Katrina Olson

Strategic Communications

Market Boldly 014 – Digital Transformation with Michael Evanko of Fromm Electric Supply, Part 2

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Market Boldly
Market Boldly
Market Boldly 014 - Digital Transformation with Michael Evanko of Fromm Electric Supply, Part 2
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Join me with guest Michael Evanko, VP of Reading, Pennsylvania-based Fromm Electric Supply in this second installment of this discussion about the digital transformation in electrical distribution. If you’re still figuring out how to get started, tune in to learn:

  • What to think about when adopting a new technology like CRM
  • Why marketing must take a strategic leadership role in the digital transformation
  • What to consider when deciding between outsourcing or adding marketing staff
  • How (or if) one person can manage a distributor’s entire marketing function
  • Why you can never stop learning

Michael discusses his experience and offers suggestions for those just beginning their digital journey. It’s not as difficult as you think if you have the right approach and the right people on your team.

Your News Release Checklist

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By Katrina Olson

This article originally appeared 11/9/2015 as an Exclusive Feature on tedmag.com.

If you’ve been following along the past several weeks, you know there’s a lot to remember when planning, writing and distributing news releases. That’s why we’ve developed this handy checklist. Whether you need inspiration to begin, something to jog your memory, or a nudge to tie it all together, use the extensive list below to help you get started on, round out, or finish up your news release.

PLANNING
☐  Is the content important to your geographic area?
☐  Are you targeting a specific industry?
☐  Do you know whom you want to reach with this release?
☐  Have you researched the target audience?
☐  Have you properly packaged the news release as an announcement, feature, hybrid, launch or other type?
☐  Is your story newsworthy?
☐  Is the content interesting, relevant, timely or unique?
☐  Will it make an impact on your intended audience?
☐  Is there a good reason why your target public(s) should care about this information or will benefit from reading it?
☐  Does the news release help achieve a specific public relations goal or objective?
☐  Do you know what you want to happen as a result of the news release?

CONTENT
☐  Do you have a strong lead or hook?
☐  Have you covered the basics?

  • contact information for media (including phones, emails)
  • “News Release” and “For Immediate Release” at the top
  • headline and subhead if needed for clarification
  • release date
  • dateline
  • answers to the who, what, when, where, and why questions
  • quotes from key players in the story
  • contact/follow-up information for reader (including addresses, phones, emails)
  • boilerplate: brief bio about your company
  • note to the editor (if necessary)

☐  Have you double-checked your facts, statistics and claims?
☐  Are claims and statistics factual, unbiased and accurate?
☐  Have you used reputable sources and attributed them?
☐  Does the news release contain specifics and avoid generalities?
☐  Does it contain pertinent, insightful or attention-getting quotes and are they attributed?
☐  Is it concise, not wordy, and to the point without unnecessary or off-topic information?
☐  Is it too salesy or promotional?
☐  Do you need to provide any “Notes to the Editor”? If so, put them after the “###” or “30.”
☐  Have you told them what they need to know to achieve your PR goal?

STYLE
☐  Did you write the news release in third person?
☐  Did you use the inverted pyramid, putting the most important information first with the remaining info in descending order of importance?
☐  Is there a human-interest angle?
☐  Have you eliminated the fluff?
☐  Does the content flow logically?
☐  Is it “on message”?
☐  Did you edit and proofread for clarity, word choice, grammar, usage, spelling and punctuation using Associated Press (AP) Style?
☐  Did you double check dates, days of the week, capitalization, facts, name spellings and company names?

FORMAT
☐  Is it single-spaced (digital) or double-spaced (hard copies)?
☐  If it’s more than one page, have you typed, “—more—” at the bottom of the page and subsequent pages except the last page?
☐  Have you included a slug (a condensed version of the headline and page number) at the top of the second page and subsequent pages except the last page?
☐  Did you signal the end of the release with the triple hashtags (###) or —30— at the bottom of the last page?

DISTRIBUTION
☐  Have you considered where to send your news release to be seen by those you want to reach?
☐  Have you considered the best timing for this news release?
☐  Have you used SEO optimization if distributing your news release online?
☐  Have you considered whether the recipients prefer emails or hard copies?
☐  Have you considered using a free or fee-based distribution service?
☐  Do you have s measurement or tracking tool in place to monitor coverage and/or placements?

