An Ode to AP Style

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By Molly Borchers, Sr. Communications Strategist

As an ode to Associated Press (AP) style, I thought I would write this lovely haiku:

What is red, white and…

Every journalist’s best friend?

The AP style guide

Bad haikus aside, more than two million AP Stylebooks have been published since 1977, and for good reason. AP style provides guidelines for newswriting and is the de facto standard for newspapers, magazines and other media. Originally, it was intended to offer short-form advantages to save scarce print space, such as dropping the Oxford comma (don’t hate) and using figures for all numbers above nine.

ap styleAnyone who works in a journalism related field, public relations professionals included, should be familiar with AP style. You know this already, but unless you curl up with the AP style guide every Friday night over a glass of wine, I bet you could use a refresher.

Here are the most common AP style mistakes we see in press releases:

socks in sandals

  • Capitalizing job titles after a person’s name – that’s a big no-no. AP style dictates that you only capitalize a title used before a person’s name, not after.
  • Using two spaces after punctuation (seriously, if you’re still doing this, stop immediately!)
  • State abbreviations: Did you know that California is Calif. and not CA? If not, you do now.
  • Using Oxford commas – give them the boot!
  • Percentages: To spell out, or not to spell out? According to AP style, write out “percent” in news releases, but using the % symbol is OK in financial tables.
  • While we’re on the subject, the word “okay” should be spelled as “OK.”
  • Numbers: Write out numbers one through nine. Use numerals for 10 and higher. Also, always write out numbers when they begin a sentence.
  • Time: Time should not be spelled out, except for noon and midnight. Using :00 for on-the-hour times is not necessary. Finally, use a.m. and p.m. lowercase.
  • Do not hyphenate a compound modifier when using adverbs that end in -ly, such as a beautifully-decorated cake. It’s correct to say “a beautifully decorated cake.”
  • Dates: Keep it simple – there’s no point in writing “Wednesday, May 13th 2015,” when “May 13” will do just fine.
  • Months: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec., and spell out when using alone or with just a year.
  • Seasons: We don’t see much of winter or fall in San Diego, Calif. Yet, we do see seasons capitalized all too often. Although months are capitalized, seasons should not be.
  • Addresses: St., Ave. and Blvd. are abbreviated when referring to a specific address. Road, Court, Drive, Lane, Way and other forms of addresses are not abbreviated.
  • Dimensions: Spell them out. Depending on your choice of measurement, a football field is 100 yards, 300 feet or 3,600 inches long.

A Few Tricky Words

  • dictionaryToward: The car comes toward you, not towards you. You can walk forward, upward, backward and downward, but never forwards. If you’re following me, these words do not have an “s.”
  • Farther vs. Further: Farther refers to distance, while further refers to time or degree. “I walked farther in order to further my geographical studies.”
  • Email: This word recently changed spelling, but if you’re using a computer, you should know that “email” is no longer spelled “e-mail.”
  • WWW: The Internet and Web should still be capitalized.

I don’t have room in this blog post to list all the rules, but hopefully these helped you correct a few mistakes. If you want to master writing for the media, dust off your (up-to-date) AP Stylebooks for a refresh!

 

Dear Journalists, We Can Explain: Things PR Pros Want You to Know

letter to the editorBy Erica Schlesinger, Communications Strategist

If you’ve been in the media relations game long enough – on either side – you’ve seen many a blog, article, and social media post lamenting the mess-ups of PR professionals. There are different ones here and there, but most tend to center around incessant follow-ups, not understanding beats, mass emails and the dreaded… dun dun dun… follow-up phone call!

follow up callNow, don’t get me wrong, journalists – those things are annoying, misguided and a mark of poor (or no) research. So I assure you, I feel you. But I also assure you that for every off-base pitch or umpteenth follow-up you get, there are more carefully-crafted notes from PR pros trying very hard to make you happy. We read your media profiles, we catch up on months or even years of your articles, we make notes about your beats and interests in our media lists and we set ourselves reminders in our calendars to follow up a sane amount of times over a reasonable timeframe.

