When you want to grab attention in the media, or even just make customers sit up and take notice of your latest products by writing for your website, it pays to stick to tried and tested structures.

Here are a few tips on how to structure a news release:

A news release is cut from the bottom up

Your first paragraph has to say it all. If everything else in your new release is cut, this one paragraph should still be able to get across your story. In every news release, this is where you have to include the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘why’ and ‘where’ of your story.

This is a news release, not advertising puffery

The second paragraph of a news release is where you add more detail. But it has to be written as if by an independent third party. Ideally, a news release should include facts and provide info aimed at the readers of whichever publication or website you are targeting. As a rule of thumb, if a news release of up to 250 words has more than five company, product or brand name mentions, you’re heading towards advertising puffery and the editor’s bin.

Use your news release to say something interesting

If you’re approaching a local newspaper, write a quote that shows the editor just how relevant your news release is to the community. If you’re writing for a trade magazine, use the quote to emphasise your knowledge of the sector. But whoever you’re writing for, try and make your quote as interesting as possible. Please try to avoid the clichéd “we are delighted to announce…” or “this is an exciting partnership…” It just sounds dull. You can use the quote to show authority, compassion, enthusiasm, intelligence and any other emotion that will best position your business. Remember though to make it short, sharp and pithy.

Other rules of a news release

As well as sticking to around 250 words max, keep sentences and paragraphs short. Say 25/30 words per sentence, and only two or three sentences per paragraph. Always give it an independent tone and avoid advertising puffery like the plague. Think about the needs of the website of publication you are targeting – who will be the reader, what would interest them?

Finally, I haven’t mentioned headlines, nor have I discussed how to spot a newsworthy story or a news hook. I’ve chosen just to look at structure this time. News hooks and headlines for a news release are big topics, perfect for another day.

So the email comes though, you have 4 days to plan a presentation. The angst caused by the blank computer screen drives you to the nearest coffee shop and deep into any other task you can lay your hands on. Suddenly you have 12 hours to plan a presentation.

You can easily plan a presentation in under an hour

Sounds difficult. Believe me. It isn’t. Let’s start with the good news: most people only retain a handful of facts – six is a number often quoted. But three is my favourite number, find out why below. So forget complicated details or researching for hours on end. Make it short. Make it memorable.

Remember why you are having to plan a presentation in the first place?

What do you want to happen after the presentation? What is your longer-term goal? Basically you’ll be selling something – your expertise, your products, perhaps even your ability to rise to CEO. How can you make the sale?

Putting your aims to one-side for a minute, think about your audience. Who will be listening? Why are they there? What will make your presentation relevant to them? And how might they disagree with you? Try to cover off any negatives in the content.

The key? Plan a presentation in three’s

Throughout history, we have been using three’s. Think about popular phrases – “the good, the bad, and the ugly,” or “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” People remember best in three’s. It is the smallest number that creates a pattern. And it can describe the full range of options i.e. the cheapest, the mid-range and the most expensive.

The power of three in writing is definitely worth harnessing. And using three’s is the winning structure that helps you plan a presentation in under an hour. Once you’ve got your goals sorted, and you’ve thought about your audience, moving on to plan a presentation is easy.

This is what you do

Step 1) Which three things will you be covering during the presentation?

Step 2) For each of those three elements, which three messages will you be sharing with your audience? They might be facts or they might be points that help you build your argument or make the sale.

Step 3) Which three things will you use as your conclusion? What will close the sale or place you in the best possible light with your colleagues? But remember, these three things have to be relevant to your audience. Cover off any possible objections. And be crystal clear. This way they’ll remember your key points and you’ll be on the way to achieving your longer-term goal.

So next time you’re struggling to get your ideas down on paper, take these simple steps. Following the rule of three’s will cut the time you spent researching. It will cut the time you spend getting stressed. And it will boost the impact of your words.

Top tip: Use the rule of three’s not only when you plan a presentation, but also for blog posts, letters, emails and any other times you need to get your message across.

One of the things I love about copywriting is that I regularly get the chance to uncover and develop a personality for a business or offering. And I wish more people did it.

I’m tired of ‘punchy’ marketing copy that sells a product but fails to build trust in the people behind the business.

Why can’t people write with more personality? With more energy? With more honesty?

