Tag Archives: writing

There’s No Excuse for Bad Content

Posted on April 9, 2013 by | 1 Comment
Image via Velocity Partners. Click to access a great deck about content quality.

Image via Velocity Partners. Click to access a great deck about content quality.

Content marketing is the outgrowth of a number of long-terms trends in the communications business.  The ability of anyone to be a publisher.  The shrinkage of traditional media.  The questionable effectiveness of online advertising.  The changes in search.

But ultimately it is about producing content that is exactly what your audience wants to read.  Exactly what they are looking for.  The answer to their search for information.

Commercially produced content has rarely been any of the above.  Traditionally it has garnered views by trying to be in the right place at the right time so that the viewer/reader sees it in spite of the fact that he or she is really looking for something else.

Sponsored content, advertorial, paid content, pre-roll, whatever you call the output of marketing  and PR it has no doubt been considered B-list, isolated from the somehow purer editorially-produced content or the presumedly more valuable organic search result.

So content marketing is about moving up to the A-list.  Not trying to hitch a ride on the coattails of the seemingly more popular.  It’s about being the destination, not hanging around in the same neighborhood.

Which brings us face-to-face with the issue of content quality.  It is the prerequisite, the precursor, the minimal requirement, the absolute starting point for content marketing.  Because, let’s face it, marketing content traditionally just hasn’t been that good, focusing as it has on tweaking the reader’s wallet rather than his or her interest.

I’ll be the first to admit that I think journalist-produced content written for independent publishers is going to be better and more interesting to me than something that comes out of any organization’s marketing or PR department, but there’s also no reason that has to be the case.  Good writers aren’t that hard to find, and neither the number of opportunities nor the salaries paid by the media are going to make them inaccessible.  Photos, videos, and other types of images are easier to produce than ever.

And when you have good writers, good photographers, good videographers, you have to turn them loose.  Carefully-crafted, on-point, closely controlled organizational messaging isn’t going to work in content marketing, just as it doesn’t work in social media.  Take advantage of the diversity of voices and styles within your organization, don’t squeeze them.

And finally, produce content for your reader, not for your boardroom or your attorneys or for the search robots.  Create stuff you’d want to read, want to see.  Or…go back to buying banner ads.

Author Ken Dowell is PR Newswire’s EVP of social media & audience development.

Got some good content?  We can help you do some interesting things with it.  (And if you don’t have any, we can help you with that, too.)

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Content We Love: Outback Steakhouse Scores with an Infographic

Posted on March 29, 2013 by | Leave a comment

ContentWeLoveIt seems like everyone has a bracket these days.  March Madness is in full-swing, and team loyalty is running rampant.  You can’t turn the corner without seeing team colors and heated debates among friends.  Even I donned my red and silver University of New Mexico sweatshirt, showing support for my alma mater before a sadly fruitless struggle last night.  C’est la vie.

Basketball is on everyone’s mind, and the infectious excitement of the tournament is drawing everyone out for the fun.  When I saw Outback Steakhouse present an opportunity for friends to root for the teams they love, I was entranced.  With a new promotion and a new product, Outback introduced their new “TourneyTizers” to bring out the crowds on gameday.

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE TOURNEYTIZERS

Outback Steakhouse® Joins The Madness This March With TourneyTizer Tuesdays

The content showcased a few perfectly balanced aspects which have the power to organically create buzz.  The restaurant chain introduced a new tournament among its products, allowing the competition to flow from the games into the kitchen.

If you’re keen on watching games, you can understand the “visual” element. Press releases are no different! Outback Steakhouse’s inclusion of an infographic gave you the home-court advantage by telling the story with a image.

The release taught a very important lesson – new products and promotions do NOT need to be boiled down to the bare facts or chunks of text.

  • Visual components make a release stand out from the crowd.

The infographic, playful and simple, showed off the exciting new dishes and related the information back to March Madness.

We have a bracket for our teams…
why not for our favorite dishes?

If your company is creating a new promotion, remember the power of imagery.  Outback’s release showed off a new infographic and played off the madness this month brings.  While the NCAA may not have a champion yet, it’s clear that this season Outback is a champion with their TourneyTizers.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/outback-steakhouse-joins-the-madness-this-march-with-tourneytizer-tuesdays-198966231.html

Author Robbie Thomsen is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Off duty, he often can be found in the kitchen, experimenting with myriad foods and techniques. You can follow his tests and trials in front of the stove at www.acrisisaverted.wordpress.com.

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Content We Love: American DG Energy’s Catch and Release

Posted on February 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

ContentWeLove“Content We Love” is a weekly feature written by a team of our content specialists. We’re showcasing some of the great content distributed through our channels, and our content specialists are up for the task: they spend a lot of time with the press releases and other content our customers create, proof reading and formatting it, suggesting targeted distribution strategy and offering SEO advice. In Content We Love, we’re going to shine the spotlight on the press releases and other messages that stood out to us, and we’ll tell you why. We hope you find the releases enjoyable and the insights gained from discussing them enlightening.

Talk about a jail-house rock!

Movie trailers hold a special and dear place in my heart. I always must arrive to the movie early so I can watch the color dance before my eyes. The purpose, naturally, is to showcase what is coming out soon in the theatres… but even more so, to catch you in an incredible hook. Turn a story into a must-see.

  • What does this have in common to a press release?

The trailer is the headline.

