My post yesterday about how to avoid using the word ‘delighted’ in press releases seems to have touched a nerve and opened old wounds (join in the conversation on LinkedIn if you are on there).
There were some great suggestions for other words that should be purged from press releases.
One of my favourites is the use of the word ‘unique’ as suggested by Val Proctor.
Why? Because the thing being described as unique, very rarely is.
My own addition to the list of words that should be banned is ‘leading’.
It is far too often used by companies to describe themselves in press releases.
Leading window box designer…
Leading developer of garden sheds…
Leading planner of teddy bear picnics…
You know the sort of thing.
Rarely is it ever qualified, rather it is self-proclaimed which makes it fluff.
Don’t let redundant words get in the way
But most important, it gets in the way of the story you are trying to tell the journalist.
Which you don’t want to do.
(And they aren’t going to include it.)
The words you choose should serve the story and nothing else so it’s always worth going back through what you’ve written to check nothing is redundant.
A press release should give the journalist the story details quickly and succinctly so it is always best to stick to the cold hard facts.
Would you agree? Let me know in the comments or hop over to LinkedIn and add your thoughts there.
Interested in other tips about writing press releases and content? Check out my most recent posts:
