Writing Suitable Copy for the Press
Summer is finally here and school is out, but learning for the rest of us continues. Whether you're a seasoned PR professional working for a top agency, a novice just beginning a career, or a mid-level manager working in-house at a small business, the time comes when we all could use a refresher course in properly writing suitable copy for the press.
My lesson occurred recently upon reading an interesting interview with retired Wall Street Journal assistant managing editor, Paul R. Martin, Sr., in The Bulldog Reporter, a public relations trade newsletter. Reporters and public relations professionals alike greatly admire Mr. Martin's experience, and they should because his advice for avoiding common writing mistakes is the best primer available for writing great press releases.
Allow me to share with you what I learned: ·
Keep your press release short and simple. Try to use one word instead of two, and ask yourself if what you've written is redundant. If in doubt, have a colleague or friend read your release. Reporters want to understand your key points immediately. They don't want to call you multiple times for clarification. ·
Write plainly and avoid company-insider phrases, clichés or industry-specific jargon. Unless you are targeting the trade press, avoid all jargon because it has have no meaning outside of the company or industry. An example phrase would be "state of the art." ·
Do not capitalize titles to elevate your boss or company. Never capitalize titles like "President" or "Chairman". Capped titles should only be applied to things like the names of countries or political heads of State.
Refrain from creating new words or phrases. Instead of saying, "grow the economy" verbs like 'expand,' or 'increase,' still work just as well. ·
Write in active voice. Remember that no one likes to read poorly written copy. Brush up on your grammar and never use the passive voice, which is boring.
Whether you are a PR professional or a small-business owner writing press releases in-house, you must know how the media writes. Keep in mind that journalists expect the quality level and same attention to detail in your copy that their editors demand from their own stories. If you violate these rules, here is yet another instance where your release will receive a one-way trip to the reporter's trash can.
Notable PR Resources:
The Bulldog Reporter
Steven R. Van Hook's All About Public Relations
PR Newswire
About The Author
Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondave Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her at carolyn@motiontemps.com or by phone in the United States at 877.815.0167 or 011.331.4997.9059 in France.
MORE RESOURCES:
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Subtle Emotion - The Key To Copy That Works
Say the word "emotion" to a man, and he'll immediately jump out of his seat and run from the room! Utter the word "emotion" to a woman, and she begins to conjure up thoughts of romantic, long talks centered around feelings. However, speak the word "emotion" to a copywriter and s/he should see dollar signs.
Killer Ad Copy
Not everyone is a writer. Good copy writing is a science and can be learned over time.
Its Time To Start That Swipe File
Just as great fiction is an art, so is great copywriting. Beneath the art, however, there's a foundation of basic knowledge and skills.
Copywriting for Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, and the Mystic Audience
These days, you don't have to traverse the dark forest on the eve of the Full Moon to find a gypsy, psychic or "intuitive" as many now call themselves. Chances are, the local astrologist or tarot reader is making more than a comfortable living for herself in a corporate complex near you.
Real Estate Professionals Need You to Write for Them!
Ask yourself these questions:Are you an experienced writer?Do you want to stay at home to write?Do you want to work for yourself?Do you learn new things quickly?Are you interested in a broad number of subjects?Do you feel like you're being pigeonholed with your current writing and you want to branch out?Do you have a flair for marketing?If you answered "yes" to any of these questions - or even better - several, you may have found a new career!It's more important than ever for real estate professionals to market themselves legally considering the laws regarding email and telephone sales seem to change daily - depending on which court is hearing the case. Many experts speculate though that eventually some sort of anti-telemarketing law will be enforced and while it's much more difficult to regulate email, it's still being made more and more difficult to use this form of marketing and sales.
Writing Tips for Your Website
Now that your website is up and running, it's time to add
content. Fresh content will make your site interesting and
keep people (and search engine crawlers) coming back.
3 Steps To Better Sales Copywriting
Whether you're wet-behind-the-ears or a seasoned copywriter, your craft will benefit by remembering one thing:You're nothing more than a salesperson.There's an old saying in the "business" that, "a copywriter is a salesperson sitting in front of a typewriter.
Copywriting Tricks: Nailing the Voice
Professional copywriters are well-familiar with what's commonly referred to as "the voice." What is this exactly, and why do you need to master it in your writing?If writing is icecream, then "the voice" is the flavor in your scoop.
Give Me $1 And Ill Have A Powerful Marketing Weapon
One of my most powerful marketing weapons costs me less than $1. I buy it once and it lasts me a lifetime.
Finding Your Clients Business Problem Leads to Better Copy
WHAT'S THEIR PROBLEM?How do you begin a dialogue with a prospect, be it in person, on your website or in print?You talk about your client's business problem.What IS your client's business problem?Answering this question is the hardest part of marketing.
Super Verbs Really Move Your Copy
Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You can boost the power of your copy by boosting the quality of verbs you use. Verbs show action, and the way you describe that action can have a dramatic bearing on your readers.
How to Write a Direct Mail Fundraising Letter (Four Tips for Fund Raising Success)
1. Address your reader as a friend, not as "Friend.
Creative Copywriting?
There is a difference between creative writing and copywriting. It took me a while to come to terms with this but it's true, there is a difference.
How to Hold Peoples Interest throughout those Long Copy Sales Letters
People tend to read your ads and sales letters in 2 different ways:1. Word For Word2.
A Copywriting Lesson from Dr. Seuss
Looking for inspiration for your next marketing communication? Try the children's bookshelf.Dr.
Deciding What Voice to Use in Copy
You have to choose a character or an angle that you, the copywriter plays. Copy is interactive.
Professional Writing: Six Great Reasons to Hire a Writer
Most people can write. Some can even write well.
Memorable Sales Copy -- How to Write it
Want to know the secret of creating MEMORABLE
promotional copy? Sales copy that actually stays with your
customers long after they've finished reading it?Then master the art of using words to create pictures in your
customers' heads.If you can describe your products or services in such a way
that it forms images in your customers' heads, well, then
you've just created something that will last long after the
marketing is over.
Kick-Starting Body Copy
Several correspondents to our newsletter, AdBriefing, say that they are having trouble writing body copy for ads. Their problem seems to be the age-old one of how to kick things off - how to make a start.
How to Write Ad Copy that Sells
When I write copy for my advertising clients, I always check to make sure the three key elements are in place. 1.
|