All you need to do is download the press release template that fits the story you want to tell about your business and fill in the square brackets.

To make it super easy, and effective, each press release template tells you what you MUST include in each paragraph of the press release – and in what order.

With each template, we suggest the strongest news angle, the media to target and the best image to send with your press release, including an example.

If you follow these instructions you will get the media coverage you want for your business, according to your PR plan.

What we will cover today:

• The 17 press release templates for every story and occasion
• How to write a press release in detail
• How to pitch your press release to the media

Let’s get into it:

17 Press Release Templates for Your Business

1. Award Nomination Press Release Template
2. Award Win Press Release Template
3. Book Press Template
4. Charity Event Press Release Template
5. Crisis Statement Press Release
6. Event Press Template
7. Grand Opening Press Release Template
8. Music Press Release Template
9. New Employee Press Release Template
10. New Location Press Release Template
11. New Product Template
12. New Service Template
13. Product Update Press Release Template
14. Rebranding Press Release Template
15. Record Sales Press Release Template
16. Resignation Press Release Template
17. Takeover Press Release Template

1.Award Nomination Press Release Template

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News angle: Being in the running for an award is by itself newsworthy, as it shows you have done something exceptional – this is what the media loves.

Potential target media: Depending on the size of your business this will usually be a story of interest to your trade sector media or your local/regional press.

Image to go with your press release: A high-resolution photograph of your key team member(s) looking excited with their fingers crossed. Something like this:

2. Award Win Press Release Template

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News angle: Winning an award is naturally a news story so this template should write itself! The key here is to target the appropriate media with this press release. This is public relations 101.

Potential target media: Depending on the size of your business this will usually be a story of interest to your trade sector media or your local/regional press. Every town loves to see their local businesses doing well.

Image to go with your press release: A high-resolution photograph of your team with their winning award trophy. Something like this:

3. Book Press Template

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News angle: Releasing a new book will be of interest to literary critics who review new book releases each week, so that is your target here. This is not really a news story unless perhaps it is autobiographical and includes some particularly salacious revelations! 

Potential target media: The book reviewers of national media outlets or perhaps specialist interest titles if they are relevant to your book.

Image to go with your press release: A high-resolution photograph of the front cover of the book and maybe one of the author. Something like this:

4. Charity Event Press Release Template

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News angle: Make sure your charity event has something exceptional about it, a particularly brave or ambitious challenge and that it raises a large amount of money! 

Potential target media: Usually this type of press release is most suitable for the local/regional press.

Image to go with your press release: You have two options here. Either a traditional image of someone from your company presenting the charity with a large check/cheque (a bit boring) or a member of the fundraising team competing their challenge, i.e. crossing the finishing line at a marathon wearing the charity’s t-shirt. Something like this:

5. Crisis Statement Press Release Template

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News angle: This is strictly speaking not really a press release, this is a media statement in response to a crisis communication scenario so you want to keep this factual, sober and draw as little attention to your brand as possible.

Potential target media: This depends on the size of your business and the nature of the crisis. You could well be issuing this to major national media outlets.

Image to go with your press release: This does not require an image.

6. Event Release Template

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News angle: To get media coverage for your event it needs a strong news hook. Think of inviting a high-profile celebrity as a guest speaker or hold the event in an unusual location. There is more here on how to write a press release for an event.

Potential target media: Depending on the size of your business this can be the mainstream national media, major influencers or your local newspaper.

Image to go with your press release: If the event is for a product launch, have your CEO pictured on stage with the product you are launching, so people can see what will happen. Something like:

7. Grand Opening Press Release Template

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News angle: To make your grand opening newsworthy, think images – so much news coverage is picture-led. Think about some sort of PR stunt that would give your opening the real ‘wow’ factor. 

Potential target media: Local/regional and trade sector media for most sizes of business. Always keep it relevant to your target audience.

Image to go with your press release: Your image needs to convey that your new business is open, welcoming and ready for business. Sure you can include images of ribbon cuttings (yawn) but we prefer something a little more sophisticated. Something like this:

8. Music Press Release Template

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News angle: Releasing a new single/album will be of interest to music critics who review new music releases each week, so that is your target here. This is not really a news story, unless you are a global megastar – ‘hello Beyonce’, if you’re reading this.

Potential target media: Depending on the level of fame of the artist/band you should target music critics from the national mainstream media down to niche music genre blogs and websites.

Image to go with your press release: Include a copy of your album artwork and then also a decent high-resolution image of the band/artist. Something like this:

9. New Employee Press Release Template

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News angle: Only issue one of these press releases when you are appointing a senior member of your team. This will always be of interest to your sector trade media. 

Potential target media: Trade press.

Image to go with your press release: A standard profile picture of the person you are hiring. Something like this:

10. New Location Release Template

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News angle: Try and focus this press release on the fact that, yes you are moving to a new location, but the benefit you will be bringing to that location – the jobs you will be creating.

Potential target media: Local/regional media and possibly trade press.

Image to go with your press release: Include a high-resolution image of your new premises, ideally with team members outside. The media like people more than buildings. Something like this: 

11. New Product Template

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News angle: You must focus on what makes your new product particularly innovative and ‘game-changing’. What does it do that nothing else can do, what makes it a first? This is key in media relations.

Potential target media: Your trade sector media and influencers who are interested in your product/brand. 

Image to go with your press release: Include a high-resolution image of your new product, whatever that is. No example is needed here as you know what your product is! 

12. New Service Template

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News angle: You must focus on what makes your new service particularly innovative and ‘game-changing’. What do you do that no one else can do, what makes your service a ‘first’? Give it an attention grabbing headline.

Potential target media: Your trade sector media and influencers who are interested in your service/brand. 

Image to go with your press release: If your service is tech-based then include an image of your app. If it is an offline service then include a high-resolution image of people using your service. So, for example, if you run a restaurant you could go for something like this:

13. Product Update Press Release Template

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News angle: Focus on what has changed for your best-selling product, what makes this upgrade new, innovative and disruptive. The media loves stories of disruption – it’s a great way to get free PR.

Potential target media: Your trade media and those influencers who are fans of your product.

Image to go with your press release: Include a high-resolution image of your new product update, whatever that is. No example is needed here as you know what your product is! 

14. Rebranding PR Template

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News angle: The media don’t so much care about a new logo but they do care about the fact that your business is having a complete refresh and perhaps a change of direction. Focus on what the rebrand is FOR. What do you hope to achieve from this? 

Potential target media: Trade sector media and influencers who are followers of your business.

Image to go with your press release: Include high-resolution copies of your newly branded artwork – logo etc and also your products with the new branding included. You will need these for your entire public relations campaign.

15. Record Sales Press Release Template

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News angle: The key to this press release being of interest to the media is because you have broken a record, the business has done something for the very first time. The higher and more exceptional that figure is, for your sector, the more likely the journalist is to care.

Potential target media: Trade media only.

Image to go with your press release: Include a high-resolution image of your team toasting their success. If you want to get really creative you could have them smashing a target with a hammer, or some similar act of creative destruction! Here are loads more public relations examples. Or keep it more celebratory, like this:

16. Resignation Press Release Template

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News angle: You would only issue a resignation press release when a senior member of your company leaves – it also depends under what circumstances they leave too. If it is a celebration of their contribution then focus on thanks and appreciation.

Potential target media: Trade sector media only.

Image to go with your press release: An image of the outgoing employee. A simple profile headshot will do for this story. No example needed here.

17. Takeover Press Release Template

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News angle: The fact that one business is being taken over by another is usually always a story for the media, particularly the trade media that covers your sector. If you are in a particularly big business, the national business press may also cover the story. Focus on the monetary value of the deal in your news angle and what the deal encompasses. 

Potential target media: Trade sector media and business press.

Image to go with your press release: An image of the two CEOs shaking hands on the deal. Something like this: 

How To Write A Press Release – Quick Tips

Now you’ve seen the 17 press release templates for your business here’s a quick refresher on how to write a press release.

Getting the flow of a press release right is critical if you want a journalist to read it and think that you have a story worth telling.

This is our full guide on how to write a press release but the main elements are below:

Section 1 – Sounds obvious, but write ‘Press Release’ at the top. You’d be surprised how many people forget to do this.

Section 2 – Always date your press release. It ensures that the journalist knows that this is a new story and it also tells them WHEN you want the story to run.

Section 3 – The headline. Keep the headline to under 10 words – this discipline will force you to focus on your news angle.

Section 4: The Intro Paragraph. You’ve got 25 words or less to get across your entire story. Get to the point immediately and include at least five key news points.

Section 5: In the second and third paragraphs develop your story and include more key facts so the journalist can develop their story.

The quotes for your press release

Section 6: The quotes section delivers the ‘why’ behind the story. Include two or three paragraphs from your spokesperson and use their full name and job title.

Section 7: Main body copy. This is where you include your key messages, such as how much your product/service costs and where people can get hold of it.

Section 8: The closing quote. Your closing quote can be from your main spokesperson or you can introduce a third party spokesperson whose endorsement gives your product/service more credibility.

Section 9: ENDS. Always finish your press release with the word ‘ends’ so a journalist knows it is the, er, end.

Section 10: Contact details. Include full contact information for the person handling all press and media enquiries.

Section 11: Notes to Editors – also known as the boilerplate. It includes additional background information which could be of use to the journalist but is not critical to the story.

How to Pitch Your Press Release Template to The Media

This is our complete guide on how to write a media pitch.

If you don’t have time for the deep-dive, these are the essentials to ensure your press release gets noticed by a journalist. 

1. Email pitch subject line – The subject line of your email pitch must contain your news hook – the one thing that makes your story stand out and demand a journalist’s attention. 

2. The journalist’s name – For gawd’s sake make sure you spell it correctly! 

3. Your first sentence – Get straight to point with what makes your press release newsworthy. This is all the media cares about.

4. Show you care – Reference something else the journalist has written recently, show you like their work and know your story is relevant to them.

5. Don’t be a copycat – Do NOT, under any circumstances, include a line in your pitch which basically says “I saw you wrote a story about ‘X’ last week. My business does the same thing, will you write about us?”.

6. How to include your press release – Attach it to the email as a word document and also copy and paste the text into your email, below your pitch.

7. Images – Never embed images in the press release, this is useless for serious media. Attach them as high-resolution files, greater than 1mb.

8. Close your email pitch – Invite the journalist to contact you if they need any more information.

9. Triple check – Before you hit send make sure your email pitch is typo-free and as strong as it can be. You get one chance to impress upon the reporter that yours is a story worth telling.

So there you have it.

Download the template that is right for you – or get the entire bundle so you’re always prepared.

Good luck! 

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What press release examples do you need?

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What does it mean to be you?

To think like you do or to behave as you do? What defines you? 

These are the kinds of questions you should be asking yourself when it comes to personal branding, especially if you want to create a content plan.

You might be thinking ‘what the heck is that?’

Or you might be confident that you know what branding is; ‘it’s the type of perfume I use or the bank I’m with, not to mention my preference of fizzy cola drinks!’

Right?

Not quite.

While many brands may feature in your day to day life –  some may even feel inseparable from your character – personal branding is less about the products and more about the person behind them.

So, if you’re ready to look inward, keep reading to learn about personal branding and how you can use it in your life.

This blog will cover:

• What is personal branding?
• Examples of personal branding
• Why is personal branding important?
• Is personal branding just for influencers? 
• What is a personal brand statement?
• Step by step process for building a personal brand
• How to manage negative backlash online
• How to monetise your personal brand

What Is Personal Branding?

Personal branding is a way of marketing yourself.

A personal brand explains who you are, what you do and informs people why they should care about you.

Through your personal brand, you can curate a deliberate identity for either your professional or personal life, both on and offline.

The brand you present is typically a combination of your experience, skills and personality which creates a persona for you and influences how you are perceived by other people.

Personal branding is a unique person-centered approach to business and has become one of the most effective ways of creating a point of differentiation between yourself and others, in a content-saturated world.

So, whether you use your personal brand for a job interview, for someone to hire your services for their company or to get cast in a TV show – personal branding is front and centre of successful marketing communications.

Spending time developing your personal brand will help you to present yourself, your work and your skills in the best possible way. 

And getting this right is essential if you want to create a PR plan for yourself and your business.

Examples of Personal Branding 

There are excellent examples of impactful personal branding in every sector from politics to pop culture. 

Business Leader and best selling author Tony Robbins has curated a personal brand that motivates and inspires individuals and businesses around the world. 

His approach to self-help and positive thinking has helped individuals in the public eye from politicians to sports stars, all the while earning the moniker of ‘The CEO Whisperer’. 

If it’s good enough for his 5.8 million instagram followers, it’s good enough for us!

Bestselling author, podcaster and business guru Tim Ferriss has curated a successful personal brand through his committed approach to sharing his lifestyle optimizing tips and work week hacks. 

With 700+ Million downloads of his podcast The Tim Ferriss Show, the former entrepreneur and angel investor now shares insider knowledge and advice from world-class business performers. 

Why Is Personal Branding Important?

A strong personal brand can have a big impact in your professional life, bringing multiple benefits, such as helping to develop an online audience, drive sales or get traction in a campaign you are running.

