What is AP Style?

AP stands for “Associated Press.” This is the group who has set various regulations in place for print news publications to follow. While these aren’t the only rules out there, they are the most commonly followed in the industry. The Associated Press has also set standards for press releases, which will be discussed at length below.

Some AP Rules to Keep in Mind When Writing a Press Release

1. Set your main objective in your introduction. We’ve discussed this at length on this blog before. It is standard practice to set your goal in the beginning. If the editor reads the first line or two without finding the objective of the release, they’re going to toss it and move on to the next.

2. Cover the five Ws in the body of the release. Once you have an editor’s attention, you need to deliver the pay off. Following the 5 Ws will make this happen. In other words, make sure you give them all the information they need to write a full story. That way they don’t have to dig deep, because as you know, they don’t have the time to dig deep on their tight deadlines.

3. Check your spacing with punctuation. Here’s where it starts getting a little more technical. While it may seem picky, you should only use one space after punctuation—none before. This may be different for you, as some people like to add two spaces after punctuation.

4. Drop that extra comma. Typically when you list items in a series, you have the option to use a comma or not before that last and. For example: I ate bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate. Or: I ate bananas, peanut butter and chocolate. Well, when following AP Style, you drop that last comma. I’m going to admit, it drives me nuts. I like the last comma, but I’ve had to make myself quit using it when writing press releases.

5. Use full names and titles only when introducing someone. When you first introduce someone in your release, like a CEO for example, you need to give their full name and title. But after that, don’t keep doing so, as it will prove superfluous and make your writing sound clunky. After the introduction, simply use their last name.

6. Get your numbers right. AP Style rules for numbers are a bit tricky. Spell out numbers 1-9. After that, use numerals like “10.” Also, use numbers for dates, and abbreviate months with more than five letters.

Why AP Style is Important When Writing a Press Release

Yes, it seems trivial. Who cares if you get all the little intricacies correct? Well, editors do. And since you want them to pick up your story, you need to play by their rules. Sounds pretty simple, right?

Do you format your press releases for AP? Any other rules you find to be most important?

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of the Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases here: http://www.ereleases.com/insider/beginnersguide.html

 

If your Twitter, Facebook, or other social networking profile gets hacked, all sorts of false, harmful information can be spread about your brand. Your audience could become confused, misled, or even angry at your company, so there is very real damage that can be done from hacking.

That’s why it’s so important that you do everything you can to prevent being hacked. Is there a foolproof system in place to keep your accounts from being hacked? Of course not. But there are measures you can take to reduce the chances of becoming a victim yourself.

1. Choose complex passphrases—Rather than using a single word as your password, use an entire short phrase. For example, you might use a short quote or a favorite line from a poem as inspiration for your passphrase. Of course, you want to include numbers and randomly capitalized letters in your passphrase to make it as strong as possible.
2. Don’t use the same password for everything—Don’t use the same password for your Twitter account that you use for your Facebook page. And definitely don’t use the same password that is attached to your email address because you don’t want hackers to get that. Use a different password for every account you have, so that if one of them does get hacked, the damage doesn’t spread any farther than it has to.
3. Limit the number of people who have these passwords—You might have multiple people at your company who manage your social networking accounts. That’s okay, but you have to be careful to ensure that only those who need your passwords have them. The more people that have your password, the likelier it is that it will get mishandled and get in the wrong hands.
4. Reset your passwords regularly—You should reset your passwords every month or two to lower the risks of your accounts getting hacked. Again, refer to the prior steps for choosing and managing your new passwords.
5. Beware of fake login screens—Hackers are very crafty. They create fake login screens that you can get redirected to whenever you click certain spammy links or visit certain pages. These screens may look like a normal Twitter login screen, but they’re designed to get your account information. Always double check the URL of the page before you login.
6. Use popular, trusted apps for managing your social media accounts—There are a lot of great apps out there that make it easier for you to manage all of your social networking activities. Of course, the more places you login, the greater your chances of getting hacked. That’s why it’s important to use trusted, reputable apps, like Hootsuite and TweetDeck.

Have you ever been hacked? Have any additional tips to help keep it from happening? Share your thoughts and experiences by commenting below. 

