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Writing

Press Releases, Public Relations, Writing, Writing Advice

Simplifying the Complicated News Release

There has been a lot of discussion among public relations professionals about the value of a press release. I don’t think the concept of a press release is “dead” especially went it comes to a complicated issue such as a court filing or a motion to dismiss. In these instances, the news release is very much alive but the dilemma on how to explain a complicated issue is real. It brings into opposition two essential objectives of communication that are extremely relevant in our efforts to reach out to the media and gain coverage: clarity and accuracy. It is possible to communicate effectively with the media and achieve our PR objectives without dumbing down the press release or making key details confusing. Here are five good rules for doing this. Take time to understand the details. You will write a much better press release if you fully understand what it’s about….

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Bios, Writing, Writing Advice

It’s Time to Refresh Your Bio

Time changes. Another birthday passes. A new year. These are perfect reminders to revisit your bio to make sure it’s updated. As professional communicator, I am often asked about the best steps to communicate effectively with prospective clients. I always suggest starting with the bio. Whether it’s for a firm’s website or LinkedIn, the bio the first place people go when they get your name from a referral. Every study of law firm websites has concluded that, beyond the home page, the lawyers’ biographical pages are the most visited pages on the site. That’s because, with a few exceptions, people don’t hire law firms. They hire lawyers, who, after all, are human beings, and they want to know whether you are the right person to fix their business problem. That means the bio is your first and probably your only chance to make a good impression. So you should review it a…

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Love your Bio: It’s Your best PR Tool
February 14, 2017
Is Your Outdated Bio Costing You Opportunities?
October 21, 2015
Writing, Writing Advice

How Article Headlines Attract and Mislead Readers

I have written in the past about the importance of headlines for articles or blog posts because they influence whether someone will go beyond the headline to read the full piece.   In 2014, in a perceptive article in The New Yorker, psychologist and writer Maria Konnikova said, A headline changes the way people read an article and the way they remember it. The headline frames the rest of the experience. A headline can tell you what kind of article you’re about to read . . . and it sets the tone for what follows. Psychologists have long known that first impressions really do matter — what we see, hear, feel, or experience in our first encounter with something colors how we process the rest of it. Articles are no exception.  Journalists know headlines are intended to serve several purposes. They help the reader decide quickly whether she is interested enough in the story to read it. They deliver…

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How to Write a Headline That Captures A Reader’s Attention
October 19, 2016
Writing, Writing Advice

Storytelling for Impactful Communication

Back in 2016, I wrote a post hereabout the importance of storytelling. “Facts are boring. Stories are compelling,” I said. I explained briefly that public relations professionals succeed when they can develop a compelling story with a clear beginning, middle and end. Stories are ultimately about people, and reporters know that the human angle engages readers and brings them in. A few days ago, my friend John Buchanan, senior communications manager at the law firm Sheppard Mullin, published an article in Marketing the Law Firm magazine that starts with these points and develops them further and more deeply. John goes beyond PR and press releases, emphasizing that all types of law firm content, all types of marketing materials, should depend on storytelling to capture an audience. Drawing on psychological and anthropological research, John wrote, “Storytelling is as old as humankind itself. Since the beginning of time, people have told stories and it seems…

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Facts are boring. Stories are Compelling.
February 22, 2016