Writing is the cornerstone of any PR program. Whether drafting technical abstracts or colorful consumer pitches, sharp writing separates the good from the great. To polish your skills, try these four resources:
Grammarly
A free online tool that will scan your writing and flag any grammatical errors. Before sending anything to clients, run your writing through the system to catch overused words, typos and punctuation problems. For content posted to social feeds, download the Chrome plugin to monitor any fields in your browser.
Grammar Girl
Not sure if you should be using further or farther? Check out the Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing Podcast. If you have a question about grammar, listen in or consult her site before shooting in the dark with unreliable Google sources. (Grammar Girl Pro Tip: Farther is for physical distances, further for metaphorical ones.)
Associated Press Stylebook
The AP Stylebook is a communications professional’s best friend. Though it seems tedious at times, properly formatted writing is a necessity in the PR world. Sign up for the AP newsletter to keep abreast of the latest updates and follow @APStylebook on Twitter to avoid commonly made mistakes.
Thesaurus.com
You can only use the words feature, highlight and showcase so many times before they become redundant. The thesaurus can revive repetitive writing but use it sparingly to avoid sounding like Dickens on steroids. Keep an arsenal of strong action verbs for plans and pitches.
Bonus Round: Check out these 25 tips to tighten writing from PR Daily.
By honing writing skills, you can build the foundation for a successful media relations program. The difference between a well-written press release and a poorly written one can mean success or failure for your client, so keep your writing right and tight.
Peter McCormack
Senior Account Executive
[cta]
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