Posts in category: Blog

Media writing has evolved into its own specialist form – at the heart of the style is active writing. What makes this style so special? Writing has come a long way. It’s argued that true writing of language itself – not just numbers – was invented independently in at least two places: Mesopotamia around 3200 BC, and Mesoamerica in around 900 BC. Fast forward thousands of years and writing is an integral part of most people’s daily lives; particularly in media, where ‘active voice’ is crucial. Writing in passive voice means constructing sentences where the subject is ‘passive’ – acted upon, rather than being the agents of the action. You’ll notice passive sentence structure makes sentences dull and, quite frankly, a bit boring.

Active tense, however, makes things punchy and gets straight to the point.

The ability to compile an informative, enticing and well written piece of news is crucial for media writing. Competition is fierce for organisational ‘real estate’ in news pages, and a company’s media writing or stories should always be clear, accurate and truthful. It also pays to be creative, fun and ‘punchy’. Having an active voice is crucial for writing with flair, and gains more attention than a dull, passive piece of writing. In short: Keep it upbeat, keep it short, and keep it active. So what’s active voice? In active voice, the subject is doing the action. Let’s take the song “I saw her standing there” by The Beatles as an example of a sentence in active voice. If you wanted to make the title of this song passive, you would say: “She was standing there, and I saw it.” Hmm… Not so catchy now, is it? Other examples

Passive Voice (NO)	Active Voice (YES)
I keep butter in the fridge	Butter is kept in the fridge
The CEO kept his schedule meticulously	The CEO’s schedule was kept meticulously
A cake is being made by me	I am making a cake
A lot of coverage was achieved by the public relations company	The public relations company achieved lots of coverage.

When is the Right Time To Use Passive Voice? Just to confuse everyone further, there are actually some occasions where it’s okay to use passive voice. We have listed a few of these below:

1. Changing Focus – When we want to change the focus of a sentence, we can flip the rules a little. For example, “The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci” – in this case, we’re more interested in the painting than the artist, so it makes sense to place Mona Lisa first.
2. Scientific Writing – “The chemical was placed in the test tube and data entered into a computer”.
3. When The Action Is Unknown – “My computer had been stolen” – in this case, the agent is unknown.

Clear as mud? Don’t worry – that’s what we’re here for.

The inverted pyramid of media writing is one of the most fundamental aspects of good media writing. Understanding the concept and applying it to almost all styles of writing will help you win friends and influence people.

The pyramid approach is a style of story-telling that guides a writer to arrange their piece so the most important information goes at the beginning.

It’s become more and more important for media writers to craft stories this way, mainly due to the rapidly growing number of news outlets in the world and the diminishing amount of free time in people’s lives. Media writers know that if their stories have not captivated a reader almost immediately, then all their work will have been for nothing.

It wasn’t always like this. Before the end of the 19th century, journalist of the time would write stories that followed more traditional, slow-paced format. An argument can be made that the style was long-winded and unnecessary, but all stories would follow a more linear timeline – they began with a ‘signal’ that something important, useful, inspiring or entertaining was about to begin, and from there the journalist would tell the story from beginning to end, leaving the climax, or the crux of the information, as the conclusion.

Nowadays, attention spans have shortened somewhat, and people are much more likely to scan the first few lines of a story to determine whether it is worth their time to continue reading. That is why it is important to employ the inverted pyramid to capture a reader early.

Writing in an inverted pyramid

Summarise the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ as soon as possible. This is usually done with a strong and engaging 23-25-word introductory sentence that can summarise the entire story in one go. Also try to focus the intro on the strongest news value – often simply the facts about what happened where. From there, the first paragraphs of a story must outline the important parts of the ‘5 Ws’ and include the strongest quotes.

Now that the key information has been identified in a compelling way, most journalists write the body of the story so it flows naturally. This includes telling the story in chronological order. Give further detail (often includes the ‘how’ (which was purposely left to expand on after briefly touching on it in the first few sentences)) and more quotes from sources. Be aware that trying to convey too much information in the body of the story (also applies to the introduction) can be worse than keeping it too brief.

Finally, the last few paragraphs should include the background information, general notes regarding the story, and any final ‘wrap up’ quotes.

