Lisa Mulka - Copywriting, Editing, Curriculum Development
  • Home
  • About
    • Why JSP?
    • About Lisa Mulka
    • News
  • Portfolio
    • Copywriting
    • Editing
    • Curriculum
    • Books
    • Articles
    • Financial Literacy
  • Services
  • Contact
734.417.1826

Put the Ease in Press Release

6/28/2014

 
Picture
In a newsroom, hundreds of press releases come across the assignment desk every day.  You need to get your press release moved to the top of the possibilities pile.  But, how do you do it? 

Write a head turning headline. 
Your goal is to grab the reader’s attention right off the bat. The clock starts ticking as soon as that piece of paper or email hits his or her hands. Be clear. Be concise. Get straight to the point. We want to care. Make us care. 

Let's make this quick.
The entire press release should be no more than one page. Hit the 5 W and 1 H: who, what, when, where, why and how. However, another page or even a paragraph with answers to possibly asked questions are helpful and appreciated. Journalists follow the KISS principle. Keep It Simple, Stupid. Some prefer Keep It Simple, Sweetheart. If you are writing a release for television broadcast, think in terms of picture and sound. What are the best photo ops? If there is a certain time this is happening, please be specific in the release.

Who you gonna call?
If journalists have questions, they need to be able to get a hold of someone NOW. Include a contact office phone, home phone, cell, pager, twitter, facebook, instagram, whatever is the best to reach you.  Your client will not be happy if his or her story didn't make air or press because you couldn't be reached. 

Be memorable. 
 If your story is covered, call or even write to say thank you.  Keep good records of your contacts, even take notes on any personal information he or she may share to ask about later.  First impressions go a long way.  Take the time to stand out.            

The Technical Elements of a Great Email: Email Etiquette Part 2

5/18/2011

18 Comments

 
Picture
Avoid email confusion by following OPTTRP
We’ve all used acronyms at one point in time to remember bits of information (remember elementary school days when you memorized ROYGBIV to learn the colors of the rainbow?)  Labeling information in an easy-to-remember format does just that—it makes it easier to remember. That’s why OPTTRP (pronounced opt-trap) provides a simple solution to remembering the basic elements any business or work-related email should contain. Sending clear messages requires a clear format and OPTTRP covers all you need to know about writing effective emails that communicate your message clearly.

OP: Organizational Purpose
Aside from last week’s suggestion to always open a work email with a friendly greeting, the next item included in an email should be the organizational purpose. The organizational purpose states what the intentions of the email are and the reasons for writing. The purpose defines the context and explains necessary rationale for any upcoming requests. While it may seem obvious why you are writing the email, it may not be so obvious to the receiver.

If I am emailing a client, for example, I might begin by writing something like “As we discussed earlier on the phone, attached is the contract for our upcoming newsletter project.” While I could assume that my recipient knew the purpose of the email, I’ve eliminated any assumptions by reminding him of our earlier conversation and the ultimate purpose of delivering the contract.

TT: Technical Task
Once the framework has been established, the next article to include in an email is the technical task. This is the action or undertaking you are asking the receiver to complete.

Building off the above example of sending a contract to a client, my technical task is to outline the procedures for signing and returning the contract and ask that the client do so within a reasonable timeframe. Identifying the task explicitly avoids ambiguity and follows a logical approach since I have already set the stage with the organizational purpose.

RP: Rhetorical Purpose
After the technical task has been outlined, ending the email by asserting the rhetorical purpose is often beneficial, especially if the receiver is someone you are newly in contact with. In essence, the rhetorical purpose can serve to recap the organizational purpose or extend beyond that to define long-term goals.

In the sending a contract to a client example, my rhetorical purpose is to create a long-running relationship with that client and to become their go-to writer. Adding a line or two at the end of the email indicating my enthusiasm in working together is one way to define the rhetorical purpose of not only this one specific email, but to many more communication exchanges to come.

Whenever in doubt of how to begin writing a business email, follow the OPTTRP rules and remember each element need not be lengthy—it just needs to communicate clearly your purpose, the task, and the rhetorical outcome of those items.


18 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    About

    Looking for ways to improve your business communication? Check out some of our posts for tips on how to make written communication work for you.

    Archives

    January 2017
    September 2016
    April 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    January 2014
    September 2013
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011

    Categories

    All
    Business
    Communication
    Content
    Copy
    Email
    Marketing
    Technical Communication
    Technical Communication
    Technical Writing
    Twitter
    Website

CONTACT US

Tel: 734.417.1826
info@JuniperShorePublications.com

OUR COMPANY

About Us
Why JSP?
Founder Lisa Mulka
In The News

OUR PORTFOLIO

Curriculum
Copywriting
Editing
Articles
​Books
​Financial Literacy
project form

Juniper Shore Publications, LLC is a Limited Liability Company registered in the state of Michigan. Copyright 2020.