The PR World

Public Relations (PR) is big business. Companies need to project a positive image to the world and counteract any negative news about them. Public relations professionals specialize in accentuating good publicity and downplaying anything counterproductive. 

The Public Relations Society of America defines this profession as:

“A strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

So, where do writers fit into this? Actually, they have a significant role because the PR industry relies heavily on written content. The PR world regularly hires writers to produce content such as:

Press releases

These are public announcements made by companies and organizations of all types. They are usually written in a style similar to news stories in newspapers.

For many writers, these are a steady source of income. There’s a never-ending need for savvy writers to produce press releases that convey important messages in the right way. 

Featured Articles

PR specialists often make special arrangements for articles to be published on chosen topics. These will always include a reference to the company, presenting the brand or its products in a positive light.

This is a great market for writers who know how to write articles. Once you’ve learned how to write this kind of article, you open up many opportunities. 

Press Kits

PR organizations often distribute press kits to journalists and other news professionals. For example, when a company launches a new product, it may send out kits that include:

Publications

As a PR writer, you may also write all kinds of documents that help promote client companies. These may include:

These may be published online or offline—or perhaps both. Once you have a good relationship with a PR firm, you may be asked to write all kinds of promotional content.   

Speeches & Presentations

PR specialists often organize promotional events. These can be for a range of different purposes, including:

All of these may require written scripts for speeches, plus content for slide decks, etc. And as the writer ‘on-call,’ you may get to write all of them.

Who Will Hire You?

Clearly, there is a lot of well-paid work in the world of PR communications. But who will pay you to do this kind of work? You will find that the primary sources of projects are:

All of these are excellent contacts to have. Even a one-man-band consultant may have clients with million-dollar budgets. You never know when that initial inquiry may turn into a lucrative contract!

Breaking News

Press releases are the bread and butter of the public relations world. They are the vehicles organizations use to spread their message across the globe. 

A press release is an official announcement issued to the news media and beyond. Whether we call it a "press release," a "press statement," a "news release," or a "media release," we're always talking about the same thing.

How to Write a Press Release

Press releases are written primarily for journalists, which means you need to get straight to the point. There’s no room for wasting time on fancy openings. Journalists just want to know, “what’s the story?”

Because of this, the first paragraph should answer the questions "who?" "what?" "why?" and "where?"  Most press releases are succinct at just a page long—two pages, tops. Provide enough information for news outlets to publish informed stories about the topic.

Press releases may announce any of the following:

New Product Launches

The launch type of press release is valuable for promoting new product ranges. This release will emphasize the products’ specs, pricing, availability, and other details that may be valuable to consumers.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Organizational change is noteworthy enough to warrant a press release, especially for informing current and future stakeholders about the growth and trajectory of a company. To announce an acquisition or merger, include details about all organizations involved, information about the merger or acquisition, and quotes from the leadership teams.

Product Updates

Like a new product launch, product updates and expansions are also ripe for promotion. Explain the change, why it was made, and how it benefits the user.

Events

Press releases are an important component of event marketing to attract promotion from news outlets and other media sources. You'll want to include what the event is about, who should consider attending, when and where it will be held, pricing, and any other necessary details.

Grand Openings

Whether you opened up a new office, relocated, or are opening for the first time, announce the details with a grand opening press release. Announce the date and location the grand opening will be held, who is involved, how the grand opening is being celebrated, and the reason for the move.

New Partnerships

Similar to mergers and acquisitions, a press release announcing new partnerships is a mutually beneficial marketing tactic. To effectively execute this type of release, be sure to write a summary about each company, why the partnership was created, who benefits, and any additional important details for current and future stakeholders.

Rebranding

Rebranding is complex for any business, and it can occasionally result in confusion and awkwardness. One way to make the transition smoother is by announcing the rebrand with a press release, including details on what is changing, the reason for making the switch, dates the changes go into effect, and quotes from the leadership team.

New Executive Hires

Executives often serve as faces of the company. So when a top executive is hired, it’s routine to issue a press release. It may include biographical information to establish the new hire’s credibility, along with a photo and other pertinent details.

Award Wins

When it comes to business excellence, it's okay to brag. Press releases about awards and accomplishments serve to cement the organization as an authority in its space. Such a press release includes information about the company and why they were given the award. It may also include information about the award itself, and details about the ceremony.