While the inverted pyramid is mostly affiliated with the news, it is a powerful tool to wield for any style of writing. Perhaps not in a literal sense for styles like features, blogs or fiction, but the concept of engaging readers straight off the bat means that, in a world saturated by information, people will want read more of what you have to say.

Like I’ve said before, anybody can create incredible content marketing tactics with access to a bottomless pit of money. But for many small to medium businesses (SMBs) in the current climate doing their content on a smell of an oily rag would require a doubling of their budget! Despite these challenges there are still plenty of local businesses doing a great job of using content to build their audience, drive engagement and ultimately, increase sales. Here are four of the best currently doing the rounds. Silver Chef Silver Chef is a 30-year-old, West End based equipment finance company. With annual revenue pushing past $300 million they are quickly outgrowing the SMB category but remain a great example of content ‘done right’. The company has done a lot of work researching the needs and challenges of their target audience (primarily coffee shop, restaurant and takeaway store owners) and develops high quality, short form eBooks across a variety of topics. All the resources are conveniently warehoused in a single page on their website and accessible behind data collection points. The secret to the success of the content is the authentic, authoritative voice and the genuine desire to help customers (and potential customers) improve their business. Some of the topics include;

• Quick wins to grow your business;
• Attracting customers using Pokemon Go; and
• A guide to avoiding common pitfalls for designing your new venue (right)

The other important aspect to the strategy is the marketing of the eBooks across multiple channels, particularly social media. It is no good creating great content unless you tell the world about it! Technology One Again, not exactly a start-up but I’ve included for their great use of case studies. Case studies are the most effective marketing tactic, particularly in business-to-business (B2B) sales where larger dollars are involved and the customer journey can take many months. A great case study provides one of the many steps of product validation required to get new customers comfortable with your products. What makes TechnologyOne’s case studies great? The relatively short length, well organised sections of content and strong buy-in from the customer. The Victorian Institute of Teaching case study is simple, easy to read and to the point while still retaining high levels of data. It lays out the problem, discusses the solution and highlights the value TechnologyOne can add. The supporting video adds a great multimedia dimension. See all their case studies here. Research from the B2B Technology Marketing Group, based on a of more than 600 B2B marketing professionals, about the current state of content marketing shows case studies remain the most effective content. My Place Our Place Launched earlier this year by the team at Place Estate Agents the My Place Our Place blog is designed to showcase “the places, people and lifestyle that make our city and suburbs so special”. The crisp, clean layout (using the Squarespace platform), the use of strong imagery in each piece and an editorial agenda that focuses firmly on the people and the places of Brisbane delivers a strong package that puts the Place brand exactly where they want it, at the heart and soul of the communities where they operate. This is great example of the opportunities presented by blogging technology and demonstrates that with the right writers and the right focus, any company can become a successful media company. This brand publishing opportunity is now more accessible than ever and a great way to not just communicate with your customers, but build a community around your brand. Outfit Outfit is a Brisbane startup that has developed a brand management and automation software that allows companies to manage their brand assets more effectively and efficiently. They are a great example of how even a small company with limited resources can develop high impact content by identifying a key target market and developing engaging, relevant content that builds a deep understanding of how their products can solve the everyday problems of clients. The Ultimate Guide to Franchise Branding speaks directly to Outfit’s subject matter expertise and covers a range of topics including basic brand theory and more complex topics like the ROI of design efficiencies. All the information is presented in easy, bite-size packages to ease consumption. Importantly, the company has gone the extra mile and actively promoted the content across social channels (see Facebook ad below)     All of these case studies have different products, different markets and varied budgets, but all are great examples of what is possible if you take the time to think about how content can be the key driver of your marketing.

A great press release doesn’t write itself. They are built, piece by piece, until you have something that satisfies a host of requirements.

A press release is one of the key tools that PR practitioners will use to convey a news story on behalf of their organisation or client.

Often you will have only one chance to get the attention of a news editor or journalist so you need to make sure the release is constructed properly and contains essential information. Otherwise it may get overlooked or consigned to the scrap bin.

It doesn’t have to be a time consuming or daunting task provided you follow some rules and stick to a time tested pattern of laying out essential information. A press release that makes it easy for a journalist will ensure your news is duly considered and that they trust your information.

