5 Ways to Elevate Your Next Writing Project

If I were to guess, then I would bet that one of the key strengths that drew you to a career in public relations is a talent for writing. Working in PR gives us the opportunity to put our writing skills to work in really interesting ways — telling important stories, creating compelling narratives, and connecting with the media and our audiences through the written word, whether we’re writing pitch emails, articles or social media posts. 

There’s no doubt that PR writing is a strategic process. After all, we need to be able to craft content that moves the needle and gets our clients or organizations measurable results. But it also requires a high level of creativity. We need to think big, think differently and try new approaches in order to be heard. 

I’ve always loved to write, but before I was penning press releases, I spent a large part of my childhood writing original songs. Not only was songwriting fun, but it was also a really satisfying creative process. After I put in the hard work of writing, I could step back and see all of my creativity — and all of the individual pieces and parts — come together to make something really unique and engaging. 

At their core, PR writing and songwriting aren’t very different from one another. And if you look at the songwriting process, you can find ways to enhance your day-to-day work with a new level of creativity. 

Here five helpful ways to infuse some rhythm, harmony and creativity into your next PR writing assignment:

1. Find your creative roots. 

In PR writing, it’s easy to get so focused on the end goal (what do we need to say? What do we need to sell?) that we fail to give ourselves room to truly be creative. For your next project, get into songwriter mode and approach your writing with an open mind. 

2. Create your melody. 

What is the tone of your piece? What do you want the reader to feel? By thinking about your audience and deciding first if your piece should be humorous, informative, emotionally compelling, etc., you’ll be able to move forward confidently and write with a more consistent approach. 

 3. Choose your hook.

What is the key takeaway of your piece? What compelling core message do you want stuck in the reader’s head? Whether you’re writing a 500-word release or a 50-character social post, ensuring that you have a clear, compelling and actionable message at the heart of your piece is essential. 

4. Write the verses. 

What is the story that supports your hook? What are the essential details readers need to know? This is where your story can unfold with strategy and creativity, as you assemble the essential details in a logical, engaging way.  

5. Finally, add your title. 

Step back, look at what you’ve written and find a phrase that sums it all up — communicating your key takeaway in a memorable way. Your title is the first thing your reader will see (and in some cases, if they’re scrolling quickly, it’s the only thing they’ll see), so this is your chance to be creative, concise and informative. 

Our favorite songs stick with us, and good PR messaging should too. As PR pros, we are communicators, connectors, creators and composers. It’s our job to take the information our audience needs to hear and package it up in a creative, memorable way. This isn’t always an easy task, but if you approach your next project as a songwriter, then you just might find that all the pieces come together beautifully.