The headline is what is first seen, and sometimes only seen in regards to press releases. Therefore, how imperative it is to have a terrific headline!

energy headline

When the writers of a press release release about an energy contract for a jail transformed their message with the headline, “Reduced Energy Costs Begin 15-year Sentence at Cumberland County Jail” – people took notice!

It wasn’t long before a conversation began on LinkedIn to discuss the headline. Not only did people see the release, they read it, and then commented on it.

Our own VP of Social Media, Sarah Skerik, joined the commentary in favor of the catchy headline.

From a technical standpoint, it’s short, and our research indicates that headlines between 100 – 120 characters (not words!) get the most reads. There is a precipitous drop in average reads for headlines that are longer than 140 characters.

  • Rule of thumb is to always keep it simple.

Also from a technical standpoint, I like the fact that the headline has a search key phrase (reduced energy costs) in the headline.

  • Gone are the days of keyword-strings. Now a release is optimized by using a few primary keywords that are relevant throughout the release

Finally, it’s quirky and dare I even say fun, which given the subject matter – a municipal energy contract! – is really saying something. Had I seen it on the wire when it went out, I would have been apt to tweet it, for its clever quirkiness.

  • Personally, I love puns. I appreciate when words are played with, turned on themselves, or find liberation from doing hard time. The headline, once read, causes the reader to astoundingly proclaim, “What?!” due to the wonderful play on words.

My inner eight year old has something to say about this headline, too. “Made ya look!”

With the primary goal to have people read your release, a great headline is the ultimate first step to achieve that. Catch your reader with your press release!

Hearty appreciation to American DG Energy for their catchy release!

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reduced-energy-costs-begin-15-year-sentence-at-cumberland-county-jail-186158122.html

Author Emily Nelson is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Follow her adventures on www.bellesandawhistle.wordpress.com or on twitter www.twitter.com/emilyannnelson.

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Content We Love: TheKnot.com Says “I Do” to Great Visuals

Posted on January 25, 2013 by | Leave a comment

ContentWeLove“Content We Love” is a weekly feature written by a team of our content specialists. We’re showcasing some of the great content distributed through our channels, and our content specialists are up for the task: they spend a lot of time with the press releases and other content our customers create, proof reading and formatting it, suggesting targeted distribution strategy and offering SEO advice. In Content We Love, we’re going to shine the spotlight on the press releases and other messages that stood out to us, and we’ll tell you why. We hope you find the releases enjoyable and the insights gained from discussing them enlightening.

Something Old, Something New,
Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Forever is a long thing to plan for. Decisions about cake, about photography, about lighting… There are so many details when it comes to a wedding!

The same is true when it comes to crafting a great press release.

Bells sounded when I read the release about TheKnot.Com’s New Photo-Sharing Capabilities which included THREE images and perfect use of hyperlinking.

knot

1) Visuals are important, whether to capture your wedding or showcasing your press release. They are shareable. They are relatable. They cause your readers to take notice.

* Case in point: check out the feed on prnewswire.com.  Which releases are you more apt to read? (Hint: probably the ones with the pictures!)

Looking to stand out like theknot.com? Want a press release that no one can forget? Include images with your releases!

Once the images piqued my interest, the hyperlinking sealed the deal.
I now pronounce you wonderfully linked!

2) Hyperlinking/anchor-text can seem daunting, but it is crucial for your visibility. Visibility? How searchable, viewable, is your release? The more visible, the more people can view.

Each link is a little meal for the search engine spiders, linking the press release to your website pages like a web. Bigger web = better visibility.

  • Here is the catch, if you link to the same website, it creates one line of ‘spider web.’
  • If you link to different pages on your website, search engines create a full web from the release to each of the pages.

So multiple pages linked = stronger web = great visibility!

*Beware of spamming your reader. Every sentence does not need a link. It should flow naturally. First mention of the company? Link. Mention the new product? Link. Find us socially? Link. Need an example? TheKnot.com showcases great hyperlinking!

When crafting your releases, don’t forget to say, “I Do!” for great visuals and linking.

Big thanks to TheKnot.com for uniting a great release with visuals and hyperlinks!

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/capsule-to-exclusively-power-photo-sharing-capabilities-on-theknotcom-187882451.html

Author Emily Nelson is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Follow her adventures on www.bellesandawhistle.wordpress.com or on twitter www.twitter.com/emilyannnelson.

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Dear Gracie: How to Tactfully Edit Someone’s Writing

Posted on June 8, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Each week, Dear Gracie answers questions from ProfNet Connect readers with advice from our network of nearly 50,000 ProfNet experts. Has there been a question burning in your mind lately, something you’ve been wondering that none of your colleagues can answer? Please send it to grace.lavigne@prnewswire.com

Dear Gracie,

I’m an editor of a publication that accepts submissions from freelancers. It’s my job to approve or critique the freelancers’ work. Sometimes the submissions are bad (really bad). How do I let them know that without being unnecessarily cruel, while still getting my point across?

Etiquette Editor

**********

Dear Etiquette Editor,

Four ProfNet experts with editing experience provide some advice:

Editing Expectations

Writers always want to know if their writing is “good,” says Sandra Wendel, owner of Write On, Inc., and instructor of the “How to Write Your Book and Get It Published” course at Metropolitan Community College in Nebraska. “That’s not a fair question because everyone’s writing is good depending on who is judging. My 9-year-old’s book report is good to me and the teacher.”

If someone asks you to edit their work, the first thing you need to do is find out if this is a professional job or not, says Tina Tessina, psychotherapist and author of 13 books, including “Money, Sex and Kids: Stop Fighting About the Three Things That Can Ruin Your Marriage.”

