PR-Copywriting_01

PR Copywriting Advice

September 14, 2015/Rachel Hargrave
Copywriting is an intrinsic skill for anyone in PR but it is not in and of itself PR.


PR Copywriting

PR Copywriting is written content conveyed through online media and print materials / media. Copy is content and content is King!

A copywriter is someone very skilled at conveying key messages in a way that resonates with a chosen audience. Copywriters are employed in advertising agencies and PR agencies alike but you can also find good copywriters out there in the freelance world. Copywriting is a skill and not all of us have it so if you don’t have it save yourself a lot of heartache and time and employ either an agency or a freelance copywriter with (for our purposes here) a thorough understanding of PR and how it works.

Our top tips for successful copywriting are:

  1. It’s all about benefits. What are the benefits of your product or service?
  2. What differentiates your product or service from those of your competition? This isn’t about slagging the competition off but about being crystal clear with your audience as to why your product or service is better
  3. Be clear on who your audience is for each piece you write and tailor it specifically for them
  4. Ask yourself WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?). Be clear about what you want as a result of writing the piece whilst answering your target audiences question ‘what’s in it for me?’
  5. Too many pieces are strewn with ‘we’ when it should be ‘you’. It’s all about your audience at this point onwards and not about you at all
  6. Different mediums need different styles or tones. Are you writing for the local paper or big national broadsheet; a woman’s magazine or industry tome? Using the correct language, style and tone will ensure you get the best return for each piece you write
  7. KIS (Keep It Simple) or avoid TMI (Too Much Information) – as fascinating as it might be for you is it really going to encourage your audience to do what you want them to do?
  8. If you are writing a piece of marketing material or an advert include a strong call to action, but the reverse is true if you are writing a press release where newsworthiness is key and any overt sell will ensure your piece is handed over to the advertising desk

Proofread, proofread, proofread!

For a free PR review contact our agency director Rachel on 01509 43 43 52 or complete the form below.

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Rachel Hargrave

Rachel has over 30 years of local, regional, national and international communications experience and expertise across a wide variety of clients including FTSE 100 companies, SMEs, micro businesses and start-ups. She also has extensive charity, Not-For-Profit and Community Interest Company experience and happily offers clients working in these areas a 50% discount on all RDZ PR rates.

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What Our Clients Say...

Heather Johnson, Botanical Artist & Stationery Designer

I went on one of Rachel’s introduction to PR workshops and it was fantastic. She covered absolutely everything, explained it all in an understandable way and didn’t try to sell anything. She gave as much information as possible, answered all questions and she was just lovely. I would highly recommend Rachel for anything to do with PR and won’t hesitate to use her services in the future.

Ravi Summan

I was introduced to Rachel by an executive coach. My requirements were to provide quality, simple to understand content to engage with my target market and generate new customer enquiries in health and wellbeing. From my first discussion with Rachel, it was clear that she had the skills and empathy to provide a service to support the growth of my business. Rachel’s content writing and editing is very effective and her diligence ensures the right message is articulated. It is no surprise to me she has a strong track record of helping entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes support their growth. Aside from her professional competencies, Rachel genuinely cares about people and working with her allows you to focus on your core business. For those who are new to building their own business or employed by a large corporate, you will get value and authenticity from Rachel’s content and PR services.

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I met with Rachel and was instantly impressed with her warmth, enthusiasm and ability to understand the key issues being faced. She took time to clarity objectives and the key tasks required. A quick study she was able to pinpoint the brand tone of voice accurately. Rachel’s’ copy writing skills have been excellent. She has written for my business website, advertorial pages in lifestyle magazine and has also written first class responses to awards entries which are curtailed in length. Rachel is just really, really good!

Victoria Curtis, Company Secretary, Mono Roofing Ltd

Rachel came to provide our company with an appraisal for the company PR, and we learnt an awful lot! Rachel taught us how to make the most of our marketing and advertising and how to make it work for us, to get the client’s we really want. Rachel has provided our company with a plan to follow, and we are gradually implementing these procedures, and we know that in doing so, it will really raise the profile of our company and get us the work we want. I would definitely recommend Rachel to manage your company’s PR.

Trusha Lakhani, MD, Great Business Matters t/a Trusha Lakhani

Rachel Hargrave is one of the best PR experts that I have met. She not only understands the best awards for her clients but also how to make the most of the opportunity for the client’s personality. Put simply Rachel gets people. She understands her clients and their goals and is with you all the way. I highly recommend Rachel Hargrave and The Awards people and RDZ PR.

Paul Gerrard, MD, Gerrard Cranes

Rachel and I met yesterday to discuss my existing marketing and options for how we can improve and develop the strategy for my business. It’s very clear that Rachel has vast amounts of experience, knowledge, ability and some great contacts to achieve some amazing results. If you need some professional guidance with PR/awards/marketing then I’d highly recommend you get in touch with Rachel and see how she can help you out.

Victoria Beale, CEO, Business Live Global

I’ve worked with Rachel for the past ten years on a variety of client projects and for my business also and the service we have received has been second to none, consistent and most importantly delivers RESULTS. I would have no hesitation recommending RDZ PR to my customers and Business Live Network. Thanks Rach! Here’s to another ten years and more!

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Thanks for all the hard work you put into the PR work for our companies and subsequently the business award submissions. You made the whole process stress-free, and the quality of the submissions have resulted in the receipt of multiple business awards. Great work, Rachel.