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Grab three free ebooks, including the Big Press Release Book and Twitter Tactics, here: http://www.ereleases.com/insider/freebooks.html

What took place was a two-hour event in which Sony never showed the actual console, released any product specs, or gave out any pricing information. Instead, Sony did a lot of talking about the console and showed some videos, but the product reveal that everyone was waiting for just didn’t happen. Reporters complained about how the event was a waste of time and eager gaming fans felt disappointed and duped.

Clearly, there are many lessons to be taken from Sony’s failed press conference and a host of other companies’ failed events. It all comes down to avoiding these 3 major mistakes:

Mistake #1: Building hype and not delivering

Sony did a great job of building hype for their event. In the days leading up to it, the internet was buzzing with anticipation for the reveal of the PS4 that everyone has been waiting months and even years to see.

Hype is good.

What isn’t good is when you fail to live up to the hype.

Sony built up a bunch of hype for their big announcement, and they failed to deliver on the one thing people expected—showing the actual product.

If you’re going to get people pumped up for your press conference, you’d better make sure you have something great to deliver.

Mistake #2: Going on and on and on…

It’s hard to keep an audience engaged. With the average attention span being around 20 minutes, it’s clear that you need to keep your presentations short and to the point.

Sony failed at this, hosting a lackluster event that not only failed to meet people’s expectations but that also went on for more than 2 hours.

Keep your press events focused on your key message. The longer you go on, the harder it will be to keep everyone’s attention and interest.

Mistake #3: Letting the news leak early

No one wants to attend a press conference to hear news that has already been broken. Reporters attend these events so that they have a chance to be on the cutting edge of a breaking story. If you’ve already sent out a press release announcing the story, there’s no need to hold a press conference where you announce the same thing all over again.

That’s why it’s important that you make sure to prevent any leaks before your press conference. Keep everything under wraps so that your event really is interesting and a big deal.

What are some other press conference mistakes companies need to avoid? Share your thoughts below. 

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of 7 Cheap PR Tactics for Success in Any Economy here: http://www.ereleases.com/7cheaptactics.html

There are many benefits to hiring freelancers:

• Project focus
• Only pay for the work you need completed
• Specific expertise in certain disciplines
• And much more…

Of course, there are also challenges and risks that come with hiring freelancers. The freelancer is untethered from your work environment, so you don’t have the ability to monitor them as closely as you might like. Additionally, freelancers have other clients and other projects to manage, so your project might not necessarily be their top priority. And of course, you just never know what you’re going to get each time you hire a new freelancer. One freelancer might provide great work at a quick turnaround; another might do awful work, miss deadlines, and be slow to respond whenever you email or call them.

What can you do to help ensure you have successful experiences working with freelancers on your PR projects?

• Always view their work and referrals before hiring—Freelancers need projects to keep the money coming in so they can pay their bills and keep food in their mouths. So, it’s understandable that a freelancer will claim he or she is great and the perfect fit for your project, but you can’t take their word for it. You must see relevant samples of their
• Get on the phone—It’s important to hire freelancers you feel comfortable with and have good chemistry with. It’s hard to gauge this by email. That’s why when you’re in the hiring phase, I recommend talking to the candidate on the phone. You can get a much better sense of who they are and how well you’ll be able to work together by having a real conversation with them.
• Create clear project expectations—Poor communication spells disaster for any project, and because freelancers probably won’t be working side-by-side with you, it’s incredibly important that you take extra steps to ensure clear communication of project expectations. The freelancer should have a total understanding of what you want, how you want it, and when you want it by. You don’t necessarily need to be a micromanager, but you can’t skimp on the details and expect the project to get done the way you’d like.
• Be responsive—Whenever people talk about working with freelancers, they tend to focus on the freelancer’s responsiveness (or lack thereof) to the company that hires them. But it’s also important for the company (that’s you) to be responsive to the freelancer. Whenever the freelancer emails you to ask a question or get guidance, you need to be quick to respond with an answer. That’s what will keep your project on target.
• Know when to cut your losses—Unfortunately, some freelancers just suck. You can do your homework and think you’ve hired the right person, but when it comes time to get the job done, they don’t do it right or are just a pain in the butt to work with. Of course, when you have money invested in that person, it’s hard to just let them go and flush that money down the toilet. But you also need to know when it’s time to cut your losses. Sometimes, the freelancer just isn’t the right fit, and the longer you wait to let them go, the worse things will get for your campaign.
• Take care of your freelancers—Freelancers work hard for clients that are good to them. You want to build good relationships with your trusted freelancers, so you can turn to them anytime you need some help on your projects. That means you need to take care of your freelancers. Pay them on time, don’t have unrealistic demands, don’t be the client who is always waiting until the last minute to ask for help, and so on. Take care of them, and they’ll take care of you.