Through personal branding, you can focus on things you are passionate about as well as using it as a space to promote your achievements.  You can excel in thought leadership.

In fact, the best personal brands don’t just shout about how good a person is, they share value and insight and become known for standing out from the crowd and making a difference. 

People connect more when someone is being honest and open about successes or failures and what they’ve learnt from those experiences.

Personal branding can also be instrumental in getting your next job.

Your online profile is readily available for the public and future employers to see so you need to make sure it gives the best first impression.

We’ve all heard horror stories of people being denied life changing-jobs after an employer looked on social media and found inappropriate comments or images from their mis-spent youth. 

Developing an authentic personal brand where you can present an honest, engaging persona, sharing your style, your values or your skills, will get you ahead.

Is Personal Branding Just For Influencers?

It’s true that if you want to be considered influential, a strong personal brand is essential for your success. 

Many people associate personal branding with influencer marketing and, alternatively, influential people in the public eye, because they represent a niche interest, skillset, area or audience. 

Influencers are able to utilise the public desire for role models and aspirational values in every field and sector.

From fashion and fitness to motivational speakers and scientists, social media influencers with professional skill sets epitomise the aesthetic and practical values of personal branding success. 

This is because they speak to an audience who are actively seeking advice, tips and ultimately, easy ways to be the best you can be.

However, personal branding should not just be seen as the territory of influencers. In fact, just about anyone with an audience can reap the benefits of personal branding. 

Many of us do this already, probably subconsciously, via the posts, images and ideas that we share on social media. 

With character limits and profile pics, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn provide the perfect opportunities to present yourself in a socially conscious and concise way. 

Whether you’re looking for a new job or wanting to engage with a wider network, curating a personal brand and streamlining your online presence can help you get on the path to success, whatever that may look like to you. 

What Is A Personal Brand Statement?

A personal brand statement is a short (1-3 sentences) bio stating who you are, what you do and why that is important. 

From it, people should be able to understand your skills and experience as well as what you have to offer. 

You want to aim for something that is not only short and sweet, but passionate, personal and professional at the same time.

Providing enough information about yourself to get someone interested, but leaving space for them to want to know more. In which case, they’ll have to get in touch. 

Alongside your online profile, your personal brand statement is a way to grab people’s attention online.

Having a strong presence online can attract opportunities from the employers that you want, and even those that you didn’t know you needed. 

If you’re already in a job you love, it’s worth remembering that many companies will appreciate your presence as a brand ambassador for them, it will support their digital PR work.

See how you can incorporate building a personal brand with the resources and networks that are readily available to you.

Building A Personal Brand Step-By-Step

1. Clean up your online profile – Have you got a long lost MySpace, Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr lurking in a dark corner of the internet with thoughts and images from your former self? It might be worth revisiting this ancient history to check there’s nothing out there that could be damaging to your personal brand.
2. Figure out what you want your brand to be – This could be governed by how you envisage your interactions with other people. Think about whether you anticipate social or professional interactions and craft your online presence in a way that reflects this. 
3. Find your niche – There’s nothing wrong with doing the same thing as the last guy or gal, but it’s not going to make people sit up and take notice of you. Finding a niche area of your sector or tapping into a gap in the market is going to make you, your skills and your ideas hot property and full of potential.
4. Write your personal brand statement – Write something that’s short, sharp and sexy to bring your professional skills and personality into one key idea.
5. Build your online profile – Now it’s time to align your online presence, linking social media profiles with your website, bringing your network together.
6. Remember security – Go through security settings and make sure you’re only sharing data that you’ve agreed to and that your profile is only visible to those people you want to see it.
7. Strategy – Now you need to get out there and publish some epic content. 

Your content strategy for your personal brand needs to reflect the values you uphold and the skills you bring to the people and projects you’re involved with. But this doesn’t stop at your personal branding statement – it needs to be reproduced throughout all your online content. 

Editorial mission statement

This should connect to your brand statement, uniting your personality with a professional mission. It includes your audience, the type of content you will provide, and how you intend for people to benefit from this.

Audience

When defining your target audience, you should consider the following questions. 

Who are they, why do they follow you and what are they going to gain by interacting with your content?

You need to target a specific group of roles or a sector, rather than trying to be everything to everybody. 

Once you have this, spend some time locating your audience online and noticing their behaviours. For example, what networking sites they use or what information they’re looking for when interacting with these sites.

Content marketing goals

Content marketing is all about creating digital content that people want to consume and sharing it with your networks. It should keep your audience interested as well as attract new interest and opportunities. 

• Get your name out there by building awareness of your brand and your mission. 
• Earn the trust of your audience as a reputable source of insight and information in your field.
• Build partnerships that strengthen your integrity and provide interesting content for your audience, building links and providing opportunities for engagement. 

Identify your style

This is a balancing act between your own interests as a content creator and your audience’s needs and interests.

The overlap of interests are the core areas which you should cover in your content when establishing your personal brand.

Build your content calendar

When setting your expectations for your content calendar it’s best to start small and build up as you feel comfortable. Trying to push too much content in too little time can get messy and stressful and lead to poor quality content. 

It’s worth finding a platform that allows you to plan, schedule and post content via one app, saving you time and energy along the way!

Create some epic content

It’s your responsibility to know what your audience wants and plan your content to give it the best possible traction with them. 

Engage with your followers through interactive polls, stories or surveys on social media and allow yourself to be open to feedback on topics and types of content.

Measure your progress

Taking some time to evaluate your progress will allow you to identify what works well, as well as what doesn’t.

This is important as it will allow you to streamline your content creation and really give your audience what they want. 

How To Manage Negative Backlash Online

We all say or do the wrong thing from time to time, but what happens when you make a mistake on the social media stage? 

Public opinion can be pretty ruthless when it comes to pointing out mistakes and criticising certain actions or comments, for example. 

Whether you agree that you’ve made a mistake or not, it’s important to take a measured approach, considering all sides of the issue, as your business, brand or following could be at stake. 

Be humble – Prioritise protecting your brand and minimise any lasting damage.

Be accountable – We all make mistakes. Period. If you recognize yourself as being at fault, take ownership of your mistakes and focus on learning and moving forward.

Make amends – You’ll need to put in the work to rebuild trust in your brand as well as any products or services.

Plan a positive campaign – Revisit your brand values, mission, and culture then action any changes through your services or products. 

This being said, when it comes to criticism of your personal brand, it’s hard not to feel like you’re being personally attacked. 

Constructive Criticism Or Online Bullying?

There is a difference between genuine criticism in light of a mistake on your part and social media trolls or bullies who are attacking your brand for reasons unknown. 

While you should acknowledge genuine issues or grievances that play out on social media, dealing with trolls is another story. 

It’s best to avoid any engagement with trolls online.

Not only will it fuel their fire, but responding to comments on public platforms (especially if you’re feeling emotionally provoked) could lead to unintended consequences. Such as other people getting involved. 

So, to avoid your brand ending up all over Twitter for the wrong reasons, the best policy is to ignore the online ne’er do wells. Instead make the most of the block button.

How To Monetise Your Personal Brand

Once you’ve got your brand established, it’s never a bad idea to use it to your financial advantage.

In fact, there are myriad ways that you can monetise your personal brand. These are all made easier by the accessible nature of social media and its power to connect people and ideas across the globe. 

In this section, we’ll take a look at a few popular ways to monetise your personal brand. 

Start a podcast

Podcasting has fast become one of the most popular outlets for professionals with personality.

Podcasting helps your audience get to know you better and can mix entertainment with topics that are mutually important. 

It can also be a great way to attract partnerships and sponsors via advertising products or services. Dedicated listeners may also show their support via Patreon or similar sites. 

Write a book

If you believe you have what it takes, then it’s worth a try to write a book.

Whether it’s your memoir or a self-help guide then a book is a one-stop-shop for sharing your knowledge. Not to mention your skills and passion to your dedicated audience.

This has been made even easier by ebook culture and self-publishing. 

Sell templates

If you know, for example, how to write a press release, your knowledge and experience could be invaluable for somebody who needs a helping hand. 

Creating bespoke templates for tasks is a fantastic value-add for your audience. Your template can save them value time and makes everything easier for them.

Any subsequent success’ from people who purchased the product helps to strengthen your brand as a go-to industry resource.

Advertise products

Product placement is huge on Instagram and social media. Companies send you free stuff and you share your thoughts on it with your followers.

It is now a requirement to warn your audience that you are posting an #ad. This is so that you don’t mislead anyone.

But promoting products on social media is still a strong way to build your brand. Especially if you genuinely love and use the product you are featuring. 

Just remember, your brand is a representation of you and your professional skills and goals. So be wary of anyone attempting to exploit your brand or jeopardize your integrity. 

Don’t get blindsided by financial offers that are too good to be true. Stay away from anything that you wouldn’t feel comfortable being associated with. 

A good personal brand is built on integrity and being genuine about endorsements.

Personal Branding: In Summary

We’ve covered a lot in this personal brand guide so here are our top 3 tips:

Have focus. Getting your personal branding on point is great, but for what? Keeping a strong focus throughout your branding journey will make you stand out for your speciality. And stay relevant.

Tell a story. A brand without a story is like food without a flavour. Consumers of your brand want to be continually nourished and satisfied by your output, not left hungry for more.

Be authentic.  The most important thing to remember when building your personal brand is that you want to be authentic. Without this authenticity, you will fail to provide consistency between your thoughts and actions. 

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post Personal branding: What it is and how you can build yours appeared first on Class:PR.

A content plan ensures you engage your target audience and keep them coming back for more.

It focuses on what’s important, strips away whatever is unnecessary, and laser-locks you on what you want to achieve.

Plus, a content plan will also keep you motivated during those times when it could seem much easier to give up.

This short guide will tell you everything you need to know to build a fool-proof and highly effective content plan.

So, let’s get started!

What is a content plan?

A content plan supports your marketing activity. It targets your potential customers at all stages of their journey by focusing on their wants and needs.

It also guides you on how to connect with them in a way that drives traffic and sales.

If you’ve created your content well, it will continue to generate interest for a long time after its posted.

That kind of content is called ‘evergreen’ and it is key to your business’s success as it keeps working for you for years afterwards.

Your content plan should comprise all your marketing assets and data-gathering functions. It should factor in everything from SEO research and engagement tracking to blogging and white paper writing.

An efficiently designed content plan shapes the content you want to create; not just its purpose, and the impact you want it to make, but by identifying who will be responsible for creating it.

A content plan gives your prospective customers awareness of who you are, educates them in what you do, engages their interest, and converts them into buyers or adopters.

Ideally, it will also help your business generate leads by creating content that your audience will want to tell their own followers about.

But, for all that to happen, your content plan must be smart, innovative, and in line with your business goals.

It also must be flexible, so that you can easily scale your activity up as you reach your targets and as your content marketing budget increases.

Why do you need a content plan?

A content plan is an essential part of every successful marketing campaign.

Companies who have a content plan are much more likely to produce effective, sales-winning content than those who don’t.

Research has also shown that of 89% of B2B marketers and 86% of B2C marketers use content marketing, only 37% of B2B marketers and 40% of B2C marketers have a content plan and a documented content strategy.

That means the majority of B2B and B2C marketers are simply producing content on a wing and a prayer, hoping that it reaches its intended target.

When you’ve got a contact plan, you’ve got clarity and direction. You’re also much more likely to stay several steps ahead of your competition.

Are a content plan and a content strategy the same thing? 

No, they’re not, although the two terms are often confused.

This is one of the biggest reasons why marketers who think creating a content strategy is enough are often left confused and disappointed when their content strategy fails.

There are five stages to the content production process:

• Content strategy
• Content plan
• Content production
• Content publishing
• Content distribution

Your content strategy should always come before your content plan because it lays the foundations for what your content plan will be.

However, as you can see, without the content plan, none of the final three stages can be effective.

Besides everything else, a content plan also provides checks and balances that the goals you’ve identified in your content strategy are actually viable.

If your content strategy is unfocused and wishy-washy, you’ll realise it as soon as you start putting the content plan together.

How else can a content plan support a content strategy?

A content plan makes the ‘wish list’ of your content strategy a reality.

For example, your content strategy may well include a list of keywords and long-tail keyword phrases that your SEO experts have told you to use in your digital PR.

The problem is, you can’t just throw keywords out there without any rhyme or reason.

Not only are search engines on the lookout for that kind of scattergun approach and will penalise you for it, but your audience also don’t want to read a shopping list of words with no meaning or message behind them.

They’ll simply turn off and go to your competitor’s site instead.

So, your content plan will show you how to use those keywords and long-tail phrases intelligently, to maximise their effectiveness in your marketing.

It will also force you to dig deeper and supercharge each piece of SEO content you create.

It will prompt you to ask yourself important questions before you even begin creating the content such as:

• What do people want to know about your product or service?
• What are their concerns and pain points?
• How will the content you produce answer those questions and convince them that investing in your product or service will make their lives easier?

It’s not just the keywords that your content plan will optimise, it’s the content too.

Also, as your content strategy evolves and your content plan evolves with it, it will help you stay on top of shifts and trends in content marketing and audience engagement methods.

