Public Communication – Types of Writing

Start with a great lede. A lede is the journalistic term for a “hook,” or a really great introduction that immediately grabs the audience’s attention.
Be timely. News can only be newsworthy for so long before it’s just another story.
Have an impact. It should be clear why this story matters to your audience.
Be unique or novel. People pay attention to anything out of the ordinary!
Have a conflict. Nobody wants to hear that everything’s ok—that’s boring! We pay attention to things that are going wrong.
Occur in reasonable proximity. Think local news.
Include a celebrity (when appropriate). Celebrities can draw attention to your story, whether they are endorsing a non-profit, somehow involved in a newsworthy event, or making a fool of themselves.
No conclusion? That’s ok! Often news stories trail off and don’t need a solid ending.

Use the organization’s letterhead and include all relevant contact information; this includes address, phone number, email address, website URL, etc.
At the top of the first page, type For Immediate Release and the date
Include an article title in bold or capital letters
Put the most important info first and the less important details last. This allows editors to easily cut for length
Use an objective tone. Don’t use words that imply a positive or negative opinion on the matter; you’re reporting reality not viewpoints.
Make sure the content is factual and newsworthy. Fact-check your own writing; don’t wait for someone else to find your errors because they can and will. Never resort to using inaccurate info just to make the writing more interesting.

Brainstorm Keywords. What will your audience search to find your website or article? Think of as many key phrases and tags as appropriate that will guide users to your writing.
Aim for 600 to 700 words. Most users scan rather than read, so keep it short and to the point.
Split content into information bytes. Make text short with one idea per paragraph, with the most important information in the first few sentences.
Keep paragraphs short.
Use the “bite-snack-meal” approach. The headline will be the bite and serve as a hyperlink to a full “meal” of a text. A “snack” underneath the headline will summarize the text in one to two short sentences. This way, users can pick and choose how much detail they want.
Use headlines, sub-headlines, hyperlinks, and lists. Headlines should be information rich – not cute, silly, or promotional. They should serve to make information easier to find and access, as will hyperlinks and lists.
Highlight, enlarge or bold key points. This will make important information stand out to the reader.

Create an interesting catch phrase: Why should the audience care? What is going to make them remember? Don’t be forgettable.
Adhere to size limitations: There is only a limited amount of space. Be purposeful with word placement, and make every word count!
Include the brand logo: brand recognition is a huge aspect in advertisement. Strategically place the logo so that it doesn’t distract from your words, but is noticeable enough to catch the consumer’s eye.
Limit use of words: Less really is more. No one has the time or interest to read a paragraph on a print ad. Cut the excess and edit, edit, edit. Make sure the wording is as concise as possible.
Incorporate communication strategies: use responsive chord theory, hegemonic ideologies, mimetic desire, tactical typography, etc.
Avoid logical fallacies at all costs: make sure your logic is sound. The message can’t be effective if there are holes in the logic.