I asked my conscientious colleagues, some of whom have multiple decades of experience in the field, to share their top things they want journalists to know. Here’s what they had to say:

“PR people are accountable to their clients and/or employer and have a job to do. Part of our job is avoiding speculation and hypotheticals being printed in the media. Another is respecting confidentiality, which might include personnel issues, financial data or a legal matter. We want to provide timely and accurate information to reporters but do sometimes have to hold back. In most of my interactions, the media do understand that and are also just doing their job. We also spend time crafting our pitches to target a reporter’s beat and interests. We are not blasting off topic story ideas, and we welcome feedback from the media to help us improve. We know the media get a gazillion pitches per day, but we crave your feedback and value your time.” – Julie Wright, President

 

“I think a lot of journalists assume we want to insert ourselves or take over their process when we just want to be sure they’re getting everything they need. Journalists often want to talk to the client, but the client is busy running a business and doesn’t have the time to send images, headshots, product fact sheets, etc. Our job – and desire – is to make the journalist’s life easier. Journalists also tend to assume we just want our clients to spew talking points that mean nothing but sound great. The reality is, our clients are passionate about their product. They live and breathe it. We know the best interviews are when they convey that passion in an authentic way, and that’s what we try to help them do. The only difference is during crisis management when showing hot-running emotion – compassion being the exception – isn’t the most helpful for anyone involved.” – Chance Shay, Communications Strategist

 

“I think one thing everyone in the industry forgets is that a lot of PR people were once media and vice versa. So, many of us do ‘get’ what it’s like to be a journalist and what they need to make a story a good one. Also, most of us get the benefit of a good relationship and will often go out of our way to help a journalist. PR people can help with leads or connections that can prove useful and often have their finger on the pulse of what’s hip, new and trendy in a number of industries. Smart media professionals can use their PR contacts as solid resources for story ideas.” – Shae Geary, Senior Communications Strategist

 

“PR pros and journalists need each other. In the age of information overload, we can help journalists do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. And I promise, some of us do have interesting and intentional things to say! It’s really hard for me to see Tweets disparaging PR people when I just finished writing an entire article for a journalist because he was too busy to write it himself, or saying we can’t meet basic deadlines when I have a whole system in place to ensure I always do just that. I get it – when you see a cringe-worthy mistake, it can put a bad taste in your mouth. But most of us do put effort and care into what we send you.” – Molly Borchers, Senior Communications Strategist

 

“If we don’t hear otherwise from you, we’ll assume our pitches work for you on some level. If the approach doesn’t, but you’re interested in the news itself, let us know. I’ve received emails simply saying, ‘Hey, this is cool, but my deadline is always X day – can you send to me another day of the week next time?’ or ‘My lead time is a little longer than most monthlies – in the future, get the info to me four months in advance.’ It’s quick feedback that’s appreciated, and we’ll take heed. And if you’re not interested, let us know. We won’t follow up. But I’ve had media people on many occasions say, “Yes, I love this idea, I’ve just been swamped – thanks for reminding me” after circling back. We don’t want to annoy you. Oh, and unless the situation truly calls for it – I won’t call you. Promise.” – Erica Schlesinger, Communications Strategist

journalistBoth media and PR experts are under lots of pressure, day in and day out. There are deadlines to meet, pieces to write and people to please. So no sympathy needed, no snark involved – let’s just keep it copacetic and make great stories happen, together.

PR pros, what would you add to the list?

Journalists, what do you think? Do you find most PR pros you deal with are worthy of a bit of a break – or still don’t get it?

 

Four Press Release Best Practices

By Danielle Cobb, Communications Coordinator

Every couple of years the press release is declared dead. Yet the thousands of press releases issued over newswires each and every day are proof that its obituary hasn’t been written yet. Companies don’t need to issue press releases to get media coverage, but doing so has its benefits:press release seo

  • Establishing credibility
  • Showing business momentum
  • Search engine optimization
  • For public companies, communicating valuable information to shareholders

Press releases get a bum rap because some companies issue them to announce trivial things like new websites, minor upgrades to products, and other things that frankly, no one cares about. That said, if your company has important news to share, the press release is still the best vehicle to get the word out.

Your press release is a direct reflection of your brand. You don’t want it lining your media contacts’ trashcan, do you? Are you making press release writing mistakes that you don’t even know about?