That means you’ll always be flexible enough to modify your approach and change or add to the keywords you use.

This is another useful way to keep refreshing your content so that it stays evergreen and is always in line with your business goals.

How to write a content plan

Every company’s content plan will be different, but all will have commonalities.

Begin by asking yourself these questions:

• What’s your goal?
• What do you want your content plan to achieve?
• Do you want to build brand awareness?
• Which keywords should you use so that people using search engines will find you?
• Do you want your content to convert your audience’s interest into sales?

Content Plans for Brand Awareness

Content planning to increase brand awareness is a common business goal. Brand awareness means showing potential customers that your entire brand exists, not just one particular product.

Your plan should demonstrate the qualities that set your brand apart by:

• Educating your audience about your brand and products
• Highlighting what your company stands for, and what your values are
• Providing information that establishes you as a thought leader in your field and a voice your audience can trust
• Showing the products you produce can solve your customer’s problems

Social media is a great vehicle for building brand awareness.

Using Keywords / SEO content

Increasing the number of keywords, you use can push you up the rankings on Google and other search engines, making it easier for people who don’t know about you to find you.

However, you can’t just blitz the web with random keywords.

You have to incorporate those keywords into content that directly targets your audience and shows up when they enter a particular search term.

The aim of keyword directed SEO content is to:

• Target the keywords you know your audience will be searching for (which you’ll already have identified via keyword research)
• Match the keyword to the intent of the person searching for it
• Ensure that the content you publish reflects the keyword’s meaning, and provides the searcher with useful information that will prompt them to find out more about what you do
• Show you can solve the searcher’s problem and/or provide them with the knowledge they’re looking for

Using your content plan to convert your audience’s interest into sales

In other words, you want the content you produce to convince your visitors and followers that your product is worth buying and convert them into customers.

To do that, your content plan should highlight what differentiates your business and product from other brands, and why your product is better than your competitors’.

Conversion content needs to be:

No nonsense and no fluff content plans

From the opening paragraph, you must plant the seeds of what you want your reader to do; buy your product.

Compelling

Don’t overwrite. Use visuals and power words and concentrate on the value of what your product does and the awesome results it will deliver for the customer.

Full of Call to Actions (CTAs)

A Call to Action is the ‘do this now / click here now / contact us now’ part of your content.

You should include at least three or four CTAs if possible, arranged throughout the content in a way that’s organic and doesn’t feel like an off-putting hard sell (even though it is!).

At the very least, there must be a clear CTA in the last paragraph of the content so the reader knows what to do next and will be encouraged to click the ‘Purchase’ button.

It doesn’t matter if you are posting content on your website, creating SEO optimised blogs, or sharing your article LinkedIn the principle is the same.

Connect to your target audience with your content plan

Who do you want to engage with? What’s your audience’s personality?

Gather as much data on your target audience as you can. The more you know about them, the more successful your content plan will be. Use tools like web analytics (like Google Analytics) and market research.

Different audiences respond to different kinds of content. When you know who your audience is, you’ll be better placed to give them the content they need.

What problem will your content solve?

Do you know your customer’s pain points? What do they want to know?

How will the content/product you’re providing solve those pain points, give them the information they need, and/or make their lives easier and more productive?

What sets you apart from your competition?

Your content plan must highlight your Unique Selling Point (USP) because that’s what will convince your audience to engage with you instead of moving on to your competitor.

Your content plan needs to be clear on why your brand and solutions are the best.

What formats will your content use?

Different platforms and social media channels require different types of content. They also have different rules for the kind of content they’ll allow.

When you’ve identified your target audience, you’ll have a much better idea of the kind of content they’re looking for and the format they want that content to take.

Not every type of content will work on all platforms, so you’ll have to modify it accordingly. Also, not every platform will be suitable for the message you want to convey.

Look at what your competitors are doing to see what works for them.

Is social media getting them more engagement than blog posts?

Are videos working better for them than emails?

Your content plan should include every format you want to use; preferably, that will be a combination of plain social media, blogs, case studies, infographics, videos, podcasts, etc. depending on your audience, your message, and platform.

How will you create and manage your content?

Your content plan needs to clarify three important factors:

• who in your organisation will be creating the content, or will you engage a third party to create the content for you?

Creating your content in-house gives you more control, and it’s easier to demonstrate your expertise when the people who actually do the job are the ones putting the words on the page!

But, having said that, finding the time to create in-house content when you or your colleagues can be tricky.

Also, if you work with a third-party content creator who knows what they’re doing, they can be a terrific asset.

The key to working with a third party is communication, so they’re clear on what you want to say and have all the information they need to convey your expertise.

They must also write in a voice that perfectly reflects and supports your message and your brand.

• where the content will be published
• when the content will be published (i.e., when will it go live?)

Incorporate a calendar in your content plan

It’s important to keep your brand message consistent and avoid repeating yourself, which is very hard to do without a content plan. Scheduling is key.

It’s also useful to have an arc to your content, especially when producing blogs, so the reader feels like you’re taking them on a journey and will keep coming back to find out more.

One of the best ways to do that is to calendarize the topics you’re going to write about so that:

a) you can see where each piece of content starts and ends, so the next piece of content picks up where the last one left off, and

b) you’re not always scrambling to think up new ideas, which means you won’t be tempted to desperately snatch at the first thought that comes into your head.

Calendarizing your content also gives you an overview of what you intend to write before you write it, so you can be sure your company’s message stays at the forefront of everything you produce.

A content plan will help you keep your content well-balanced and varied.

It will keep you in control of your workflow and budget and ensure you won’t miss your publishing deadlines.

It’s essential to be consistent because that’s the only way you’ll drive engagement and continue to build your audience.

Top tips for creating an awesome content plan

Look closely at your competitor’s websites and social media.

• What type of content (i.e., blogs, videos, infographics) is getting the most likes, links, and shares among their followers?

Don’t forget, their followers are probably your target audience too.

• What content do their followers respond best to? Is it the content that relates directly to the product or services your competitor offers or is it the more ‘freewheeling’ content that simply tries to engage them without being too on-the-nose?
• How often do your competitors publish their content?
• Could your competitor’s content give you a launchpad for your own ideas? Remember, there’s a big difference between using someone else’s content for inspiration and reworking what they’ve already written to pass it off as your own. Please don’t plagiarise other people’s work. Not only is it essential to create original content that’s in your own unique voice, but plagiarism is unethical and can potentially damage both your reputation and your bank account.

Stuck for content ideas?

You’ve hopefully got at least a few topics to start with.

Dig down into each of them and look for ways you can both expand and go deeper into the topic.

For example, if your first idea is ‘food processing automation’, you could broaden that out into ‘Innovations in food processing automation’ or narrow it down to a specific type of food processing machine and its advantages.

By both opening up and narrowing down each topic, you’ll quickly start spinning off lots of new ideas.

Here’s a few things to think about if you’re stuck for ideas:

1. Go back to basics

• What are the questions your customers regularly ask you?
• Is there anything unique about your brand and product?
• Think about your business’s history, anything of interest?
• What’s happening in your sector that everyone’s talking about?
• Are reporters, news editors or the media interested in your sector right now?

2. Use a Keyword Explorer or Topic Generator to brainstorm blog ideas

There are plenty of keyword explorers available online, and all you’ve got to do is enter a keyword and be inspired by what the engine throws back at you!

3. Interview someone in your sector

Ask them how the industry has changed since they started in it, find out what their favourite tools and motivators are, give your audience a unique insight into how that person ticks.

4. Rework your existing content into a different format

Turn your old blog post into a more in-depth article.

Lift ideas from another blog post and turn them into an infographic.

Take a listicle, select the best bullet points, and transform each of them into a long-form piece.

5. Poll your audience

Ask them what they’d like to know and then deliver it.

You can also ask the people in your network to have their say on hot topics of the moment.

Many PR agencies use that kind of data to create press releases to engage their media list.

6. Have your readers commented on any of your previous blogs or posts?

Could you reply to their comment by creating a whole new piece of content, which will also demonstrate how open you are to engaging with your audience and receiving their feedback?

7. Share your opinions

People are naturally nosy, and we love to find out what others are thinking – sometimes, just so we can disagree with them!

Sharing your thoughts on an industry topic will reinforce your knowledge and expertise, invite feedback, and potentially start fresh conversations.

8. Compile your blogs into an ebook or white paper

Creators often use an ebook or white paper as a lead generator and sales funnel.

You can offer it as a free download on your website, for example, and build an email list from there.

How will you know if your content plan is working?

It’s important to build regular ‘measurements of success’ into your plan.

If you keep monitoring your content’s performance, you will know what’s working (so you can create more of it) and change your approach when something isn’t connecting with your audience.

Data tools like Google Analytics will give you metrics like how many followers are engaging with your social media, how many people are opening your emails, and the ‘bounce rate’ of the individual pages on your website.

It will also tell you what types of content are working best for you, and which aren’t.

It’s a good idea to undertake this monitoring every few weeks at the very least.

When you publish content that you want to make an immediate impact, you should start monitoring within a few hours of its release to check that it’s working.

If it isn’t being picked up the way you’d hoped, that gives you time to rework the content or try reformatting it for another platform.

Are you ready to start creating your first content plan today?

It may feel like you’ve got a lot of work ahead, but we promise it will be worth the effort. Soon you’ll have a sensational content plan that drives results.

Then everything else will fall into place!

The content you create will be of a much higher quality, increase audience engagement and accelerate lead generation.

Whatever your targets are, having a detailed, comprehensive content plan is the surest way to achieve them.

So, what are you waiting for? Start creating your content plan today!

The post Content Plan: Easy Steps for Content that Drives Results appeared first on Class:PR.

Understanding what they are looking for in a story is essential if you want your public relations campaign to succeed.

It starts with knowing how to write a press release – because this means you will present a story with a genuine news angle.

Next, you need to understand how to write a media pitch – this will ensure the chief reporter at least opens your pitch email!

If you’re after free PR for your business no one is more important than this senior journalist.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about this critical newsroom role.

Who Is The Chief Reporter?

She heads up the reporting team setting the pace for reporters.

They provide an example to reporters about what is expected.

The chief reporter reports to the news editor and editor.

Their job is to produce engaging content. Also, to ensure their reporting team have all stories covered. It is a management job too.

The chief reporter shows the other reporters how it’s done. They supervise, guide, motivate and compete for the bylines and top news slots.

What Does a Chief Reporter Do?

Their primary objective is to get the best stories for their publication.

They want to grow their audience and attract attention.

They must ensure demographic targets are met and geographically the patch is covered.

Whilst the chief reporter will have their nose to the ground, they do need to pay attention to the team.

They must ensure every reporter is delivering a good news list. This requires efficient supervision.

The chief reporter will demand story lists and advise on news angles. They will guide the reporters.

They may offer or suggest a contact to help them develop a story.

It is unlikely that they will closely edit a reporter’s story. They will leave that for the news editor. But they will guide, push deadlines and discuss angles with the reporter.

An experienced chief reporter will have an extensive contacts book. This contacts book will be bursting with useful names that can be used in most scenarios.

They will always have at least six stories on the go, working on them simultaneously.

And they are likely to have an investigative feature up their sleeve to be used when the time is right.

They will also have the ear of the news editor, the picture editor and editor.

A publication is no good to anyone without strong content. It will be the chief reporter that the news editor will look to when a big story breaks.

They must help co-ordinate the team of reporters and photographers. They will create a strategy for dealing with breaking news.

However, the demands on a chief reporter on quiet news days are also hefty.

Whilst more junior reporters may struggle with finding a story, the chief reporter is expected to shine. They must pull a splash (front page) or top story out of the bag in an instant!

A good public relations professional will seek to develop a healthy working relationship with the top reporter. Their influence in the newsroom is significant.

How Do You Become The Senior Reporter?

The simple answer is, be the best you can. Reporters are naturally ambitious.

In a traditional print publication, every reporter wants their byline on the splash.

Every reporter wants the best contacts book in the newsroom. Every reporter seeks to champion their reader and shout out for the underdog.

Be the best you can. And remember it’s not a nine to five job. You must have a hunger for news. Wherever you are and no matter the time, always be aware you could be onto a story.

The chief reporter has solid experience as a reporter.

They have proved themselves again and again in a busy newsroom. They’re likely to have their NCTJ qualifications (in the UK) and have worked for at least five years in a competitive newsroom.

The chief reporter is versatile able to switch from writing their own copy to helping others develop their contacts.

What Type of Skills, Responsibilities Do They Have?

The succesful reporter must be generous in spirit. They lead the reporting team. They must set an example and guide individuals. The reporters will turn to the chief reporter for guidance.

The chief reporter must be willing to share contacts when necessary and push a reporter on deadline.

If a reporter is struggling with a story, the chief reporter must be able to balance their own workload whilst picking up another’s.

The chief reporter is expected to coach reporters. They must use their experience to help a junior reporter develop their own skills. But they will also challenge reporters, setting high standards and expectations.

The chief reporter must be patient, calm under pressure whilst meeting multiple deadlines.

They will be expert at finding the story, interviewing individuals and writing copy.

Most crucially a chief reporter is excellent at building relationships.

