I am part of a public-relations (PR) team in a large organization, and my colleagues and I have been discussing whether it is necessary to be a good writer to succeed in PR or not.
There are some of us who say that, since PR is relationship-based, establishing contacts is sufficient. Others say that, since we are in communications, writing is essential.
Based on my own observation, I would say that a person with good writing skills has an edge, but I would like to hear it from you.
If so, how can I improve my writing skills? This would really be helpful.
Thank you so much,
Nina R.
DEAR Nina,
My colleagues at the International Public Relations Association and I are glad you asked that question, as communication skills have been downplayed over time by people who claim to be PR practitioners, but are actually into events and inviting celebrities to launches. Sadly, there are clients who do not know the difference.
But even today, writing skills are important, not only to succeed in PR, but in other businesses, as well. In his article “Writing Shouldn’t Be Painful: Five Ways to Channel Your Inner Shakespeare”, columnist Kevin Daum writes, “To do business the right way, you must do it the write way.”
Daum also writes that if you hated writing in college, “you are in for a bumpy business career. Every aspect of business today requires that you write in a strong and interesting manner.”
That is because, today, “people communicate more through e-mail and messenger. Entrepreneurs and managers need to articulate their vision in inspiring ways.”
“Sales and marketing both require the ability to create compelling copy, articles and presentations. Even video demands the ability to script powerfully using words and imagery.”
Daum gathered together some of his colleagues to give tips on how to improve one’s writing.
1 Practice. Observing that many business people don’t write unless they have to, Daum says they don’t have to wait to win a project and then struggle through it.
His advice? “The best way to improve your writing is to write a lot.” Drawing from his own experience, he says that, when he started writing columns, at only once a week, it took a lot of time and effort. Now that he’s writing three columns a week, he says it takes one-third of the time.
“You also need to make the writing fun,” he adds. “Entertain yourself. In my weekly newsletter I introduce my columns with limericks and haikus. Because of this regular practice, I can now create these poems in minutes, on the spot.”
2 Be natural. “Don’t try to write like a writer,” says Jeff Haden of Owner’s Manual. “Write—at least, on your first draft—the way you talk.”
Then, he says, “wait a day or two and tighten your draft. The best writing doesn’t sound like a ‘writer’. It sounds like you.”
3 Don’t conform. Peter Economy, the so-called Management Guy, has three words he lives by when it comes to writing: Break. The Rules.
That’s because, as anyone knows, “there are innumerable goals for style, punctuation, grammar and a whole lot more. Unfortunately, many of these rules are out of date, and they only serve to make your writing stale and boring.”
To avoid what he calls “this terrible fate,” Economy pushes, prods and breaks the rules “whenever it serves to make my writing better and more interesting.”
“If the rules say never start a sentence with ‘and’, or end a sentence with a preposition, or use a single-word sentence, then that’s exactly what I’ll do. Do the same, judiciously, and your own writing will stand out from the rest of the pack.”
4 Begin at the end. Marla Tabaka, known as The Successful Soloist, always has her communication goal in sight when she’s writing. “It’s so much easier to begin at the end because, then, I know exactly where I am going,” she shares.
“I always begin with the takeaway,” she says. “I ask myself: ‘What do I want my audience to learn, feel or become aware of while reading my content?’ It helps to envision myself in the place of the reader to better understand their position and explore any question they may have about the topic.”
Tabaka says that “this helps me connect to the all-important passion that’s behind most everything I do.” With the purpose and passion in place, she is able to “outline the main points of the piece and work from there. “
5 Cut out unnecessary words. Less is more for Eric Holtzclaw of Lean Forward. “When you are struggling with [writing] a sentence, or the structure of a paragraph, you might be tempted to add more words or additional content,” he says.
But one of the best lessons he received in writing was to “read through my content and identify words that aren’t important. I cut words out, specifically adjectives or filler words, and the end result is much easier to read.”
Millie F. Dizon is the senior vice president for marketing and communications of SM Inc., as well as the chairman of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the premier association for senior PR professionals around the world.
PR Matters is a rotating column of members of the local chapter of the Ipra.
PR Matters is devoting a special column each month to answer readers’ questions about public relations. Send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
Image credits: Sevenheads/Pixabay