Do you work with PR freelancers? What tips would you add?

Share your thoughts by commenting below.

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of 7 Cheap PR Tactics for Success in Any Economy here: http://www.ereleases.com/7cheaptactics.html

So what does that have to do with press release writing?

Well, for awhile there these online marketing guys began to use press releases for building links. Not that it was a bad idea, in and of itself. Why not post your press release around the web and get some good link juice from it while sharing your news with the whole world? Well, the problem was two-fold:

1. All sorts of sketchy, spammy free press release sites opened up. Few of them served any real purpose other than to build links. They had little to no standards as far as what content they accepted. Which leads me to…

2. The web became inundated with crappy press releases. Whereas press releases used to only be written to share actual news, suddenly these companies started producing gobs of releases for clients, regardless of whether they had any real news. Sometimes they rehashed old news, and other times they flat out made stuff up. The result? Just a bunch of web pollution.

But after the string of Google changes, suddenly many of those links became worthless. In fact, many of them actually started hurting the clients, as they devalued their stock in Google’s eyes.

So, Is It Worth Incorporating Press Releases into Your Online Marketing Strategy Anymore?

All that being said, there are lots of people left wondering if the press release has lost its value. And I would respond with a resounding “NO.” The fact is that you should still include press releases in your online marketing strategy for a variety of reasons. If you have a well-written press release with news people might actually be interested in, then your story could get picked up by a popular news site. From there you could get some real attention—all online.

That means you need to:

• Make sure you have a story to tell.
• Tell it well.
• Get people to share it.
• Know the right people to distribute it to.
• Know the right people NOT to distribute it to.

As we know, nowadays it’s all about content. You need to write to your audience. So make sure you continue that trend with your press releases. In many cases, if you have a good release, some sites will pick it up and use it as an actual article rather than writing about the event on their own. So it’s imperative that you spend time focusing on what you’re writing.

Are press release still part of your online marketing strategy? Has that changed over the years? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

So what does that have to do with press release writing?

Well, for awhile there these online marketing guys began to use press releases for building links. Not that it was a bad idea, in and of itself. Why not post your press release around the web and get some good link juice from it while sharing your news with the whole world? Well, the problem was two-fold:

1. All sorts of sketchy, spammy free press release sites opened up. Few of them served any real purpose other than to build links. They had little to no standards as far as what content they accepted. Which leads me to…

2. The web became inundated with crappy press releases. Whereas press releases used to only be written to share actual news, suddenly these companies started producing gobs of releases for clients, regardless of whether they had any real news. Sometimes they rehashed old news, and other times they flat out made stuff up. The result? Just a bunch of web pollution.

But after the string of Google changes, suddenly many of those links became worthless. In fact, many of them actually started hurting the clients, as they devalued their stock in Google’s eyes.

So, Is It Worth Incorporating Press Releases into Your Online Marketing Strategy Anymore?

All that being said, there are lots of people left wondering if the press release has lost its value. And I would respond with a resounding “NO.” The fact is that you should still include press releases in your online marketing strategy for a variety of reasons. If you have a well-written press release with news people might actually be interested in, then your story could get picked up by a popular news site. From there you could get some real attention—all online.

That means you need to:

• Make sure you have a story to tell.
• Tell it well.
• Get people to share it.
• Know the right people to distribute it to.
• Know the right people NOT to distribute it to.

As we know, nowadays it’s all about content. You need to write to your audience. So make sure you continue that trend with your press releases. In many cases, if you have a good release, some sites will pick it up and use it as an actual article rather than writing about the event on their own. So it’s imperative that you spend time focusing on what you’re writing.