Some chief reporters may be excellent at getting the story, building trusting relationships and maintaining contacts.

They may not be necessarily brilliant writers. But copy can be improved by the news editor and sub-editors.

The key is in finding and developing a story. The key is in maintaining a healthy contacts book of people you can call again and again.

The top reporter will have strong sources. The chief reporter will be reliable and trustworthy.

When working under tight deadline pressure, an editor must have 100% trust in their leading reporter. They must trust that what they produce is fair, balanced, legal and true.

What’s The Difference Between a Chief Reporter and a Reporter?

It’s usually seniority and experience. The chief reporter is ‘chief’ simply because they are the most proficient reporter in the newsroom.

Chief reporters and reporters are all gathering news. They must;

• Source stories – off diary and on diary
• Interview
• Write a strong intro followed by flowing copy
• Keep accurate notes
• File copy to tight deadline
• Suggest attention grabbing headlines
• Maintain a strong contacts book
• Be able to build strong relationships

In addition, to the above the chief reporter must gather regular news lists from reporters.

The lists will be discussed with the news editor. They must act both as mentor, manager and champion for the reporters.

The chief reporter will not only be pitching their own stories to the news editor, but also the reporters’ stories.

The additional duties of the chief reporter possibly mean their story count is less. However, the quality of their stories and research will be excellent.

Should I Email My Press Release To a Senior Reporter?

Yes, but remember a chief reporter will receive a huge volume of press releases.

Hundreds a day.

It is their job to identify the stories for publication. Those considered for publication will be discussed with the news editor.

Press releases must be brief and well presented. All releases must be accompanied by a picture.

They will be immediately binned should they be badly targeted or read like a sales pitch.

Ensure you have the right catchline in the subject line – treat it like a headline. You must know how to write a media pitch.

Newsrooms like well-written releases.

But if it reads too like a sales pitch the chief reporter will bin it with the words – ‘let them advertise.’

You may want to send the release to the chief reporter as well as the news desk and state in your email that you have done that.

Don’t try and trick a newsroom by sending in multiple releases to multiple people.

They will all get binned!

Would They Ever Work With a PR Agency?

The chief reporter has one main concern: getting the best stories for their publication.

They will work closely with the news editor to ensure their product/site/publication maintains integrity and is trusted by its readers.

They will work with a PR agency on serious issues that matter to the publication. But be prepared to be transparent.

It is not the chief reporter’s job to make you look good. Their duty and responsibility are to their readers and publication.

The best media relations campaigns understand that they must deal in actual stories if they are to succeed.

Do this and they will love you – just don’t ever spam them!

So there you have it, our complete guide to the chief reporter.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post Chief Reporter: A Guide to This Key Newsroom Role [2022] appeared first on Class:PR.

Understanding what the picture editor does is critical if you want to succeed in public relations.

Images are all important in the media – whether it’s online or offline – even the very best stories need high-quality images.

The picture editor sits alongside the news editor deciding whether or not the images you have provided with your story meet the mark.

If they don’t you won’t get the media coverage you are after.

Every media relations campaign must be image-focused.

Even if you know how to write a press release, it’s not enough – your PR plan must take account of the images you will provide.

In this guide to the picture editor, you will understand how they work and what they are looking for from you.

Who Is The Picture Editor?

Pictures are key to the way stories are told, developed and presented.

The editor is passionate about their work and photography in general.

This role requires rigid adherence to deadlines, ambitious vision as well as strong communication and visual skills.

The picture editor will work alongside the news editor and editor. Together they ensure the right quality of images are collected for publication.

From the first moment a story is discussed, they will be thinking about how they represent the story visually. How best to complement a story. This is discussed with the team.

More importantly, the picture editor is the eyes of the whole publication. They instinctively know what picture style and content is right for their business.

What Does A Picture Editor Do?

He/she is efficiently organising the image library whilst ensuring the photographers are allocated work.

Every story needs a picture. But not every picture is taken by a ‘team’ photographer. Images are sourced from a range of places.

It is down to the drive and business acumen of the picture editor to source these pictures. They must be able to make strong and fast decisions.

Images may derive from agencies, individuals, businesses and of course freelance photographers.

Today many publications are also using pictures from social media.

It is the picture editor’s job to source the right picture and to negotiate fees. This means they must be able to manage a budget. Crucially, they need to understand the business needs and objectives.

The Legal Responsibilities of The Picture Editor

Once sourced, the picture editor must ensure the correct permissions and rights are sought to use the image.

Copyright disputes can lead to achingly long and expensive legal exchanges. Therefore, a picture editor cannot afford to be blasé about who owns a picture.

Once a good image is obtained and ownership agreed, it is their job to correctly file it. They will ensure it is captioned and credited.

If the picture has arrived at the desk already captioned and credited this must be double-checked.

An incorrect or misleading caption can result in legal action. Omitting a credit on a picture is also a serious issue.

The pictures will also have a source contact. This means it can be linked back to its origins. A phone number or email will suffice.

A picture editor will have a picture library that is foolproof. This means the most junior reporter can access pictures at a moment’s notice.

The caption will tell them what the picture is, where it was taken, subject names and who took it. There will also be information about whether a credit is required and the photographer/source details.

As well as maintaining an extensive library, they are responsible for commissioning content.

Hiring Photographers For The Picture Desk

A picture editor will have a pool of talented and reliable photographers who will often have specialisms.

These photographers are usually booked in advance. They are provided with clear instructions.

This will include a full description of the job. Detail includes; who, what and where with clear instruction as to how the picture desk wants the image taken.

The freelancer is required to deliver a range of images following instruction.

The picture editor will liaise with the news desk on picture progress. On receipt of the picture, it is their job to ensure the image quality is strong.

They also need to ensure the picture registration and settings are appropriate for publication.

The picture editor may need to crop and adjust the picture. They will certainly work with the sub editor to ensure the picture clarity on a page.

It may also be their job to train new photographers, appraise staff and ensure all equipment is in good working order.

How Do You Become a Picture Editor?

A picture editor is most likely to have spent time as a photographer. They understand the challenges facing the photographer.

They will have a keen eye for detail, a visual instinct and be superbly organised.

The picture editor is familiar with the latest photographic equipment and software.

What type of skills, responsibilities do they have?

The picture editor must know everything about photography.

They will have strong managerial skills as well as a keen ability to organise. They will be proficient technically being able to use a whole range of image software.

It’s important they understand what images will print well and why and which ones don’t, and why.

They must have extensive contacts within the industry.

And they are responsible for ensuring the news desk has all images required to deadline.

The pictures must be properly filed, captioned and credited. Any external images must have the appropriate permissions to use in the context intended.

The picture editor will manage the workload ensuring that staff or freelance photographers are tasked with relevant work.

He/she must assign appropriately. It’s no good sending a fashion photographer to a wildlife shoot, or a photographer who specialises in art photographer to a public protest.

The picture editor will usually attend news conferences contributing to the news/features/sport agenda.

He/she will be a creative individual, able to come up with ideas for shoots and stand-alone picture stories.

They will always deliver to deadline.

What’s The Difference Between a Photographer And Picture Editor?

The picture editor is focused on commanding the desk.

They are the eyes of the whole publication. They will source all images and ensure quality is maintained.

The photographer is out on jobs. In fact, it is a rare sight to see a photographer in the office. Unless of course, they are a studio photographer.

And it’s relatively rare for a picture editor to be taking photographs. They are busy commissioning, filing, reviewing, editing and manipulating pictures.

The photographer is following instructions from the picture editor to take the images required. And the picture editor will liaise with the photographer to ensure jobs are going to plan.

If the job is being conducted in the in-house photo studio, the picture editor will often attend.

And if the job is deemed important enough, the picture editor will certainly attend an external shoot to direct the job.

A picture editor will ensure the photographer has all props and equipment necessary. They are likely to arrange hair and make up for the subjects.

The picture editor will ensure the photographers have access to shoots. So, if a picture is being taken at a train station, permissions must be sought. There’s most often a fee to be negotiated as well.

The picture editor will brief the photographer on contacts, names and any other special requirements.

Should I Email My Pictures To The Picture Desk?

The picture editor will always be interested in external pictures. They are looking for picture ideas 24/7.

It’s always worth emailing a picture through for possible use.

Make sure you know how to write a media pitch – which always includes great images!

Also, look out for any special campaigns the publication is running. Are they running a ‘picture of the day feature’, a ‘weather pic’ or are they looking for people portraits?

This can be a great way to introduce yourself to the picture desk and start to build a good relationship.

So there you have it – the complete guide to the role of the picture editor.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post Picture Editor: A Guide to This Essential Newsroom Role [2022] appeared first on Class:PR.

Your public relations campaign has a greater chance of success if you know what the sub-editor does.

Why?

It will mean you create media stories that are ready to be published, without too much extra work in the newsroom.

And much of that work – when your story is being prepared for publication – is carried out by the sub-editor.

They fine-tune the story that has been presented to them by the reporters and add the all-important attention-grabbing headline.

If you have an idea of what a sub-editor is looking for you can reverse engineer your public relations campaign to ensure it has all the essential ingredients – facts, figures and CRUCIALLY a strong news hook.

This is why it is so important to know how to write a press release – it’s the start of your interaction with the sub-editor, even though you will very likely never speak with them directly.

This is our essential guide to the role of the sub-editor (and no, they are not the same as the news editor).

What Is a Sub-editor?

The sub-editor has a keen eye for detail. They will spot a typo from afar and can rewrite poorly composed copy at breakneck speed.

Their command of language will be impressive.

The good sub-editor will have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the written language. They make the reporters look great by contributing positive enhancements to their copy.

They will also be endowed with an array of general knowledge. This is very useful when dealing with a wide range of content.

There are two types of sub-editors; copy subs and design subs. An individual can be both, depending on the size and style of editorial operation.

A sub-editor in a newspaper or magazine editorial office, may be expected to:

1. Design a page from scratch
2. Knock copy into shape
3. Write headlines, sub heads, captions, pull-out quotes
4. Place pictures on the page and ensure they are cropped and captioned appropriately
5. Create slogans, key messages for campaigns
6. Check copy for meaning, tone and sense
7. Identify legal issues
8. Ensure the page is production-ready, correctly formatted and ready for print

A good sub-editor is worth their weight in gold.

What Does a Sub-Editor Do?

A sub-editor is expected to ensure consistency of content and style.

They will be the guardians of the newsroom ‘style guide’.

This is their ‘bible’ and specific to their title.

They will add and amend the guide as our language transforms. They will know the correct style for titles, be familiar with all abbreviations and be an expert speller. Every good sub has a dictionary on their desk.

The sub-editor adds magic to the copy

The sub will take raw copy and, depending on the strength and time the news desk has, they are likely to rewrite it. They will most certainly improve on a poor intro.

It is likely the sub will work with the reporter to do this. Reporters can learn a lot by sitting next to a good sub.

The sub-editor is required to review copy like a reader. They review it assuming they have no prior knowledge of the subject.

The copy must make sense and flow in an easy-to-read manner. They question everything.

The sub-editor will double-check every name in the story and fact check every piece of information.

They will also have a sound media legal knowledge ready to capture any libellous language.

Once the sub is satisfied that the copy is good for publication, they must write an attention grabbing headline and check for images.

Brilliant headline writers are treasures.

The headline draws the reader to the story. A badly written headline can turn people away from a story or even give the reader the wrong impression.

A poor headline can result in many more complaints than any story ever written by a reporter.

Often a sub-editor will work alongside a reporter to get the right headline. It can be a collaborative exercise.

Subs will often share their struggles to get a clever headline with the team and this becomes a collective creative!

If the sub is designing an entire print page, they will ensure that any necessary advertisements are placed.

They must check the adverts sit comfortably alongside the content. It can be disastrous having an insurance advert next to a tragic fire story, for example!

Or this…

The Sub-Editor and Page Layout

The sub-editor ensures that all fonts styles and sizes are correct. They must ensure the picture is of good quality and check the source.

Once the copy, the picture, the headline and any subheads, captions and bylines are placed, the page will need proofing.

The proofing is usually carried out by another sub, so the work is shared.

A new pair of eyes sees the copy before publication. A page will usually get proofed four or five times before reaching print.

Subbing for online is very different. The copy proofing happens at an earlier stage.

The sub-editor is expected to do all the above checks on the system, write the headline and usually post the copy online themselves.

Any amends can be made after publication but must be carefully monitored according to the editorial guidelines.

But whether it is for online or print, the general rules are the same. The sub checks for accuracy, tone, style, libels and liaises with the reporter to fulfil this.

An excellent sub can enhance any piece of copy and make pages look inviting to the reader.

Whether it is in a traditional newsroom, a start-up producing catalogues, or a public relations agency creating high-end pitches, having a good sub-editor to make copy and pages shine is invaluable.

How Do You Become a Sub-Editor?

Many copy sub-editors have worked as reporters. They seek a sub-editors’ job because they want more control over content, quality and can have a direct impact on how stories get published.

The sub-editing role is primarily deskbound. This means that whilst the reporters, news editors and editors may spend a lot of time out, the sub is beavering away at the desk.

If you like being out and meeting people, the sub’s job is not for you.

