In this latest instalment of PR Tools, @LeonsFurniture chain made many instructive press release mistakes. As usual, the PR Writer is mystified how a major national chain like Leon’s can pay significant sums to distribute a news release with so many basic mistakes and a need for editing.
Headline style, cliches, capitalization, it vs. they, all in a day’s work for the Better PR Writer.
n today’s story #prfail, @castingworkbook.com misses some key news release basics and also lets its own ego get in the way of a news story. Here are some edits:
t always astonishes me that PR departments and agencies pay top dollar to release news electronically and make such basic mistakes. Here are a few from recent news releases.
This news release from Nikon at first glance looked very well done and was a successful PR tool. It’s still effective. However, in studying it, the word repeats surprisingly made me re-think my original assumptions.
When 36 per cent – or from 75 to 48 words – can be removed from a news release, without changing the meaning, then Better PR Writer alarm bells ring, and the editing PR Tools must be deployed right away.
This PR Tools news release excellently illustrates the benefits of several important Better PR Writer lessons: avoid the passive voice, get rid of ‘of’ and edit out location words (in, located in).
Once again, a paid news release, the essential PR Tool, is issued, and ignores the most essential news development, preferring to describe its achievements before getting to the reason for sending the release over PR newswires.
In this news release, definitely for a good cause, there are several instructive writing tips that shorten the headline and lead, but also add clarity.
As a news release maven, it makes it all worthwhile to find that even PR firms have bad days and produce ill-conceived news releases.