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Providing background information on an organization, issue, place, service or product can make the difference between journalists or stakeholders deciding to focus on your message or turning their attention elsewhere. When it comes to background document formats, communication professionals have a variety of options; it depends on what you think your readers will need. ForRead more

Being a good writer does not automatically make one a good speller. And since the English language includes exceptions and special cases for practically every spelling principle, you’ll very likely one day find yourself looking at a word that you’ve written thinking,“Is that right?” Don’t resign yourself to simply being at the mercy of yourRead more

As its name implies, a backgrounder is a document that provides the reader with background information on an organization, place, product or issue. You can use it in the following ways: An accompaniment to press releases or pitch lettersA component of media kits and online press roomsA source of material for speeches, articles or otherRead more

Tip sheets are quick and easy publicity tools that many PR practitioners (myself included) neglect. Just to clarify, I’ve seen media advisories called tip sheets, but here I’m talking about  lists that  provide how-to information or key points about an issue/situation. Here are some quick tips for tip sheets: 1. Create an attention-grabbing headline. IRead more

The handling of abbreviations can be tricky, especially if you have to use different style guides for different types of writing. Some guidelines only permit abbreviations in tables or reference sections. Other guidelines are more lenient, but their requirements can still differ in significant ways. Here are pointers about a few of those differences. I’llRead more

What do articles, query letters, pitch letters, press releases, brochures and basically every form of communication all have in common? They all have to “hook” an audience’s attention before imparting  a message. I’ve put together four principles along with lists of accompanying tactics that you can use to grab the attention of editors, reporters, prospects,Read more

Of course, I’m not referring to a book-length biography (aka bio).  I’m talking about  the types  that you place in media kits, post on organization websites, etc. Why go to the trouble of creating a bio? Well, journalists, bloggers and the general public want to know about the key people in an organization, and aRead more

The more you write, the more likely you are to find that the English language is a maze of grammar rules and pseudo-rules. In order to help you sort out what’s what, I’ve consulted a few resources for the answers to four of the most common sources of confusion. 1. You Can’t End a SentenceRead more

It’s been said that there are no hard and fast rules for persuasive writing, but that hasn’t prevented writers from creating formulas that cover basic principles and concepts. Although these formulas are usually associated with advertisements, direct mail or direct response, they can be used in speeches, articles, press releases, letters, proposals and more. MostRead more

When I’m blocked at the beginning of a writing project, it’s usually an indication that I need to do a little more research. It can be tempting to just jump into a project without a lot of preparation, especially if your assignment is relatively simple, e.g.,  a short press release. But your research will influenceRead more