Some subs will have completed a specific subbing training course and have skipped the reporting stage.

They may simply have a love of language and design but not aspire to interview people.

Design subs have a natural flair for the visual page.

They will have a clear vision about the way a page should look.

They’ll seek out the visuals and graphics to make their design ideas possible. Design subs are intrinsic to the way pages look and feel.

The design sub may have a background in graphics, art or photography.

In larger newsrooms the copy subs and design subs are different beasts. They have their own unique skill sets and their talents are used accordingly.

What Type Of Skills Does a Sub-Editor Have?

The copy sub has a gift for language whilst the design sub has a gift for the layout and everything visual. The sub with a talent for both is a gem.

The sub must be driven by deadline and understand how long a particular task will take, to meet specific and rolling deadlines. They must track their work and ensure realistic deadlines are set.

The sub is responsible for producing safe, fair, balance copy that is accurate and checked, when necessary, by the lawyers.

The sub will flag any issues early in the production process. These issues may be lack of a picture, uncertainty over a place name or simply demand more fact-checking.

It is usually the sub’s job to update the style guide and inform the team about any design issues.

A sub will often work closely with the graphic design artist or a photographer to help develop a page. Strong images are key to the way a story is told.

What’s The Difference Between a Sub Editor And A Reporter?

The reporter has spent time researching a story. The sub-editor will take that story, check it and headline it.

The sub-editor watches the reporters’ back. Any silly mistakes made by the reporter should get picked up by the sub and any serious errors will avoid disaster for the entire publication.

A reporter will often want a particular sub to take their story and prep it for publication.

This is because the reporter knows a good sub will write a cracking headline. He/she will create a page that draws the readers’ eye.

Result: the story gets more views.

So there you have it – the complete guide to the sub-editor.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post Sub-Editor: Who They Are and What They Do [2022] appeared first on Class:PR.

The success of your public relations campaign depends on knowing what the news editor is looking for in a news story or feature.

You can’t blag or spam a news editor with advertorial content – they want stories.

Knowing how to write a press release and how to write a media pitch is a great start when you are looking for free PR, but it’s only a part of the picture.

This guide to the news editor will give you the inside track on how they tick, and how to work with them successfully so you get what you want – positive PR exposure for your business.

What is a News Editor?

The news editor is the heart of the newsroom.

They are the go-to person for the editor, the reporters, the sub-editors and photographers.

Also, for the social media team – and importantly the readers/customers.

Whilst the overall editor will often be dealing with the wider business picture, the news editor targets one thing: content.

A good news editor will know what is going on in every corner of the newsroom.

They assign the reporters stories and monitor progress.

They are aware of the day’s big issues; tackling breaking news, sourcing pictures, dealing with a multitude of calls and complaints too.

The news editor can ditch a story at any time – so don’t take it personally!

Today a news editor will also be working alongside the social media team, directing the messaging.

The news editor needs to think on their feet.

They will be quick to respond, know their patch demographics and geography, be able to write a story themselves. Their contacts book will be second to none.

What Does a News Editor Do?

It is the news editor’s job to know their patch, or their subject (if trade media) like the back of their hand.

They will know the strengths and weaknesses of their team. They will liaise with the editor.

Essentially it is the news editor making the decisions on the ground and at speed. They drive the deadlines ensuring that every milestone is met.

A good news editor will be constantly monitoring the news, looking for local, new and different angles to everyone else to set their publications ahead of the competition. They will have the competition monitored.

They will be reacting to the news and ensuring their team has the issues covered. It may mean placing the right people in the right places to cover a story.

They will also be pro-active, developing campaigns on the back of a good issue/story. They must know how best to ‘sell’ these to readers.

Regarding campaigns, they will know which businesses/organisations/politicians/community groups to contact in support of these campaigns.

Directing The News Reporters

The news editor reads all content, they are the first filter for the reporter.

They will give the reporter strong direction on a story and provide feedback to that reporter once the story is filed (this means ready for publication).

It is the news editor’s job to pick holes in the story. They will ask LOTS of questions:

Is all the information included and legally sound? Is the tone right for the publication and are the basics like names, locations, dates, facts, correct?

The news editor will question sources and take a cynical attitude to copy.

But their job is to drive a story for publication.

The news editor must be prepared to bin a story for a better one. Of course, they must ensure that any legal issues are passed to the lawyers as well as the editor.

How Do You Become A News Editor?

Many news editors find themselves in the role because they have loved the role of a reporter and have sought promotion.

They may want to climb the newsroom ladder and eventually see themselves as editor – becoming news editor is a positive step towards this goal.

News editors will have usually been strong writers and may even have been a chief reporter. They will know how to sniff out the angle of a story.

They will ask all the right questions, be able to rewrite an intro in seconds and when necessary, write an accurate, balanced, informative and entertaining story of their own.

News editors have usually built a comprehensive portfolio. They have proven themselves to be organised, have competent people skills, able to work well under pressure, and to turn around copy fast.

In the UK they are likely to have their NCTJ training qualifications as a reporter. They will have all-round experience handling everything from court copy, human interest and local and national government stories.

They may have sought promotion internally when the opportunity arises within their organisation.

As a senior reporter they may apply externally for that first deputy or assistant news editor challenge.

What Type of Skills, Responsibilities Does a News Editor Have?

A news editor will be able to write succinctly and accurately.

They will have a natural nose for news and understand balance and fairness. They come with a solid knowledge of the law and public affairs.

It’s the news editor who will ditch a story fast if they don’t think it’s been thoroughly checked out and researched. They are thorough and will quiz a reporter about every aspect of a story.

The news editor must be able to instruct and inform a reporter with clarity and patience.

As the job of a news editor is to filter out the news, deciding what is important and categorising stories, they must know their title well.

They must ensure every story meets the content guidelines.

They will have a good knowledge of the in-house style guide and be up to date with all local and national government changes.

Their best skill is being able to balance several jobs at one time. This includes answering calls, filtering stories, rewriting copy and keeping their reporters busy.

What’s The Difference Between a News Editor and a Reporter?

The news editor oversees all content whilst the reporter must be focused on researching and writing their own stories.

The news editor must ensure the publication they are working for has a good balance and variety of stories. They will know how developed a story is, and when they can expect it filed.

The news editor sets the reporter deadlines and keeps track of story development.

The news editor will bin or put a story on hold, if they don’t think the reporter has been accurate or fair. Without a picture the story is likely to be axed.

A reporter is constantly gathering news, it is their job to find the stories. They will pitch their story ideas to the news editor. These stories may be off diary or diary stories.

An off-diary story

An off-diary story is their own, it may even be exclusive. It is the reporter’s hard work and direction from the news editor that leads to the story.

Their stories may derive from a phone call, an email, social media, council agenda, a contact, a notice in a shop. The reporter will use every opportunity on patch to seek news. Their eyes always open for something new or unusual.

A diary story

A diary story is a scheduled event happening that needs coverage. The reporter must ensure their story is legally sound, accurate, balanced, informative.

The tone must be right for their publication. A PR stunt may provide a great picture if it is well carried out and timely.

Reporters check and double-check every fact in their story. Just because it’s in a press release doesn’t make it accurate.

However, today, reporters are often flooded with press releases – an inaccuracy in a press release may make it through to publication.

Any organisation issuing a press release must double-check their facts too.

Forgive a reporter’s cynicism. It is a valued asset in a busy newsroom when vetting stories. The reporter’s contacts must be genuine.

Would a News Editor Answer The Phone On a News Desk?

It’s no doubt the busiest desk in any newsroom.

Like an airport control tower, it sees everything.

The news editor will direct calls to the appropriate reporter.

The news editor knows their team well. They will funnel a call through to the reporter they think will do the best job. They’re taking into consideration specialisms, ability, talent and deadline.

The news editor will also take calls from people complaining about a story, trying to prevent a story being printed or from someone pushing a story for publication.

They often take huge volumes of calls from PR agencies. However, even the news editor cannot guarantee publication.

News happens fast and, in a moment, the best story of the day can be superseded by another.

Should I Email My Press Release To a News Editor?

When a news editor is busy, it’s often better to email your media pitch across.

Unless it’s breaking news or a cracking human interest story, a public relations officer can get short shrift from a busy news editor juggling multiple tasks at once.

When emailing a story, it is key to get the subject line right. You must know how to write a media pitch.

Say what the story is in the subject line, and add, area, name. Treat it like an attention grabbing headline.

You must sell your story in a few words in the subject line. Avoid a pushy sales pitch – it’ll head to the bin or what the newsroom terms, the ‘spike’.

Never assume your story will be published.

It’s usually always best to take a nice informal tone with the news desk, thanking them for their time. You may want a long-term relationship and you’ll need their goodwill.

If the news editor associates you or your organisation with poor or inappropriate media releases, they will bin your emails, before even reading them.

Would a News Editor Ever Work With a PR Agency?

Yes, of course.

Building a good relationship with a news desk is key. But it must be built on trust.

Avoid sending through poorly written and researched press releases for publication. And make sure you correctly target your publications.

Sending a story about a new housing development will be binned by a journal specialising in international politics!

It’s not just subject matter that’s important either.

If you’ve got a story about a new brewery opening in Peckham, don’t pitch to regional media in East London. Check relevant patches.

Think about this with national publications and broadcast operations.

Who is likely to handle your copy well, with a sympathetic ear and genuine interest in the content?

Should I Meet With The News Editor?

It’s always worth trying to arrange a quick coffee with the news ed to discuss what they are looking for.

Is the publication covering a vast number of stories around homelessness, might they consider joining forces on a campaign involving new shelters/homes?

Ask them about their interests and between you, you can discuss where the areas meet.

Perhaps the news ed wants to launch a story writing competition for schools. Could one of your clients get involved as a sponsor, a judge, offer a venue, hospitality or transport?

These are good PR opportunities. There are many ways of working together, particularly with campaigns.

Relationships are key.

As a PR company, you want to be in a position where the news editor will always take your call.

If they genuinely don’t have time, they will pass it to one of their leading reporters.

This can be achieved with time and patience. Cultivating a strong, transparent relationship with a news desk is invaluable.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post News Editor: A Complete Guide To This Newsroom Role [2022] appeared first on Class:PR.

The term gets thrown around in marketing communications as though everyone knows exactly what it is and how to do it. 

But dig a little deeper and you’ll find you’re not the only one that isn’t clear on how to use thought leadership as part of their public relations campaign. 

Don’t worry, once you grasp a few concepts and tactics, thought leadership is easy to understand.

It can be a very effective tactic to get free PR and build credibility with your target audience.

Here’s what we are going to cover in this thought leadership guide.

What is thought leadership?
Why authority and influence matter
The risks of thought leadership
Thought leadership in the national media
Inbound marketing and thought leadership
7 steps to build your thought leadership strategy 

Let’s get started.

What Is Thought Leadership?

Thought leadership in PR and marketing is the process of establishing authority and credibility in a person or brand by sharing expert comment, insight and opinion. 

Thought leadership showcases expertise, highlights innovation or provides an alternative perspective on an issue.

Typically, thought leadership is undertaken by a founder, CEO or team member with the seniority to represent a business. 

They must be able to speak confidently from their own experience about issues that affect the organisation. (Make sure your spokesperson is prepared with some easy to implement media training tips.)

What Forms Can Thought Leadership Take?

At the heart of your media relations

It can take the form of an interview on television or radio, where pertinent, topical issues are discussed. 

Or it could be written comment in print or online media that adds depth or an alternative opinion to an argument or issue relevant to your business.

At the heart of your digital PR

On your owned media, your website or social media channels, thought leadership content can come in many different forms.

Think of live broadcasts, stories, posts, in-depth blog articles, podcasts, videos and creative advertising campaigns that subtly showcase your organisation’s innovation and expertise.

White papers are a great way to produce original research and offer real in-depth thought leadership.

And crucially the data your business produces can be an excellent source of information to build a thought leadership campaign around.

For instance, think about consumer trends in the pandemic, how have these changed?

Always think about how your expertise and insight fits into the context of the wider news agenda.

This can be in your own sector or in the larger media landscape.

There really is no limit to the form that thought leadership can take so long as it displays innovative thinking, original content and brings value to your sector, your customers and your stakeholders.

Thought leadership should be at the heart of your inbound marketing strategy.

Why Authority And Influence Matter

Thought leadership is different to other forms of public relations examples or marketing tactics – it is not about the hard sell. 

It is about nudging your audience to take action by building trust through establishing the authority of your brand or the personalities within it.

The aim is to position your organisation as relevant to a wider group of stakeholders, than your existing target audience. 

You are trying to increase the reach of your PR key messages and connect with more people. 

All the while, your brand is gaining trust with this audience, they begin to depend upon you to be a leader in innovation or critical thinking around a subject. 

It becomes a virtuous circle

You begin your thought leadership campaign by positioning your organisation, through your own efforts, as an authority on a subject, as an expert. 

Gradually people take notice, and they begin to associate your company with your chosen subject. 

Once your audience has found you and they like what you are saying they will start to come back to you, looking for your opinion.

Now they are listening, you now hold a degree of influence over their decisions. 

The purpose of this influence varies between every organisation. 