Print this checklist, copy and paste it into a Word document or take a screen shot and keep it on your desktop. Keep it handy when you’re writing press releases and you’ll never forget something important.

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Olson is a marketing and public relations consultant, and principal of Katrina Olson Strategic Communications. She has written for tED magazine’s print edition since 2005, judged tED magazine’s Best of the Best Competition since 2006, and emceed the Best of the Best Awards ceremony for a total of seven years. She can be reached at katrina@katrinaolson.com or via her website at katrinaolson.com.

Tools and Tips for Distributing News Releases

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By Katrina Olson

This article originally appeared 11/2/2015 as an Exclusive Feature on tedmag.com.

Founder of modern public relations Ivy Lee reportedly sent the first news release to the New York Times in response to the 1906 Pennsylvania Railroad train wreck that claimed 50 lives. Although originally intended just for the media, today’s PR practitioners send them to whomever they want in a variety of formats including:

  • E-mail as a message or an attachment
  • Hard copy/mail
  • Website (especially for multimedia news releases)
  • CDs, DVDs or flash drives (especially for multimedia news releases)
  • Satellite
  • 3-D boxes, tubes, packages, Champagne bottles

Of course, how you distribute your news release may be dictated by your budget. But most importantly, you should send it to those who most need the information. Possible recipients include:

  • Local/regional media
  • National media
  • Specialized media (electrical, automotive, industrial, healthcare, agricultural)
  • Internal audiences like customers, vendors, members or shareholders

Not every news release should (necessarily) go to the same list. For example, if you’re announcing something specific to the industrial market, include industrial media and trade publications. However, if you’re releasing information relevant to the retail market, like a lighting showroom grand opening, consider more consumer-focused media.

Paid Distribution Services

Fee-based news release services including BusinessWire.com, PRNewswire.com, Marketwire.com and Cision.com. They will send your news release to major U.S. dailies plus AP, Dow-Jones, Bloomberg, Reuters and others—or to markets you specify.

These services maintain exhaustive and current databases of news media and key influencers. You can distribute your news release by geographic area, area of interest or industry. Of course, they can’t guarantee your news release will be published or even reviewed by a journalist; that’s on you to write a quality news release with a relevant and compelling headline.

Paid services also provide for automatic placement of stories in online blogs, newsletters and special interest outlets depending on the industry, topic and location. Some even offer metadata editing, social media posting, grammar checking and analytics. Fee-based services also offer greater credibility than a free service or an individual company.

Using a paid service to distribute your news release with all the bells and whistles can cost up to $1,000—or as little as $129 with options like PRNewswire’s iReach. PRWeb also offers a robust service option for around $200. Both offer activity and SEO reporting.

Free Distribution Services

You might consider using a free news release service instead of, or in addition to, a fee-based service. While they don’t have the cache of a fee-based service, free services can build on keywords, links, tags and metatags, which all help build traffic to your website and enhance your website’s rank.

Using a free service can also enhance your company’s reputation by moving up the news release’s positive information in search results for your company while pushing down any negative comments and posts. Some free distribution services you may want to consider are:

Note: These services are listed in alphabetical order. I am not endorsing or recommending any of them, but simply providing a starting point for you to research your options and make your own decision.

DIY News Releases

When distributing a news release yourself, follow these guidelines to increase your chance of garnering coverage.

  • Always send the news release to a specific person, by name.
  • Send only one copy to each media outlet (e.g. TV station, newspaper, magazine).
  • Find out whether your contact prefers email or hard copy news releases.
  • Send the news release 10 days before an event for print and broadcast media, and three to six months prior to an event for magazines, depending on their publication deadlines and editorial schedules.
  • Call to follow up only if you know the media contact, otherwise it might be seen as badgering.
  • Release the news on your website immediately before or at the same time it’s released in the media.
  • Archive old news releases on your website.

If you’re casting a broader, national net with your news release, consider using a fee-based or free news release distribution service.

Measuring Effectiveness

No matter how you distribute your news release, you’ll want to track placements, reach and effectiveness. Most paid services and some free ones offer tracking of news releases published by media outlets, monitor conversations about the subject matter or company, and/or measure reach and reader sentiment. This feedback can help you determine which media are most likely to run your stories in the future and direct your media planning.

