Written by Diane Begin, CPRS Toronto Co-president
“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that he or she would be wise to develop a thick hide.” Harper Lee
Articles are a powerful tool in public relations for creating user-specific content, encouraging buzz and helping to manage the message.
That’s why author and journalist Jane Stokes offered tips at a recent Toronto Canadian Public Relations Society event, to make your branded editorial even stronger.
The approach seeks to match reporter tone through six characteristics:
- Cares that readers will trust the information
- Cares that readers receive solutions
- Remains neutral with the whole conversation; no persuading
- Interviews authorities to get opinions
- Does not care if audiences take any action
- Wants the audience to return
Ultimately, this is accomplished through the acronym Stokes refers to as “T.H.E.”
- Build TRUST (Is every last word…Impartial? No selling, no cheerleading. Reliable? Sources given. Comfortable? Upbeat, welcoming, not preachy.)
- Be HELPFUL (Does my wording…Promise solutions? Get straight to the point? Minimal small talk. Make the reader feel satisfied?)
- Directly ENGAGE (Do all my words…Create a positive/helpful mood? Stimulate thought? Speak directly to the audience? Show empathy? Vary sentence structure, like posing a questions?)
Stokes offered the following headline with T.H.E. at work, to make it stronger.
Before
Top things Canadians love about travel reward programs
After
How to multiply the rewards of travelling
She also offered the following tips for headlines, leads and branding.
HEADLINE TIPS
- Use the ‘reporter’ voice
- No unnecessary words
- Identify the topic exactly
- Begin your headline with a present-tense verb
LEAD TIPS
- Don’t repeat the headline
- Hook the audience
- Use the ‘reporter’ voice
- Ask a question
- Use quick, short sentences
- No small talk
- Never begin with boring word “Whether…”
BRANDING TIPS
- Less is more: 1 brand mention is powerful; 2 exact name mentions are risky; 3 repeats of the brand name are a waste of time (a branded URL is also a brand mention)
- Quoting an authority allows opinion in the article – a natural path to branding. Quotes give articles a credible Two-Voice quality:
- The Reporter Voice: Delivers the topic; guides the article
- The Authority Voice: Gives tips (quoted, or tip-list) based on expertise; delivers the branded information