It could be used to sell more products, to lobby or win an important contract. Charities will use it to fundraise or campaign for a cause.

Influence from thought leadership is hardwon

It takes a long time to do properly – you can’t win trust overnight.

This is not like digital PR, where you just want people to click a link. 

You want your audience to see you as a reliable source of knowledge, a critical thinker that can solve the challenges that they may be facing.  

And once you have established this relationship, they will return to you time and time again.

The crucial thing to remember is that thought leadership is NEVER about the hard sell.

Think of your own consumer behaviour.

Who are you most likely to buy from?

A desperate salesperson who is begging you to buy their product or a brilliant company you happen to have ‘found’ yourself who provides real insight and expert advice.

It’s a no brainer.

Put simply thought leadership should be at the heart of any high-quality PR plan. 

The Risks of Thought Leadership

You can’t fake thought leadership.

By its very nature it requires you to know your stuff.

You must have a deep insight into the issues and innovations that are taking place in your business’ sector.

Thought leadership is about education, providing expert insight, and demonstrating credibility – all to increase your visibility.

If you make claims that are untrue or offer very limited and unoriginal insight no one will care.

The media will not be interested in featuring you as a spokesperson and your own followers will soon lose interest in reading, watching or listening to your content.

The clue is in the title – thought LEADERSHIP.

What you say and comment on needs to show that leadership on a topic. 

If your thought leadership is seen as little more than glossy marketing it will fail – and you will have wasted a lot of time and money.

PR PRO TIP 

Before you pitch a potential spokesperson to give an interview make sure their digital profile gives off a good image about them. Do a thorough Google search on their name and make sure nothing contrary to the image you are projecting comes up. Don’t forget to check their LinkedIn profile, make sure there is an up to date profile image and an accurate career history. Plus, make sure you know how to write a LinkedIn headline that captures a journalist’s attention right from the get go.

Thought Leadership In The National Media

The national media – and by that we mean newspapers, news sites, TV and radio – can be a brilliant place to build your thought leadership status.

Opportunities to add comment

Every single day of the year journalists are covering a huge number of news stories, and some may be linked to your business.

Those reporters need experts on these topics to interview to quote in their stories and feature in their broadcasts.

You need to be that expert.

Why?

First up, raw visibility.

Let’s say you are a sportswear manufacturer and the main daily TV news in your country is doing a report about new outfits in gymnastics at the Olympics.

The journalist may want to speak to someone who makes these clothes. That could be you.

Instantly an audience of millions will be aware of your brand.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Greater reach and credibility

You can then share that footage on your own social media channels and on your own website, perhaps with the logo of that media outlet to boost your credibility.

Also, don’t forget to share this footage with your email list – reinforce your expertise with your existing audience.

You see, in reality, you can’t unpick working with the mainstream media and your owned media – the two should work together, that’s when the magic happens.

And the great thing about establishing yourself as a thought leader in the national media (or indeed your trade media) is that journalists are often creatures of habit.

If they know that you are a reliable source of commentary and insight on your given subject they will come back to you time and again when your type of business is in the news.

Journalists work to very tight deadlines so if you can step in at a moment’s notice and give them a great quote you will win repeat media coverage.

So how do you get a piece of the action?

Sign up to services such as Help a Reporter Out  (HARO) or Response Source – these services are where journalists ask for experts to contribute to their stories.

White Papers And Data Journalism 

As well as helping the media out with stories they are already working on, that are linked to your business or your sector, you can generate your own media stories.

Journalists are always looking for decent news stories – that’s their job.

There is clearly huge crossover here with your inbound thought leadership efforts (we will look at that in more detail in the next section) but you need to know how to present this research to a journalist, if you want mainstream media coverage.

Key to this is that you still need to know the fundamentals of public relations.

Yep, you need to know how to write a press release.

Why?

Because whatever your white paper/data reveals you must present it in a newsworthy style.

Yes, by all means, include wonderful infographics with your media pitch – but the most important bit by far is the news angle.

And it can’t be advertorial rubbish – it must be genuine insight and research about a particular topic with an attention grabbing headline.

For more information on how to create a high-quality white paper take a look at this excellent guide.

Inbound Marketing And Thought Leadership

While being featured in the mainstream and trade media as a thought leader is excellent for your credibility, the foundation of this work is done on your owned media channels – your website and your social media feeds. 

Frankly, in the 2020s this needs to be at the core of your business plan – pretty much whatever you sell or make.

Customers are looking for more than products and services.

They want to see expertise and credibility, this will inform their buying decision as much as great reviews and competitive prices.

Think of how you can provide extra value to your customers and build thought leadership content around these needs.

This could look like:

• How to guides
• Free education and training videos
• Insights into the latest developments and technology in your sector
• Blogs and podcasts featuring tips on how to get the most out of your product or service
• Original research that can be of use to your customers in a related field of their lives. (Want an example? Okay, you sell fitness equipment, why not produce a white paper on the best ways to stay heart healthy?)

There are so so many ways you can add value for your customers simply beyond selling them your core product.

Get this thought leadership strategy right and it will form the heart of your SEO strategy and win you powerful backlinks. 

People looking for help and advice related to your business will find this content and then automatically attach trust to your brand.

You see, this is the thing with marketing and communications in this era – you can’t separate PR, SEO, thought leadership and content marketing.

Yes, they are all disciplines in their own right, but they are interlinked on multiple levels and each feeds into the success of the other.

Ultimately what you are trying to do is to build credibility and reach for your business – and showing you are an expert.

7 Steps To Build Your Thought Leadership Strategy 

Okay, so that’s the theory.

It’s clear you need a thought leadership strategy to help your business reach its full potential.

These 7 steps should be at the core of that plan:

Step 1: Know your audience

This is critical for ALL communications campaigns. If you don’t know who your audience is how are you going to be able to engage with them? Survey your customers, even a simple SurveyMonkey, can reveal useful information. Ask your audience what subjects they are interested in, what they want to know more about, how they would like to receive that information (blogs Vs podcasts etc)?

Step 2: Know your business

Now look at your business and review your core business objectives for the year, as much as thought leadership shouldn’t be advertorial it must still support your business! What products and services do you really want to push?

Step 3: Get creative

This is the fun bit. Think about original research you could commission, white papers you could produce, newsworthy topics that you could become a spokesperson for, podcasts you could appear on, YouTube channels you would be a great guest for, mainstream and trade media who would be interested in your views.

Step 4: Calendar time

Design your thought leadership calendar for 12 months ahead. Each month have at least one mainstream media target for thought leadership and commit to one piece of inbound thought leadership content, maybe start with a blog. It may not sound like much, but the victory is in continuity – not two months of mad activity followed by ten months of silence.

Step 5: Know how to pitch your angle

Revisit our how to write a media pitch guide and start pitching your original pieces of research (data and white papers) to your target media. Meanwhile, sign up to Response Source and HARO for those daily comment opportunities.

Step 6: Share your success

As the media coverage starts to come in make sure you then reshare through your own social media channels and feature on your website. Don’t just be a thought leader, SHOW you are thought leaders.

Step 7: Measure and evaluate

Track and monitor your thought leadership efforts. Use analytics tools to measure web traffic to blogs and podcasts, track your most shared social posts, which get the most engagement. Crucially, survey your customers when they make a purchase, did thought leadership influence them? Take these results and then update your plan for the next three months. Oh, and if you’ve got time, write a book! All the most successful thought leaders have a book out…

So there you have it, the answer to ‘what is thought leadership?’.

The great thing about thought leadership is that you really can do as little or as much as you like, to start with, especially while you’re getting a feel for it.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post What is Thought Leadership? And How You Can Do It in 2022 appeared first on Class:PR.

When you can do it well, it’s a fantastic way to increase your exposure and build an audience who will keep coming back for more.

The good news is, writing and posting a compelling article on LinkedIn doesn’t require as much hard work as it sounds. Nor do you need to be the world’s most talented writer.

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know. We even throw in some tricks of the trade as well!

What’s the difference between a LinkedIn article and a LinkedIn post?

Where LinkedIn is concerned, size really does matter.

When you write and publish a LinkedIn post or status update, LinkedIn only gives you 1,300 characters to play with.

That might sound like a lot, but it isn’t.

Especially not if you want to create content that will draw in your reader and keep them hooked.

That’s why knowing how to write and post an article on LinkedIn is so invaluable, because the character count of a LinkedIn article is much bigger – 125,000 characters.

That gives you much more space and opportunity to position yourself as an expert, share some thought leadership content and make an impact.

Not sure what is thought leadership? Read this quick guide to get the low down.

Writing a LinkedIn article allows you to go in-depth on a subject and share your knowledge and expertise.

Anyone can publish an article on LinkedIn, whether they have a free or premium account.

However, LinkedIn has issued guidelines to deter people from flooding their network with spam, PR, and content with no value.

If what you publish violates their policies, LinkedIn could remove the content, suspend your account, or take other action.

Posting an article on LinkedIn

To start with, take a close look at your LinkedIn profile.

Below the About section is an Activity box, which shows the last four things you did on LinkedIn.

Like many LinkedIn users, it’s probably telling you that you liked or shared other people’s content.

When someone looks at the Activity box on your LinkedIn profile, that’s what they’ll see too.

If you’ve written an article – even if it was months or years ago – the last article you wrote will have pride of place in that Activity box.

Just think about how much exposure that Activity box can give you and your brand, and how many opportunities you’ve potentially wasted if you don’t use it.

The last article listed in your Activity box could stop your visitor from scrolling past and quickly convert them into a customer, a new follower, or a valuable contact.

But, if all the Activity box tells them is that you’ve liked or shared somebody else’s content, they may click on that other person’s content instead.

You’ve lost an opportunity and possibly handed it over to a competitor.

Make sure your Activity box is working for you as hard as it can.

Writing a LinkedIn article with a catchy headline and relevant and informed content that shares valuable information is a guaranteed way to get even a mildly curious visitor interested in who you are and what you do.

Also, when the visitor opens your LinkedIn article to read on their desktop, they’ll see a link next to your byline that (when they click on it) displays all the previous LinkedIn articles you’ve written.

Consider this your online portfolio, a place to showcase innovation, developments in your brand or business, or share a comment on issues that you care about or important to your target audience.

Remember, the more LinkedIn articles you write, the more you’ll highlight your brand and position yourself as a thought leader your readers can trust.

What topic should you choose for your LinkedIn article?

Who’s your audience? What do they want to read?

Those may sound like obvious questions, but they’re something a lot of LinkedIn writers forget to consider, especially when they’re learning the ropes.

Don’t fall into the trap of choosing a topic that’s so niche it would only interest you and the five other random people who are obsessed with Elvis-impersonating squirrels.

It’s essential to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise.

Write about the latest news from your industry, or answer a question that’s a trending topic.

What are the people around you currently talking about?

Look at their LinkedIn profiles and the other social media they use to find out what’s on their minds.

Have any of your recent LinkedIn posts received more Likes, Shares, or comments than usual?

If so, could you turn them into a longer-form article that will keep the interest going?

If you want to write an article that will appeal to readers outside your industry, choose a universal topic: i.e. something we’ve all experienced, thought about, or been irritated by.

Maybe even use an example from your own life, like How working from home unexpectedly improved my career chances, or Are you also paranoid your Home Assistant is listening in to everything you say?

When your topic is something you’ve been through that other people have experienced too, you’ll write about it with much more energy and authority.

More importantly, your reader will automatically feel a shared connection with you and want to find out more.

Once you’ve decided on your topic you’re ready to write.

Writing your LinkedIn article

Go to the LinkedIn Home tab. Click the Write an Article link to open the LinkedIn Publishing tool.

This is where all the magic happens.

Choose an attention-grabbing headline

Your headline should tell people what your article is about and encourage them to click on the headline to read it.

But, don’t choose a headline that’s only clickbait. LinkedIn readers are extraordinarily savvy to clickbait, and a clickbait-sounding headline will turn people off.

Choose a headline that is intriguing as well as informative, but make sure your article can deliver what your headline promises.

Consider keywords

What keywords will your audience be searching for?

Using one of those keywords in your headline (or a number, like 6 ways to get a better night’s sleep) will help push you towards the top of the list when a user types that word into their search engine.

If you don’t know the best keywords to use, a keyword research tool (like the Google Ads keyword research tool or SEM rush) should give you plenty of valuable ideas.

All you have to do is type in the most relevant words to your article or business, and Google Ads (although other keyword research tools are available!) will suggest a shortlist of keywords you could use.

You can also find out how often each of those keywords is searched for per month so that you can include the most popular ones in both your headline and your article.

A word of caution, using lots of keywords in an article can make it stilted and difficult to read.

It’s vital that your article flows so that your user enjoys reading it and continues reading until the end.

Don’t make it evident that you’re keyword optimising, and never put keywords ahead of readability.

Write a catchy introduction

Getting the headline right is just the start.

Writing an introduction that is as strong and compelling as possible is equally as important.

Also, because the first four lines of your last article’s introduction will appear in the Activity box on your LinkedIn profile, it must grab your reader’s attention straight away.

Remember, the LinkedIn audience are very busy, professional people.