Maybe it comes down to my background in public relations? I’ve spent hours, days, weeks positioning stories and companies with the media. Or maybe it goes back to my days in lobbying? Again, hours spent refining messages and carefully choosing the right language. Whatever my influences, I am not alone in my desire to do business with people I trust, and like.

But to build trust in your business, you have to let people into your world. You have to open up. You have to share. You have to use words. And I am not talking about clichés. Nor am I talking about ‘snappy’ one-liners all washed down with an over-use of exclamation marks.

I am talking about enough words to give people a feel for how you do business and just how important they would be to your company. Yes you write to sell. Yes you write about how your product will revolutionise their lives. But it isn’t just about the product. It is about the business too.

Every business is unique. Even those in the same sector and same town will be different. Why? Because every single person on this planet is unique. Take physiotherapists for example. I’m working with two at the moment. Despite offering exactly the same range of services to exactly the same demographics, one is all about nurturing and making life better. The other one is about fixing people and making the body move more easily. So the words I write for them are very different. Which is just as it should be.

Your marketing material has to be about how you do things, as well as what you do. You don’t have to only ever compete on price. Let’s compete more on personality. Let’s write to be different.

Write words. Build trust. Sell more.

“If you don’t ask, you won’t get.”

“I’m not a mind-reader.”

My mum talked a lot of sense. She wasn’t a marketer. But she knew the importance of a good call to action.

What is a call to action?

You need to lead people so that they do exactly what you want them to do. So whether it is a brochure or sales email, newsletter or web page, a strong call to action is essential.

How do you write a call to action?

Because your call to action is about…well…ummm…action…it pays to use active words:

• Buy
• Get
• Call
• Register
• Subscribe
• Sign-up
• Give
• Donate
• Download

By using short, punchy, active words means there is little doubt what the call to action is. It certainly beats the rather insipid…”if you’d like to place an order…”

And if you want your call to action to work harder, give them extra reasons to act by using deadlines and offers. People hate to miss a deal.

Put it all together and you have lovely, easy to understand words. Here are some simple examples:

• Call us today for a FREE report
• Click here a FREE consultation
• Sign-up for now for money-making tips
• Register now – first 50 get the 20% discount
• Buy your dream car here
• Click to learn more
• Download your FREE guide now
• Read more on how we help businesses grow
• Subscribe in the next 10 days for a chance to win a bike

And please, please remember that, if you are writing for a website, you should have a call to action on every page, and it is perfectly normal to have several of them on one page.

Don’t leave your readers wondering what to do next. It’s too easy for them to move onto another website. Steer them round your site, or straight to your desk, with a clear call to action.

Get words for your business from Josie at co-writer. Email now

Imagine giving your company a voice….

I’ve just spotted an article on the BBC News website about the development of printed posters capable of playing music. I’m really excited about this. I wonder how long it will take before we see them on the streets?

What a fantastically interactive world we live in now. There are so many ways to get your message across. But don’t forget that words always do the selling. If you need words for your business, get in touch with co-writer now

I was with a group of BNI members yesterday – that’s Business Network International if you aren’t familiar with it. The purpose of BNI is to create just the right structure for generating referrals between businesses. It is built on the premise ‘givers gain’ – you support other people in business and they’ll support you.

Anyway, I heard a definition of networking which I rather liked. I wanted to share:

Networking is NOT hunting

Many people see networking as a  scramble for business cards in a room full of feisty, sales-driven, sharks. You know the sort – ridiculously strong handshakes and talking at you right up until they see their next victim.

Networking is NOT about the food

Often networking becomes more about a catch up with friends over lunch, than part of your business strategy. Networking costs money. You need to make a return on that investment.

Networking IS farming

Picture the scene. Faced with an empty field, the farmer turns the earth, rakes it through and sows his crops. He waits for them to break through into the sunlight, then waters them and generally tends to them until the crop is mature enough to be harvested. There. That is what networking is about. There’s groundwork to be done. Waiting to be done. Care to be given.

So to get the most out of networking, and in fact any working relationship, do three things:

• Put the effort in
• Be patient
• Then enjoy your harvest

Find out more about networking through BNI at www.bni.co.nz and there are links there to BNI sites all over the world.

Everyone knows the saying “people like to do business with people they like.” But what is it that makes it true?

Basically it all comes down to trust.

In sales, we talk a lot about trust. To win clients, standard advice says that you have to get them to know you, then like you, then trust you, before they feel comfortable enough to buy from you. Sometimes this process takes 5 minutes, sometimes 5 years.