Press Release Key Requirements

Header – The header is the first section of the press release from the top down and usually features some key elements.

The words FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE are included to signify that the news is able to be reported on now and not subject to any form of publication embargo – used where a news release may be given to a journalist in advance of an announcement timing so they are able to prepare their story ahead of an impending deadline. The date of the announcement must be included and it’s usual for the company logo to be added which can leverage off their branding for attention and to stamp it as an official company release. Often you may see a combination of the words ‘Press Release’ or ‘ASX Announcement’ (for listed company updates provided to the exchange) to signify the intended audience.

Headline – The headline is immediately below the header and acts just like a headline in a newspaper. A good headline should draw attention and convey the key point of what the press release is about. Try to keep it fairly brief; 8-10 words should suffice. A compelling headline can make a big difference to editors bombarded with competing news items to sift through.

Dateline & Lead – A dateline is the name of the city where the news is emanating from – often the head office of where the organisation is based and is entered in CAPS. The lead sentence is extremely important and must include the most critical facts of the news story. If someone only reads the headline and lead they should have a firm idea as to what the story is about. This summary of critical information is known as Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

The Body – The body of the press release follows and allows you to flesh out the story further with more details and provide quotes from key personnel related to the story. Media outlets can use those quotes in their reporting as direct quotes from the people attributed. Rules of thumb – no more than two people quoted in a release and restrict to about two quotes per person. After the important details are included in the body, background information can then be included to provide context.

Correctly formatting quotes:

• Use quotation marks (” “) around quotes in the press release
• Separate more than one sentence in a quote with ,“said [Ms Xx].”
• Use a comma after the first sentence of a quote; do not use a period e.g. “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit,” said Ms Watkins.
• Media convention is not to close the quotes at the end of each successive quoted block – just at the end of the last quote.

End – To signify that the reader has reached the end of the press release itself you can either include the word ENDS or some hashtags underneath the last sentence ###.  Also it is important to include organisation contact information for media to contact someone for further information or queries. This would usually be the communications officer or MD.

Boiler Plate – An optional inclusion is a boiler plate that is a simple short paragraph that provides a description of the company or organisation and what it does. Don’t expect everyone to be familiar with who you are.

The Inverted Pyramid

Below is a diagram of what is known in journalistic circles as the Inverted Pyramid and describes the flow of ideas in a press release.

It documents the order that releases should be written in, from ‘most newsworthy information’, to ‘Important details’, to ‘other general or background information’.

By following this plan your readers should be able to find the critical information at the start of the release without needing to read the whole thing. For those who wish to read on they will be able to gain additional information.

Final thought: Edit and spell check! There’s nothing worse than a rushed job with mistakes. Have more than one set of eyes read the press release.

The below press release summary has been modified from a template from eRelease.com:

 
Main image copyright: alexskopje / 123RF Stock Photo

The not-for-profit (NFP) sector is a unique beast when it comes to communication.

Their audience is broad, ranging from organisation members, volunteers, board members, media, politicians and policymakers. Not to mention the wider public in many cases. Their work is centred towards a cause, with no mind towards profit or personal gain.

The content is continuous, versatile and needs to be engaging, and always leads back to the main underlying message that drives the organisation.

Every NFP will have their own communications and engagement strategy, but there are a few universal truths to consider when developing not-for-profit related content.

Good NFP content is more than just words on the page. Those who subscribe to a not-for-profit cause are often looking for information, resources and benefits that will help their interests and the interests of the industry they support. It’s important to provide that through content which, unlike a media release, can house such opportunities. Online NFP mediums like blogs, newsletters, web pages and even online in-house news pieces should be abundant with images and videos that illustrate a point, as well as links to other websites and attachments (i.e published PDFs) that can provide further reading and scope to the information. By providing this, an NFP exhibits a level of commitment to stakeholders, and shows the content they provide is a one-stop shop for all the information anyone could want on their subject.

Some content ‘receivers’ have other things to worry about. Often an NFP is made up of volunteers and members who have their own lives and businesses outside of the organisation. It can get quite frustrating when a lot of time is spent on developing great content and no one seems to respond. You have to ask yourself, ‘how will this content affect the reader’? NFP content is not usually recognised as randomly generated news pieces and web posts for people to stumble on and say, ‘hmm, that’s interesting’, before going about their day. NFP content has to strike a chord; it has to entice; it has to make people feel personally invested. Using links to useful resources as previously mentioned is great way to start, as well as adopting catchy and insightful headlines and headings, but the next step is to develop content that really hits home.

