Back to the Basics

When building an official press or media release there is a basic guideline that the world follows.  Time has proven that this outline is the most effective way to capture your audiences attention and hold it throughout your message.

Here is your list of must-haves when getting ready to write:

Punchline- Make sure our objective is clear.  Whether this is an advertisement, statement or article, your audience should not have to hunt to find your main point.

5 W's- Who? What? Where? When? Why?  All five of these questions should be answered.

Proper grammar-  This cannot be stressed enough.  If you do not sound like a professional, why would your audience trust your opinion.

Sources- How do you know this information?  If you cannot show the information has come from a credible source, the readers will not believe you.  In saying this, remember sites such as Wikipedia are not credible.

Strong conclusion- This can be just as important as your punchline.  You need to take the time to reiterate your objective.  The reader may have gotten lost in all of the facts provided and needs to be reminded of the point you just made. (TrueShip, 2015)

Take the time to sift through the information you have gathered in preparation, remember to leave out as much "fluff" as possible.  Some things found may seem interesting but will only distract your audience.

Before you get stressed out about the writing process, keep in mind that 50% of your time will be spent editing.  There is nothing wrong with having rough drafts.

-Lauren

TrueShip. (2015, Dec 2). How To Be A Media Mogul With Ecommerce Press Releases. Retrieved from TrueShip: www.trueship.com/blog/2015/12/02/how-to-be-a-media-mogul-with-ecommerce-press-releases/#.Vq0RIoTZfdk

It's the little things that count

Not even 10 years ago, when a company needed to worry about media it really only included news papers, TV and maybe the radio.  Fast forward to 2016 and there is a lot more to consider.  The definition of media is a mass means of communication, and for our generation that includes the internet- and all of the social media that goes along with it.

Media attention can make or break your company, whether a helpful or harmful article is published, it can never be taken back.  With this in mind, being persuasive in media can become a challenge.  Throughout this blog, we will be considering the do's and don'ts of this task.

Before we break this obstacle down to the finer points, I want to take this time to show how one basic social media post made a big impact.  I recently read an article on LinkedIn posted by a NY Times bestselling author about an experience he had on Twitter.  It boils down to this: not every good media release or post has to be an advertisement.  Dave Kerpen was fed up with waiting in line to check-in to his hotel and like most of us do, he posted his frustration on Twitter.  A competing hotel replied to his tweet, not with an ad or encouragement to go to their hotel, but a simple comment saying they hoped his stay in the city was a pleasant one.  In turn, this one act lead to a great return for the hotel as not only did this CEO stay at the hotel during his next trip, he also recommended friends to do the same.   (Kerpen, 2013)

As you can see, being persuasive isn't all about putting a your message out there.  It can also be about listening to others messages and responding appropriately.

Consider this little snippet before your next post.


Lauren


https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130207152835-15077789-the-1-thing-every-business-executive-must-understand-about-social-media

Kerpen, D. (2013, 02 07). The 1 Thing Every Business Executive Must Understand About Social Media. Retrieved from LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130207152835-15077789-the-1-thing-every-business-executive-must-understand-about-social-media