Are press release still part of your online marketing strategy? Has that changed over the years? Share your thoughts by commenting below. 

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download a free copy of the PR Checklist – a 24 point list of Press Release Dos and Don’ts here: http://www.ereleases.com/prchecklist.html

But make no mistake—there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about tying your brand to news events. Many people approach it the wrong way—from a pure advertising and marketing point of view. Let me explain by giving you a fake scenario:

An airplane crashes due to faulty air traffic control equipment that led to lack of communication and ultimately the crash. A company who manufactures this new, cutting-edge air traffic control equipment thinks this is an opportunity to get their name out there. So, what do they do? They send out press releases, make advertisements, etc. that basically scream “Hey, we make great air traffic control equipment that could have prevented this disaster from taking place!”

What’s wrong with this approach?

It’s just an advertisement, and reporters aren’t interested in that. This isn’t how you tie your brand to news events. The way to tie your brand to news events is to provide commentary on the events. Position yourself as the expert and thought leader on the topic.

So, in the example above, instead of the company coming out and saying, “Hey, we make great air traffic control equipment that could have prevented this disaster from taking place!” they could have provided general, unbiased analysis of the situation. That’s what would get them quoted in stories, interviewed on TV, etc.

So, how can you provide commentary on current events so that you can become the go-to source for your niche?

1. Write a blog post—You do have a blog, right? Use it! Write a post breaking down the news event at hand. Talk about its grander implications, or provide eye-opening insights that no one else is offering. Again, the goal isn’t to pitch your products and services. The goal is to make yourself the expert in your field so that any time a news story relevant to your niche comes out, people turn to you to hear what you have to say.
2. Tweet about it—Twitter (and Facebook) is the easiest, fastest way to provide commentary on a news event. News stories have a shorter shelf life than ever before, so you have to jump on them immediately if you want your commentary to matter. Tweet out your insights, and reply to others who are Tweeting about the topic, too (especially if it’s a reporter).
3. Contact reporters—Reporters are always looking for expert sources to provide analysis on news events. You want to be that source for your niche. But you shouldn’t sit back and wait for reporters to come to you. You need to go to them with your commentary. If you have relationships with certain reporters, get in touch with them to speak when a story breaks. Pay attention to HARO to find reporters who are looking for sources for their stories.
4. Send out a press release—Finally, you can send out press releases with your commentary on the news event. Make sure you include some really insightful, powerful quotes as these are especially important in commentary press releases.

What are some other ways to tie your brand to current news events? Share your tips by commenting below.

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Grab three ebooks, including My Facebook Formula, a free report on Facebook and why you should be using the largest social network for your business, here: http://www.ereleases.com/insider/freebooks.html

Now some of you may be thinking, “Dang, that sounds great. I wish composing a press release was that easy for me.”  Beware, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. See, when things become automatic, when we can sit down at our computer and fire out a release in 10 minutes, when we don’t have to really try when writing that release—well, that’s where it gets dangerous. That’s when you get overconfident. Which leads me to my main piece of advice for composing that millionth press release:

Don’t Get Sloppy

Overconfidence leads to sloppiness. See, when you go on autopilot, you don’t pay attention to the details. And when you don’t pay attention to the details, you make little mistakes. It might be a grammar mistake here, a spelling mistake there. Or worse yet, a fact checking mistake. Yikes! Remember, sometimes all it takes is one bogus release to ruin your credibility, and odds are if you are on that millionth press release, you’ve spent some time working on your reputation. Don’t let a little sloppiness ruin it.

So how can you make sure you don’t get sloppy?

1. Revise it…the next day. I know how it goes. You fire out that release and then it’s out of sight, out of mind. The last thing you want to do is read it over. So don’t—not immediately anyway. If you have some time to spare, wait and revisit the release the next morning. Read it over with fresh eyes (and a fresh cup of coffee). You’re more likely to catch mistakes when you come back later. If you try to read it over immediately after you write it, odds are you’re going to get lazy. But make sure you go back and check it over. Never send off an unedited release.
2. Start with an outline. You don’t leave for a trip without planning out your itinerary, so why would you start writing a release without an outline? By making sure you know where you’re starting, where you’re going, and how you’re getting there, you can flesh out a solid, cohesive press release. But when you fail to plan, count on yourself to ramble on and possibly lose the meaning behind what you’re writing.
3. Read other press releases and take note. Yes, there are a lot of garbage press releases out there. But by reading good releases that get published, you can learn (or remind yourself) of some good techniques. Take note and use them the next time you write your own.
4. Read up on press release writing. Along the same lines of my previous point, it’s good to stay up on standard practices, cutting edge writing techniques, and the like. How can you do that? Read about it. You’re already reading my blog—that’s a start. But it’s not just about me. Hit up Google. You’ll find plenty of new stuff to push you further.