For example…

Writing a fact sheet to convince businesses to contribute to an NFP cause may include content around the following:

• What is in it for the business?
• How will the business be affected?
• Why is the NFP the right group for the cause? What are their goals and how do those goals translate to the business?

Understanding the audience goes a long way. More important to content distribution, understanding who the audience is helps to determine how to provide them with content the way they like it. This might sound a little pandering, but, for example, you would not develop an NFP event invitation that looks like spam and then email it to a group of busy executives twice a day for a month. It’s important to know the receiver, understand their communication channels, and interact with them in a way that keeps them on side and receptive to the message. Knowing the audience also helps with the tone of content. Continuing with the ‘busy executives’ as my example group, these individuals may prefer a professional manner from an NFP, rather than a youthful and off-the-cuff conversation tone. Just like travelling to another country and speaking to a local, NFP content is most effective when it is in the right lingo.

NFP content should have something to say. Consider the following paragraphs for a hypothetical media release, written by a hypothetical NFP organisation:

[INSERT NFP ORGANISATION HERE] is in full support of [INSERT INITIATIVE/PLAN/NEW LAW] established by [INSERT SEPERATE ENTITY HERE].

“This is a great step forward and [INSERT NFP ORGANISATION HERE] is excited about what it will mean for the future,” said [INSERT NAME OF NFP HEAD HERE].

This approach is often taken to tell the world that an NFP is aware of a situation, and usually comes off as self-promotion. When creating content, an NFP should consider the benefit of others first, and their interests last. An insightful report of the information and what it means for others should be the first priority. Once readers are made clear of the news and what it means for them and their interest, then an NFP can round out the message with the pledge of support and whatever future actions they may take on the public’s behalf.

Ultimately, it comes down to understanding the definition of a not-for-profit – an organisation that does not operate for their own personal profit and gain. NFP content should reflect that, and be written and distributed with the interests of others in mind.

The role of Communications Director in both global and local organisations has historically focused on a number of key traditional strategies to drive the brand forward. These roles include managing public image and reputation, distributing media releases, statements and alerts, responding to crises, writing speeches, engaging with stakeholders and managing the corporate website, among other tasks. But now, today’s tech-savvy consumers and the way they seek products calls for a lot more than what the traditional corporate communications executive has previously delivered. Today’s comms landscape brings social media, and with that, social media management, where companies must distribute their narratives proactively, respond almost instantaneously to negative public feedback, all throughout several different social media channels. An alarming statistic that featured in this year’s World PR Report, or ‘The Holmes Report’, revealed that by 2020, only 17 per cent of a communications budget will go towards paid media; that is, advertising. But, the same respondents in the report also said that they expected the biggest budget increase in the future will go toward shared media. Shared media intertwines with ‘owned’ media* – but is still a relatively new concept, and forms only as a result of a brand and customers or fans interacting and mutually creating content. This response doesn’t add up, given that social media postings must be sponsored (paid) and targeted perfectly to achieve any real reach or value on shared media platforms. So what does this tell us? Frankly, it says that many communications professionals don’t fully understand social media. Content creation, video production, engaging and creative ideas will propel the most effective media engagement going forward, with 81 per cent of industry leaders flagging a future driven by content creation. Brand reputation, measurement and evaluation, and traditional media relations also ranked highly. But while the tech side of communications is moving fast, it doesn’t mean the core skills of journalism go anywhere. In fact, they’re more valuable than ever in getting short and sharp content through (in 130 Twitter characters or less!) ‘Writing’ was in fact ranked as more critical than strategic planning (84 per cent), social media expertise (76 per cent), and multimedia content development (76 per cent) according to The Holmes Report. This means that by far, writing is what the public uses to first judge a company: this includes professionalism, value to market and intellect. *Owned media: Includes company-owned websites, blogs, social media accounts etc.

There’s no better way to fuel your travel plans than to jump online and see what some of the best digital travel influencers are up to.

