I recently blogged on why PR professionals are unlikely to be replaced by robots in the near future. One of the reasons why is the human ability to craft copy to create impact at a time when content can no longer demand attention.
Here are my seven top tips to sharpen your PR writing:
Get to the point quickly
Whether you’re drafting a pitch, press release or article, ensure that your intended message is clear from the outset, or you’ll swiftly lose your audience.
Cover all bases
PR professionals should always attempt to answer the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘why’ in the first sentence or paragraph of every piece they draft in the interest of brevity.
Vary sentence length
To ensure that copy flows. Long sentences are inevitable when you’re condensing information into a single line. Short ones work too.
Use third party sources
According to Smart Insights, every single minute 1,440 Wordpress posts are uploaded. Against this backdrop, competing for share of voice and audience attention is understandably tough. Statistics or quotes pulled from sources in the public domain can elevate your thought leadership offerings from a rambling rant, to an objective and measured insight, in the eyes of your readers.
Keep it snappy
Don’t use three words when one will do. Re-read your work and strike out any obvious or unnecessary adjectives.
Think about vocabulary
Use words which are likely to resonate with your audience to ensure that your content is sticky. Individuals are more likely to engage with and share copy which stands apart from the reams of other information vying for their attention. Bland copy won’t cut it.
Get a second opinion
You may think you’ve created a masterpiece, but others may disagree. Get others to read your work to check for not only spelling and grammar mistakes but also sense and flow.
Need help converting your thoughts in to print? BlueSky PR is here to help.
You can check out more insights from BlueSky PR on the blog
Author: Carly Smith
