Distinctive Dispatch #12: Better comms for people, places and work
How to write; join our webinar for securing stellar media coverage; a battery-powered mega investment boost for Somerset; devolution for Devon; wishes for the budget.
As many organisations charge towards the end of their financial year, it’s hard to believe how fast February passed. Thanks for supporting this newsletter, which launched a year ago. With the spring budget days away, and local and national elections fast approaching, we face an interesting few months. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, or feel free to get in touch.
Sharpen your pencils: tips for writing the right way
To quote a tune from the 80s: it’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it.
Writing clearly can be the sharpest tool in your box to create meaning and generate interest in your work. Whether you want to captivate, engage, or explain your position, getting the tone right is essential.
The right content can lead to those all-important connections and encourage support amongst those who matter.
The explosion of AI tools since 2022 has led to excitement and bold promises of putting great writing into everyone’s hands. And, as we’ve found, it can help. But the best writing is human. It’s real. And it relates to your audience.
So how can you do this? Here are five tips that will help your writing cut through.
#1. Highlight one key message
There is often lots to say, but at the heart of any piece of content, be it a press release, social post or website blog, there should be one point that you really want to make. And this should also be something your audience really wants to hear (see point 2).
Referring to your comms strategy and working with your comms teams will help define this. See our work with Business West for inspiration.
Your primary point should be made clearly and early. Sometimes this may mean writing the introduction last, a technique we often use.
#2. Remember who you are writing for
Think about your target audience’s needs and desires. How does your business meet them? What are they interested in hearing about your project?
It’s very easy to fall into the trap of writing content that is written for those in your business, rather than those who will benefit from your business. Unless your boss is also *the audience*, you’re writing for the wrong people if you do this.
Remember to avoid jargon. Terms that you and your team use every day may not have such an obvious meaning to your reader. It may even turn them off. You want to make your content accessible and enjoyable to read. If you’re writing something that’s littered with acronyms and jargon that no one will understand, you are wasting your time.
#3. Humans at the heart of your story
Real people bring stories to life. This is important to your key audiences, the media and helps to demonstrate the impact of your work.
We recently worked with Reef Group, and partners Kier, to celebrate the young apprentices working on The Forum site in Gloucester. The story highlights the importance of a project worth more than £100m to the local area, socially and economically, in a way that talking about numbers doesn’t. It received great coverage and engagement on social media.
#4. Write for people, and website hits follow
Content written with the express purpose of boosting your search engine rankings (SEO) will not serve you well if you forget your reader entirely. Google has made this point very clear, with their people-first ‘helpful content’ update.
Consider why people come to your website, and endeavour to give them the answers they want and need. If you would like some help identifying this, speak to us.
#5. Fresh eyes
None of us is perfect, and Chat GPT proves that even machines make mistakes. Whatever you write, and however expert you are, get someone to take a look before you hit send. If this isn’t possible, printing it out and reading aloud is a good substitute.
Talk to us
We love crafting content that gets to the heart of what you want to say, with creativity and clarity. Get in touch to discuss your content aims.
Read more about best practice for writing
Great stories for successful campaigns
Want great media coverage? Join our webinar with Rob Buckland
We’re delighted to have Rob Buckland, one of the South West’s leading business journalists, share his insights into business journalism and what the media are looking for at our next webinar.
As a hugely experienced editor of Bristol Business News and its sister titles in Swindon and Bath, Rob has 30 years of journalism experience covering the South West’s top businesses. He has impeccable knowledge of what the media is looking for and the secrets to media coverage success.
Our next Distinctive Discussion webinar on 19 March will unveil tips for creating compelling announcements that stand out, and the pitfalls to avoid.
Spaces are limited, so secure your spot or invite a colleague to join us.
Things we’ve seen
Investment boost for Somerset, supported by clear communications: We’re very excited by latest news of Jaguar Land Rover's significant investment at Gravity in Somerset. The investment will help to create thousands of high-quality jobs, marking a substantial boost for the region's clean growth ambitions.
Our team played a key role in this development, providing extensive community and media engagement during a crucial planning phase leading up to this decision. The success of this project is a testament to a well-crafted proposition, underpinned by compelling storytelling. It received overwhelming local support.
As a local team, we are proud to support this transformative project, and look forward to hearing about what happens next. Read how we supported the Gravity project.
Things we’ve read
Is the media prepared for an extinction-level event? - The New Yorker: This weekend essay presents a downbeat view on the state of the American media. It will be familiar to anyone with knowledge of the UK’s media, which has similar challenges. Despite the existential issues, there are strong hints at where salvation may lie (quality product, focus, reporting on issues that matter).
A new era for local news? – Civil Society blog: The Guildford Dragon, an online newspaper in Surrey, has earned charitable status after demonstrating that it delivers public interest journalism, accurately and without bias. It’s the first paper of its kind to receive this status. According to the Charitable Journalism Project, this could act as a ‘signpost for other, similar public-interest news organisations.’ With a plethora of challenges facing local news, could more publications consider this?
What are the public behavioural changes required to meet net zero? - Institution of Civil Engineers: This ICE policy paper highlights the need for public behaviour change to meet the UK's 2050 net zero goal. It highlights challenges like the cost of living and suggests practical solutions. It’s a welcome perspective on a hugely important, yet under-resourced, method to nudge the nation along the path to net zero by 2025.
Things we’ve heard
Sadiq Khan: I didn’t say that! – Why do you hate me? BBC Radio 4: “It’s not all fake clips. We post news that could be real, with a sense of humour,” says someone connected with a self-styled news organisation (whose details we won’t share). The organisation is thought to have created and posted a fake audio clip of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, which contained made-up remarks about Remembrance weekend and pro-Palestinian marches. This goes to the heart of one of the most pressing communications challenges facing organisations today. It’s a vivid example of how misinformation can spread quickly and cause social unrest.
Things we’ve said
Unlocking local powers? Thoughts on Devon and Torbay’s devolution deal: Devon and Torbay are the latest areas to seek greater control over their destinies through a joint devolution deal. The proposed deal isn’t without its challenges: Plymouth withdrew its involvement in the process last year. Our Devon-based colleague Arianne looks at the case for devolution in her home patch.
What? How? Where? Questions on the brownfield housing push: While the government's brownfield announcement led the news recently, it highlights the scale of the housing challenge facing our towns and cities. This post raises five questions stemming from the latest drive to ‘turbocharge’ housing in our towns and cities.
“One thing we’re not looking for from the spring budget is a handout.” – Bristol Creative Industries: The Spring Budget lands next week. Ben shares his thoughts with Bristol Creative Industries as part of a piece on different views from the front line of one of the region’s most successful industries. His view is that, while times are tough, creating the conditions for sustainable growth matters more than a pre-election tax cut. We’ll watch with interest on 6 March.
See you in April, if not before. Enjoy Easter. If you’d like to share or discuss anything before the next edition, please leave a comment or drop us a line.