

PR WRITING

Good grammar is like wearing nice clothes for a job interview. Sure, it’s important, and failing to do so can be a deal-breaker, but just showing up in a suit and tie is not going to land you the job. Similarly, poor grammar can be a turn-off for journalists, but merely demonstrating your ability to use a semicolon properly isn’t going to generate press coverage for your company or clients. While we can all agree on the value of weeding out typos and adhering to stylistic conventions, in today’s crowded media environment, simply avoiding grammatical mistakes isn’t enough to make your PR content stand out.

In my work as a PR writing instructor, I strive to help clients write effectively—not just correctly. To increase the chances of your press release or email pitch getting picked up, tell your story well, in language that is engaging and easy to understand.

Here are seven essential elements of good PR writing that will help make your press materials clearer, more concise and more compelling to journalists and other readers:

1. Planning: Before you start writing, know your objectives, who your target audience is and what types of outlets you’ll be pitching.
2. Storytelling: It’s been said that good stories happen to those who can tell them. Honing your storytelling chops will make whatever you’re writing—whether it’s a corporate profile, a press release or a Facebook update—more engaging.
3. Empathy: Put yourself in the readers’ shoes and focus on their interests and needs rather than yours or your client’s.
4. Context: Help journalists—and their readers—understand the broader significance of your story and how it fits into the larger context of your industry, your community or the world.
5. Flow: Good writing has a rhythm that carries the reader along like a catchy melody. Pay attention to the way you transition between ideas, where you put your paragraph breaks and even the sounds of the individual words and sentences.
6. Structure: The way you organize a story—which ideas you present and in what order—can have a major impact on whether a reader hits delete halfway through the first paragraph or reads it all the way till the end.
7. Accuracy: The best writing in the world won’t matter if you get your facts wrong.

Public relations professionals at all levels need to have solid writing skills. White (2016) says, “To succeed as a PR pro, it’s vital to have a passion for writing and communication, and to be committed to excelling in both. You’re bound to fail if you don’t” (para. 9). Public relations professionals are responsible for developing communication materials intended to influence the attitudes and/or behaviors of key publics. Many employers require candidates for public relations positions to complete a writing test and provide a writing sample to demonstrate proficiency in this skill. Therefore, it is critical to understand how to craft effective messages through written communication.

Here are some of the many materials and messages that public relations professionals have to write:

• Press/News releases
• Fact sheets
• Feature articles
• Social media messages
• Blog posts
• Speeches
• PowerPoint presentations
• Brochures
• Media pitches
• Statements
• Website messages

 

• Avoid cursed words/hype/buzzwords: There are several words used in PR documents that have lost their meaning, like state-of-the-art, best-in-class, cutting edge, beautiful, revolutionary, leading edge, world class, unique, among others. Delete these words from your writing in order to be simple, straightforward and factual. If you need to use a hype word, try replacing it with alternatives.
• Cut meaningless modifiers and descriptors, and use qualifiers sparingly: Do this as often as you can, because strong PR writing is clear and simple.
• Examples of modifiers are: basically, essentially, actually and various.
• Examples of descriptors are: great, really, very and good.
• Examples of qualifiers are: usually, could, sometimes and often.
• “XX is a leading…” This is one of the most common empty claims in PR writing today. For example, “a leading database…”. PR writers can use this word if they must, but be sure to back it up with facts on why/how it’s leading. Otherwise, readers may be skeptical, which could hurt your credibility, because everyone today says they are leading in something.
• Remove jargon: Jargon is a common red flag for journalists and hurts the author’s credibility. PR writers should replace any terms that might be difficult to understand or are unfamiliar to your target audience, including acronyms. Try using plain-English alternatives, explain what “it” is by using descriptions or substitute “it” with a code word.
• Bad Example: The drug works by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2.
• Good Example: The drug works by stopping the cell that causes pain and inflammation.
• Shorten sentences: The shorter the sentence the better. The goal as a PR writer is to make all sentences 25 words or less. We should always balance sentences with long and short variations too.
• Facts, facts, facts: The absence of facts is one of the biggest weaknesses in PR writing today. Good PR writing must support claims by using data, facts and/or anecdotes.
• Validate your claims: The best validations come from third-party sources, not from within your company. Journalists are also more likely to trust outside sources.
• SEO with press releases: Make sure to include the company’s keyword(s) in the headline or subhead, in the first paragraph of the release and in the boilerplate. Use hyperlinks in natural language and avoid saying “click here” with a hyperlink. Also, use only one hyperlink in your boilerplate, because link overkill actually hurts your SEO.
• Tone and style: Press releases should match the tone and style of your target media outlets. If the release is good enough for top-tier outlets, like The Wall Street Journal, The Economist or The New York Times, then the release will be good enough for everyone else.
• Use single verbs instead of phrases: This will help with word count, because strong copy is succinct. For example, replace make use of with use; think carefully about with consider; and keep it going with maintain.
• Avoid inadvertent sexism: Don’t use the male pronoun when referring to both genders. A good way around this is to use plurals instead, because neutral pronouns are plural.

 

1. Have you thought in what media you would like your article to appear? 2. Have you checked this media for the style, approach and subject matter of the contents? Is your finished article consistent with the target media’s current contents? 3. Have you written a one page synopsis of what you would like to say, and why its interesting. Have you checked this with other people in your firm and/or your public relations advisers? 4. What practical or current examples can be incorporated in your article? Can a third party or another aspect of your firm’s capabilities also be projected in the article. Can you get another party to endorse your work, thinking or approach? 5. Writings are invariably improved by allowing a few days to go by and then returning to your work. If time or deadline permit, has this been undertaken? 6. Will your article contain information of interest to the target media’s readers? Does it pass the “So What” test? 7. Does it showcase you and your firm’s expertise to your own satisfaction (N.B. This should not be blatant or overly prominent) 8. Are you entirely comfortable that publication of the article will not cause problems or break confidentiality? (Once an article has been submitted to media, they are entirely within their right to edit as they see fit – however you cannot withdraw the article). 9. Have you had the article edited and checked? This includes removing unnecessary words and jargon. 10. Have you considered how to distribute or follow up on the article once it is published?

Read more at: https://publicrelationssydney.com.au/top-ten-tips-for-writing-pr-articles/