But it isn’t the only story. Studies show that humans are hardwired to crave the new and the exciting. It’s even got a name – neophilia.

So how do we build our businesses on trust, whilst also remembering that people are prone to chase after new things, and possibly new suppliers?

We just have to keep one eye on the future. We need to make sure clients understand that we can, and do, change with the times. We need to make ourselves seem fresh and exciting but not erratic and unpredictable.

Because change is good

And it is much, much better when you take the time to tell people about it. You need to help them keep in touch with all that you are doing.

Finding a way to shout about change is good for your business profile. But you need to find a way to do it so that it suits you, your business and your clients. For some, the occasional friendly email may well be enough. For others, a newsletter may be the way to go. Or perhaps using an already popular company blog or Facebook page. What really matters is that people know you understand the changing world, and the changing needs of your customers.

All businesses have personalities. Don’t choose to be a dinosaur. By regularly improving and updating your services and products, you can appeal to perfectly natural neophilia tendencies. You can tell your clients that change is good for all.

Small innovations and small improvements, will strengthen trust and lengthen your working relationships.

Because change is good for business.

Tell your customers why change is good for them. Get in touch with co-writer: www.co-writer.co.nz 

I think it is going to be an interesting year for employees. We’re not out of the woods just yet but many economies are more stable. And experts are predicting an end to the inertia that has happened over the last 2-3 years in the job market.

Certainly in my industry – marketing and PR – the results of a recent salary and work survey all point to a massive case of itchy feet. People are tired of clinging on to one employer. They feel more confident about the economy. The pace of redundancies has dropped. They’re thinking about moving on.

So how does this relate to copywriting? Well one of the biggest reasons people have for moving on is feeling undervalued. And that often means employee communications is at best patchy, and at worst pretty much non-existent. People don’t understand how they fit into the company.

Employee communications – the basics

Employee communications should be built on clear messages that motivate, inform and build loyalty. You need to be as honest as you can be, and responsibility has to fall to someone who can communicate in a genuine way i.e. not sound like they read a management training book the night before.

All employees are not equal

But there can be very few companies where all employees have the same educational background and social understanding. People are all different so finding words that everyone will understand is essential. Throw out the jargon, bring in short, easy to understand words to help you say what you need to say.

It isn’t all about you

It is also a two way street. It isn’t about the bosses talking to the employees. It is about dialogue. And it isn’t about lavishing employees with more benefits. Employee communication doesn’t need to lead on to a big spending round. You can’t buy happiness (at least not totally).

Employee communications shouldn’t be formal

Employee communications is about engaging in a way that suits your business. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking it is about company-wide meetings and a suggestion box. Find other ways to talk to employees and listen to their views. Use email, use informal situations, use watercooler moments, use newsletters, use team building exercises etc etc. Get people away from their little micro-group of close colleagues, and bring them into the company.

Why is employee communication so important right now?

If employees really do want to move, there isn’t a lot you can do to keep them. But for those teetering on the edge, making them feel trusted and valued at work, giving them input to the company’s growth and listening to what they have to say may just help keep them for longer. And that means you save cash. Sometimes a whole heap of it. Because it costs to recruit. It costs to train someone up. And it also takes time. All this hits productivity, and the bottom line.

Employee communications makes sound business sense. In the words of an old, but often quoted, advertising line from British Telecom – It’s good to talk.

To talk more about employee communications, get in touch with Josie Fitzhugh at co-writer  josie@co-writer.co.nz.

I’m a member of BNI – Business Networking International. BNI is a networking group where people come together to share referrals, learn from each other and generally build a stronger business community. I am a member of the Newmarket BNI group (or chapter) in Auckland where I stand as the education co-ordinator. This means that every week when we meet I share some ideas on business improvement. This week I talked about feedback.

I’ve borrowed this from the inspirational copywriter, Andy Maslen:

Short copy v’s long copy

Here’s why more is less:
Pythagorean theorem:………………………………………24 words.
Lord’s prayer:………………………………………………….66 words.

Archimedes’ Principle:……………………………………..67 words.
Ten Commandments:……………………………………..179 words.
Gettysburg Address:………………………………………..286 words.
US Declaration of Independence ……………………..1,300 words.

US Constitution with all 27 Amendments:…………..7,818 words.
EU Regulations on the sale of cabbage:…………….26,911 words

Short copy wins here at co-writer too. Get in touch for more info.