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Olson is a marketing and public relations consultant, and principal of Katrina Olson Strategic Communications. She has written for tED magazine’s print edition since 2005, judged tED magazine’s Best of the Best Competition since 2006, and emceed the Best of the Best Awards ceremony for a total of seven years. She can be reached at katrina@katrinaolson.com or via her website at katrinaolson.com.

How to Format a News Release

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By Katrina Olson

This article originally appeared 10/26/2015 as an Exclusive Feature on tedmag.com.

If you search “news release” online and click “images,” you’ll find tons of different formats and layouts. If your company already has a template that you’re confident includes all necessary information, then by all means, use it. But if you rarely write news releases, this illustrated and notated guide will help you cover all the bases.

I taught the following format in my PR classes for 10 years. It’s pretty standard and includes all the information a journalist needs in a generally accepted format. Note: This news release is not real. California is not installing EV charging stations along Interstate 5.

There is some leeway. For example, some people put the contact information at the end; but I think it’s easier for journalists to find at the beginning. Also, including  “For Immediate Release” isn’t absolutely necessary as PR people rarely embargo news releases anymore. (An embargo is when you send a news release but ask the journalist to hold it for future publication.)

Many features of this format hearken back to olden times of hard copy (paper) news releases. But even if you’re attaching a Word document to an email, it’s a good idea to include “—more—” at the bottom of the first page and the slug line at the top of the second page.

Photos with captions are also a nice touch. Embed them in the news release to indicate placement, but also attach a high-quality photo file to the email.

On the final page, some people put the triple hashtags (or pound signs) before the boilerplate. I prefer them after because it clarifies that the boilerplate should be included in the story. Also, if you add a note to the editor at the end, the triple hashtags separate the body of the news release from the note.

Notes to the editor are obviously not intended for publication, which is why it makes sense to put them after the triple hashtags. Use these notes to tell the journalist more about who you are, what your company does, what your background is, etc. Or, provide background about a company or organization you mentioned in the news release. You can also list your sources or references for the journalist to use when writing their story.

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Olson is a marketing and public relations consultant, and principal of Katrina Olson Strategic Communications. She has written for tED magazine’s print edition since 2005, judged tED magazine’s Best of the Best Competition since 2006, and emceed the Best of the Best Awards ceremony for a total of seven years. She can be reached at katrina@katrinaolson.com or via her website at katrinaolson.com.

How to Write a News Release

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By Katrina Olson

This article originally appeared 10/19/2015 as an Exclusive Feature on tedmag.com.

Last week we talked about different types of news releases and (generally) how they’re written. For those of you who’ve never written one or may need a refresher, this week’s Marketing Momentum is for you.

Answer Journalists’ Questions

Although the news release has taken many different forms, sometimes including digital bells and whistles, its primary function remains the same: to answer journalists’ (and ultimately readers’) questions.  That’s why, in its simplest form, a news release looks like this:

News releases are written using the inverted pyramid. The most important information is first and the rest presented in declining order of importance. What’s important? The facts—everything the reader needs for them to know what you want them to know, or take the action you want them to take.

Follow The Outline

More specifically, the copy in a standard news release follows this outline:

  • Headline
    The headline should read like a news story headline and indicate what is new, relevant or interesting about the story to follow.
  • The Lead
    The lead (or lede) is the first paragraph that includes the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “why”—the essential information.
  • The Second Paragraph
    The second paragraph provides the rest of the necessary information. Explain the “how” or provide context or history readers need to fully understanding the story.
  • The Remaining Paragraphs
    Use these paragraphs to accomplish your goals. Include quotes from key people inside and outside of the organization. Supply background on a person, product or service, or explain complicated concepts or technology. Offer a final word or drive home a point.
  • The Boilerplate
    This final paragraph is a sort of corporate biography that offers basic company information, such as the year and city in which the company was founded, its mission, annual sales, key product lines and notable achievements.

Tips for Writing News Release
You can increase your likelihood of getting coverage by writing your release like a news story—as objectively as possible with no errors or inaccuracies, and in the proper style and format. If it’s well written, editors or journalists may even run your story with no changes. To increase your chance of success, follow these guidelines.

