Keep headlines short, like The New York Times
Hey, PR pros: Would you like to see your story in The New York Times? Then why not write like the Times?… Read the full article
PR writing
Compress details in your news release lead
Squeeze together juicy facts to start your story
Embeddable tooth implants. Batman’s tax bill. Zombie slayers.
Like squeezing together a lump of coal to make a diamond, compression of details condenses fascinating facts into a passage that’s more than the sum of its parts.… Read the full article
Use concrete details in your press release lead
Specifics sell products, services & ideas
The internet coffee pot. Word of the year. The Dust Bowl.
Details like these grab attention and help readers see your big idea.… Read the full article
Add statistics to your press release lead
Prove your point with a data point
Research shows … that nearly half of commuters text and drive … that one in three patients enters the hospital malnourished … and that 66% of women won’t kiss men with moustaches.… Read the full article
Set the scene in press release leads
Use the power of description
Imagine the first few hours in the recovery room following a hysterectomy or … ligament repair. Consider what post-surgical life has been like for some pets undergoing common surgical procedures; intense hours WITHOUT pain medication.
Tell a story in your press release lead
Anecdotes are easier to believe, understand and remember
One way to pitch a story that reporters want to catch: Start with an anecdotal lead.
Anecdotes make your PR pieces easier to believe, understand and remember.… Read the full article
Get your story across in 120 seconds or less
5 steps to telling your story fast
Journalists spend, on average, less than a minute reading news releases, according to a study by Greentarget. You can reverse-engineer that to less than 200 words.… Read the full article
Use a conversational writing style in press releases
Run the ‘Hey, did you hear?’ test
Having trouble nailing that “business casual” tone you’re aiming for? Try reading your message aloud — after a friendly greeting or phrase:
“Good morning, honey!
… Read the full articleTry second person for press release leads [Examples!]
Lead with you in media relations pieces
It’s counterintuitive, but true: The product is never the topic. The program is never the topic. The plan is never the topic.… Read the full article
Avoid announcements in press release leads
Don’t announce that you’re announcing
When I was editor of an executive magazine, I received dozens of press releases every day.
This was back in the day when releases moved on paper, so I read them over the trash can, giving myself just a few seconds from the time I picked the release up off the stack to the time it hit the circular file.… Read the full article