If your headline and introduction don’t instantly make them want to know more, and if the rest of your article takes longer than five to ten minutes to read or is a slog to wade through, they won’t look at it.

They’ll keep scrolling and read your competitor’s article instead.

Writing the main article content

Before you start writing, know what you want to say and the structure you want to use.

An article, like a good story, should flow easily from beginning to middle to end.

Stay ‘on brand’ and ‘on message’ because unnecessary sidenotes and detours will dilute what you’re trying to say and could easily confuse the reader.

For example, suppose your article concerns how customer service is suffering now that delivery drivers are under more pressure.

In that case, it’s probably not a good idea to throw in an anecdote about your neighbour Fred, who took in the parcel for you when the deliveryman left it outside your door and missed the end of his favourite quiz show.

Also, choose your words carefully.

If any of the words are so unusual that your reader might need a thesaurus to understand them, cut the word out and choose a more straightforward word instead.

When you’re writing and posting an article on LinkedIn, it isn’t time to show off your highfalutin vocabulary.

Never forget that you’re writing for your reader, not for yourself.

Keep your writing tight and concise.

After you’ve written the article, go back and edit out everything unnecessary.

Your article shouldn’t read as if a machine wrote it.

Make sure your voice is in there because how you say it is as important as what you’re saying.

What is your writer’s voice?

It’s your personality and tone and everything that makes your writing unique from somebody else’s.

If this is your first article, you probably won’t know what your voice is yet.

Finding your voice can take time and practice, but it isn’t difficult.

All you have to do is let your personality show in your writing.

To do that, write down what you want to say in the way you want to say it, and don’t be afraid to express your opinion.

When you’ve been writing for a while, you’ll start to notice specific ways you express things, the rhythms you use (whether your sentences are short or long).

For example, you may use humour to keep your message entertaining.

This is another reason why editing the article is essential.

When we write in our voice, we’re letting our words and ideas flow.

So it’s necessary to go back afterwards and cut out anything that detours from our message or sounds stilted.

Check your grammar and spelling too.

You don’t always have to stick to the grammatical rules.

Some writers have made a very successful living by throwing grammar out the window.

But you need to know what the rules are before you know how to break them.

The bottom line is, if a reader likes your voice, they’ll probably keep reading even if they’re not entirely convinced about what you’re saying.

Working on finding your writer’s voice is especially important if you want to build up a loyal readership.

People who like your voice will look forward to reading more of your writing.

The importance of structure

The structure of an article is its backbone.

It’s the spine you hang your ideas on and the journey your reader will take from the beginning of the article to the end.

The clearer the structure, the easier your ideas will be to follow, and the better your article will be to read.

The structure of most articles – whether they’re written for LinkedIn, or a magazine, newspaper or website – is usually in three parts:

·       An introduction that outlines the main point of the article and draws the reader in.

·       A middle that discusses the topic in a concise, clear, and exciting way. That can often include using quotes and images to support the article, break it up and make it more accessible.

·       An end that draws everything together, wraps up your viewpoint and makes it memorable, and concludes the article with a Call to Action that you want your reader to take.

Give each idea its own paragraph.

For example, if your article is about five ways to destress after a busy day at work, each ‘way’ should be given its own paragraph.

Use compelling quotes

When you know how to post an article on LinkedIn, you’ll realise that using quotes can be extremely useful.

If there’s a quotation that someone else has said that backs up what you’re saying or helps give the reader an objective opinion, consider using it.

However, every quotation you use should serve a purpose-  either emphasise a point or present an opinion.

When you choose the quote well, it can add texture to your LinkedIn article and bring it to life.

Just like everything else in your writing the quotation should be concise, clear, and relevant.

If it isn’t, don’t use it.

Any quotation you use should always be attributed to the person who said it, with the exact words placed within quotation marks.

For a quote that includes two or more sentences, the quotation marks should be at the beginning and end of the entire quotation, not at the beginning and end of each sentence.

If you want to be extra thorough, you could link directly to the quote by hyperlinking to the original source.

As in:

Tufty Cottontail of The Squirrel Casting Agency says, “The number of Elvis-impersonating squirrels in the UK has increased dramatically over the last six months.”

We’ll talk more about hyperlinks (what they are and how to use them) in the next section.

If you don’t choose to use a hyperlink, make sure you cite the origin of the quote somewhere within your text (either in the body of the article or listed at the end.)

That way, your reader will know where the quote came from.

Avoid using secondary sources

Sometimes, you’ll find that the sources you want to quote have got that information from somewhere else.

In other words, they didn’t originate the quote themselves.

This can happen a lot when you want to quote data and statistics.

The best practice is to follow the secondary source back to the primary source and directly link it.

It might involve a bit of extra digging, but it’s correct article etiquette.

The plus side is that you might find even more helpful information when you go back to where the quote or data originated.

The difference between links and hyperlinks

Include links to other sources if they add additional evidence or provide further reading.

Unlike adding links to a post (when LinkedIn only allows you to include one link per post), you won’t be penalised for the number of external links you include in a LinkedIn article.

Once again, though, don’t use so many links that the article reads like a laundry list.

There are two ways of adding links to your article.

The first way is to copy and paste the external sources URL into the text of your article, so it looks like this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57089129

But it looks ugly and awkward and stops the flow of your writing.

A better, less intrusive way is to add a hyperlink to your text so that your writing keeps flowing and the reader can click on the highlighted words to find out more.

For example, if we hyperlinked the above URL, it would look like this:

Click here to find out how Google Maps are outperforming TfL Go – which will take your reader to the source URL.

It’s easy to do.

Just select the relevant text, click the Link icon on the LinkedIn Publishing toolbar, enter the source URL, and click Apply.

Using hashtags

Hashtags are like keywords that you add to your article to give the reader a deeper understanding of what you’ve written.

You must add hashtags to the article before you publish it. Once it’s published, you can’t edit or remove them or add more.

Open your draft article on the LinkedIn Publishing tool.

Click Publish at the top of the page.

A pop-up window will appear.

Type in all the relevant hashtags that will tell readers what your article is about.

The hashtags won’t be included in your article, but when someone searches for that word or phrase on LinkedIn, your article will appear.

The hashtags will also be included in the commentary that’s above your article in the LinkedIn feed.

Including images and video in your LinkedIn article

Articles with images engage far more readers than articles without images.

Research conducted by Buzzsumo.com revealed that articles with pictures every 75-100 words received twice as many shares as articles with fewer images.

Cover images

You can add a cover image at the top of your article by clicking in the space above the headline and uploading the image from your computer.

A 2000 x 600-pixel image is the optimal cover photo size that LinkedIn recommends.

Be aware that, in large pictures, a lot of the image may be lost when your latest article appears on your LinkedIn profile.

Choose an image that has the most important visual at its centre.

Once you’ve added your image, the LinkedIn Publishing tool gives you the options to position it or delete it.

There’s also a field beneath the positioning and delete buttons where you can add a photo credit and caption.

You can create your own cover images in Photoshop or use a graphic design site like Canva.

If you don’t have a cover image you can use, stock photo sites like Shutterstock and Unsplash have a wide range of royalty-free stock images you can choose from.

Alternatively, sites like Flickr.com/creativecommons offer copyrighted images that you can use for free but under certain restrictions.

Look for an image that’s so compelling people will want to click on it when it appears in their LinkedIn feed.

Make sure it visualises what your article is actually about.

Don’t use a cute cat for your cover image, and when people click on it, they discover your article is all about how the Hadron Collider could open up a black hole that will swallow the universe.

However, if your article is about how the Hadron Collider could produce a cute cat that will swallow the universe, you might be on slightly safer ground.

It’s still a bit shaky, though.

Embedding images and video within the body of your LinkedIn article

To add an image or video within your LinkedIn article, click the icon to the left of the article.

A pop-up window will appear that offers options for adding images, video, slides, links, or even small pieces of code.

The file size limit for images you can add to your articles is 10MB, and the LinkedIn Publishing tool supports the JPG, static GIF, and PNG file formats.

You can add multimedia elements anywhere in your article by clicking the icon. LinkedIn doesn’t allow you to copy and paste.

End your LinkedIn article with a Call to Action

Every LinkedIn article should end with a call to action.

If it’s longer than 1000 words, some writers recommend including two or three additional calls to action throughout the body of the article, but only if that’s appropriate.

Just like links, hyperlinks, and tricksy formatting (which we’ll mention in a moment), it’s best not to overdo it.

As a general rule, including a single call to action at the end of your article is the accepted way to go.

A call to action can be many things.

·       You could gently ask the reader to take a course of action (i.e. ‘Now that we’ve talked about the benefits of recycling, why don’t you start recycling too?’)

·       You could set them a question to think about (i.e. ‘What’s the biggest bad habit that’s preventing you from achieving your dreams? How will you overcome it?’)

·       You could ask them to get in touch with you and encourage them to find out more about what you do.

The call to action is also where you can add links to your website, social media, or podcast.

It could even be as basic as inviting people to share, comment, or like your article.

What’s the purpose of a Call to Action?

The role of a call to action is to increase engagement with your audience, so they’ll keep returning to your profile and eventually want to get in contact to learn more.

Arguably, it’s the major reason why you wrote your article in the first place, otherwise what was the point?

That’s why getting everything that comes before the call to action right, especially the topic, the headline, and the introduction, are so essential.

Do a final formatting check

Formatting your article correctly will make it much easier to read.

It also means the reader won’t be overwhelmed by a barrage of text and information, which is especially important if they’re looking at your article on a mobile app.

While you’re making your final edit and double-checking that your writing is the best it can be, pay attention to how your article looks on the screen.

Watch out for blocks of text and shorten any paragraphs that are too long.

Adding subheadings and bullet/number points to break the content up and give it variety will improve readability.

You could also emphasise notable parts of the text by using bold type, italics, or underlining.

Don’t overdo it. A little bit of formatting goes a long way.

For that same reason, don’t use different fonts in your article unless there’s a genuine reason for it.

An example of this might be, ‘I always recommend using Calibri 11pt in a Word doc because I once used ALGERIAN 14pt IN A WHITE PAPER AND IT WAS A BAD IDEA. You can probably see why.’

A final tip: How many times in your article do you say “I” or “Me”?

Count them.

If your article has more references to yourself (“Me”) than references to the reader (“You”), change them.

You’re not writing for you; you’re writing for your reader.

Too many “I” or “Me” is a big flashing warning sign that the balance of your article is off, and that’s almost certainly because you’ve been writing about a topic that interests you but isn’t relevant to your audience.

If you can’t change the “Me” to “You”, look very closely at what your article is about.

Is there a way you can reframe it so that you can keep the essence of what you’ve written but adjust the topic so that your reader will find it interesting too?

If not, this is the time to reluctantly put the article aside until you’ve found a solution.

Don’t beat yourself up about it. It happens to all of us from time to time.

Start work on a news article and leave your unconscious mind to mull over your current article’s problems.

You’ll solve them eventually. No writing is ever a waste of time.

How to publish a LinkedIn article

Now that you’ve completed your edit and finished all your checks, it’s time to publish your LinkedIn article.

As you were writing your article, LinkedIn automatically saved it as a draft. To publish it, just click Publish at the top of the page.

Hold on for a second, though.

If you’re still not sure about releasing your hard work into the wide world, and you’d like a few people to preview your LinkedIn article before it goes live, the ‘Share Draft’ option on the LinkedIn Publishing tool will let you do it.

Be careful, though.

Once you’ve sent your test readers the preview link, there’s nothing to prevent them from sharing your article with other people.

This might sound like over-cautious advice, but only share your article with people you trust.

When you’re ready to go, just click Publish!

By the way, if you don’t have time to write your article in one sitting, LinkedIn Publishing has a hack for that too.

When you’re ready to resume, open up LinkedIn Publishing, click the More button (it’s next to the Publish button) and then view the options to see all the articles and drafts you’ve saved.

Find the draft you want to work on and start writing.

How to share a LinkedIn article

Now you’ve published your article, you’ll want people to read it.

Click the Share button at the bottom of your article, and LinkedIn will show you your options.

Don’t forget to share your article on your personal LinkedIn feed.

Also, if you haven’t already added hashtags, this is the time to do it.

Hashtags will help to increase your article’s reach and vastly improve its staying power.

In the years to come, when you’ve written so many articles that this one has long been forgotten, you never know who might search on one of those hashtags and discover your genius?!

Ensure your LinkedIn profile is set to Public (you’ll find this option in your LinkedIn privacy settings) because that will increase your article’s visibility.

Click on your profile photo, select Privacy Settings, and click on Edit Your Public Profile.

On the next page, check that your profile’s public visibility is set to On and that the Articles and Activity setting is set to Show.

You can also share your article on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter and in an email newsletter.

Another tip is to keep re-sharing your LinkedIn article on your news feed to increase its lifespan.

Every time you post, find a new angle to focus on so that people who previously overlooked the article will realise there’s something in it that’s relevant to them.

Don’t just regurgitate the same post repeatedly because a) that’s lazy, and b) it’s a guaranteed way to irritate people and lose you followers.

How to analyse the performance of your LinkedIn article

Whenever someone clicks on your article to read it, that counts as receiving a view.