If the person is paying you, then he or she should be able to handle your critical opinion of their work, she says.

But if the person is a friend or family member and is not hiring you in a professional capacity, then tread lightly with your criticism, Tessina continues. Pick out some aspects of the work you can praise, and then recommend someone more objective for them to consult about the quality of their writing. It’s just not worth it to hurt your friend or family member’s feelings and jeopardize your relationship.

That’s also why you, as a writer, shouldn’t rely on friends or anyone related to you by marriage or DNA to edit your work, says Wendel. They are just not able to be brutally honest.

But if you’re still not sure if a writer wants honest editing or is just fishing for flattery, then it’s best to be upfront, says Joy Huber, Stage 4 cancer survivor, professional speaker and author of “Cancer With Joy.” Say something like: “Usually I don’t sugarcoat, and am rather blunt telling it like it is. I find writers appreciate that very honest assessment. Is that OK with you, or should I soften that a bit?”

Working With Professional Writers

“An editor is like a diamond cutter,” says Carol Meerschaert, director of marketing and communications at Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association. Editors take a diamond in the rough and polish it for maximum brilliance.

Writers need to understand that editors have the best interests of their publications at heart, continues Meerschaert. Articles on a website have a different tone than those in a magazine, which are in turn not the same as a business report or an article journal.

Editors know their readers, and can apply lessons learned to the articles they edit, explains Meerschaert. It’s their job to create and apply a consistent style for their medium. They must enforce editorial and style rules. For example, length guidelines are not random, but were developed by industry best practices and analytics.

Therefore, writers shouldn’t be offended or driven insane by any changes that editors make; they shouldn’t be married to each word they wrote, stresses Meerschaert.

Editors are allowed to say they’d prefer this style or that style, or that they’d like more of this or less of that, agrees Tessina. “If you are the editor, and the writer is working for you, there is a contractual understanding that you can edit their writing.”

Hopefully, if an editor has hired a professional and has seen samples of their work, then they know they are capable writers, says Tessina. That being the case, there’s no need for an editor to criticize a writer’s style — they should just have a businesslike discussion of how the writing does or does not meet the publication’s needs.

“Being mean would be to say negative things about the writer’s ability to write,” Tessina explains.

Warm Delivery: Criticize and Praise

If you want to motivate a writer, be sure to give praise and acknowledgement along with criticism, advises Tessina.

Before you edit someone’s writing, figure out what results you want, she says. Determine what the writer has done right and what they’ve done wrong. Then when you communicate with them, point out the good along with the bad.

Providing praise is important because you need to reinforce what you did like about their writing style in order to preserve it, adds Huber.

Try making suggestions instead of prescribing rules, says Wendel. If an author describes a character’s grandfather inadequately, try saying: “How tall was he? Did he smell like cigar smoke?” Don’t dictate.

Also, provide writers with examples to carefully guide them in restructuring, continues Wendel. For instance, you could say: “You might want to consider moving the material in Chapter 3 to become the opening chapter because this is where the fire occurred. Then take the readers back to life before the fire destroyed the farm house.”

“I always find it helpful when people give specifics,” agrees Huber. “Give a specific example of what you didn’t like, and maybe even model the behavior you’d like.” For instance: “I was hoping you’d go HERE next in your organization of the piece vs. going HERE.”

Warm Delivery: Word Choice, Tone and Body Language

Try using the “improve and praise” model vs. the “good BUT bad” model, so that the feedback ends on a good note, says Huber. If you note what’s good about the writing first, and then provide criticism, you’ll end on sour note.

And remember that words like “but” negate whatever you said before, so try to bridge thoughts by using words like “and” instead, Huber continues. For example: “I really like this part BUT you can strengthen this part by doing this instead.” vs. “I really like this part AND you can strength this part by doing this instead.”

But don’t agonize over your word choices when giving feedback as much as HOW you’re conveying that feedback, says Huber.

When communicating face-to-face, only 7 percent of the message is in our word choices, she explains. Voice tone is 38 percent of the message, and body language is over half of the message.

So when you provide a writer with constructive criticism, try to sound genuine, warm and friendly, she suggests. No one likes cold and monotonous!

With some gentle redirection and carefully considered editorial suggestions, most writers will graciously accept your advice, revise their work and thank you profusely afterwards, concludes Wendel.

Technical Note

Wendel also mentions that she places comments in book manuscripts using the “Track Changes” feature in Microsoft Word. This helps begin a dialogue between author and editor, with the end result being a finely tuned manuscript with minimal errors, she says.

Track Changes is the modern equivalent of the red pen, agrees Meerschaert.

Editors: What advice can you add?

Gracie

Written by Grace Lavigne, senior editor of ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. Dear Gracie is published weekly on ProfNet Connect, a free social networking site for communicators. To read more from Grace, check out her blog on ProfNet Connect.

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Dear Gracie: 10 Most Popular Posts From the Past Year

Posted on June 1, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Each week, Dear Gracie answers questions from ProfNet Connect readers with advice from our network of nearly 50,000 ProfNet experts. Has there been a question burning in your mind lately, something you’ve been wondering that none of your colleagues can answer? Please send it to grace.lavigne@prnewswire.com

It’s the one-year anniversary of my Dear Gracie column! There’s no way I could have written over 52 entries without the support of the ProfNet Connect and PR Newswire communities, including those who sent in questions, the enthusiastic readers, and of course, the experts I quote — so thanks!