  • Use plain language and straightforward, declarative sentences.
  • Write in a simple and direct style.
  • Keep your release to no more than two pages.
  • Use tight, pertinent, insightful and attention-getting quotes to illustrate or elaborate on facts.
  • Have those people who are quoted approve their statements.
  • Avoid using superlatives (e.g. best, extremely, leading, top-of-the-line, etc.).
  • NEVER say, “We’re proud/excited/thrilled to announce” something.
  • If you must use superlatives, use them only inside quotes from people.
  • Do not overstate your product’s, company’s or staff’s abilities.
  • Double check your facts, statistics and claims and attribute them to reputable sources.
  • Use specifics; avoid generalities.
  • Be concise and to the point. Don’t include unnecessary or off-topic information.
  • Do not write in a salesy or promotional tone.
  • Provide “Notes to the Editor” to clarify or provide necessary information that doesn’t belong in the news release.
  • Be sure to tell the reader what they need to know to help you achieve your PR goal.
  • Write in third person.
  • Include a human-interest angle, if possible.
  • Eliminate fluff and filler.
  • Make sure content flows logically.
  • Make sure content is “on message.”
  • Edit and proofread for clarity, word choice, grammar, usage, spelling and punctuation.
  • Double check dates, days of the week, capitalization, and personal and company name spellings.
  • Use AP style.
  • Make sure you fully understand what you’re writing about so it makes sense to the reader.
  • Believe in what you’re writing because if you don’t, it will show.
  • Only write about what’s truly newsworthy; if it’s not, don’t write a news release.
  • Don’t try to disguise an ad as a news release; journalists will know and you’ll lose credibility.

News releases also follow a specific (standard) visual format. Next week, we’ll look at proper formatting of a news release.

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Olson is a marketing and public relations consultant, and principal of Katrina Olson Strategic Communications. She has written for tED magazine’s print edition since 2005, judged tED magazine’s Best of the Best Competition since 2006, and emceed the Best of the Best Awards ceremony for a total of seven years. She can be reached at katrina@katrinaolson.com or via her website at katrinaolson.com.

All News Releases Are Not Created Equal

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By Katrina Olson

This article originally appeared 10/12/2015 as an Exclusive Feature on tedmag.com.

You’ve probably written, or at least seen, a traditional news release. It starts with “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “why” and sometimes “how” (the five Ws and the H), includes a few quotes and some background information, then wraps up with a call to action. Done.

Not so fast. Depending on the purpose, you may want to consider writing a particular type or style of news release.

Public relations resources such as PR Newswire, PRWeb and Cision commonly recognize seven types of news releases (announcement, launch, product, human resources, expert positioning, event, company report), while the remaining types (feature, hybrid and social media) are more about a style of writing.

Announcement
Answering the five Ws and the H and supplying only the most necessary information, the announcement news release is written to recognize an occurrence within a company or organization that may be of interest to the media. The goal is to pique the media’s interest in hopes of getting more coverage. Topics may include a contest, a company’s investment in the community or an attempt to create awareness about an issue.

 

Feature
A feature is often longer than a general news release and features “soft news”—that which is less important, less immediate and often has a human-interest angle. After opening with an intriguing lead to draw in the reader, it tells a story in an objective and unbiased manner. This type of release often ends dramatically, providing closure to the story. A few examples are how-to stories, personal profiles or seasonally themed stories.

 

Hybrid
Starting with a short attention-grabbing lead, the hybrid starts like a feature by telling a story. It then becomes more like an announcement, continuing with the five Ws and the H. As the name indicates, it’s a hybrid of the announcement and the feature. The hybrid is good for hard news with a human-interest angle.

 

Human Resources
Companies send a human resources release to publicize staff changes, especially in upper management. The primary difference between a human resources (HR) and announcement news release is that the HR release contains more biographical information to support or justify the staff change and introduce the new staff member.

 

Launch
A launch press release often reads like an announcement but with a greater sense of urgency or timeliness. They’re written to provide information and generate buzz among corporate buyers and consumers about the launch of a product, company, website, organization or initiative.

 

Product
This type of release introduces a new product highlighting its merits and advantages over the competition in an objective and unbiased tone. It may include photos, specifications and even a sample. Product releases can overlap with launch releases when a new product is launched; but they’re also used when a product wins an award, reaches a sales milestone, or is recalled or upgraded.