Whether you’re after specific destination information, general travel advice or simply looking for some dreamy inspiration here are some of our favourite writers and bloggers providing the stuff that memorable travels are made of.

Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark is embarking on a second career, now as a social media influencer and photographer, living in the heart of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef at Mackay.

The ocean is where his heart is and the tropics are his destination of choice. Mark’s photography covers the beaches, islands, marine life and the reef, where he spends his days exploring. He’s perfected the above water/below water shot, which provides for a stunning effect.

His favourite region is the Whitsundays and loves its islands and fringing reefs. The clear water is the perfect place for Mark and his partner @theejpalmer to explore. It helps too that Mark is an ambassador for GoPro – all the better for us to admire his amazing photography.

You can visit Mark’s website at www.markfitz.com.au

 

It’s never a dull moment when swimming at Lovers Cove. Even the seagulls can’t resist getting in on the action! ☀🐠🐟🌴😀 #GoProANZ #daydreamisland #lovewhitsundays #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia

A photo posted by Mark Fitz (@_markfitz) on May 7, 2016 at 3:25pm PDT

 

We didn’t just find Nemo, we found his whole family! 🐟🐠🐟☀🌴 #GoProANZ #GoPro #sandmarc

A photo posted by Mark Fitz (@_markfitz) on Nov 10, 2016 at 11:57am PST

The Global Goddess

Proud Queenslander and avid traveller Christine Retschlag is the Global Goddess, chronicling a single woman’s journey through life mixed in with plenty of destination features combined with colourful imagery.

Whether she’s contemplating hugging a polar bear, taking a shine to a Crocodile Dundee lookalike tour guide in India, or uncovering the hidden gems of Darwin, Christine will both entertain and inform.

The Goddess has a natural knack for describing local characters and letting serendipity make for happy memories and quirky stories.

Christine’s blog is found here: theglobalgoddess.com

 

Tundra Tuesday: I arrived home in Australia this morning but left a piece of my heart in Canada with these beautiful bears. #canada #explorecanada #travelmanitoba #churchillwildsafaris #polarbears #wildlife #nature

A photo posted by Christine Retschlag (@aglobalgoddess) on Oct 24, 2016 at 11:35pm PDT

 

Hello??? Has anyone else had a day like this? #graffitiart #graffiti #streetphotography #streetart #art #travelwriter #toronto #canada #explorecanada

A photo posted by Christine Retschlag (@aglobalgoddess) on Nov 15, 2016 at 10:31pm PST

Y Travel Blog

  Caz and Craig Makepeace have made a life for themselves travelling throughout Australia and the world. Their philosophy in life is to accumulate memories, not just possessions. It’s a lesson they’re passing on to their two daughters who may well be two of the most well-travelled young ladies in the world. Y Travel Blog is full of inspiring travel stories and advice to help you get the most out of your travel. It’s first hand advice designed to break down any barriers to getting the best travel and life experiences possible. Their year-long road trip around Australia was widely followed and provided never ending experiences to share. Lauded as being amongst the world’s top travel bloggers, their blog is a must visit resource for anyone wanting sensible travel advice and reviews. Bookmark them now. Read the Y Travel Blog here: www.ytravelblog.com

 

New on the blog: “Chasing whales in Hervey Bay”. Come see why Hervey Bay on the Fraser Coast of Queensland is one of the best whale watching destinations in Australia. Link in profile! @Queensland @visitfrasercoast #whalesherveybay @quickcatwhales #Thisisqueensland #SeeAustralia @Australia

A photo posted by Family Travel Bloggers 💑 (@ytravelblog) on Sep 3, 2015 at 2:41pm PDT

 

5pm every day at Kingscote wharf on Kangaroo Island you can take the kids and watch the pelican feeding. And it is a free for all, lol, every pelican for themselves! And your man gives out some handy knowledge about all things pelicans. @SouthAustralia #SeeSouthAustralia #KangarooIsland #Pelicans

A photo posted by Family Travel Bloggers 💑 (@ytravelblog) on Nov 4, 2016 at 2:25am PDT

Little Grey Box

 

When ya man picks ya up for a date but he mad cos it took ya so long to get ready 😫😉 @airasia @topdecktravel #Topdecker #PhoebeFlysAirAsia #FlyAirAsia #TopdeckAsia