Here are four press release best practices:

Give Your Headline Some Sizzle

I hate to say it, but most press release headlines are boring. This is your opportunity to bring the reader into your world. Don’t squander it! It’s a cutthroat world out there and the headline might be the reason someone decides to give your story a chance…or look the other way. Powerful adjectives and active verbs are a great start for eye-catching headlines.

As a rule, the headline should be simple and short so people (and search engines) don’t get lost. Clear language is essential, and avoid jargon at all costs. Make it interesting and always consider the WIIFM (What’s in it for me?).

Take the Leadinverted pyramid

It’s a best practice to write press releases in the “inverted pyramid” style. That’s why the lead is so important. It’s the first thing people see (after the headline, of course), so the most important details should come first. Also, it should be engaging enough to capture the reader’s attention.

Creativity is key here. How many times have you heard a boring, static lead that reads, “Today, company X is excited to announce…?” And that’s supposed to be enticing? Think again!

After you’ve written your standout lead, the first paragraph should cover all the bases – the 5 W’s: who, what, when, where and why.

It’s All About the Verb, Baby!

Press releases are different from an article in that you aren’t trying to paint a picture, but rather give a piece of news with all the facts. You need to be clear and concise, but also keep it interesting. A good way to do that is to use active rather than passive voice. There’s a big difference between “Molly ate the pizza” and “the pizza was eaten by Molly.” An active voice is more engaging and brings your verbs to life.

Another important element to consider is “person.” Person shows who or what does the action. Never use the second person, “you.” Always write in the third person. (i.e, “the reader,” “the buyer,” etc.)

Let Your Creativity Flow with Quotes

ideaJust because a press release provides serious facts doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with it. Every press release needs a bit of excitement, and quotes are a great way to add some color. A best practice for quotes is to limit them to two – three sentences. They should also be written more colloquially than the rest of the press release. Here is the standard format for quotes:

“This is the first sentence of my quote that should introduce the big picture idea,” said Danielle Cobb, communications coordinator, (W)right On Communications. “The second sentence validates the first sentence of the quote. The third sentence can provide supporting facts or an emotional appeal to back up the big idea from the first sentence.” Finally, keep in mind that the punctuation should always be placed inside the quotation marks.

These are just some of the guidelines we follow when drafting press releases. If you have any other best practices, give us a shout in the comments below!

 

Must-Use Strategy: Instagram Influencer Marketing

By Chris Jensen – Jr. Communications Coordinator

My colleague Erica Schlesinger shared in a recent blog post that we remember 80% of what we see, compared to 20% of what we read and 10% of what we hear. So, it makes sense that we gravitate toward photos and videos over text.

As a general rule, social media posts perform better when they’re accompanied by a visual. Visuals, like photos and videos, score more likes, follows and comments. For these reasons, more companies are steering toward Instagram as a key marketing platform.

Instagram only recently allowed advertisements in the feed, so influencer marketing has been the primary way for brands to market to consumers on the app. Instagram differs from Facebook as ads are reserved for large companies who are willing to shell out around $350,000–$1 million a month. For smaller brands that wish to reach a niche group, influencer marketing is the way to go.

Instagram-300-million
300 Million Users = Bigger than Twitter

Instagram: Best Social Network for Engagement

The true power of Instagram is the high rate of engagement and active user base of the mobile app. Studies have found that Instagram engagement rates are up to 58 times higher than that of Facebook and 120 times higher than Twitter.

Forrester analyst Nate Elliott once stated, “On six of the seven social networks, the brands we studied achieved an engagement rate of less than 0.1%. For every 1 million Facebook fans those brands had collected, each of their posts received only about 700 likes, comments, and shares. On Twitter, the ratio was about 300 interactions per 1 million followers.” Instagram is the outlier with 4.21% engagement. Although that may sound low, it’s significantly better than Facebook’s .07%.

Why Influencers Matter

Influencer marketing is all about relationships. Brands can benefit from developing relationships with popular influencers who have extensive reach and are willing to vouch for their product or service. When a tastemaker you trust recommends a product, it’s likely that you’ll listen.

In fact, when a consumer is contemplating a purchase, they look to more sources than the brand itself. A Nielsen study found that 84% of the public trusts recommendations from people they know and 68% trust consumer opinions posted online. In today’s digital age, many people treat social media the same way they would a face-to-face interaction, therefore putting trust in the individuals they follow.