 

Company Report
The company report may be short and simple or long and detailed, depending on the goals of the company and the subject matter. This type of release is usually focused on building the corporate image to attract investors or those wishing to acquire the company. It’s often focused on the company’s current status or future plans and may correspond with their annual report, highlighting financial success or sales growth.

 

Expert Positioning
The expert positioning news release is less urgent and may focus on a research study or report issued by the company or by a third-party organization, offering statistics and results with supporting quotes or information from the company or individuals. Not surprisingly, this type of release demonstrates the company’s or individual’s expertise in a specific subject and positions the company as a future resource for the media.

 

Event
An event news release announces the five Ws and the H, sometimes as a list or in outline form. They’re issued in hopes of convincing the media to announce event details to the public. This release may also include quotes, photos and background information on the organization.

Social Media
In 2006, Shift Communications released the first social media news release template that incorporated multimedia features and links to related information. The format has evolved but the goal is the same—to make information easy to scan, provide elements (text, multimedia, etc.) that are easy to share, and offer links to related and relevant information. Today, most news release distribution services provide templates or formats designed specifically for online media as well as offering tracking systems and other enhancements.

Some argue that the social media release (also called a digital or interactive news release) is unnecessary because the information can simply be shared via social media. Others claim the format provides a wealth of information and access to more in a format that corresponds with the needs of today’s web savvy audience.

If you’d like to learn more about any of these news release formats, conduct a quick Internet search for tons of examples, templates, guidelines and tips.

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Olson is a marketing and public relations consultant, and principal of Katrina Olson Strategic Communications. She has written for tED magazine’s print edition since 2005, judged tED magazine’s Best of the Best Competition since 2006, and emceed the Best of the Best Awards ceremony for a total of seven years. She can be reached at katrina@katrinaolson.com or via her website at katrinaolson.com.

6 Questions You Should Ask Before Writing A News Release

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By Katrina Olson

This article originally appeared 10/5/2015 as an Exclusive Feature on tedmag.com.

As a marketer or public relations practitioner, you have more tools than ever to communicate with your target audiences including snail mail, email, newsletters, blogs, websites, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to name a few.

News releases give readers useful and relevant information while helping you achieve your PR and marketing goals. But before you fire up that template and start typing, you should answer these six questions.

1. Why am I doing this?

Every news release should have a strategic purpose or goal. (Getting exposure is not a strategic goal—it’s merely the function of a news release.) How will it help you achieve your PR, marketing or communication goals? Why do you want that exposure? Will it reinforce your company’s position in the marketplace? Does it communicate or reinforce one of your key messages? What do you want to happen as a result?

2. Whom do I need to reach?

Determine your most important audiences. Who, strategically, is important to your company? Is it the financial community, the local community, your shareholders or your customers? For example, if you’ve hired a new salesperson or you’re offering a revolutionary new product, your audience is probably your customers—in which case, an email or newsletter article may be more appropriate. If you’re releasing sales or profit figures, your target audience is shareholders, or possibly the financial community.

3. What do they need to know?

News releases should answer questions and supply only the necessary information. What can you tell existing and potential customers to motivate them to help you achieve your sales goal? Can you provide proof, research or testimonials that show how the product will save them time, money or effort? What would you like them to do—visit your website, come to your location, or request a sample?

4. Where do I post my message to be noticed by those I want to reach?

Consider what media your audience is consuming. Most of the time, your subject matter is not so unique or universally appealing that it warrants mass media attention. Would your message be more effective if it were published in a trade publication or targeted regional medium? If the subject does warrant mass media coverage, will you release it to major metropolitan newspapers, women’s magazines, talk shows or national news programs?

 

5. When do I make my move?

Proper timing is essential. If you’re responding to an accusation, you may want to downplay your response by releasing it in time for the noon news when viewership is lower; or quietly and immediately post a response on your website. If you know a story will be published in a magazine, you may want to time your news release to coincide with the publication date.

 

6. How do I package the story?

There are several different types of releases (which we’ll cover next week). Is there a human-interest angle that would lend itself to a feature news release? Or is the subject matter more appropriate for a straightforward, just-the-facts, traditional news release?

Maybe a news release isn’t the best way to share the information. Could it be written as a feature story? Is the subject so controversial or forward thinking that it would make a good op-ed piece? Is the product so technologically advanced that it requires a video news release or another medium to illustrate how it works?

