The Writing Life

A lot of research has been done on what people look at, as opposed to read, in the newspaper, magazines and online.

In my view, some of the most fascinating has been the Eyetrack Research, conducted over several years by the journalism think tank, the Poynter Institute. Some of those results will send talented writers into a fit of depression!

Their findings, naturally, were that people scan headlines, photos, cutlines and the first paragraph of stories that interested them. Only when something really got their attention - I suspect something that impacted them - would they read on.

Related, I did a very informal survey once as an editor. I had a group of readers take a marker and highlight the phrases, words, photos or whatever that caught their attention.

The results were stunning. While a good headline or large photo was marked, so were the following words: sale, %off, save, huge values and other key words from print advertisements. Furthermore, sometimes they were in small ads, no larger than a business card.

Yet these words attracted attention.

For years, I have developed print ads with a basic premise. Each print ad must have:

• A headline
• A piece of art or visual appeal
• A "story" - better known as the offer and call to action
• Then your logo/contact information

The battle I have fought with a number of clients is to keep the headline - BUY ONE GET ONE FREE - more prominent than the business name; the photo of the product larger than the logo.

There is huge value to brand recognition and trusting a company, but people are interested in the offer first! If you run a weekly ad, it is not the name "Bob's Hardware" that draws a person in. It is the offer "Buy one bag of mulch, get the second for half price" that will get a consumer's attention.

Trust me, they'll find your business to take advantage of your great offer!

Posted by ecmorgan at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I've been preaching for a while now that social media is a great tool - perhaps becoming a vital tool. But for every job, there is the right tool.

If your target market is teens, the right tool may not be Twitter. Seems that teens aren't as excited about Twitter as the rest of us.

Posted by ecmorgan at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

When I first made the transition from traditional journalism to public relations, I was given an interesting tip.

"A press release is just a news story," I was told.

And that's correct in a manner of speaking. At least, the elements of a good story and a good press release are similar.

Make sure you have the following when writing a press release:

• A strong, catchy headline that gets attention.
• A strong opening paragraph that hooks the reader.
• Avoid jargon, hype and superlatives.
• Write in the active voice.
• Try to tie it in with a news angle or give it a "hook."

Keep in mind that a good press release, like a good news story, answers the "w questions" - who, what, when, where and why. How wouldn't be a bad question to answer either.

Taking your time and immitating stories you read in the paper or online similar to yours is not a bad route to go.

Posted by ecmorgan at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the world of media, hyper-local has been a buzz phrase for quite some time. It can consist of many things.

• Weekly and small-town daily newspapers and their web sites.
• Specialty/niche publications and their web sites. The Nashville Business Journal or Nashville Parent is an example.
• Websites devoted to news and information on a very local level, even a block level.
• Sites such as Baristanet, Bright Neighbor, and Everyblock.com

With so many sites, and so much focus on super-local, what is your hyper-local strategy?

This is a difficult strategy to answer, but it is one that needs solutions including a combination of advertising - traditional and online, social media and public relations. And it will take time and manpower to implement, to be sure.

Here are some links to articles that address the hyperlocal topic.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/138/get-me-rewrite-hyperlocals-lost.html?page=0%2C1

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/17/AR2009081701616.html

http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/928273/Seattle-becomes-hyperlocal-hotbed-43-sites-launch/

Posted by ecmorgan at 06:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Weak writing is everywhere. We all do it - even me, and I make my living off words.

When I'm asked my advice on strengthening writing, I respond with two words: Action Verbs. You know, those words that denote action.

Active, or action verbs, can pack a punch. Shorter sentences become laden with strength and descriptiveness, and you eliminate the need for adverbs. A nice bonus, if you ask me.

Below is the simplest best example I can provide.

WEAK: He went to the store.

STRONG: He ran to the store. He drove to the store. He walked to the store. He crawled to the store.

The point is "went" is a weak verb. By substituting it with walked, drove, ran or crawled, you now know that he went to the store. But you also know how he got there.  It is more descriptive.

This simple point - watching out for the verb to be - can improve writing.

Posted by ecmorgan at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Weak writing is everywhere. We all do it - even me, and I make my living off words.

When I'm asked my advice on strengthening writing, I respond with two words: Action Verbs. You know, those words that denote action.

Active, or action verbs, can pack a punch. Shorter sentences become laden with strength and descriptiveness, and you eliminate the need for adverbs. A nice bonus, if you ask me.

Below is the simplest best example I can provide.

WEAK: He went to the store.

STRONG: He ran to the store. He drove to the store. He walked to the store. He crawled to the store.

The point is "went" is a weak verb. By substituting it with walked, drove, ran or crawled, you now know that he went to the store. But you also know how he got there.  It is more descriptive.

This simple point - watching out for the verb to be - can improve writing.

