By Deborah Baum, Supervisor, Editorial US West

So you work for a great company and you make an awesome product that can do some really cool stuff, what’s your next step? Getting your name and brand out to the public and letting everyone know what it is your company can do, how you do it, and how remarkably well your products and services will fulfill an industry niche. But wait! Before you jump into all the technical specs of how many bits, bytes, downhole drill meters or parts per million, remember the golden rule of all writing: keep it simple. (more…)

By Lauren Barlow, Associate Editor

“You don’t get a second chance at a first impression.” This statement holds true in many regards, including when writing a press release. The first paragraph of your release will either grab the reader’s attention, or make them lose interest and move on. Pull them in to keep reading by including the most pertinent and interesting facts up front.

The following tips will help make your first paragraph memorable, informative, and most importantly, make your audience keep reading:

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This week on our Small Business blog we’re looking at problem solving. What do you do when you have an angry customer, why every entrepreneur should have an elevator speech and how outsiders can help solve problems that stump experts. We’ve also launched our new column, Small Spaces.

Oh, here’s a question for you: One of our readers asked in 10 tips for today’s business bloggers, “But what about how to keep the idea fountain flowing? Any tips for when it’s running a bit dry?”

We’ll have an article covering this topic soon but I wanted to put it out to you- what do you do to keep the ideas flowing?

The traditional features release with its consumer-directed, ready-to-go content is ideal for exposing your messages to a diverse audience. But features releases can accomplish another goal. Because features stories now appear on media websites and search engines that reach millions of people online, with a little creativity and planning your features release can become a valuable tool for measuring the success of your PR and marketing activities. Not only can you reach new target audiences, but you can also drive them to your website where you’re able to track traffic patterns, garner new business leads and even generate revenue. In short, features releases can play an important role in gathering market intelligence and demonstrating measurable ROI.  

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Because bloggers are often considered the journalists of the Internet, it’s no wonder many professional communicators are turning to them to pitch ideas, events or products. Depending on the blogger, he or she can leave either a positive or a negative impression about your pitch to his or her many faithful subscribers. Let’s not forget that influential bloggers also receive many pitches – sometimes up to 100 a day – from organizations promoting their products, services or the organizations themselves.  So how do you successfully pitch a blogger?

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Whether you’re writing a journalistic piece, a press release or a blog article, search engine optimization – aka, SEO – has become an important element for any online content. You not only have to choose your words carefully, but you also have to place them with an equal amount of consideration so that search engines pick up on those keywords and rank them accordingly. (more…)

As you might know, Marketwire + Sysomos has a vested interest in the world of journalism – primarily because our clients are the ones who look to us as a way to interact with the media. To gain a better understanding of the state of journalism today, the Marketwire + Sysomos marketing department went on a field trip to check out Page One: Inside The New York Times, a behind-the-scenes documentary that provided a year-in-the-life glimpse into a publication that is experiencing insurmountable challenges and unforeseen changes, rocking a 160-year-old institution to its core. (more…)

The business of journalism revolves around the creation of news. But, recently, journalism has become news itself with the phone-hacking scandal that took place at the British tabloid, News of the World. In the May/June 2011 issue of the Columbia Journalism Review, Archie Bland, the foreign editor of The Independent, wrote an article, “Anybody There?,” describing the sequence of events that led to the News of the World permanently closing its doors after 168 years. The article is an astounding account of human greed and secrecy in a profession that typically upholds the highest moral standards.  (more…)

Social media has affected and influenced journalism to the point that, in some circles, it’s has become its own form of journalism. (But that’s an argument for another time.) Because of social media’s unique capabilities and functionalities, journalists need to keep a close ear to the groundswell that social media has become – not only as a source for stories, but also as a way to connect with your audiences. (more…)

Weeks have passes since Royal Wedding fever captured the world’s attention, and some of us are still remembering the bright colours of those fascinators, wondering what flavour of wedding cake the bride and groom enjoyed, and wishing we could be William and Kate’s Welsh neighbours. (more…)

An interactive piece that explains a complex issue; published by Portfolio.com.

What “is” interactive journalism?

The jury is out on an official definition – “interactive” being somewhat of a nebulous word that could have different meanings depending on who you ask. But, based on one of Asian American Journalists Association’s (AAJA) recent conventions, “interactive” is interchangeable with “visual.” (more…)

For media professionals, communication is what it’s all about — clear, concise and sometimes clever messaging is essential. But, if you’ve ever flipped through a technical journal on immunological bioinformatics or a dissertation on electrophoretic systems (both of which are actual disciplines), you probably didn’t understand, much less were able to pronounce, many words even though these documents are (seemingly) written in English. That’s because they were written for an audience that has the vocabulary to understand those concepts. They’re “all Greek” to people within the general population. (more…)

There are no hidden secrets or short-cuts to editorial proofreading, even though, as writers and editors, we sometimes wish there were. Proofreading requires a meticulous attention to detail and a little patience.

Below is a good checklist to ensure your conscientiousness pays off with well-written, easy-to-understand and error-free content:

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For press releases, the key to successfully getting your message across to your audience starts with a captivating headline. But, did you know that headlines must also be SEO-catchy as well? (more…)

It may seem like a minor typo, but one letter can completely change the meaning of a word. For example, is your company hosting the Premier Awards in Copyediting (as in the top awards), or the Premiere Awards in Copyediting (as in the first)?

The Marketwire editorial team often encounters such mistakes.  Here are some of the most common: (more…)

From the Editor’s Desk is a monthly series that highlights editorial tips, best practices and other useful tidbits of information, written by a member of Marketwire’s own editorial team.

As a member of Marketwire’s Editorial team, I read our clients’ press releases before they are distributed and have noticed that some of the most common mistakes have to do with times and dates.

Here are a few “time-sensitive” mishaps to avoid when writing your own press releases: (more…)