After working through these questions, you may decide not to issue a news release at all. And that’s fine; because when you submit sales pitches, fluff and non-newsworthy stories, it could damage your credibility with journalists and editors.

You may want to release the information in a different format, like a feature story in your newsletter or a Facebook post. In the end, the goal is to use the tool that will best reach your intended audience.

Next week: All news releases are not created equal.

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Olson is a marketing and public relations consultant, and principal of Katrina Olson Strategic Communications. She has written for tED magazine’s print edition since 2005, judged tED magazine’s Best of the Best Competition since 2006, and emceed the Best of the Best Awards ceremony for a total of seven years. She can be reached at katrina@katrinaolson.com or via her website at katrinaolson.com.

What Makes an Effective News Release?

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By Katrina Olson

This article originally appeared 9/28/2015 as an Exclusive Feature on tedmag.com.

The first and most important requirement for an effective news release is having a story to tell. However, if you work in PR or marketing, you’ve likely been asked to write a news release about a decidedly unexciting topic.

When faced with this dilemma, you have a few choices. You can write it and hate it. You can not write it (if that’s an option). Or, you can try to make it interesting to journalists and readers.

Several years ago a Panera franchisee wanted to hire me to secure publicity for every new sandwich they introduced. I declined the job, saying I was too busy at the time (which was largely true). I also thought it would be difficult to garner publicity for a new turkey and avocado sandwich.

Looking back, I could have found or created a story. For example, Panera is one of only two chain restaurants that publicly affirm that the majority of their meat is produced without routine use of antibiotics. And 100% of Panera’s chicken and roasted turkey has not been subject to antibiotics. Further, all poultry is 100% vegetarian-fed, and the chain uses no artificial preservatives, colorings, sweeteners or flavors.

Or, I could have created a story by suggesting that its bakery-cafes make an equivalent monetary donation to a local homeless shelter for every turkey and avocado sandwich sold during a specified week. That news release could also have highlighted the Panera Cares® Community Cafes (non-profit bakery-cafes that help feed those in need) and Day-End Dough-NationTM program. Giving money to homeless shelters—now that’s a story.

In addition to a great story, your news release must offer journalists and readers the following:

A news hook.
In journalism, a news hook is what makes the story relevant right now.  Can you tie it to, and perhaps add a twist to a trending news story? Can you provide insight on or address the minority opinion of a hot-button issue? Can your company serve as a case study that reinforces or contradicts the results of a newly released research study?

Emotion and passion.
A brain-imaging study by University College London revealed that the brain’s wiring emphatically relies on emotion over intellect in decision-making. Try to make people care about your story by weaving in humor, personality, visual imagery, fear, self-preservation or any other emotions that will bolster your story. Be enthusiastic and passionate about what you’re writing and it will show.

Clear benefits.
Offer benefits that directly affect your reader. Does your product make their work easier or their lives better? Benefits can also be indirect. If you write about developing new green technology that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this reflects well on your company and industry, and appeals to environmentalists.

Simplicity.
If you’re introducing a complex technology, make it seem simple. That means you must fully understand what you’re writing about so you can break it down. It may take hours of learning and research to write a simple, one-page news release—but if you don’t understand what you’re writing, neither will your reader. Also, using declarative sentences written in plain and simple language will make your release easier to read.

Objectivity.
You goal is to garner exposure for your company, but your news release should be objective and unbiased. Sound like a contradiction? It’s not. A new release presents information you choose to release, written in an objective style. You don’t have to cover the opposition’s point of view or tell everything you know, but your claims should be true and supported by facts, research or statistics.

Interesting visuals.


Even the most mundane products can look interesting with good photography. Whenever possible, include a photo of people, an action shot, unique product shot, product-in-use photo, “big check” photo for contributions, infographic or pictures with kids (if relevant). Readers have short attention spans and get bored quickly; images tell a story in seconds.

So now you know the difference between good and bad news releases. Next week: Six questions you should answer before writing a news release.

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Olson is a marketing and public relations consultant, and principal of Katrina Olson Strategic Communications. She has written for tED magazine’s print edition since 2005, judged tED magazine’s Best of the Best Competition since 2006, and emceed the Best of the Best Awards ceremony for a total of seven years. She can be reached at katrina@katrinaolson.com or via her website at katrinaolson.com.

Are You Making These News Release Mistakes?

