Rachael
collier
PR writing 101
Rachael Collier is a Hamilton-based independent public relations professional with 12 years of experience working in the Canadian industry. She cut her teeth in the world of large agencies before launching her own business four years ago.
Rachael will take you through the elements of building a press kit for your small business and how to effectively communicate your business and biography on your website.
About Me
I'm an independent public relations professional with 12 years of experience working in the Canadian industry. I cut my teeth in the world of large agencies before launching my own business four years ago. My ability to develop strategic PR programs that move the needle for my clients has earned me my strong reputation in the industry. My business is 100% referral based.
Role of PR
The best PR campaigns
provide a timely, compelling
story with natural brand
messaging woven
throughout. They aren’t
sales-driven or overly
branded.
Your Agenda
Highlight your
services and/or
products to gain
potential customers.
Media Agenda
Looking for an
interesting story,
person or experience
to share with their
audience via editorial lens..
Public relations defines how a company or person communicates with people
customers, partners, journalists, government stakeholders, and the public
PR 101: Small Business
Focus on attainable goals and the steps needed to get there
Your business doesn’t have to be on a major TV station, be on the front page of the Globe and Mail or be the topic of household conversations to do PR well
Be thoughtful and strategic in your PR outreach. Media relations is not free -
your time is money!
Understand you may be asked to pay to play
PR Writing
What is it?
Writing information for a target audience or the general public through different media channels. These can include:
Newsletters
Media Kits
Social Media Posts
Speeches
PR writing is persuasive with various goals: increasing understanding,
sharing your message, increasing good will - or seeking to salvage your reputation.
Show instead of tell. Don’t tell readers what to think.
Give them the facts, and let them to make their own conclusion.
Elements of Success
01.
Tell a story. Be editorial driven-not sales driven
02.
Keep it simple. Focus on your core messages
03.
Avoid jargon
04.
Pay attention to your audience
05.
Be clear but casual
06.
Think digital. 95% of Canadian readers access their news digitally
07.
Include facts and stats
08.
Proofread. Read it out loud. Read it again!
Avoid Redundancy
Additional bonus = bonus
Extremely unique = unique
Really special = special
Cheat Sheet: Does a sentence make sense without a word? If so, remove it.
This is often words like certainly, probably, actually, basically, virtually. If
using literally - use it correctly!
Condense
Has the capacity to be able to,
Is in a position to = Can
Due to the fact that,
In light of = Because
In reference to,
With regards to = About
Active Voice
More engaging, more energy
Your choice 80 per cent of the time
Rachael taught a class at the YWCA.
At the YWCA, Rachael taught a class.
Is this guidance different from your assumptions about
writing for public relations?
Canadian Press Style Book
The Canadian Press (CP) style guides provide authoritative advice on writing & editing from Canada's national news agency. CP Style uses the Oxford English Dictionary as its authoritative guide for spelling.
Whether you're in journalism, communications, publishing or public relations, ensure your writing is accurate and consistent by following the standards set out.
This will elevate your materials and make them seem polished and professional.
Numbers
Spell out numbers one to nine and use figures for 10 and above.
Example: There were three Fords, two Chevrolets, 15 Volkswagens, 22 Chryslers and one
Hummer on the car lot, of which 30 had four-cylinder engines, 10 were sixes and three were eights.
For numbers at the beginning of a sentence, always spell out the number
Example: Fifteen people showed up to PR Writing 101.
Numerals are also used in numbers with fractions, decimals, votes and scores
The box was 9.5 centimetres by 7.2 centimetres.
Edmonton beat Calgary 3-2
The court ruled 5-3 in favour of the motion
Numerals, however, are used in ages when they stand after a name.
Example: Bruce, 3, had two sisters, five and seven.
Do not list decades or centuries in the possessive form
Example: 1920s not 1920’s
Punctuation
Titles of movies, books, podcasts, albums, TV shows etc in italics. When impossible, place in quotation marks.
His latest movie, The Shape of Water, went on to win five awards.
