(Third in a series of articles about improving your writing.)
As a newspaper editor, I used to remind my reporters that there was a finite amount of space for their stories. If they could save one or two words per paragraph in a 20-inc story, it might mean the difference between having their work run intact or having vital information clipped out by a ruthless copy editor under deadline pressure.
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PR Prowess is designed to be an online community for professionals engaged in the public relations, marketing communications and editorial services industries. By sharing our ideas, offering tips, celebrating successes and commiserating about the frustrations we all face, PR Prowess will become a valuable resource thanks to the contributions of our members.
I launched this blog in February 2008 as a way of connecting with others in the industry. As a one-man shop, I often feel isolated, cut off from the bleeding edge of trends that could help me work more efficiently and effectively, thereby helping me make more money. That’s always a good thing, right? I’m sure there are others out there who feel the same way.
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Thanks.
Joe Ferry, Founder PR Prowess
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(Second in a series of articles about improving your writing.)
By fourth grade in my Catholic grade school, the good nuns had drilled into my head all the parts of speech, the punctuation rules and grammar regulations that were never to be broken, lest they show up on my permanent record. We diagrammed long, rambling sentences, marking the nouns with one red line and the verbs with two, adjectives with a diagonal and adverbs with a squiggly mark. By the time we were done, our diagrams looked like schematics for the Space Shuttle.
At the risk of getting a rap on the knuckles, I’m here to tell you to forget all those rules.
Writing is about communicating. It’s about making the reader feel comfortable with your words, about setting a friendly tone, about being clear and concise. It’s not about blindly following archaic rules that can get in the way of effective communication.
Here are a couple of rules I’m giving you permission to break without fear of an icy glare from the nun in the front of the room:
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TV viewers in the Philadelphia area have become accustomed to hearing the familiar “do-be-do-be-do” jingle and seeing the bouncing orange ball in commercials for ING Direct, the online savings bank. I’ve been considering opening an account with them because of their favorable terms.
Today, as I’m half-watching the morning news show, I glimpse what seems to be that familiar bouncing ball - so I pay a little closer attention to see if maybe they have a new offer that will convince me to make the plunge.
To my surprise, it’s actually commercial for HSBC Direct, a competitor to ING. And the bouncing ball is really a rounded pig. Now, I don’t know if HSBC has been using that commercial in other markets and it’s just now reaching the Philadelphia area. But it sure seems more than a coincidence to me that the ads are so similar.
I know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But when does it become a ripoff?
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I came across this post on the Online Publicity Journal. While I agree that the benefits of a well-written press release are considerable, I disagree that just about anyone can write one and be successful.
There are at least Nine Steps to An Effective Press Release including: understanding what news is and how to meet the media’s needs, developing a relationship with reporters and editors, timing, following up, etc. Even basic formatting, spelling, grammar and punctuation are crucial elements.
That said, I often tell prospective clients they have a choice: they can research the media and develop relationship, research background and statistics, write and draft a release, distribute it and follow up, then hope that the release is effective. Of course, they have to do all this while running the day-to-day operations of their business.
Or they can leave it to a pro.
Most times, it’s a no-brainer.
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(First in a series of posts about ways to improve your writing.)
The fact is simple words communicate better than big words. Some writers feed their egos by using pompous language to impress their audiences. Using big words when simple ones will suffice can annoy and distract the reader from what you are trying to say. Some examples:
Use help rather than assist.
Use live rather than reside.
Use help rather than facilitate.
Use small rather than diminutive.
Use use rather than employ. or utilize.
Use get rather than obtain or procure.
Use best rather than optimum.
Use buy rather than purchase.
Go back and re-read your latest piece of copy. I’ll bet there are at least a handful of instances where you can substitute a simple word and see a huge increase in the readability of your writing.
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