When I first started writing Dear Gracie, it was meant to be a general advice column — any question on any subject. After the first few weeks, I started receiving more and more questions about PR and media issues specifically, and eventually the column became an advice column for PR professionals and journalists.

Here’s a look back at the top 10 most popular blog posts (in no particular order) from this past year:

1. How to Write Catchy Headlines

What type of headline turns the most heads? This article provides tips and techniques for print and Web articles, including advice on how to use puns and ambiguity effectively.

2. The Great Serial/Oxford Comma Debate

Dear Gracie actually used to occasionally feature grammar questions — that is, until Grammar Hammer was born.

3. Nine Non-PR Skills Every PR Person Needs

Featured on PRDaily.com, this article was particularly popular with PR professors and their students. The list showcases traits that are not usually associated with PR. Do your skills match up?

4. Branding vs. Advertising vs. Marketing vs. PR

Have you ever wondered what exactly the differences are between these fields? You’re not the only one.

5. When Clients Want to Distribute Non-News

Advice for PR professionals on how to talk down “that client.”

6. Tips for How to Appear on Camera

So you wanna be a star? Check out this advice on looking and feeling good through the lens.

7. Hashtags 101

How to mind your social media manners on Twitter, with a particular focus on hashtag etiquette.

8. Why Small Business Needs PR

How to convince small-business owners that they need PR.

9. #HowToRespond to an @AngryCustomer

If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. But what if you HAVE to say something?

10. How to Stand out on a Panel

Learn how to dazzle audiences with your wit and wisdom.

Thanks again for reading Dear Gracie! Until next week…

Gracie

Written by Grace Lavigne, senior editor of ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. Dear Gracie is published weekly on ProfNet Connect, a free social networking site for communicators. To read more from Grace, check out her blog on ProfNet Connect.

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SXSWi Day One: games, data, curation, storytelling … and rain.

Posted on March 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The view from under Vicky's umbrella

As South by Southwest kicks off, Austin is awash in people, flowing with ideas, drenched in jargon and deluged by Mother Nature.  It’s raining – a lot.  But Texas has suffered mightily from droughts recently, so we’re not complaining.

After meeting for breakfast, our team scattered.  “The Toms” (Tom Hynes, blogger relations, and Tom Miale, multimedia engagement ) headed toward one of the hotels for the journalism track.  Vicky and I dove headlong into the crowds at the convention center.  On tap – sessions about visual storytelling, gamification, video curation, big data and branding.

The key take aways:

Tom Hynes:

The key to telling a good story is first asking yourself Would I Share This? Ideally, the answer would be yes.

Rewrite your stuff. Even Spielberg has an editor.

Google says we have 3 seconds before someone hits the back button. Translation: sell yourself and do it quickly.

Victoria Harres

Brands: users define your brand and user experience designers hold the success of your brand.

Brands: users define your brand ..and user experience designers hold the success of your brand in their hands.

Brands as Patterns : #hashtags are patterns.

Tom Miale:

Big data is scary. By 2013, 667 exabytes of data will be generated…Only 5% of that will be structured.

The interview to end all interviews! Rovio announced the launch of Angry Birds Space today.

Sarah Skerik (me!)

I attended a session featuring Electronics Arts founder Bing Gordon, who also sits on the boards of Amazon and Zynga, and is an enthusiastic gamer. The conversation covered a lot of ground, and Bing offered some interesting perspective on game mechanics, and the nature of gamers themselves.

Gaming is the new MBA.

Every Fortune 500 company should have a gamer in the C-suite.

Gamers believe constant improvement is possible.

We’re moving from an era in which we learned by listening, into an era in which we learn by doing.  Gamers find the edges, and lose quickly.  They don’t read manuals. They see a door, and they open it.

Games are a system for creating meaning.

I also attended a session on video curation, which was the subject of an entire blog post titled Socially active videos and how curation drives visibility .

Related:  The view of SXSW Day One via Storify.

Day one is in the books.  We’ll see you back here tomorrow!

Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media, and is the author of the free ebook Unlocking Social Media for PR.

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Dear Gracie: How to Write Catchy Headlines

Posted on January 20, 2012 by | 3 Comments

A truly catchy headline!

Each week, Dear Gracie answers questions from ProfNet Connect readers with advice from our network of nearly 50,000 ProfNet experts. Has there been a question burning in your mind lately, something you’ve been wondering that none of your friends can answer? Please send it to grace.lavigne@prnewswire.com

Dear Gracie,

I’m PR agent, but I also freelance on the side, so I write press releases and articles regularly. I want to know how important headlines are to readers. What types of headlines generate the most interest? Are headlines different in print vs. online? Are puns a good idea? Can you go overboard trying to make a headline catchy?

Heady Headliner

***********

Dear Heady Headliner,

Nine experts from the ProfNet community offer their insight on headlines:

So Much Pun in Pictures: Contextualizing Headlines

Understand your limitations, says Marie Lang, editorial assistant for Rochester Insitute of Technology’s University News Services and editor of News & Events Daily, the online campus newsletter. “Print newspaper headlines are bound by columns and lines, but may have accompanying artwork or photos to play off of,” she says. “Online headlines are bound by SEO guidelines, character limits and a lack of accompanying visual aids.”

“If there is an image next to your headline, play off of what is happening in the photo,” says Lang.

