I have always enjoyed writing as an art. Words are fun to play with and the creative process excites me. Within the past year, however, I realized I need to upgrade the tools in my toolbox if I want to take my career to the next level. I am thrilled to say that Communiqué PR funded an online writing course through the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). PR expert Michael Smart taught the comprehensive four-part course titled, “Writing Skills to Increase PR Reach and Results.” Smart covered a breadth of PR topics, including press release writing, proofing and grammar for PR, creating compelling, engaging content and more.
Thanks to the course, I now have a better understanding of the broader PR industry, what works and what doesn’t in PR writing and I learned new skills that can be applied to almost all writing projects. Following are snippets of what I learned that might help you improve your PR writing skills.
- 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.
PRSA is the world’s largest organization of public relations professionals. I was a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) while studying at Seattle University, where I met successful PR professionals and toured large and small agencies in the Seattle area. PRSA is a trusted resource for PR and communications professionals. I recommend looking into the organization to network, learn new skills and advance your career.
I hope this information was helpful for those of you looking to improve your writing skills. I also recommend checking out our blog post that has a handy writing checklist or the post that lists seven habits of highly successful writers. If you would like to know more about what I learned or if you have questions about PR writing, please don’t hesitate to reach out!