Finding the Right Influencer

Most people wouldn’t trust an athlete to review a new software program, yet they will probably listen to his or her opinion on sportswear and nutrition products. Vice versa, a tech guru might not be your best bet to market a new fashion line but would be the ideal candidate to test and share a new app. It’s key to not only find an influencer with plenty of reach, but the type of reach you’re looking for.

A brand doesn’t need celebrities and athletes to promote their products; a “normal” person with a broad reach will do just fine. There are thousands of people with a variety of interests and large followings on Instagram. Targeting the right ones is the important part.

Forbes contributor Kyle Wong uses the following equation to determine how to choose an influencer:

Influence = Audience Reach (# of followers) x Brand Affinity (expertise and credibility) x Strength of Relationship with Followers

You can find influencers through hashtag research, skimming related profiles or navigating the ‘popular’ bar. Keep in mind their followers should be similar to your target demographic. If possible, reach out via email to your choice influencer. If email is not an option, a direct message on Instagram should work just fine.

Once you find the right influencer and settle on a deal, they will typically share images of the sponsored product or service with their Instagram followers. The approach is almost always organic and natural, rather than a blatant promotion. Sometimes, the product is not even mentioned.

While many companies have found this method successful, the nutritional supplement company SHREDZ stands out as a leader. SHREDZ only made $90,000 in 2012, but after partnering with a little-known fitness model, Paige Hathaway, the brand jumped to $5 million in gross revenue by the end of 2013. SHREDZ achieved these numbers with just a small team and digital promotion. At the beginning of the partnership, Hathaway had 8,000 followers; she has grown to over 1.8 million in a span of three years.

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Poler Outdoor Stuff’s Instagram is another prime example of non-invasive influencer marketing. By incorporating their backpacks and products into posts sporting the scenic and outdoorsy persona they strive for, the company successfully reaches thousands of like-minded consumers. They have teamed up with dozens of influencers, such as photographers and action sports athletes, to subtly showcase their products. With the help of these “insta-celebs,” consumers from around the globe see their products being used in the outdoors, encouraging a purchase that’s inspired by a lifestyle.

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Instagram boasts an engaging community with a wide variety of easily accessible influencers. If you’re looking to improve your social visibility and drive consumer product sales, Instagram influencer marketing can be a powerful tool.

Let us know if you would like some guidance with your own “Insta-Marketing.” (W)right On is glad to start or assist in an Instagram campaign.

 

5 Signs Your Brand Needs a Refresh

branding refresh

branding refresh

By Keely Smith, Design & Multimedia Specialist

Branding plays an influential role in setting a business up for success. A brand is more than just a logo – it is a visual representation of a business’ values and creates an entire customer experience from the visual identity and website to social media presence. So is yours working for you? Below are 5 signs your brand is due for a refresh.

  1. Your brand looks outdated

Our world is certainly no stranger to change. With the adoption of new technologies, it is youtubeimportant to have a brand that moves a business forward and doesn’t hold it back. Having a “retro” identity may be intentional in some cases. However, if a brand is no longer effectively serving as a visual representation of your business and its vision and doesn’t communicate key messaging clearly, it’s time for an update.

A complete overhaul is not always the solution. Minor adjustments to existing elements, like a change in color palette or typefaces used, are very simple and effective ways to give your brand a facelift. The goal is to achieve an identity that looks timeless.

  1. Your brand is stunting growth

As a business grows, so should its brand. Let’s say a business changes its services offered – there has been a shift in target audience, or a new partnership has formed. A successful brand should reflect any modifications made. If the existing brand is no longer applicable to current growth and expansion, it’s time to go back and revisit the drawing board.

  1. Your brand doesn’t add value

Are you an industry leader? Do you have outstanding customer service? Are you serious about what you do and what your business has to offer? Great! Your brand should represent everything you take pride in as a business.

A well-thought-out, well-designed brand can do wonders for paving the way to success. A brand creates a “visual reputation” and has a major influence on public perception. If you want your business to be taken seriously, you need to seriously invest in the development of your brand. It will set you apart from competitors and is a proactive way to add value to everything you do.

