WordPop Public Relations

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Stop Putting Pizazz in Your Press Release

Party girl laying on a floor and throwing confetti

It’s tempting to make your press release stand out … after all, you think your business is incomparable and extraordinary and you want the world to know it. As much as we’d love to say it’s okay to go all out with adjectives, it’s not. Here’s why you should stop filling your press releases with fluff.

What’s a Press Release for?

Let’s begin by clarifying the reason press releases exist in the first place. The purpose of a press release is to announce something timely and newsworthy, such as an event, a new program or a new study. It should have all the basics: who, what, where, when and why, along with a quote, a captivating headline, and photo captions if you have photos to include. Keep it concise; one page is a good length. Here’s our handy step-by-step guide for writing a press release.

Avoid Industry Jargon

If you’re sending your story to mainstream media, don’t load it with industry jargon. For example, if you’re an interior designer hoping to appeal to the everyday consumer, you probably wouldn’t include “contrived patina.” Alternatively, if you’re sending a story to a trade publication read by industry peers, you could get away with insider talk.

Avoid Buzzwords

It’s tempting to use trendy buzzwords like “innovative,” “groundbreaking” and “unique,” but try to avoid it. How many times have you heard these terms in the past year? How many times per day do you think reporters are yawning at these buzzwords in their inbox?

While you’re at it, avoid slang and acronyms, too. You don’t want your reader to have an SMH moment while reading your story, right?

Skip the Exclamation Point!

Just trust us!!! (Does it sound like we’re yelling?)

Okay, Let’s Recap

A good press release is tailored to a specific audience, and the audience for a press release is typically a professional writer whose full-time job is to breathe life into news stories. There’s no need to put pizazz in your press release; let the story speak for itself.

If you’d rather have someone write your press releases for you, HMU at april@wordpoppr.com.

WordPop White Paper: How To Navigate AP Style

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Have trouble remembering whether inch is abbreviated or spelled out (it’s spelled out) or whether you should be using 2 or two (it depends)? Commit to memory all the rules on our AP style cheat sheet and save yourself time with every press release you write. Of course, if you forget a rule or two, you can always refer back to this guide!

Download WordPop’s AP Style Cheat Sheet.

WordPop Public Relations in USA Today

WordPop’s founder April Harter Enriquez spoke with USA Today about investing in yourself as an entrepreneur. April’s tip? Attend an out-of-town conference at least once a year to gain new skills and connections that will benefit you and your clients. Scroll below to read a clip from the article.

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Want to boost the bottom line? Invest in yourself

Tamara E. Holmes, Special to USA TODAY 1:29 p.m. EDT May 2, 2016

Instead of using hours worked as a barometer for success, small-business owners should invest in themselves and their businesses will benefit, says entrepreneur and best-selling author Tony Robbins.  “If you improve yourself, your skill, your ability, your talent, you’re going to be able to do things nobody else can do,” Robbins says.

Attend out-of-town conferences 

Robbins’ message rings true for April Harter-Enriquez, owner of San Diego-based public relations firm WordPop Public Relations.  “It’s easy to keep recycling the same ideas, but as a business owner, you need to do more,” she says. She attends one out-of-town conference per year.  The $1,500 she might spend on travel fees is well worth the knowledge she comes away with, as well as the valuable connections, she says. For example, a contact she met at a PR boot camp in Washington  led to new media opportunities for her clients.

 Read the entire article, here. 

5 Things Our Mothers Taught Us

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re thinking about our wonderful Moms and a few lessons they’ve taught us along the way. Both Alexandra and April chime in about their awesome Moms!

Mommy-Alex turns 2Alexandra, WordPop’s PR coordinator, shares a few lessons from her Mom…

1) Be Yourself. “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” -Dr.Seuss

Being who you want to be and who you truly are is one of the most important things my Mother taught me. She constantly reminds me not to get caught up with others and their thoughts. What you think about yourself is what is most important.

2) Positivity. “In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.” Dalai Lama

On a daily basis, my Mom reminds me how far I’ve come and how far I will go. Whenever stress arises, she’s there to let me know that in the end, everything will work out as long as I keep a positive attitude!

