A guide on PR articles for 2023

If you want to improve your brand or company's performance in a particular market, you should opt for public relations articles. They are a cheap, effective, reliable, and better alternative to typical advertising. PR articles can be used in several ways to enhance companies' reputations in the market.

PR articles are more than embargoed press releases; they are not set to announce but to inform, engage and add value to the audience. That is why they are called public relations articles.

And so, in this post, we will discuss the following:

·        What are PR articles?

·        How to write PR articles?

·        Elements of a good PR article, and

·        Why Public Relations is important

That's said, let's get into it!

What are PR articles?                   

PR articles are written to highlight the brand or company and enhance its reputation. They accomplish this by sharing stories of what a company or the brand has achieved.

As opposed to advertising, a PR article is simply about bringing attention to what you're doing now, your progress, and your achievements. Additionally, it can be used to celebrate wins.

For an advert of your brand or company to feature in a newspaper, radio spot, or TV, you have to pay a massive sum of money. However, you can avoid spending that much on advertising and share your stories using PR articles for little to no money. This is one aspect that usually makes PR articles an instrumental tool for capitalizing on the available market.

It is also important to note that PR articles share stories that can live long enough, unlike adverts that get forgotten as soon as they stop being shown.

4 Elements of a "Good" Public Relations article

What really makes a good PR article?

Well, it is the BASICS. They say to get the basics right, and you're all good to go. This is because a good PR is more than just writing. It is about providing valuable information to your readers. And so, to do this, you will have to include the following key elements in your writing.

1.     Human Relations

PR article's primary goal is to create genuine relations between two or more parties. Therefore, your PR article should embody the art of human relations in order to attain its intended purpose.

2.     Empathy

Another key component of a good PR is Empathy.

Remember this clearly; it is Empathy, not sympathy. 

Sharing your understanding of other people's feeling create a relevant and lasting connection with that person. Therefore, including this attribute in your PR writing will enhance its viability and influence. Your audience needs to feel that you're stepping into their boots and that you understand what they really feel and need.

This attribute helps enhance your PR article's human relations while paving the way for other elements (below).

3.     Persuasion

Changing someone's mind and heart can be very hard but not impossible. You can achieve this in two ways; persuasion and force.

Persuading is about convincing another person to do something acceptable in society. This is simply because a convinced person will do something willingly as you will have won over their heart and mind. However, when you compel someone into doing something, the act can be despotic and against the principles.

Generally, persuasion is a positive attribute and will bring positive results with encouraging outcomes.

4.     Dialogue

When you embody the dialogue style of writing, you create a conversation with a purpose. We all know that when a conversational tone is used in writing, a special bond is easily created between the content and the reader. This also includes the conversion rate of your content.

So, your application of this element should be all about exchanging ideas and adding knowledge to your audience. Furthermore, a dialogue component can influence readers' behaviors, sell goods, and inspire ideas.     

Now that you know the key elements of a good PR article, let's move to the next topic; How to write PR articles.

How to write solid PR articles?

No matter how well your writing skill is, there is always room for improvement. And so, here are tips for writing a solid PR article according to Ron Stein's article:

1.      Open with an engaging lead:

Grabbing readers' attention is the first and most essential step when writing a PR article. To do this, you will have to come up with a strong, compelling lead as your opening statement.

It is crucial that you devote your attention and time to ensuring that you get your lead right. This is because an engaging lead will set your copy for success. Keep in mind that it should not be overly worded and should provide enough insight not to overwhelm readers. Basically, it should be simple, short, and generate curiosity in a reader's mind.

2.      Be a written content enthusiast

The point here is that you got to love reading and writing if you want to be the best writer because that is what best writers actually do. Immersing yourself in written content helps you create a powerful connection to the art of writing.

For example, if you read content written by other writers, you will likely improve your overall writing skills. It is simple, reading any content, be it a book or newspaper, will eventually improve your writing skills as well as vocabulary.

3.      Say more with less

Don't worry about word limits when writing PR articles. Instead, focusing on creating a cleaner copy and ensuring your content flows naturally will be great. In fact, these two aspects, natural flow and clean copy, are the main pillars of an engaging and easy-to-read article, which in turn helps create a solid PR article.

Avoid wordy sentences or empty phrases that are only set to fill out the content.

4.      Avoid passive voice

One way to make your PR copy cleaner and less wordy is by using an active voice. Furthermore, the active voice conveys more than the passive voice. And o, limiting the amount of passive voice to almost zero, if not zero, is a positive move to having a good PR article.

5.      Read your copy aloud

This tip or step might be one of the most overlooked steps by almost all content writers. Yes, it's weird, but a very productive step.

So, after you are done with both writing and editing your copy, it is recommended that you take a little break, then come back and read it aloud. The essence of this step is to help you discover awkward phrases and run-on sentences that we mostly miss when editing or proofreading our copies.

Basically, this step is made to identify any errors and make necessary edits.  

Why is public relation important?

Like any other type of content, PR articles also have unique benefits. And as noted earlier on, public relations articles help improve your brand's public perception and elevate it to new heights. Therefore, are 5 reasons why public relations are important:

a)     Builds Credibility

Notability and credibility go hand in hand. A notable brand is more likely to be credible, making a consumer feel more comfortable transacting or interacting.

PR articles can therefore be used to increase your brand's awareness to the public online and offline. This is because if your PR article gets published in a magazine or major website online or even gets shown on TV, its notability is improved. Social media is another medium that you can use to share your PR article and increase your brand awareness and online presence.

Note: PR articles are considered the most reliable source of information. Therefore, they will likely be adopted and published by major reputable sites.

b)     Connects to Coveted Audiences

With PR articles, you can easily reach a wide range of audiences within a very short period. However, you will need to use expert PR agencies to help you identify, distribute and publish your article on rebuttable sites.

These agencies have the ability and connection to reach a huge audience via notable online websites.

c)      Increases Brand Sentiment

PR articles are meant to tell stories and shed some light on what you're up to, your unique offers, or any other valuable information about your company.

Creating a PR article also gives reporters on the hunt for content ideal content to share with their audience. And so as a result, they are helping you share your message further. PR articles are good for brands when planning a press release about new product releases, deals, or offers. However, when it comes to sharing stories and vital brand current progress, then public relations article is the best.

d)     Generates Leads, Sales, and Profits

PR is unique in that it creates personal connections with your target audience. The personal relations built by PR articles can influence your audiences' behaviors, generating more leads, sales, and profits. Unlike third-party content, PR content gets audiences closer to making closer to take action, such as buying or subscribing to your email list.