  1. Your brand lacks consistency

Do you have five or more logos? Countless ways your brand is being used? Consistency is everything, and having too many brands or different logo elements displayed across different media platforms (web, social media, printed collateral, etc.) may hinder the message your business wishes to communicate. Less really is more when it comes to a visual identity. Excessive taglines, colors, gradients and drop shadows in graphic elements are a thing of the past. We have seen a shift in design trends from the overly flashy to the minimal and simplistic.

Although versatility is not a necessity, it provides an opportunity to establish a strong and consistent visual presence. You may have a visual element or icon associated with your brand, which could be used to create a background pattern for a website, for example. You can have a dynamic branding suite, yet maintain consistency and market your brand effectively.

  1. Your brand was your latest DIY project

DIY-foundation-repair-mistakeThere are countless platforms out there that allow anyone to create their own brand with the click of a button. Although this may be convenient and cost-effective, it runs the risk of projecting an unsuccessful or negative image. This is where investing in your brand pays off. It is important to work with a graphic designer when it comes to the development of your visual identity. Graphic design is an art form, and designers are constantly fine-tuning their skill. Designers specialize in visual communication and know how to deliver an intentional brand with a strong visual presence.

It all goes back to what you are trying to accomplish as a brand. Consistency is critical, and your branding should reflect that. Whether you’re a big corporation or a small startup, these tips will help you decide if a refresh is right for you.

In Communications, the Only Constant is Change – Part 2

communcations

communcationsby Grant Wright @grant_wright

If you read my last post, you know that I like to partake in my version of crystal ball reading. In part one of this two-part post, I floated predictions of Facebook and Youtube’s dampening, social media specialists displacing all-knowing gurus and a positive trend of increasing two-way brand communications but through paid channels. In this second part, I branch past social media to communication change applications in society with three more predictions for the near future:

Social Media in the Election Process

obamaWith the increasingly obscene amount of money flowing into the election process, candidates in the 2016 race will use social media unlike any campaign we’ve seen. In 2008, President Obama began a new era of integrating social media into the political process. Some argue that his comprehensive and strategic social media campaign won him the election. He gained the support of American youth by reaching them where they are most active, and this engagement continued in the 2012 election cycle.

With recent news of the Koch brothers alone committing to spend nearly $900 million during the 2016 campaign cycle, I think the Republican Party will be readying to deploy social media to an entirely new level. Although a record setting $5.6 billion was spent by the parties combined in the 2012 election, we ain’t seen nothing yet.

As expenditures are expected to top a staggering $8 billion in the next election, it boggles the mind what this will do for the social media landscape. Oh, to go back to the simpler days of the 80s and 90s when a mere $20 million waged a Presidential campaign.

Wearable Tech

While the social media run-up will start this year to a crescendo in the next, something that will truly become mainstream this year is wearable technology. Whether it’s the Apple Watch or Fitbit, we’ll all be wearing some sort of tech device soon, even if it’s just a self-adjusting belt.

apple-watch-6_1The Apple Watch’s release date is scheduled in April and I foresee 2015 being the first year we see technology incorporated rightinto clothing fabric like Vivir apparel. There are smart socks, replacement soles and an array of “e-textiles” to come. Textiles expert Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman says, “what makes smart fabrics revolutionary is that they have the ability to do many things that traditional fabrics cannot, including communicate, transform, conduct energy and even grow.” Future high technology will literally be worn on our backs.

 Interactive Video

As Internet bandwidth continues to increase, data storage costs decrease. Smartphones and simple editing software put a movie studio in everyone’s hand. Platforms now enable free and easy video hosting. All of this will lead to the continued shift from 2D content (like this post you’re reading) to visual content, particularly video and multimedia (like the new Vlog series we’re developing at (W)right On – stay tuned!)

In the next stage, video will move from the passive state it’s in today to an interactive state through embedded code technology. amazon_droneSay you’re watching a music video and see a shirt worn by your favorite artist. Hit pause, touch the screen to order, wave your smartphone by your Apple Pay enabled TV receiver, and voilà! An Amazon drone will arrive soon thereafter bearing said shirt. With this technology in combination with others like 3-D printing, the age of access will only accelerate.

While these are just seven visions swirling in the ball, in some form or another they may already on their way to reality. Separately and combined I think they’re all positive, for where there’s change there’s opportunity, and opportunity is a constant that feeds our soul.

What do you think? Enablers of the Age of Abundance? Harbingers of humanity’s doom? Comments are always welcome!