Sample Press Release Format

When formatting a press release, you want to write it in a newsy, straightforward way. This helps journalists reformat it as a news story for their news outlet. Here’s a simple but effective format to follow:

That’s all you need to know, but here are some tips to help you write the best possible press releases:

Include a Quote

Once you've set the scene, it's time to bring your details to life with a quote that reporters can use for context around your announcement and help paint a picture of how your news affects the given industry, customer base, and landscape.

Ideally, quotes will be from key stakeholders in the company, including the executive team, project leads, or those directly impacted by your announcement.  

Provide Background Information

While the first part of your press release should be focused on the announcement, the latter half can include information that fills in the details. Here you can include enough background to give context to the news story you are promoting. 

Offer details that strengthen your narrative, like creative or noteworthy ways the company developed the project or announcement at hand. Or, when applicable, comment on future implications of your announcement.

Stick to the Facts

A press release is not an advertisement, so you should not sell the product too hard in the announcement. Journalists want solid facts and will not be impressed by flowery language with no substance. 

Of course, you want to present your story in the most positive way possible. But the claims you make must be backed up with factual information that checks out. Keep the multiple adjectives for the adverts!

Featured Content

Press releases are great for spreading news in a scattershot way. But often, companies want to see their products and services promoted in specific publications (online or offline). That can be a great way to communicate their message to those who count in their industry.

PR specialists will contact the publication or blog in question to make this happen. They will then make arrangements to submit a sponsored article which will be published in a future edition. The publication may receive a fee for this or obtain some other benefit.

Either way, the result is that the company now needs a top-quality article written on the topic in question. And of course, there’s an opportunity for you to write it. But writing a PR article is slightly different from producing a regular one. Here’s what you need to know…

How to Write a Featured Article

You’ve already learned how to write an article in the regular way, and most of the advice we gave you applies here, too. You should still aim to write an article that’s easy to understand, with clear, simple language and a well-defined structure.

The difference is that you will now weave the brand message into the article. You need to mention the company’s products and what’s good about them. But as when writing press releases, you can’t be too blunt about it.

The trick to writing featured articles is to tell a good story, with your client’s products playing a starring role. Communicate the features and benefits without going over the top. If possible, show the products in action, demonstrating how they help.

At the end of the day, though, the feature must be an interesting read. Anyone coming across the article should see it as a valuable piece of editorial content—not as a self-serving advertisement.  

You might be asked to write featured articles in any of these categories:

New Product

If the company is launching a new product, PR execs may arrange for featured articles to accompany the launch. In this case, your job will be to promote the new product in a subtle but effective way.

The key to success here is to keep the reader in mind. Think about what readers need to know rather than what the company wants to push. Getting this balance right is critical to having a successful article. 

Case Study

A case study is simply a ‘success story’ that tells of a customer’s experience with a product. Typically, you will write this in problem-solution format. First, you will discuss the customer’s problem, then explain how using the product resolved the issue.

Be sure to include quotes from the customer here, as these really help boost the credibility of what you say. And do your best to include hard facts about the great results achieved. 

Listicle

A listicle is an article in the form of ‘10 Ways to…’ 

This kind of article is very popular, and it can work well for sponsored features. In this case, the product you are promoting will be one of the top ten discussed. You will naturally want to show this product in the best light, but you must be fair to the others on the list, too. Don't make the mistake of trashing all the competitors…that will not reflect well on the company. 

A Profitable Market

As you can see, there are all kinds of possibilities in the public relations market. But how much money can you make?

The best way to analyze this is to look at the pay for PR consultants. As you will be doing similar work, you can expect to get similar compensation. 

According to Comparably.com, the average salary for a PR consultant is around $119,000. 

However, there’s no need to settle for average! As you can see in the image above, PR people at the top end of the scale make up to $613,114. That’s a lot of money by anyone’s standards! So set your sights high and aim for the top. 

To put things in perspective, here’s what you can realistically expect to make in the PR writing niche:

As always, these are just guidelines. You can earn much more if you work directly for companies with PR budgets. Many of these will think nothing of signing a $100,000 check for good PR writing work. 

Aim for the Fortune 500 companies…then you can make a fortune, too!