“Overall presentation is enhanced when the headline picks up on the photo or illustration,” agrees Joseph McClain, director of research communications at The College of William & Mary. He provides this picture as an example:

The grasping crab in the photo actually dictated the “Seize the Bay!” headline, explains McClain. If the photo had been different, the headline wouldn’t have worked.

Punline Headlines: Writing for the Web

Kathryn Clark, media relations coordinator at Creighton University in Nebraska, notes that she frequently uses puns or clever words for headlines and story ideas — but on Facebook, she finds that the number of clicks on her article goes up when she’s “to the point.”

Always use an SEO keyword in every title, unless it compromises the catchiness of the title, says Joan Barrett, owner of The Content Factory.

“The most important words should be early in the headline,” says Lang. Ask yourself: If I were looking for this story online, what would I search for?

Barrett notes that “Top 10″ and numbered lists are generally the most popular, so try taking that angle whenever possible.

Kristina Jaramillo, a LinkedIn marketing expert and owner of GetLinkedInHelp.com, adds that revealing results in the headline can be effective too. For example, “See How This LinkedIn Marketing Expert Helped a Top Internet Marketer Increase Website Traffic by 33 Percent.”

She also says that providing a reason why someone should read your article will pique interest, for example: “Client Admits Losing $5 Million Due to Poor Workplace Communication Mistakes: Could You Be Making the Same Mistakes?“

And finally, consider using the power of media, says Jaramillo. For instance: “Negotiation Expert Featured on Fox Business Helps Companies Win Multi-Million Dollar Contracts.”

Add Some Punch: Using Word Play

“Brevity is the soul of wit,” says Nancy Juetten, author of “Bye-Bye Boring Bio” and the Authentic Visibility ezine. “Headlines should be brief, descriptive and compelling.” The goal is to turn heads and invite readership, she says.

“Eye-catching headlines are usually short and snappy,” agrees Lang. Use strong, descriptive verbs; and try alliteration, consonance and assonance, she says. “Grab your thesaurus and let it do some of the work for you.”

Lang provides an example: Compare “Bills Beat Broncos” to “Bills Trample Broncos.” The first headline lets the reader know the Bills won the game; the second example lets the readers know the Bills won the game by a landslide, with some added imagery of the victorious team running over the losers.

Sometimes taglines and phrases that are instantly identifiable to readers, albeit with a twist, are very effective, counters Zipporah Dvash, vice president of public affairs and development at SUNY Downstate Medical Center – University Hospital of Brooklyn at Long Island College Hospital.

For example, Dvash reported on a story a few years ago about a hospital physician in her community (Brooklyn) who was mugged and required plastic surgery. Although he could have gone to a ritzy Manhattan hospital, he asked a colleague at his hospital to do it. When Dvash wrote up the press release, she played to her readers’ sense of Brooklyn boosterism, plus the their knowledge of Las Vegas promo ads, and ran it with the headline: “What Happens in Brooklyn, Stays in Brooklyn.” Her press release was picked up by all six local newspapers.

Similarly, when Shel Horowitz — copywriter, marketing consultant and author of “Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet” — wrote a press release about a new book on electronic privacy, he titled it with, “It’s 10 O’Clock — Do You Know Where Your Credit History Is?“

“I liked it because it did not say ‘Electronic Privacy Expert Releases New Book,’ or anything else that was boring and expected,” explains Horowitz.

By taking an old, familiar meme, and reinventing it in a completely new context, the headline was much more interesting, he explains.

But be creative and original, says Lang. “Don’t rely on overused clichés.” For example, using “‘Tis the Season” in your headline around the holidays is probably boring to readers.

Funny Phrases (Comical or Strange?): Ambiguity in Headlines

Although it is essential to choose a headline for your article that reflects what it is actually about, ambiguity in headlines is a tried-and-true trick of the trade.

Dwight Bachman, public relations officer for Eastern Connecticut State University, shares this example: The former president of Eastern Connecticut State University, Dr. David G. Carter, used to (and still does) speak to inmates at the prison in Brooklyn, Conn., to encourage them to read more.

When Bachman wrote up a press release about Carter’s visits with inmates, he ran it with this ambiguous headline, “Eastern President David Carter Going to Jail!”

It’s ambiguous because while the headline was truthful (Carter was in fact visiting inmates), it can simultaneously be interpreted as Carter being sent to jail — which is a much more jarring statement.

Bachman got calls from several editors, with responses like, “You sure got my attention!” because they initially thought they had a scandal to report on.

In the end, several reporters did end up writing articles on Carter’s outreach efforts, and it made the front pages of several newspapers. So even though the headline didn’t guarantee story coverage, it got people to pay attention.

Inkcouragement: Thinking up Headlines

“Don’t beat yourself up if a gorgeous headline isn’t the first thing that pops into your head,” says Lang. “Sometimes they do, but for the rest of the time, grab a pen and paper or open a fresh Word document and just start writing or typing.”

“Start with your keywords, what the story is about, or what you want to emphasize,” Lang continues. “Write it all down, even the headlines you think are no good. Maybe that no-good headline becomes a great one when you substitute a word here or add a word there.”

If your headline is destined for the Web, then also try searching for your keywords to see what comes up, says Lang.

And remember: “No matter how good you think a headline is, it’s worthless if no one understands it,” says Lang. So if you think up a creative headline, and you’re not sure if it works, play it safe and ask for a second opinion.

Very Punny: Final Tip

Juetten recommends checking out the Advanced Marketing Institute’s “Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer.” It’s a free tool that allows you to enter your headline into an analysis engine to find out its emotional marketing value. (Neat!)

