‘Mr. Libby, I should explain, is in charge of the public relations of the studio. How many lies have you told the public today?’ 
KeyNotes - The Moving Finger Newsletter
About writing and editing for business, and words in general
Hello there and thank you for sampling the latest issue of KeyNotes, my bi-monthly newsletter which is published around five times a year.
In each issue of KeyNotes I present a couple of articles highlighting the importance of words in business with some handy tips on ways for you to manage them better - whether you write your business communications yourself or get someone like me to do this for you.
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Best regards
Chris Snowden
In the April 2008 issue:
Introducing Your Round-the-Clock Publicity Assistant - the Press Kit
If you’re seeking media coverage for your business – perhaps for the launch of a new service or product, or to promote attendance at a relevant exhibition – then a press kit is a must.
But it’s also a really useful tool for informing potential customers about what you do and for meeting media enquiries on a day-to-day basis.
View a press kit as your extended business card – it’s a way of introducing your business and providing valuable information about it remotely, in hard copy or online. It should have the same impact as telling someone about your business face to face but, unlike you, it’s available 24/7.
So what exactly should a press kit contain? The classic format is a three parter:
- A topical news story – or ‘hook’ – about your latest activities or product developments.
- A ‘backgrounder’ on the business itself (its history, objectives, why you set it up in the first place).
- Your biography, plus those of other key personnel.
Incorporate some photographs in your copy – for example, in the press release announcement and biographies – together with a download location.
Depending on what you’re using the press kit for, you could supplement these with pertinent fact sheets or a brief case study. But don’t overload it – the idea is to present your company succinctly and accurately as a useful collection of information that will help media looking for possible story angles or confirmation of key facts, and customers and prospects wanting to check out what your business is about.
While press kits can be tailored to specific events, the fact that most businesses have a website has really extended their use. With an online press kit, you can add a direct link to it, or include one in your email signature, when you approach journalists about a story. That not only enhances your professionalism but makes their life easier too.
But don’t be tempted to include the kit as an attachment when making a cold approach to a journalist – the daily threat of viruses will almost certainly mean it won’t get opened.
Don’t necessarily restrict yourself to the written word, either. The use of video and audio clips is increasingly within the reach of small business budgets and can really add value to your online press kit. If speaking at networking or trade events is part of your marketing strategy, for instance, then consider a video or audio extract to give a real flavour of what you do.
Avoid Apostrophe Catastrophes
Apostrophes do many grammatical jobs, not the least of which is to indicate possession - as in ‘the boy’s cat’, ‘the company’s newsletter’ or ‘the ship’s flag’.
Sadly on high streets everywhere, outside premises (like the one pictured above), in newspaper ads and even on BBC TV’s text pages, apostrophes are being misused to denote plurals.
Copy howlers of this type will often annoy readers and create exactly the wrong impression of your business – that you don’t check what you write, are inaccurate generally or sloppy in your presentation.
So, remember, use an apostrophe before the ‘s’ to denote possession with a singular noun and after the ‘s’ with plural nouns, except, of course, when using possessive pronouns like ‘its’. These don’t have an apostrophe.
For more on apostrophe catastrophes, and how to avoid them, take a look at the Apostrophe Protection Society’s website.
