December 8, 2010
In my last post I talked about the who, what, when, where and why of PR writing. Once those questions have been answered, you should have a pretty good idea of how best to approach your writing project. Ideally, you may even have a lead and/or headline in mind. To put yourself in an even better position for a smooth writing process, consider the following:
- Is there inherent news or do you need to create news? If the latter, consider gathering primary or secondary research to help substantiate your news. Media love statistics and numbers can help get your news noticed.
- Will a straight-forward commercial approach work? To avoid turning off media with an overly commercial pitch, try tying your message to a current event or relevant trend and support it with compelling tips or insight that media will want to share with their audience.
- Will a one-size-fits-all approach suffice? Or, are you better off customizing your writing and approach for different audiences?
Finally, don’t be afraid to have a little fun! To make your writing more memorable, look for opportunities to throw in some creative flair in the form of alliteration, pop culture references, famous sayings, catch phrases or quotes, even song lyrics – anything that might jump off the page and stick in the minds of the reader.
Starting anything from scratch is an adventure, and PR writing is no exception. But, over the years, I have found that just a few minutes of strategic forethought can save considerable time and money – not to mention one’s sanity – and make the writing process easier, more enjoyable and more effective. Good luck and happy writing!