However, she notes that sometimes a headline won’t earn a great score, but you’ll know in your gut that it’s a good one. “It’s ultimately a judgment call when push comes to shove,” she says. “For those who want to get known and get paid, it is the measuring of results and ongoing testing that are important to optimizing results.”

Gracie

Written by Grace Lavigne, editor of ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. Dear Gracie is published weekly on ProfNet Connect, a free social networking site for communicators. To read more from Grace, check out her blog on ProfNet Connect.

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Grammar Hammer: Resolve to Use Latin Phrases Before the Apocalypse

Posted on January 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Latin may be a dead language, but Latin phrases and words are still present in many languages all over the globe. Knowing a few Latin expressions will not only help you improve as a reader, but also as a writer, because Latin phrases can help us express ourselves in different and interesting ways.

Make a resolution this year to incorporate more Latin phrases into your everyday speech and writing — and maybe consider keeping your resolutions this time, because according to some conspiracy theorists and (possibly) the honorable Mayans, 2012 could be your last chance!

 The following examples were inspired by end-of-the-world predictions: 

Ad hoc: something created for a specific purpose, kind of like “impromptu”

  • When you can see the asteroid coming with your naked eye, it’s too late for an ad hoc escape plan.

Bona fide: made in good faith without fraud or deceit, kind of like “legitimate”

  • If the sky starts raining fire, you will know it was a bona fide prediction.

De facto: in fact; common in practice, but not established by law

  • Putting a paper bag on your head is the de facto attire for the apocalypse.

Et cetera: commonly abbreviated as “etc.,” meaning “unspecified additional items,” kind of like “and other things” or “and so forth”

  • Put together an end-of-the-world survival kit containing canned food, flashlights, blankets and offerings to the gods.

Et alii: commonly abbreviated as “et al,” meaning “and others” or “and the rest” to stand for a list of names

  • The skies will eventually clear and the new reptilian overlords will lay down the ground rules for you, me, John, Jane, et al.

In perpetuum: forever, perpetually

  • Hopefully the gods will be kind and it will not rain pestilence in perpetuum.

Per se: by itself or in itself (or by/in oneself or themselves), kind of like “intrinsically”

  • The Mayans weren’t pessimists per se, but their prediction sure seems depressing.

Quasi: having some resemblance (but not imitation)

  • Don’t listen to quasi prophets like Harold Camping, the Mayans are the real deal — they’re from a long time ago.

Sic: “thus” or “so,” inserted in [brackets] in printed text to indicate that an odd or questionable reading is what was actually said or printed

  • Original: December will be a moth to remember.
  • Intention: December will be a month to remember.
  • Revision: December will be a moth [sic] to remember.

Verbatim: word-for-word, in the exact words

  • We must record the reptilian overlords’ words verbatim, so as not to cause confusion like in the past.

Vice versa: with the order changed, with the relations reversed

  • Order changed: We should keep working on the bunker in my backyard, and then we can work on your bunker, or vice versa.
  • Relations reversed: Scientists hold some contempt for conspiracy theorists, and vice versa. 

Remember: Take the 2012 apocalyptic prediction cum grano salis (with a grain of salt) and have a great year regardless, because vita brevis (life is short) with or without the end of the world!

Written by Grace Lavigne, editor of ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. Grammar Hammer is published weekly on ProfNet Connect, a free social networking site for communicators. To read more from Grace, check out her blog on ProfNet Connect.

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How to Write For and Manage a Blog: #ConnectChat Recap

Posted on January 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment

In this week’s #ConnectChat on Tuesday, Jan. 3, we featured blogging expert Nathan Burgess (@prcog), who explained “How to Manage and Write for a Blog” with advice for company and personal bloggers on coming up with story ideas, managing guest bloggers, scheduling posts, working as a team and more.

Natan Burgess (@prcog) is the editor/publisher of PR Breakfast Club (#PRBC)

Burgess is a senior account executive and digital strategist at BlissPR, a B2B PR and marketing communications firm in New York City. In this role, Burgess advises client companies on the development of social media and digitally based marketing programs

Nathan is also the editor/publisher of PRBreakfastClub (#PRBC), a group-run blog dedicated to all areas of marketing and communications.

ProfNet: Nathan, thanks for joining us!

Burgess: @ProfNet Happy to be here, looking forward to the discussion

ProfNet: Feel free to jump in with questions and comments! And remember to include the #ConnectChat hashtag so we can all see your input.

KelByrd: My first #ConnectChat. Glad to be here to discuss writing/managing a blog, especially as a #PRBC contributor.

ProfNet: Now let’s get started and have some fun!

Nathan, what’s the main goal of PR Breakfast Club (#PRBC)? How did it start?

Burgess: The main goal of PRBC is really to provide a forum for PR pros (and all communicators) to discuss industry issues ranging from techniques and tips to handling working relationships. Anything really that could be of interest.

Burgess: The blog itself was derived from an informal Twitter chat we’d conduct (usually in the mornings, hence the breakfast reference).

Burgess: Eventually it got too large and the topics too heady to be kept in a Twitter chat, so started a blog, on a whim.

Burgess: I’m pretty sure none of us were really sure how long it’d go on, but we just decided to start it. Seems to have worked out :)

Burgess: We take the blog as basically an extra-curricular activity — related to our work, but not client-work related (necessarily).

John_Trader1: I know I learn a ton on the #PRBC blog and make many new connections with #PR industry pros.