Posted by ecmorgan at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It wasn't that long ago that the words social media were meaningless. It simply didn't exist.

In recent years, an explosion in new media has set off the "public relations 2.0" craze and it seems all you read about now is how to use Twitter or Facebook to promote your product or service. And make no bones about it, social media tools are very powerful and will grow in power, and their ability to reach an audience.

But let us not forget the old guys.

Yes, newspapers in particular, and print magazines too, have been hard hit by challenges of online competitors, shifting advertising revenues and the recession. But to count them out would be a foolhardy approach at best.

According to most statistics, about half of all Americans read a daily newspaper. That number fluctuates a few points above or below the 50 percent mark, depending on who is reporting the statistic, but still, are you ready to discount an audience that is 40, 45, or 50 percent of the people in your demographic or target market?

Likewise with television and radio. Seriously fractured by a large number of channels, this can actually be good as, like with web sites, you can get very very targeted and reach quite a specific audience.

And besides, you've watched TV lately haven't you? Then you know most other Americans have too.

Let us also consider that many of these "old media" companies have very vibrant, active, constantly updating web sites, and you see that working with old media is still very important.

Yes, online and social media is critical to the success of most PR campaigns. But don't forget old media. It still has tremendous viewership/readership, and to leave it out is to neglect a ptentially enormous audience.

Posted by ecmorgan at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A recent discussion on a social network consisting of mystery writers debated if Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites were good marketing tools. Could they sell books? Or your product or service?

I think, honestly, the answer is yes and no.

I do believe they and other social networking tools can be highly effective in communicating to an existing audience or customer base. You can use it to notify your "followers" of new products, sales, exclusive offerings and more. It can be powerful stuff.

But only for people who are your followers.

If you are a bookstore that specializes in selling only mystery novels, then yes, you can use Facebook, Twitter and others to notify existing "followers" of your new releases. However, if I am new to town, and do not know you exist, and therefore do not "follow" you, the social networking sites will be pretty useless in letting me know of your half-off sale this weekend.

Also, when using social media, your message MUST be strong. People already using these sites understand how much clutter there is on them, and how rapidly you can reach a point where you simply ignore updates and notifications.

More on how to avoid that next time.

Posted by ecmorgan at 01:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You wish to put out a press release.

Here are a few of the things, taken from my 12 years as a newspaper publisher and editor, that will guarantee it does not get published. I will post more later.

Do not understand the role of the newspaper or media outlet. When editing the Aransas Pass Progress, we would get frequent press releases about events in Corpus Christi, 20 miles away. This is fine, however, we did not cover Corpus at all. Most small town papers operate under the mantra "If it didn't happen in or to your town, it ain't news." There were many sources our readers could access for Corpus Chrisit information, but only one for info about our town. And we weren't going to spend our resources on yet another outlet for Corpus.

Argue about it. Editors, television producers, website producers, etc., all know their markets and the goals of their particular media outlet. So, don't tell them, politely or impolitely, they are wrong. Use superlatives. Things like "the best", "the first ever", etc. These are red flags for journalists everywhere. It is Murphy's Law - the second a newspaper publishes that something is the first of it's kind, someone will come forth with proof that they did it earlier.

Don't follow up. An editor or producer receives your press release and calls or e-mails for more information, a clarification or a photo. That contact indicates they are interested. Ignore it, or fail to get them what they need, then your press release will fall flat. And it is quite likely they will remember the next time you send one in, too.

Posted by ecmorgan at 01:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You've spent the time and energy to prepare a well-written press release. Perhaps even a couple of versions - one for print, one for broadcast and maybe one that is written for online outlets.

Now what?

There may be a tendancy to distribute the press release to as many places as possible.

Is this the best route?

Certainly, a company like GE Consumer Finance and GE Retail Finance, being national companies for broad interest, can likely benefit from a mass distribution to as many business outlets as possible, particularly through a service like business wire.

But that's not the case with every business.

When I was working for a PR firm, one of the accounts I worked with was Memphis Car Audio. This company is a manufacturer of car audio equipment - speakers and amplifiers - of very high quality and they have a strong reputation for loyalty to their retailers - all of whom are independent retailers.

Our press releases and feature stories had virtually a 100 percent placement rate. Why? Because we targeted our markets. The media outlets we approached with press releases and feature stories, some regional in scope and others national in scope, specifically targeted Memphis Car Audio's market and their ideal demographic. Had they purchased the space in advertising, it would have cost tens of thousands of dollars more than the targetd press releases and stories cost them.

The decision on whether or not to use a shotgun approach or a rifle approach should come only after careful study of the media markets and careful study and consideration of the purpose of the press release.

After all, the idea is to obtain "news coverage" of your event, product, service or announcement, and spending the time, energy and money to send your release to an outlet that won't publish it is just a waste.

Posted by ecmorgan at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)