When it is an advert! By all means create a press release to signal the launch of a new website, product or service but the key is to make it newsworthy – that way, your release will be accepted, published and widely distributed.

By following these simple steps, your press releases will be powerful, professional and successful:

Check it!

Once you have written your release, proofread it! Take your time. The more you invest in your company’s first impression the stronger it will be. A poorly structured, badly spelt release will not lead to an avalanche of enquiries.

Flex your muscles

Start off with a strong message. Your headline, summary and first paragraph should clarify your news. Use the rest of the release to provide the detail. Include your keywords in the headline, summary and first paragraph. Add your web address too and tell them who you are, it will add to your credibility.

Be professional

A few lines are all it takes to see if something has been written professionally or not. If you write with hype, slang, direct address or excessive exclamation the chances are that it will be viewed as an advertisement rather than a news article.

Am I bothered?

To coin my son’s favourite catchphrase, put yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask exactly that. Remember, this is your business so you are going to get excited about little things – but are your customers? If you are opening a new shop for example, is that newsworthy? What will make it so unique? Avoid clichés and focus on the elements that set you apart from everyone else. Try tying it in with current news issues, social issues etc.

Illustrate

I’m not suggesting that you turn in to Rolf Harris and ask everyone “can you tell what it is yet?” By illustrate I mean use real life studies to show how you help problem solve or how your product helps your customers. Everyone can associate with real life examples – they are a powerful tool so use them.

Blow your own trumpet

Forget the good old British reserve – your company is a success, you have reached a milestone, you have identified and solved a problem, you’ve hired a new MD. Whatever it is, shout about it. Issuing press releases (for online or print) is a superb way of creating expert status for you and your company. How about writing a tip sheet (a bit like this one) in your field of expertise?

Tease don’t tell

Although you want to use the press release as a vehicle for getting your news out there, if you need to, hold back. If you are launching a new service or product or have a new promotion provide your reader with a link that will take them to your website so they can learn more. If you give them all the information they need in the release why will they want to go to your website? By using this method your call to action will pull them away from reading and push them to take action by clicking onto your site.

Words and voice

Keep your press release voice active, use strong verbs and economise – be clear and concise, make every word count. Also keep away from jargon, I know you all love it but your audience doesn’t!

There you go – follow these simple pointers and you will be producing compelling, informative and above all, readable press releases.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

Let me take your business to new heights by making every word count.

I know they are not sexy, but hey, if you got them sorted out for your business you would not need to spend fees on lawyers over disputes. We are still building our site and want to offer some free items to display in our contracts section. We believe this will drive more traffic to us as well as offering something useful for propective clients.

What sort of terms would you like to see as free my ideas so far are:

Web site terms of use
Privacy Terms
IP ownership terms of use
Shareholders agreement
Trading terms for the supply of services B2B

Any more thoughts on what else would be useful? We will decide on the top 5 and refresh them every quarter.

Author: Sue McGaughran - LimeOne - Legal Advice, Ecommerce Contracts, Legal Document Shop

I have enjoyed writing ever since I can remember. My mother still has exercise books full of stories that I wrote in my youth – many of them should really have been consigned to the bin but, thanks to her, shall remain in all their juvenile glory to haunt me for ever more.

Throughout my school years, I covered countless rain forests in ink with essays on all manner of academic subjects. Stories would flow freely from my aching hand (yes you spotted it, I was at school pre-computers) – they may not have been Booker Prize Winners but they were coherent, flowing and above all written in grammatically correct English.

I count myself among those fortunate few who have turned their hobby into their profession. I now spend my days writing and creating. There is nothing more relaxing or satisfying than carefully crafting a small army of words into an absorbing article, successful sales letter or piece of web copy.

Much of my work comes from a regular bank of clients; however I occasionally look at websites that post requests for work. You can imagine my horror and despair as I noticed a worrying trend beginning to emerge. It would appear that some of today’s University students are incapable of producing an essay.

For example, I received these requests a few days ago:

“I need an essay on modernism (using no more than two artworks and one theoretical text, give an account of one post-war artist who refutes Greenberg’s theory of modernist ‘flat’ painting).”

