PR Tips of the Trade

March 28, 2008

Right for the Medium

Make sure all the writing for printed materials is written specifically for that medium. Cut and pasting a brochure for web material or vice versa will produce an unpolished feel.

Posted In: Marketing
Posted by Mary at 11:56am

Tags: pr , writing , public relations strategy , pr writing ,

March 28, 2008

Avoid Buzzwords, Hype and Superlatives

Journalists and analysts alike have limited patience with news releases and pitches that are filled with jargon and outlandish claims. Some journalists even use a filter to detect and weed out releases that have too many buzzwords. To keep your release from being zapped, here are some words to avoid: end-to-end, customer-centric, nimble, robust, Web-centric, leading edge, revolutionary, state of the art, future proof and mission critical. The best advice? Try and write like a journalist. Use plain English to describe your product or service and the benefits it provides. Editors appreciate this approach and are much more likely to use your release when it's written in a straightforward fashion.

Posted In: Marketing
Posted by Mary at 11:17am

Tags: pr , writing , public relations strategy , pr writing ,

March 28, 2008

Know Thy Reporter

Read at least several back issues and recent articles by the reporter you're pitching.  Reporters don't appreciate it when PR pros appear unknowledgeable about their publication.

Posted In: Communications
Posted by Mary at 11:13am

Tags: pr , reporters , pr strategy , public relations , communication ,