Is public relations writing a secondary part of your job description? Here are our suggestions for three PR writing resolutions to help your writing be better received by the media.
1. Resolve to know your audience.
Write as if you were writing a newspaper article or scripting a TV segment. Members of the media repeatedly compliment us on the quality and appropriateness of the written content we provide on our clients’ behalf. They like the style in which it is written, and the fact that the information suits their audience.
When the media view our clients’ digital content, they find similarly well-written materials that support exactly what we’ve been discussing with them. No surprise, since we often have a hand in writing for our clients’ websites and social media as well.
2. Resolve to get to the point.
Don’t bury your lead. Put yourself in the media’s role. Many people will read just the headline and first sentence, then decide if they want to know more. A one-sentence TV promo will often influence whether viewers stick around to watch the entire segment or leave the room.
3. Resolve to show everything you write to someone else before you hit ‘send’.
Errors happen. Professional writers understand that their minds will often fill in missing words and correct other mistakes in a document. Ask someone else to double check what you’ve written for grammar, spelling and comprehension.
In 2014, we resolve to continue providing the media with the very best written PR and digital content on behalf of our clients. Learn more about how we work by contacting Heather Champine at 952-697-5269.
