Unit 5: Writing for Public Relations
Public relations communications may take many forms from media releases to public speaking, counseling, training seminars, and hosting public events. Public relations writing will embrace a range of styles from straight-laced, corporate-speak to artsy, entertaining, and spellbinding. Sloppy disregard for fundamental rules will alienate the editors who control the gates of information flow and will undermine authority with your audience. One key resource for public relations writers is the AP Stylebook, which covers the standard writing style expected by most print editors. Writing primers can help with the basis of crafting effective communication. Examples of successful public relations materials are readily available: media releases, company reports, promotional materials, executive speeches, feature articles, and more.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 5 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- define the scope of and conduct public relations research;
- identify resources to enhance proper writing style, such as AP guidelines; and
- effectively prepare a range of PR communications.
5.1: Effective Public Relations Writing
5.1.1: Conducting Research
This chapter outlines the importance, purpose, and methods of conducting research, which is the essential first step for effective communications.
5.1.2: Reference Materials for Proper Writing Style
Consider obtaining this official guide to writing in AP style, a standard form for most newspapers in the United States. If you are going to do extensive work with the news media, it is a worthwhile investment to purchase this book. This book serves as an example of how a well-written press release uses AP style, provides cross-promotion with social media, and injects company information and contact detail. To see AP style at work, do a Google search for "AP style" and visit several pages that may give examples of the AP style rules applied to specific instances of writing. In the United States, you will also find newspapers serving your community typically use AP style, so you can examine those as well for samples of the style rules.
5.1.3: Writing Primers
Watch this video for suggestions on how to immediately improve your written communication skills. Public relations professionals spend lots of times writing things like internal and external communications, media releases, company reports, and memos. This video discusses six tips on how to do it much better.
Read these articles written by PR experts who specialize in public relations writing. Your time spent learning how to communicate more effectively with the news media and improving your writing skills will help ensure the success of your immediate campaigns as well as your ongoing professional career.
5.2: Preparing PR Communications
Read Chapters 5 through 9, which describe how PR professionals have capitalized on the popularity of social media channels to reach diverse audiences. Understanding the two-way nature and immediacy of social media message strategies is key to developing these channels, an environment that epitomizes 24-7 communication. PR practitioners need to understand their audience to tell their company stories in ways that keep them engaged and returning, as in conversation. The technology allows companies to monitor and curate their communications: the data becomes a corporate asset they can use to create and implement even more successful social media campaigns and programs.
5.2.1: Creating PR Materials
Read these articles written by PR experts who specialize in PR communications. These articles discuss the essential aspects of effective communications, including formulating your creative message for media and promotional materials as well as writing with a style that connects with your target audience in both their heads and hearts.
5.2.2: Public Presentations
Read these articles written by PR experts who specialize in public relations writing. The authors provide how-to tips on preparing for more effective personal presentations and suggestions for finding more speaking opportunities.
5.2.3: Internal Communications
Read these articles by public relations experts who specialize in internal communications. Internal communications is an aspect of public relations often overlooked; some would even suggest that internal communications are more important than our external outreach, at least when it comes to ensuring a solid foundation upon which to base your campaign.
Unit 5 Discussion
After you review the unit, post and respond to these topics on the discussion forum. Feel free to start your own related posts, and respond to other students' posts as well.
- What steps do you hope to use to improve your own writing skills?
- How do you best activate your own creativity (e.g. do you take a walk, keep a journal, etc.)?
- Share an example of a public speech you may have given. How did you prepare for the speech? How did it go?