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By Katrina Olson

This article originally appeared 9/21/2015 as an Exclusive Feature on tedmag.com.

Remember your mom saying, “If Billy jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you do it, too?” Almost every company, organization or small business writes news releases; and many of them are atrocious. Just because you’ve seen others writing a certain way doesn’t make it good, or even acceptable.

Following are some common mistakes that you can readily find in many news releases.

Glittering generalities. Using vague, value-based wording to invoke emotion. For example, “These are confusing times. Everywhere you turn you hear a different story. Someone is making another promise. Who can you believe? Candidate Bob Forthright is the man to trust.” We don’t know specifically what is confusing, what stories are being told, or what promises are being made.

Lack of purpose. Every news release should have a strategy and goal—a purpose. Who are you trying to reach? What do you want to happen after people read it? In a future article, we’ll discuss how to find news when it’s in short supply.

Not written in Associated Press style.  Journalists and public relations professionals write in AP style, which provides specific guidelines for punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation and much more. You can buy a (hard copy) AP Stylebook, subscribe online, buy an AP app for your phone and even an interactive s-book. Here’s the link: https://www.apstylebook.com

Poorly written. Even one grammar faux pas, spelling error or typo threatens your credibility; several will destroy it. This also creates more work for the journalist. They’ll remember you next time, and your news release will go right in the trash.

Not including the 5 Ws in the first paragraph or two. The most important questions a journalist and a reader want answered immediate are “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “why.” You should also include “how” if applicable. Readers don’t want to have to read the entire story to (eventually) find out what your release is about.

No news value. Is your news timely, unique, significant, important, interesting, relevant, unexpected, mysterious, exotic, threatening, revealing, previously unknown or unsuspected? Does it involve conflict, striving, tension, mystery, failure, success, surprise or marvel? If not, you probably shouldn’t send it.

“We’re proud to announce.” Firstly, no one cares if you are proud, happy, excited or thrilled. Secondly, a news release by definition is an announcement; so writing that you’re “announcing” something is redundant.

Wordiness. Especially in print and in most media, it’s important to be clear and concise. Concise does not mean brief or short—it means not using any more words than necessary. And sometimes, you need more words to be clear.

Not following format.  Does it have a headline? Is it written using the “inverted pyramid”? Is it written in third person? Does it follow Associated Press (AP) style writing guidelines? Does it include a boilerplate (company bio)? All of these and more are necessary for a properly formatted news release. (More on that in a future article as well.)

Too much fluff. This isn’t high school or even college literature class. Journalists have highly refined BS meters. They are also excellent writers and editors with a low tolerance for long-winded writing, unrelated information and blatant filler copy. Be concise.

Inaccuracies and untruths. Double-check everything. Use accurate quotes that have been approved by those quoted. Never, ever lie. Facts must be checked or vetted by the experts who provided them.

Unsubstantiated claims. Avoid making claims that aren’t supported with facts, citations or research. “According to experts, most American children are obese.” While this may be true, don’t assume readers will take your word for it. Cite a credible source such as the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Clichés. Avoid tired, overused phrases like, “The children are our future,” “In this day and age,” “above and beyond,” “when it’s all said and done,” “at the end of the day,” “first and foremost” and so many more.

(Over)using superlatives. Avoid superlatives like dynamic, leader, innovator, best, top, biggest, exclusive, premiere, groundbreaking, state-of-the-art, cutting-edge, most technologically advanced, extremely, outstanding, world-renowned.

A disguised ad. Don’t try to pass off purely promotional information as a news release. Journalists will see right through it and you’ll lose credibility with the media. Avoid promotional or “salesy” writing.

Not including complete contact info. Include an email (or two) and phone number (or two) and make sure that someone can be reached ANY TIME of the day or night. Some journalists work overnight and may have a last-minute question. It’s not unusual to list two or more contact people from your company.

Using non-specific, time-related words. Never use “today,” “yesterday,” and “tomorrow” in a news release. Even though you should have included a dateline, you don’t know when they’ll run the release. And using these words requires journalists to make corrections.

Acting like the media “owe” you. The media are under no obligation to run your news release. Don’t expect coverage, but be happy when you get it. Your mom may have also said, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” Never complain to the media for not running your story or news release.

