‘TIS that time of year when we look back, reflect, and resolve how we can make ourselves better. For PR pros, writing is on top of the list, and rightly so, say Luka Ladan and Seth Arenstein in an article in PR News.
“Even in PR, an industry heavily dependent on content creation, deficient writing is rampant,” they say in their article, In 2022, Resolve to, Improve Your Writing. “From careless typos to troubling grammar mistakes, subpar writing makes it exceedingly difficult for PR pros to reach their target audience.”
In the corporate world, deficient writing influences the bottom line. They estimate that in corporate America “blue chip” companies spend more than $3 billion annually in remedial writing training.
Closer to home, it would be tragic not to be able to get our company’s message across—whether it be a new product, an event, or an official statement —because of poor writing skills, unimaginative content, or the inability to rise above one’s limited world view.
Here, Ladan and Arenstein share some tips on how to write better in 2022:
When in doubt, make it shorter
Short and sweet is still the way to go. Notice how we cut short our reading after going through lengthy articles that seem to get nowhere and mean nothing?
There’s nothing like getting to the point and getting our message clear. “Overwriting does not demonstrate mastery,” say Ladan and Arenstein, “effective writing does. And effectiveness follows efficiency.”
They recommend what other PR pros do: to think in soundbites, or seven word snippets. “A soundbite is supposed to be pithy,” they say. “Pithiness leads to memorability.”
In short, “if you can write it in 50 words or fewer, why use 100?”
Lots of brevity ‘Rules’
If you have chosen to take a shorter, more concise route in writing, Ladan and Arenstein have compiled tips which can be considered a PR pro’s North Star to guide them.
1. The 7×7 rule in PowerPoint slides—use no more than seven lines of text—or seven bullet points—and no more than seven words per slide—is also useful in writing
2. Other ‘rules’ suggest capping sentences at 25 words, others urge 25-30 words. That of course, would depend on the content and style of the sentence.
3. Keep your paragraphs, again, short and sweet
4. Avoid unnecessary commas, semicolons, and em dashes, but tread carefully. The frequency of punctuation is inversely correlated with memorability. Punctuation marks tend to be less necessary than you think.
Put yourself in the target’s shoes
When pitching a story, think of your audience—the media, say Ladan and Arethstein. Would they prefer reading a press release exceeding six paragraphs? Or would they rather you make your point in four paragraphs or fewer?
Business stories are known for their brevity, while lifestyle stories can be longer and more engaging. Whatever your story is about, it should have that spark. Make it creative, interesting, and definitely not soo…long.
The two-way street
“Generally, content creation is a two-way street,” say Ladan and Arethstein. “There is a writer and a reader. “
As writers, “our duty is to be the reader, rather than writing in a vacuum. The user must dictate the end product. If you speak to be heard, then write the same way.” In short, it should never be about yourself.
They give us some examples: If you’re writing a speech for a member of Congress and the target audience is a primary voter, “sloganeering is more compelling than policy making. Stay out of the weeds. Don’t get too wonky.”
If the target audience is the US Chamber of Commerce, “offer a more sophisticated speech, include specifics of tax and regulatory policy. Create a wonkier speech since Chamber officials enjoy public policy.”
If you have a Generation Z audience with a short attention span, “an average of eight seconds compared to twelve seconds for Millennials—pithy writing is a requirement.”
All in all, we are urged to improve on our content—and research and practice is the key. “Even PR pros who write for a living are not perfect writers,” they reassure us. “Like golf, the mastery of content creation can be frustratingly elusive.”
Their final words: “Patience is key in turning your writing deficiency into a strength. Trust the process and keep writing.”
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the senior vice president for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
Image credits: SHVETS production | Pexels