JasMollica: One thing that #PRBC does very well is create and foster great #PR conversations. Testament to @PRCog and founders.

@ngtoo: @PRCog Please give link to your blog, Nathan.

Burgess: Good question — we’re at prbreakfastclub.com

How do you come up with story ideas?

Burgess: Since we’re mostly in the biz, story ideas come from anywhere: interactions with coworkers and clients, reading other industry blogs, researching materials for clients or new biz, etc.

Burgess: Like any good blog, we also get inspiration from random sources: conversations with non-communications people, daily life, newsworthy events — you never know what’s going to inspire a good blog post.

Hoovers: Some of the best blog topic ideas come from comment threads.

Burgess: @Hoovers Very true. Listening to the audience is an excellent way to gauge their areas of interest.

@John_Trader1: @JasMollica @PRCog Inspiration does come from odd places. My most recent was a photo of someone and his wife.

@John_Trader1: Creative minds allow inspiration to come from everywhere! :)

@Hoovers: Quora, Focus and LinkedIn group discussions are always great fodder for blog content!

jaymes_bee: I love the “PR is like (golf, sailing, etc…)” series. Makes you think of it in a new light

How do you find guest contributors? What qualifications do they need?

Burgess: Mostly we’re approached by contributors and occasionally remind folks that anyone is welcome to pitch us.

Burgess: We also have a pretty obvious ‘How to Contribute’ tab on the site (prbc.biz/y).

Burgess: Occasionally on hot topics, I’ll ask someone I think is well-suited or informed to write a specific post. Those tend to be very successful posts.

Burgess: We try to be mostly a “platform,” so our guidelines are pretty loose. Essentially, they need to be “touching” the biz in some way, and the post needs to be non-repetitive, non-self-promotional and provide something for our audience.

@John_Trader1: Don’t be afraid to approach commenters as part of your research for a blog post. Most are very willing to help.

@KelByrd @John_Trader1 Great point! Those that are engaged in the conversation are happy to share their opinion/keep it going.

How do you organize guest contributions? Do you approve their story ideas? Do they pitch or write first?

Burgess: Guest contributors are added to the mix with other posts.

Burgess: Timeliness is the primary factor across the board when deciding schedules. Obviously, we don’t want to be days/weeks late (without a good reason) on a hot news item.

Burgess: The pitching process varies. If we’re pitched just the topic — yes, I’ll approve (or recommend changes) first.

Burgess: But sometimes complete posts do come in. Mostly they’re well-written, but we’ve had to reject some on occasion.

Burgess: Telling contributors why you’ve made changes let’s them know you care and they can write more appropriately next time around.

So do you schedule posts with the other #PRBC writers to keep the site’s content up-to-date?

Burgess: I schedule all posts for the site, so thankfully we don’t run into any issues with post schedules.

Burgess: Having a single point person on those kinds of items ensures there won’t be any crossed signals.

kharacz: We are launching a client’s blog that will feature four points of view. Any do’s/don’ts?

ProfNet: To add onto @kharacz’s question, what’s it like working as a team on one blog?

Burgess: @ProfNet @kharacz Good questions. We have some basic guidelines on areas where there could be major conflict.

Burgess: It’s definitely important to try to foresee where there could be problems — posting frequency, traffic generation — and do what you can to head them off at the pass.

Burgess: Regarding “do’s” — an editorial calendar/schedule is immensely helpful, and depending on frequency of posts, etc., building in provisions or queued posts for time off or busy times can help.

Burgess: Thankfully, we try to be mostly a platform, rather than an entity putting forth one point of view — we all realize that and know that differences of opinion will necessarily be part of that mix.

@Hoovers: Make sure you can “feed the content monster” regularly and well — for all four personas.

@John_Trader1: “Do”: Have the contributors cross-promote each others posts in their channels to increase exposure.

@Hoovers: Get a commitment from blog contributors or internal client stakeholders to comment on blog posts they don’t write.

@kharacz: Thanks for all the great ideas! I’m taking notes!

 

What was your most successful blog post, and why?

Burgess: Our most successful blog post so far has been @shellykramer‘s post on the Etsy problem last year prbc.biz/hf  It produced quite a bit of traffic and comments.

Burgess: Usually successful posts are those that speak to either the entire PR community or have more general relevance outside the PR world.

Burgess: Another great one that produced quite a bit of traffic and was valued across the board was @elizabethsosnow’s performance review prep (prbc.biz/gu) [disclosure: @elizabethsosnow is a managing director at @BlissPR — hi boss :)

@Hoovers: Many popular blog posts have an element of controversy in them.

@John_Trader1: @Hoovers Very true. Controversy gets eyeballs and tons of traffic as long as it’s done in a tasteful way.

@Hoovers: Mix the unexpected in with a good story (that evokes emotion in your audience), and you’ve got a winning blog post!

How do you come up with headlines? Any analytics to prove that certain headlines work better than others?

Burgess: A decent amount of our traffic comes through tweets and our mailing list, which only shows the headline, author and a teaser.

Burgess: So, headlines really are vitally important. It’s been said before, but frequently the best headlines mix controversy with info.

Burgess: A prime, recent example is my own, on “Why I’d Rather Hire a Liberal Arts Student Than a PR Student” bit.ly/wvGBTN

Burgess: It wasn’t precisely accurate, but we had enough PR students see the headline to read the entire post.