To find out how your article is performing, click on your profile photo, select View My Profile, and scroll down to Articles and Activity.

Once there, click on See All Articles to see how many times it’s been viewed and reshared and the people who have looked at it.

No one else has access to this data, and it lets you see how well your message is working, who’s engaging with your message, and – if your message isn’t working – it indicates there’s something you may need to change.

Summing up

Many people underestimate the value of writing an article on LinkedIn, and that’s a mistake.

LinkedIn articles may not get the same view numbers as LinkedIn posts, but that’s because all someone has to do to view a post is scroll past it and not even read it at all!

That means, even though you’ll almost certainly see a lot more view numbers for your posts than for your articles, that doesn’t mean people have actually looked at them.

Every time you write a LinkedIn article, you’re building your authority and credibility and establishing yourself as a trusted expert in the eyes of the readers who matter.

When one person views your article, you’ll know it’s because something about it has piqued their interest.

When a hundred people view your post, that could simply mean they scrolled past your post while looking for an article they did want to read that was created by somebody else.

Writing a LinkedIn article is a terrific way to stand out from the crowd, get your voice heard and your brand seen.

With this How to post an article on LinkedIn guide, you’ll quickly be able to increase your content footprint and do precisely that.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post How To Post An Article On LinkedIn appeared first on Class:PR.

Using a well-crafted Linkedin headline (profile) you can position yourself as a thought-leader and industry expert, right in front of your target audience.

This is how you create a winning LinkedIn headline.

For many PR professionals, or people looking for public relations jobs, LinkedIn is the place to build their personal brand.

Others use it as part of their public relations campaign for clients, maximising the potential for getting important brand messaging out there.

There are so many ways to use the platform and your profile to stand out and get noticed. Plus, given how many people use LinkedIn, it’s a vital place to be present and active.

The best thing? It’s free PR and most of your media list will be on there too.

However, if you want to make an impact straight away, you need to make sure your LinkedIn headline stands out. It should be an attention grabbing headline for all the right reasons.

As one of the most visible parts of your profile, the LinkedIn headline needs to be perfect – it’s just as important as knowing how to post an article on LinkedIn.

In this guide, we are going to take you through the best practices for LinkedIn headlines.

You’ll discover what they are, how to use them and some valuable tips on things to avoid.

Follow our advice and you can turn a drab LinkedIn headline into a winning piece of digital collateral for your marketing communications.

What is a LinkedIn headline?

 Go to your LinkedIn profile, or look at someone else’s if you haven’t set one up yet.

You’ll notice that just under your picture and name (or the profile owner’s picture and name) there is a space – of 120 characters – where you can describe what you do. This is your LinkedIn headline.

Your LinkedIn headline is the most visible part of your profile, aside from your photo and name. Given how prominent it is, you must make sure you use the space effectively.

Many people simply put their current job in their LinkedIn headline, but that’s a mistake. While it’s good to use job title keywords or namecheck a well-known and respected company, it’s a real waste of the space.

We are going to show you how to use this part of your profile to catch people’s attention, engage your target market and make an impact straight away.

Why do you need a LinkedIn headline?

 Your LinkedIn headline tells people what you do – but it can be used to communicate so much more.

The critical thing about your LinkedIn headline is that people will see it in multiple areas of the platform.

First off, it’s in the top-half of your profile.  When people visit, they will see it without having to scroll down the page, so it’s prime digital real estate.

It’s not just on your profile, but when you create a post, it’ll appear at the top, under your name. If you comment on somebody else’s content, it’ll show up again.

When you publish a LinkedIn article, it is displayed at the top as part of the author details. If someone tags you, their readers will see it too.

Given how visible and vital it is, this is not space to waste on your LinkedIn profile. Use it to communicate the most important things people should know about you and your work.

With smart content you can utilise it to achieve your PR goals and strengthen your personal brand.

The benefits of LinkedIn for PR

LinkedIn is the social media platform for professionals to share ideas and make connections. It’s business networking online, so you want to make a good impression.

LinkedIn gives you a platform to talk about your industry, your work and provide comment and advice on key issues.

Many business leaders use it as a place to communicate their latest thinking with a wide audience.

Being a thought-leader is great for your business. You can become well-known in your industry as an expert with your finger on the pulse. Plus, you can make yourself relevant in the big conversations happening in your area.

Remember, anyone can find content on LinkedIn by connecting and/or following professionals and companies. They can also search for keywords that relate to the areas you are interested in.

In PR terms, this is solid gold.

With so much opportunity for exposure, your LinkedIn headline need to work for you. It should communicate your work and deliver impact straight away.

The LinkedIn headline limit of 120 characters is a blessing – it forces you to be concise and targeted.

What should I include in my LinkedIn headline?

There are four things you need to ask yourself when you are crafting your LinkedIn headline.

1. What is your USP
2. Who is your target audience?
3. Which keywords are most important?
4. What should people know about me?

Let’s break them down.

1. What’s your USP?

Unless you have a job that is totally unique, it’s likely that plenty of other people hold the same title.

If you are Head of Sales or Marketing Manager, you know there are many professionals in the same roles. They’ll also be writing those job titles in their LinkedIn headlines.

This is where you need to be clever to stand out. You need to figure out what makes you different.

What benefits do you customers get from working with you? What is the measurable goal you provide?

Instead of simply describing your job, you can showcase what your work means to your clients. By highlighting the benefits of working with you, you can attract new leads and boost your reputation.

So, what is it that makes you unique?

Let’s look at some clever people who are already making the most of their LinkedIn headline.

Jen Selter is a social media influencer with a huge audience and a terrific grasp of PR. She knows how to tell people exactly why they should want to work with her.

You’ll notice that in her LinkedIn headline, Jen is all about measurable results. She explains exactly how many followers she has and the growth rate of her social media channels.

For people wanting to work with her, it’s a no-brainer. That kind of reach and influence is exactly what any brand or advertiser would be looking for.

For influencer marketing projects, Jen is a no-brainer.

Jen has also included her job title – ‘Social Media Influencer’, the name of her company – ‘Jen Selter, Inc’ and another keyword – ‘Entrepreneur’.

Nobody could be in any doubt of why they should work with Jen, what she can offer and the PR value of her platforms. It’s one of the best public relations examples.

Now we’ve looked at Jen’s LinkedIn headline, let’s think about yours.

What is the value that you provide to your target market? What benefit will they get from working with you? Can you offer them measurable results?

If somebody asked you to sum up your USP in a single sentence what would it be?

Let’s look at another example, one that isn’t even real but proves the point concisely.

We need to talk about Han Solo’s LinkedIn headline.

If you’ve seen the Star Wars films, you know that Han Solo is a man who is not afraid to blow his own trumpet. However, he does have good reason to be proud of himself. If we avoid the bluster and stick to the facts, his LinkedIn headline will be pretty impressive.

Let’s consider what the best use of that space would mean for his personal PR.

Han Solo’s LinkedIn headline should read like this.

Pilot of fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy | Did the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs | Decorated Rebellion General

We all know that Han Solo’s Kessel Run record is his proudest achievement, but it’s also measurable because we know how many parsecs he travelled. Who else can make such a claim?

He also mentions his medals from the Rebel Alliance. We assume Han doesn’t want to work with imperials these days, so he’s narrowing his target market perfectly here.

So, it’s time to ask the question:

2. Who is your target market?

Identifying and showcasing your USP is vital, but you should also know who you are targeting.

Are you trying to attract potential clients, are you trying to recruit new staff members, or do you have another purpose?

Whatever your PR goal is, you should try to incorporate it into your LinkedIn headline.

Let’s look at a professional who has done that brilliantly. Meet Shay Rowbottom.

Shay knows exactly who her profile is targeted at. She provides video coaching for individuals and companies. Those people will benefit from working with her because her work helps ‘generate growth, leads, and revenue on LinkedIn’.

This LinkedIn headline is clear. Work with Shay and you or your workforce can become ‘content creating machines’.

There’s no ambiguity about who she is speaking to and what she wants them to do. Shay is looking for leads and she wants them to DM her.

If she was trying to recruit people to join her company, she’d no doubt be adding in a ‘We’re hiring’ message in this space. So, if that’s part of your PR efforts on LinkedIn, be specific.

Whatever action you want your profile visitor to take, you should include it in your LinkedIn headline.

If you are a parenting expert who deals with sleep deprived toddlers, you might want to appear on more podcasts talking about your specialism.

Your LinkedIn headline would be the perfect place to make that fact known.

Here’s an example of how you could use it:

Sleep Expert for babies and toddlers | Featured in Red, Mother & Baby and The Telegraph | Seeking new media opportunities

In this LinkedIn headline we’ve covered a lot of ground. We’ve got your job title, the area you specialise in, big brands who can add social proof to your work, and a direct request.

You’ve name-checked brands people have heard of for social proof. You’ve made a direct request.

Plus, you’ve made it easy for people searching for sleep experts who deal with childhood sleep problems with your keywords.

Speaking of keywords, that’s the next consideration.

3. Which keywords are most important?

Remember that people are searching on LinkedIn using keywords related to the industry or roles they are interested in.

So, you need to make sure that it’s easy for the right people to find you. That’s why you must include the right keywords in your LinkedIn headline.

There are three categories of keywords you need to think about. Firstly, the keywords around your job title.

As a Marketing Consultant you might be interested in being contacted by people looking to recruit a Marketing Consultant in their business. So, you want to ensure the job title keywords are in there.

However, we all know that Marketing Consultant isn’t specific enough when searching a social media platform as huge as LinkedIn.

So, you need to narrow it down. If you are a Marketing Consultant who works with retail businesses and specialises in working with fashion influencers be specific.

Your LinkedIn headline will read:

Freelance Marketing Consultant | Retail | I design campaigns for global brands using fashion influencers across North America and Europe.

By using all these keyword phrases you’ve made it much easier for someone searching for your skillset to find you.

Let’s take another example.

You are an Executive Coach who works with leaders in the software industry to help them develop and improve their business culture.

Your LinkedIn headline could read:

Executive Coach | I help software industry leaders develop a company culture that boosts morale, productivity and profits | Book Your Zoom Session Today

This headline uses the job title keywords for you and the clients you want to attract, as well as keywords relating to your offer.

A word of warning – be careful with the keywords you use. Make sure that your headline reads well, and the keywords make sense in the context you are using them.

Don’t just crowbar keywords in to try to pack your LinkedIn headline.

4. What should people know about me?

Your LinkedIn headline is not a place to boast, but it is a place to shine.

There’s a fine line between bragging about your achievements and letting people know what you’ve accomplished.

If you’ve made waves in your industry and got recognised for it, don’t be afraid to tell people.

Here’s a great example – meet Vincent Phamvan.

As you can see, Vincent has got two really good credits – he’s on the Forbes Council and one of the 40 under 40 influential young leaders as chosen by Fortune.

In his LinkedIn headline, Vincent has included those two pieces of information because they add valuable social proof.

Accolades from organisations like Forbes and Fortune tell you he’s successful, exciting and going places.

But Vincent hasn’t stopped there. He’s also made it crystal clear as to how the work he does benefits others.

He’s also used the LinkedIn headline to point visitors in the direction of his podcast, another piece of vital PR collateral.

Don’t be a bragger

This LinkedIn headline is concise, clever and targeted. Vincent has used the space brilliantly.

You’ll notice that Vincent has been very factual about his achievements and they check out. Sadly, some LinkedIn headlines are simply bragging.

You’ll find plenty of profiles where people describe themselves as the ‘best’ or ‘exceptional’ or a ‘gamechanger’ with nothing to back it up. Empty bragging like this won’t impress anyone.

Instead, you should concentrate on the achievements you can back up. Think about how you can prove your worth.

Let’s look at Goldie Chan.

Goldie Chan uses her LinkedIn headline to let people know that she’s a LinkedIn Top Voice in Social Media. She didn’t give that accolade to herself, it was bestowed by LinkedIn.

The next thing she mentions is that Forbes have featured her in their Personal Branding and Storytelling content.

Finally, she adds the ‘Producer’s Guild’ social proof to showcase that she’s part of a professional group that’s incredibly well respected.

Throughout her LinkedIn headline, Goldie uses social proof to demonstrate her competence.

In doing so, the people who visit her profile know that she’s the real deal, not a pretender.

Now, let’s think about your personal LinkedIn headline.

What are your professional achievements, who would vouch for you and what would that mean for your potential clients?

Have you got the backing of any high-profile brands?

Have you been featured in big-name publications or appeared on national or global media channels?

Do you belong to professional organisations that matter to your clients?

Have you won awards that your target market might have heard of?

Do you regularly produce a YouTube show, a podcast, a newsletter or blog that people can subscribe to?

Whatever it is that people need to know about you, try to include it in your headline.

Now it’s your turn… 

There you have it, a guide to making the most of your LinkedIn headline.

It’s now your chance to make sure you are using that space wisely.

All our tips will help you make sure LinkedIn is part of your Public Relations tool kit and featured on your PR plan. As a free platform with massive global reach, it’s well worth spending time on.

By crafting a LinkedIn headline that includes keywords, targeted messaging, and social proof, you can reach your PR goals.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

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