Importance of Writing
Posted on Nov. 19, 2024 / Subscribe 0
Writing in public relations is one of the fundamental parts of building a successful story for clients. It has always been the key to constructing a lasting relationship between clients and their audience, from drafting press releases to blogs. However, some skills come and go; their importance spikes during different trends. Despite new technologies, writing is a permanent skill that professionals should always be working on.
Why is it more important?
As stated before, writing is essential to a PR professional's everyday job. The skill has become more important to hone due to the many different styles a professional is expected to write in. Blog writing, press releases, and social media have different tones and styles for writing; therefore, improving and expanding skills to adapt is critical to producing good results for your client.
How to improve the skill.
With writing so important, professionals must continuously grow and improve their skills. Here are some tips on how to keep your skills in tune:
Ask for feedback
- No matter how many years someone has under their belt, requesting feedback is essential in finding out where to improve your writing. When you ask for a review, don’t just ask for spellcheck; have them look at improving your tone, style, and more.
Keep up with trends
- With new platforms and writing styles emerging, watch for industry talk about adequately addressing them. The State of the Press Release is a good starting point: the 2024 version has just been released. This yearly report provides insight into the industry's new trends and can give professionals insight into how they can improve their skills. Additionally, keeping up to date with the newest AP Style guide will help you stay accurate.
Edit, edit, and then, edit again
- While it is tempting just to run a spellcheck and call it a day, taking the time to edit can make or break a piece of writing. Setting aside a decent amount of editing time can help you catch mistakes you might have missed in a rush. Additional tips include printing a copy and marking it up in red pen. Sometimes, mistakes will jump out on paper compared to when we might look over them on a screen. Finally, having a speech-to-text program read aloud can highlight small grammar mistakes.
Write for fun
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As with anything, the more you practice, the better you become. Try writing for fun, like different styles, or ask for more projects at work. Don't shy away from these tasks; look at them as a way to improve the skill.
Ultimately, writing is a timeless skill that isn’t going anywhere, and we must keep honing our abilities while adapting to new styles and trends.
Liz Popovich is a senior at Wayne State University (WSU), PRSA Detroit’s 2024 Fall intern and the 2023-2024 past-president for WSU’s PRSSA chapter.
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