A photo posted by Phoebe Lee (@littlegreybox_phoebe) on Nov 15, 2016 at 12:24am PST

Phoebe Lee and her husband Matt are the forces behind Little Grey Box, one of Australia’s top travel blogs. Phoebe is the chief writer and Matt is the videographer. Their stories and imagery aim to inspire other to live a life they love and get out and have their own big adventures. Phoebe’s list of her 10 favourite travel photographs and the story behind them gives you a sense of what travel means to them. From destination reviews to travel tips including what to pack and where to stay, Phoebe also has lots of great advice to other potential bloggers and runs blog coaching sessions. There’s even a fabulous list of Christmas gift ideas for travel lovers. You can visit Little Grey Box here: littlegreybox.net

Not Quite Nigella

Sydney’s Lorraine Elliott has been blogging since 2007 after leaving her advertising career. Food, fashion, beauty and travel are her passions. Sign up to receive daily restaurant reviews, recipes and travel stories. From interesting twists to Australia Day recipes, basics made from scratch to the perfect picnic food, Not Quite Nigella features gorgeous photographs (many courtesy of Lorraine’s husband), hotel and airline reviews, and of course, most stories are related to food. If you’re looking for etiquette tips from a royal butler, then not Quite Nigella’s interview with Royal Butler Grant Harrold is most revealing: tea drinking should be a quiet slurp-free zone, and never pass the salt and pepper separately, the two are “married”. Read Not Quite Nigella’s blog here: www.notquitenigella.com

 

Sitting down to a screening of Roman Holiday, part of the Italian film festival. Thanks @celebritycruises for the invitation. One of my favourite pictures taken on our trip to Italy last year was of this watermelon bike! 🍉🍉🍉

A photo posted by Lorraine Elliott (@notquitenigella) on Sep 28, 2016 at 2:39am PDT

 

Well this was a pleasant surprise! When I was looking around for a space to sit in the massive @Emirates lounge I found this Moet champagne bar tucked away in a corner! Whaaaaatt! 😳🍾 Don’t mind if I do…

A photo posted by Lorraine Elliott (@notquitenigella) on Nov 12, 2016 at 7:23pm PST

[vc_row][vc_column][md_text md_text_title1=”pixflow_base64IA==” md_text_title_separator=”no”]After the success of Ben’s post on the difference between PR and publicity which subsequently broke our internet, we thought we’d dive headfirst once more into the world of marcomms, this time highlighting the difference between marketing and publicity. There’s an old saying; “Marketing is what you pay for, PR is what you pray for” which serves as a great introduction to marketing and publicity for the general public. Both marketing and publicity are key tools of any organisation, and while they both support an organisation’s underlying sales, contribute to the business’ bottom line and fall into similar creative categories, their individual processes and results differ tremendously. Evaluating your share of media depends on many factors including how your organisation measures consumer decision-making and how businesses value, measure and monitor their media content; in terms of ROI, a public relations-earned article can be upwards of ten times more valuable than a paid advertisement, according to some specialists. Below are some lists outlining the key differences between the publicity and marketing functions of a business.

Marketing is paid media

• Marketing is cost-based, transactional
• Advertising is allocated by sales/advertising representatives from the media outlet, not journalists
• Guaranteed media placement
• Audience knows the space is purchased
• Client retains 100 per cent creative control of content
• Message “You should buy this”

Publicity is earned media

• Unpaid, ‘earned’ third party endorsement
• Cannot be paid for
• Requires strategy
• Builds trust, builds credibility
• Relationship-based between PR consultants and journalists
• Requires in-depth media knowledge, exceptional communications skills for successful pitching
• No guarantee of publication
• Media controls final product
• Message: “This is important”

The purpose of marketing is to create and bring to market a product or service that people will buy.

Different Media Explained

Paid Media

• A large portion of a marketing budget. Plays a major role in marketer’s campaign strategy. For example, TV advertisements.

Owned Media

• Blogs, company website, Facebook and Twitter etc.
• Usually involves both PR and marketing (PR for key messaging and marketing for allocating sponsored posts, advertising etc).

Earned Media

• ‘Earned’ editorial coverage, generated through publicity

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