3) Education is key.

Mommy-AlexShe always said I could achieve anything and do anything as long as I work hard. As long as my desire to learn is continuous and I have a strong work ethic, my goals will be a reality!

4) Family comes first.

From holidays, birthdays and baptisms to communions and family barbeques, my Mom constantly reminds me of the importance of these events and being there to enjoy the company of family. Spending time with family is vital since your family will always be there for you no matter what!

5) Daily decisions.

From decisions about make-up to secret ingredients in a family dish, I rely on my Mom to answer it all. When cooking, I definitely call her to ask for her version of a dish and how much of each ingredient I need. One thing my mom loves is restaurants, so you can bet she will always know where to go and when (#FOODIE)! Other times I simply ask for her advice or thoughts on an issue. She’s always there and ready to listen.

544530_10101793525751844_119969765_nApril, WordPop’s founder, shares a few lessons from her Mom…

1) Focus on you. My Mom constantly tells me not worry about what other people think. She encourages me to focus on what’s best for myself and family, regardless of the opinions or judgement of others.

2) Be kind. Be kind and respectful. You don’t know what other people are going through.

3) Breathe and pray. When life has you stressin’, take a deep breath and let it out. Also, pray through both happy and difficult times.

6 april4) Be confident. My Mom constantly reminds me to be confident. Shoulders back, chin up, speak clearly. She also insists that I iron my clothes and have my hair perfectly in place before I leave the house, but that doesn’t always happen. 😉

5) Do your best, and know that that’s enough. If you’ve given 110 percent, that’s all you can do. Try hard, try again, and be grateful along the way. Don’t beat yourself up if things don’t go according to plan.

2012 Olympic Games Must-Follow Social Media Sources

Photo credit: Designbright

The 2012 Olympic Games are here! This time around, the Games will be more accessible than ever via social media. Beyond watching the Games, social media has made sharing Olympic fashion, architecture, food and beyond, part of the experience. Here’s a guide to the best online sources for everything Olympics!

General Coverage

Twitter: @London2012, @NBCOlympics

Facebook: London 2012, NBC Olympics

Pinterest: London 2012

Coverage from some of our favorite Team U.S.A. athletes

@jordyn_wieber, @ryanlochte, @lolojones, @NatalieCoughlin, @kerrileewalsh, @kevinlove

Olympic Style

Fashion/Design: The Marta Report, Lauren Milne, Laura Meredith

Architecture: ArchDaily London Olympics Blog

Food, General Interest

April Harter (that’s me… I’m so excited!)

Who are you following?

Two Reasons Why Pinterest Needs a “Did it” Button

Pinterest needs a “dit it” button for 1) us social media showoffs enthusiasts who’ve completed a project and 2) brand-impact tracking.  Here’s why.

1) Demonstrating Project Completion

This Easter, I become a legitimate Pinner. In one day, I crafted not one, but two items I had previously pinned on Pinterest. These Easter projects marked my thirteenth and fourteenth completed Pinterest projects. I’ve really graduated from a pinner to a doer. Ha!

Feeling accomplished, I went back to the site wishing there were a “did it” button. Since there isn’t one, I resorted to posting my creations on Facebook instead. Meh…not the same.

2) Brand-Impact Tracking

While on a conference call with homebuilder client Brookfield Homes San Diego today, we discussed the popularity of their “Color Scheme” board. We know there’s been a fair amount of repins and likes, but we’re curious if people are actually using these color inspirations in their homes. Of course the objective is brand awareness, not paint sales, but it’d still be great if there were a “did it” button so we could better track the impact of the board.

What it would look like:

There would be an option to click “did it” on photos that you’ve pinned. Whether you’ve completed a workout routine or painted your kitchen, these “did it” photos would auto-populate a new board, “Completed Projects.”

In the meantime, I’ve created my own “Completed Projects” board, but I manually populate it.

I also just emailed Pinterest. Fingers crossed!

~April