Burgess: Another great one was @John_Trader1′s “Put Away the Toys, It’s Now Time to Be Accountable” prbc.biz/o6

@John_Trader1: @PRCog Thanks for mentioning that post… it was fun writing and thinking about!

sgirl73 What are your thoughts on multimedia blog posts (photo or video only) vs. text only? More/less engaging?

Burgess: Good question @sgirl73 Video is great from an SEO perspective, and both can provide more content than you’d get in a similar amount of time spent on site.

Burgess: I would encourage a transcript (not teaser) below the video/audio player. Some people aren’t fond of video, have bandwidth restriction or read posts while not connected, so giving the content in alternative ways gives your readers every possible way to digest the content.

How do you drive traffic to your blog? How important are analytics to the PR Breakfast Club team?

Burgess: Traffic comes in from a number of sources — editors tweet and cross-promote the post of the day, Facebook shares, LinkedIn updates, even occasionally Google+. A few of us also include the blog in our Livefyre/discus profiles.

Burgess: Search also plays a pretty key role and we pay attention to the search terms that are driving traffic and try to structure posts so they drive home the point and hook the reader (and encourage sharing).

Burgess: Analytics are somewhat important, more to know what’s popular and what’s not since we don’t have any cash-flow/monetization from the site. It’s not a make or break situation on the analytics, but we do keep an eye on it, especially to see aberrations.

PRFlipside: What blogging platform would you recommend for someone not so savvy?

Burgess: Good question @PRFlipside I’m a fan of WordPress. Even though it may be a bit “high end” for non-savvy users, once set up, it’s relatively pain-free and can easily be added to when that horsepower is needed. The open developer base is great, and they can even start on wordpress.com (and even use a custom domain) and move to self-hosted when/if needed.

@PRFlipside: Thoughts on Tumblr? Have you tried it?

Burgess: I’ve tinkered with Tumblr and like it quite a bit in the right circumstances.

How important is a blog for marketing purposes?

Burgess: Depending on overall goals — in my humble opinion — vital. Blogging provides a platform for the company to produce and host their own content.

Burgess: They own the bat, ball and playground and can decide how “far” or how “safe” they want to play it, which can be of particular concern for highly regulated industries.

 

SummerHandzlik: One goal for 2012 is to start a blog. Should the address of my blog be my full name, and what host site would you suggest?

Burgess: A full name can be helpful and good for branding, but you also want it to be memorable. Initials work well.

prdude: Or be anonymous. RT @PRCog: @SummerHandzlik A full name can be helpful, but you also want it to be memorable. Initials work well.

Burgess: As far as the host site, that’ll vary based on needs: how many sites you’ll be setting up, tech ability and budget.

 

@PRFlipside: How important is a company blog and does it hurt the brand if there are no comments (meaning no readers)?

Burgess: If it’s the ideal platform — then vital. For some companies, it’s just not a good platform.

Burgess: As far as lack of comments, well, you won’t get comments until it’s promoted/open and if the posts don’t ask for commentary/opinion, etc.

 

How can bloggers walk the line between making readers aware of their services/products and blatant self-promotion?

Burgess: Being an industry leader/thought leader is more than just “me me me” — it’s about the whole industry.

Burgess: Discussing issues that are of a more general concern for their audience and keeping their own content to about 20 percent helps keep the balance about right.

Burgess: If the audience just wanted self-promotional materials, they’d subscribe to the company’s press release feed and be done with it. By discussing more broadly than the needs the company serves directly, it demonstrates their awareness of the marketplace as a whole.

@Hoovers: Good blogs foster conversations. Reading egocentric blog content is like going on a date with a narcissist.

What are common mistakes your clients make? What is typically the biggest challenge/problem?

Burgess: The biggest challenge is ensuring that bloggers cultivate a bigger digital footprint than just the blog.

Burgess: If you build it, they will come only goes so far — you still need seats for the audience, not just the field.

Burgess: Complete LinkedIn profiles, participation on other industry blogs, LinkedIn forums/Q&A and, for the right companies, Twitter chats or Facebook groups can also provide a good foundation to bring people to a blog.

Burgess: I give a bit more detail in a Bliss blog post here: t.co/ajtcALyU

@KelByrd: And, of course, “If You Build It, Keep It Up” bit.ly/o5A3nE (shameless promotion)

heidiraff By “clients,” do you mean clients of PR firms?

Burgess: Yep — clients of agencies/firms. At @BlissPR, the great majority of our work is with B2B companies.

 

Do you encourage clients to find guest posters?

Burgess: Most definitely. This broadens the circle of individuals who will see the blog.

Burgess: Guests will share it with their own network, and it exposes the regular readers to a new viewpoint. It’s very much a win-win-win (blogger-contributor-readers).

Does anyone have any final questions or comments?

@JasMollica: Great #ConnectChat today! Looking forward to the next one!

@prdude: Thanks. It was a great first #ConnectChat of the year. It’ll be a tough act to follow.

@KelByrd: Thanks for the great #ConnectChat. Looking forward to participating in more.

@Hoovers: It was our pleasure to participate! #ConnectChat is fast becoming a ritual around here. :-)

profkrg: Students: If you aren’t following #PRBC, do it now! Subscribe to the blog feed and follow it on Twitter.

ProfNet: That’s a wrap! Thank you so much to everyone who took part in #ConnectChat. Hope you found it informative!

ProfNet: Thank you @PRCog! This #ConnectChat was a great way to kick off the year. Hope you enjoyed it!

Burgess: My pleasure. It was great “speaking” with everyone. :)

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