Technical or complex writing. If you have to write about a complex subject, make it simple, digestible and easy to understand for the reader. Assume your reader has an eighth-grade education.

Most people are only interested in information that affects them personally or is genuinely interesting. Of course, we all send news releases to announce employee promotions, new products and special events. Our challenge as marketers and public relations practitioners is to make it interesting.

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Olson is a marketing and public relations consultant, and principal of Katrina Olson Strategic Communications. She has written for tED magazine’s print edition since 2005, judged tED magazine’s Best of the Best Competition since 2006, and emceed the Best of the Best Awards ceremony for a total of seven years. She can be reached at katrina@katrinaolson.com or via her website at katrinaolson.com.

Don’t just write right; write well.

By

7-6-2015 Cover Graphic

By Katrina Olson

This article originally appeared 7/6/2015 as an Exclusive Feature on tedmag.com.

Last week we discussed the Chevy Cruze campaign that kicked off with a news release written completely in emoji. Whether you thought it was entertaining or annoying, it got attention. But was it truly “writing?”  I suppose it was as much writing as ancient hieroglyphics or modern-day symbols like +, @ or $.

Most of us are content using words to communicate. So this week, we’ll get back to basics with some good, old-fashioned writing tips.

For 10 years I taught college-level writing to advertising, public relations, and business students. Most had a basic knowledge of grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage and word choice. They knew how to write correctly. But my job was to teach them how to be marketers and storytellers—to make their hypothetical target audiences want to buy, join, give, register, attend or act in some way.

Good writing isn’t just correct, it’s effective—it gets the job done. And that’s a lot harder than just writing correctly. Effective writing is clear, concise and compelling. It takes thought, planning, strategy and a little style. Following are some tips for writing more effectively.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail…to write effectively.

Writing is not just about stringing words together until it sounds good. It’s strategy on paper (or usually on screen). So, before you start writing, ask yourself these questions:

  • How does this written piece fit into my marketing plan?
  • Who is my target audience?
  • What do I hope to accomplish?
  • Do I want to persuade, inform or educate my reader?
  • What do I want my reader to think, feel or do as a result?
  • How will I know if it worked?

If you can’t answer all of these questions about your blog post, website copy, letter, newsletter or other marketing piece, you need to ask yourself why you’re writing it at all.

Be brave enough to be empathetic.

Maya Angelou once said, “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.” It’s easy and safe to write marketing pieces that extol the virtues of your company and products, brag about your company history, and include trite phrases about how important customers are to you.

What’s harder and braver to write is copy that empathizes with your customer. How is empathy different from sympathy?

Sympathy often stops at acknowledging someone’s situation. For example, you might write, “We understand that it’s important to deliver products on time. We’ll promise to always meet your delivery deadlines.”

Empathy is the ability to take the perspective of another person in a specific situation; to put yourself in his or her shoes; to share their feelings and connect with them on an emotional level. Empathetic copy would read, “You know what happens when your products are delivered late. You lose time—and time is money. When you’re behind schedule, everyone else gets behind as well. The customer is angry and they’re blaming you.” Then, of course, you offer a solution.

Get your “you-view” on.

You’ll notice another difference between the sympathetic and the empathetic copy above. The sympathetic copy uses the word “we” (referring to yourself). The empathetic company uses the word “you” (referring to the customer). It’s a small change, but it makes a big difference to readers. It tells them that you feel their pain instead of merely acknowledging it. And each reader feels like you’re speaking to him or her on a personal level.

Here’s another, simpler example:

  • We-view: “We offer quick, friendly, reliable customer service.”
  • You-view: “You deserve quick, friendly, reliable customer service…and that’s what you get from ABC Supply.”

Most importantly, you-view focuses on the needs, wants and interests of the reader. It’s more than just using the word “you” instead of “we.” It’s finding those pain points or issues your target audience is concerned about, then addressing them. You-view is easy to understand, but more difficult to put into practice. Try it on your next writing project.

These are just a few ways you can improve your writing strategy. Next week, we’ll talk about more specific ideas for actually writing your marketing pieces.

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Olson is a veteran marketing and public relations consultant. She has written for tED magazine’s print edition since 2005, judged tED magazine’s Best of the Best Competition since 2006, and emceed the Best of the Best Awards ceremony for a total of seven years. Reach her at katrina@olsonmarketing.net.