Her podcast “Motherhood 101” was in the top ten for weeks
Abbreviations & Dates
Avoid abbreviations if possible, unless very familiar to readers
(CBC, NDP, MP, NATO, RCMP, CEO)
Write out names of months when they are not part of a specific date.
In precise dates, abbreviate the following months: January (Jan.), February (Feb.), August (Aug.), September (Sept.), October (Oct.), November (Nov.) and December (Dec.). March, April, May, June and July are not abbreviates
Cheat Sheet: Technically it is “per cent” not % or “percent”
When the subject of the sentence implies quantity use “Less than”; if the subject implies number, use “fewer than”.
Common Errors
Seasons should be lowercase
winter, spring, summer and fall
Website URLs - remove “https://”, "http://", “www” and last forward slash (“/”)
Less/Fewer:
Normally, fewer is used with multiples e.g. fewer students and less is used with singulars e.g. less tuition.
Further/Farther
Generally, “farther” refers to physical distance. She ran farther than him.
“Further” may be used to mean “moreover” or “additional”. Further to Rachael’s talk, she recommended writing for two hours per week to practice.
Cheat Sheet
When in doubt check the Globe & Mail to see how they use a word or phrase
Humber College Style Guide
Leveraging Data
Data
Media LOVE data. It adds
legitimacy to their stories - and yours!
The best part? You can shape data to fit your desired story.
Geographical
Transport
Cultural
Natural
Scientific
Meteorological
Financial
Statistical
External Data
Durand Health has seen an increase in patients as the wellness industry continues to thrive. In fact, according to a 2022 poll from Ipsos Reid, Canadians spent 23 per cent more on visits with wellness-related practitioners last year.
Internal Data
Example: You gained five patients one month and 10 the next
Good: Durand Health had five new patients in November 2022 and 10 in December 2022
Better: Durand Health saw a 100 per cent increase in new patients from November to December 2022
Data Research
- Existing news stories
- Canadian news wire (newswire.ca)
- Ipsos Reid website
- Google
- Internal data - sales, products, clients, customer surveys
Communicating Business Values
WIIFM
What’s in it for me?
Customers don’t buy or use your services because of features or benefits. They buy because of the needs the product or service will meet in their lives.
Do not mix features, benefits, and needs.
Features:
What it is/what you offer
Benefit:
What is does
Needs:
Why it’s important
Digital Marketer
Feature: Social media expertise
Benefit: Access to tried and tested techniques to manage social channels.
Message/Need Fulfilled: Your business will grow on autopilot with my blueprint for managing social media..
Winter Boots
Feature: Lined with Merino sheepskin.
Benefit: High-quality, luxury interior.
Message/Need fulfilled: Keep your feet cozy and warm and enjoy unrivalled comfort with the highest quality sheepskin lining.
Exercise 1: What are the following for your business? Write them using
your PR writing tips & tricks.
Feature:
Benefit:
Message/Need fulfilled:
Exercise 1: What are the following for your business?
Feature:
Media training 101
Benefit:
Be better prepared for media interviews
Message/Need fulfilled:
Learn how speak confidently to media, communicate your message and promote your business in this crash course for entrepreneurs.
PR starts with effective communication.
Communicating value means walking your audience from exposure to awareness to action.
1
Grab Attention: Why is what you have to say important to your audience?
2
Make Them Understand: One of the most common mistakes is assuming people understand more than they do.
1
Be Believable: Is your message concrete and credible? Does your audience believe it?
2
Call to Action: Is it clear what you want them to do and how/why you want them to do it?
Exercise 2: Communicate Your Business Value in a Statement
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Exercise 2: Communicate Your Business Value in a Statement
Rachael Collier is independent public relations professional with 15 years of experience working in the Canadian industry with clients like the LCBO, P&G and Hyundai. She cut her teeth in the world of large PR and advertising agencies before launching her business developing strategic PR programs that move the needle for her clients through corporate media strategy, copywriting, media relations and media training.
