7 Top Tips on How a PR Copywriter Creates Perfect PR Copy
You have a new product, service, or event coming up that you want people to know about — or maybe you just want some general exposure for your company. It’s a great plan, but how are you going to get the message out there? A press release, perhaps? Maybe some marketing copy to go with it?
We hear you, and we approve, but let’s make sure it’s perfect.
PR copywriting involves a lot more than just coming up with a sensationalist and attention-grabbing headline. Whether you’re pitching an article to a journalist or drafting your company’s press release, PR copy needs to be well-written, informative, and persuasive.
In the world of PR, your message could make or break your brand. If it doesn’t resonate with the journalist or blog that your business is pitching to, they won’t publish it — and that won’t do your company any favours. On the other hand, if you write fantastic copy that they can’t ignore, they might even ask to interview you!
So let’s define PR copywriting. What exactly does a PR copywriter do, and why is it different to marketing copywriting? Well, to put it plainly, PR copywriting is pure information, and marketing content is designed to sell something.
Both are written differently, by specialist marketing or PR copywriters, and have different tips, rules, and nuances. So, even if you’re adept at writing regular marketing content such as blogs or website copy, you might still need to know what PR copy is all about.
In this post, we’ll talk about how PR copywriting works, explain how you should write it, and give you our top tips for creating perfect PR copy that gets your company noticed.
1. Remember the 5 ‘W’s
PR copywriting leans heavily into the writing of press releases. They’re a big part of any PR strategy, and are used to announce new products, services, milestones, or events.
As any good PR copywriter will tell you, a press release usually follows a set structure: the first two sentences contain all the basic information the audience needs to know, with further details and elaboration through the rest of the copy.
When it comes to those first couple of lines, it’s important to keep the 5 ‘W’s in mind.
Who
You need to state the company name; this covers the ‘who’ of what the press release is about. Make sure it’s prominent, and preferably the first or second thing that is mentioned. It’s important that people know who the press release is about from the very beginning.
What
What is the product, service, or event that the press release talks about? According to professional PR copywriters, this should also be included within the first sentence. You can go into detail later, but make sure you establish it early.
Where
This one may seem unnecessary depending on what your press release is about, but we assure you it is needed. If it’s an event, where is it being held? If it’s a product, where is it being launched and where will it be available from? This usually goes in either the first or second sentence.
When
When is what you’re talking about going to happen? When is the product/service launching, or when is the event happening?
This will need to be mentioned within the first sentence, too.
Why
Now we add a little more detail into the start of your press release. The ‘why’ is simply why your company has decided to launch the product or create the event. What is the benefit to consumers? What was your motivation?
This is almost always included in the second sentence.
2. Be concise
It’s essential that a press release or other PR materials are written as concisely as possible. You need to convey the pertinent information without rambling or padding the word count with fluff.
The press, industry leaders, and the sector you’re writing for all need to be able to read your PR copywriting material, and immediately know exactly what it is you’re saying and why. They tend not to appreciate being led down a rabbit hole of pretty (but pointless) language.
3. Write in plain english
The last thing you want to do in your PR content is confuse everyone with high-level technical terms or industry jargon. Write in plain English, using simple to mid-level vocabulary. If you’re writing specifically for a certain sector and you are 100% sure that the audience will know certain terms, you can go ahead and use them. But, when writing for general consumers, always leave the jargon out.
4. Use a style guide
A lot of PR copywriting is for publication in a trade magazine, industry-leading website, or news outlet. If you’re hoping to get your press release or other PR content published somewhere specific, you’ll need to make sure you adhere to that publication’s style guide.
Each publication may have slightly different guidelines for things like:
The use of certain words
How to stylise things like ‘do’s and dont’s’ or ‘ins and outs’, etc.
The use of the Oxford comma
American vs British English spelling
The use of contractions
Starting sentences with conjunctions (and, but, because, etc.)
The use of colons and semi-colons
Which tense to use
Which ‘person’ to speak in
Which pronouns to use
Don’t guess — ask for or look up their style guide before you start writing, and make sure you follow it, or your copy is unlikely to be published. If you’ve hired a PR copywriter, you’ll need to let them know where the content will be published so they can find the relevant style guide.
5. Remember SEO for online content
For PR copywriting that’s being published online, you’ll need to make sure that people can find it. How do you do that? With SEO!
Search Engine Optimisation involves the use of keywords within your content, helping you rank well enough in a Google search that your audience finds you quickly.
To optimise for SEO, you’ll need to do a couple of things:
Write relevant, high-quality content
A large part of SEO optimisation is simply writing content that is relevant to the keyword you’re trying to rank for, as well as giving value to the audience. Make sure you give accurate, thorough information so their query can be answered.
Naturally insert keywords throughout the content
Don’t stuff keywords in where they don’t belong — insert them naturally throughout the copy, in places where they make sense and bring the most value to the reader. You can also make keywords link to authority websites.
Proofread your content
It’s not just about user experience when you publish online; Google cares about the quality of the content, as we’ve already mentioned, so grammar mistakes and misspelt words can cause a penalty to your rankings.
Proofread everything thoroughly to make sure it’s all correct, accurate, and reads well.
6. Don’t sell — inform and explain
A lot of copywriting involves selling of some kind, but not with PR copywriting. PR copywriting is about communication, not marketing, so your PR content should not be actively and blatantly trying to ‘sell’ something. You need to convey a clear message, give factual information, and explain the intended impact of the information or product.
Let’s say you are launching a new product: explain what the product is, what it’s for, why you created it, and what you believe the impact of the product to be — without overselling it.
Content that is intended for release to (or by) the press should only offer information, as their purpose is to put information out and not to sell. Only content that is aimed directly at consumers, such as your company website or product page, should have the intent to persuade and sell.
7. Finding a PR copywriter vs doing it yourself
With all these handy tips, you’re probably already brainstorming your next PR release. The thing is, whilst it sounds simple in theory, it’s a lot more complex in practice. PR copywriting is an art, just like marketing copywriting, and it can take years of experience to master.
Writing specifically to portray information in a clear, concise way, whilst incorporating best SEO practices and resisting the urge to sell, are all necessary components of PR writing — and a professional PR copywriter knows all the tricks.
Quick, effective, and dedicated to quality, outsourcing your PR copywriting to an expert is always a wise decision that can have a substantial return on investment. Making sure that people see, publish, and share your content is crucial, and expert PR copywriters know how to do it best.
At ZippyLingo, we’re dedicated to communication above all else. We live it, breathe it, pour it over our cornflakes for breakfast — it’s who we are. Our dedication and passion for communication make our professional PR copywriters the perfect choice for your business.
Following your branding, adhering to the required style guides, and making sure your message gets across effectively are what we do best.
Interested? Then get in touch with the ZippyLingo team today, and let’s talk about how our PR copywriters can meet your needs.