Do you write tons of press releases? What do you have to stay sharp when you’ve seen it and done it all?

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download a free copy of the PR Checklist – a 24 point list of Press Release Dos and Don’ts here: http://www.ereleases.com/prchecklist.html

What can you do to write a great op-ed that offers a slew of PR benefits? Here are 7 tips to help you out:

1. Get to the point—You aren’t writing an essay. You’re not building up to your conclusion. With an op-ed, you want to state your conclusion right from the beginning. The first paragraph of your op-ed should briefly make your major point, and the rest of the op-ed should support that and flesh out your argument.
2. Have a clear stance—An op-ed is not a place for fence straddling. You must have a clear point of view. You need to come down firmly on one side of the issue. Don’t waver. Make your case and stand your ground.
3. Support your argument—It’s not enough to express your opinion. You need to support it with factual information. Check out this post on how to give your stats more punch.
4. Fact-check carefully—Of course, if the facts you include in your op-ed aren’t actually facts after all, your argument falls apart and you lose all credibility. Above all else, make sure you check your facts to verify their accuracy before sending your op-ed.
5. Adhere to the publication’s guidelines—Each publication has its own guidelines for op-ed pieces, detailing things such as word count and type of language allowed. Make sure you read these guidelines and adhere to them to give yourself the best chance of getting published.
6. Provide unique insight—If you want people to see you as an expert and a thought leader, you need to provide them with insight they can’t get anywhere else. Your op-ed piece should be educational. It should help the reader better understand the topic. Don’t just regurgitate someone else’s argument. Have some original thoughts.
7. Include a bio—Make sure you include a brief bio with your op-ed, so people see your name and learn a little more about you. Also, include your email address, website URL, and phone number for the editor.

Have you ever written an op-ed piece? Would you consider it a success?

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of the Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases here: http://www.ereleases.com/insider/beginnersguide.html

Topic-sentence styled sound bites are really functional. When they’re self-contained that way, they are much easier to use for the video editor. Seems to me that’s part of the strategic value – seems really foolish to spend a quantity of time doing an interview, and then have the folks trying to work with that material, have very few usable options. At that point you’ve wasted not only your own time, but theirs as well.

Sound bites are useful in a number of situations, including interviews, press releases, speeches, and press conferences. But make no mistake — speaking in sound bites is an art. The good news is it’s an art you can master.

All you need to do is follow these simple tips to successfully speak in sound bites.

• When being interviewed, include the original question in your answer — Repeating the reporter’s question in your answer creates a sound bite that stands on its own. For example, if a reporter asks you: “What was your reason for creating this product?” you might start your answer, “The reason I created this product was because…”

This makes the sound clip come across as seamless. It’s like you’re speaking directly to the person watching or listening to the interview.

• Make it interesting — Nobody remembers dry and boring. You have to find ways to make your sound bites stand out so people notice and remember what you say. How can you do this? Numerous ways: use metaphors, be witty, be folksy, include a personal story, show contrast (e.g. “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”), ask a rhetorical question, rhyme…the options are limitless.
• Know your message — What are you trying to say? What’s the one main point you want to get across? Break it down to its simplest form, and focus on delivering that message.
• Rehearse — Great sound bites are rarely accidental. They are the result of careful crafting and plenty of practice. Try out different quotes to see what’s working and what needs to be improved. Keep rehearsing until you have your sound bites committed to memory and can deliver them in a natural way.

What are some of your tips for creating great sound bites? Share them with us by commenting below. 

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of 8 Shocking Secrets Press Release Distribution Firms Don’t Want You to Know here: http://www.ereleases.com/landing3.html