Working with Rachael provides your small business with access to a seasoned PR pro who can help you gain exposure, raise awareness, and communicate effectively. Reach out for a free thirty minute consultation to uncover what value the right PR partner can bring to your business.
Exercise 2: Create your About section
ADD
Business value
Years of experience/in business
Location
Website
Social Channels
Creating a Press Kit
A press kit is a set of documents or a section of your website that makes it easy for journalists to learn about your business and access photos and videos to use in their content. Press kits give journalists all the facts and figures they need so they can focus on telling a compelling story.
Typically this includes:
About Us
Contact Details
High resolution product images/details with descriptive names:
LaunchEventRibbonCutting.jpg > image2_33451.jpg
Logos: Transparent background
Team bios & quotes
Press release/previous media coverage (if relevant)
Provide as a PDF, drop box, google drive, or section of your website.
Not just for journalists:
- Advertising partners who want to know more about you
- Potential business partners
- Collaboration opportunities
- Sponsorship opportunities
Press Release
STRUCTURE
Inverted pyramid writing formula, meaning that the most important information—the who,
what, why, where, when and how—of the story should be as close to the beginning of the
document as possible, ideally in the first paragraph. Then less important details follow.
WHY IS FOLLOWING THIS STRUCTURE IMPORTANT?
Editors often have to cut stories to fit the space or time available. Editors cut from the bottom up. So if your most important information was at the bottom, it's gone
must haves
nice to haves
optional
Critical Facts:
Who, what when, where, why, how
Supporting Details: Quotes & content
Related Info
PRESS RELEASE 101
_______Headline
_______Subhead (optional)
_______Image/video (optional)
_______Location & Date
_______Lead paragraph
_______Quote
_______Supporting Info
_______End Signature (typically -30- or three hashtags ###)
_______Boilerplate (aka - the "about your business" section)
_______Contact Info
COMPONENTS
Fun Fact: XXX is telegraphic shorthand signify the end of a transmission to a time when stories were written in longhand and X marked the end of a sentence, XX the end of a paragraph, and XXX the end of a story (XXX=30 in Roman numerals
elements of a press release
headlines & subheads
Keep it short and sweet (as little as 10 words | Facts and Figures | ||
Hook the reader | Subhead supports your story | ||
Active Tense |
Remember that your headline will be cut off after 55-70 characters in Google search results
No brand mention in headline
Fails to leverage data in a compelling way
Too long (123 characters)
Buried the true lead - they created a Storm Chips Pizza!
Fun, engaging, brand mention, sub head backs with data
LEAD PARAGRAPH
Hamilton, ON - February 4 2023 - State the purpose of your press release in the first sentence. Your next sentence should further your point. Now you can include any supporting data that is a must read here.
QUOTE
“Say something from the most senior or influential person that drives home the point of the news release,” said spokesperson name, title. “This is a great chance to editorialize since a quote is an opinion, not necessarily fact. You can put 2-3 sentences here.”
BODY PARAGRAPHS
- Aim for four sentences per paragraph or less
- Headers and lists can be helpful and make your release more SEO friendly
- Use facts & figures to support your story - even if they aren’t yours! Just be sure to cite them
- Include one to three unique hyperlinks tied to your call to action.
Whatever you do - don't just say “click here”
Exercise 3: Writing a Headline and Lead Paragraph
Write a headline and, if desired, a subhead about an announcement from your business or service. It can be real or fictional
Write your 2-3 sentence paragraph lead in
If time - write a quote
Examples:
- New service or product offering
- Expansion
- New hires
- Business launch
- Seasonal campaign
- New partnership
Recap
Show instead of tell. Don’t tell readers what to think.
Give them the facts, and let them to make their own conclusion.
Keep is short, snappy, persuasive .
Browse the Canadian newswire.
A first draft that needs editing is better than no draft at all.
More Resources
Keep in Touch
Visit Rachael's Website Follow Rachael on LinkedIn Email Rachael: rc@rachaelcollierpr.com