This one on Ophelia’s death takes the biscuit; I quote “Hey I need a paper about Ophelia’s death, what drove her mad and who caused it before Thursday. If you can do it, it needs to include the nunnery scene and closet scene show Ophelia’s negative qualities”

One may be forgiven for feeling an amount of sympathy for today’s students who are forced to work all hours to pay their way through University so that they are not saddled by huge debts when they graduate. However it is not just confined to Universities. This one was the most worrying that I came across.  It was posted by a GCSE student who says:

 “I’ve  got an American West essay to do, i’m at GCSE level. About 2000 words for the essay.Looking for a essay writer do this for me and tell me the price i would have to pay i haven’t got that much money because im only a school student so im looking for a decent price. Can you message me back as soon as possible please.”

(Please note I have not corrected the punctuation or format of the posting.)

What is the world coming too? Is the art of good writing being lost forever? I hope not. But then again, it will at least ensure that I shall be kept very busy for a very long time.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Business Copywriter

Helping SME’s cast off their marketing frustrations

Close the blinds, take the phone off the hook and shut your door – what I am about to tell you will revolutionise your business.

Time is one of the most precious commodities of the modern day. It is the one thing many of us never seem to have enough of.

As a copywriter, I am constantly asked what exactly it is that I do. I could go on and on about writing web copy, press releases, newsletters, sales letters, reviews, brochures…..dozed off yet? Exactly, it’s not the most glamorous job in the world.

Instead I tell people that as a copywriter I do far more than sell and put interesting and entertaining words on to paper or screen. By far the most important aspect of my profession is that I save you time.

Whether you run your own business or work for someone else, you know how important time is. There just never seem to be enough minutes in the day to get everything done. Shall I tell you why? Perhaps you are trying to do too much.

Most business people are perfectly capable of writing their own copy. But as your business becomes more successful you have less time. This is why you hire people to help you. After all, the key to success is to surround yourself with people smarter than you in their field of expertise. Your time is precious and you need to use it effectively within your business.

To see your business flourish you need to let go of some of the work. Yes, you would be giving up some control but only to generate and explore new ideas. A copywriter will help you with that. Not only will they write cracking copy, they can also use their creativity to help devise new and innovative ideas.

Copywriting is a highly specialised area which demands specific skills, knowledge and a certain type of personality and therefore it is a position you would want to fill from outside your company. A professional freelance copywriter will bring fresh ideas to your business and will create vibrant copy that will get your company noticed. Don’t get bogged down searching for one with extensive experience within your particular industry sector – ignorance is often the most valuable commodity a copywriter can bring. Their writing will not be dull and lifeless or a regurgitation of your industry norm.

Copywriting isn’t and should not be thought of as another expense. It is an investment. Put your resources into this aspect of your business and you’ll reap the rewards – your time and your company’s revenue will soar.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

Do we need a code of conduct for writing blogs?

According to DLA Piper, only 5% of Internet users know the legal rights and wrongs of posting online. It also found that 77% of bloggers were unaware of the law surrounding publication and journalism.

The same study found that 42% of Internet users believe that bloggers should be made to follow the same legal standards as journalists. 46% like the idea of a voluntary code of conduct. Bloggers however, don’t agree, only 32% support the idea with 34% directly opposed.

According to a spokesman from DLA Piper, there is potential for bloggers to end up in court. Beyond defamation and employment law, there are plenty of other issues which bloggers could trip up on. Issues such as, but not limited to: Libel, Contempt of court, the Telecommunications act, Protection from harassment act, even the anti-terrorist legislation.

Given that nobody reads website Terms and Conditions (and many still do not have them!) wouldn’t a code of conduct be pointless? Essentially, a code of conduct is not a set of laws, followers of this conduct will however protect themselves against some potential legal surprises if UK companies and individuals do decide to clamp down. A court may even look more favourably on them for following the voluntary code if the matter does reach a court.

Who would sign up for a voluntary code of conduct? Would it be those who are already careful in what they publish? or would it be the trouble makers inspiring this discussion in the first place?