13 rules to sharpen your PR writing

When a PR pro writes, it usually is a marketing activity—and that writing must be sharp, clear and focused.

PR writing is as varied as marketing content: press releases, brochures, letters, blogging, website content and video-script writing. In small businesses, the PR manager and the content marketer are the same person.

Here are 13 rules to follow to hone your writing skills and final product:

1. Journalism’s story foundation still applies.

If you’ve studied print journalism, you understand the inverted pyramid. The most important content goes first and details follow.

This is true today; people are still in a hurry.

Grab the reader’s attention first with the most important stuff, written in a compelling way. Focus on value to the reader, not to you, in the beginning.

2. Focus on the “5 W’s.”

You must answer the 5 W’s, especially in a press release. To make your piece more compelling, start with “why” instead of “what.” This will stimulate more interest.