'You'll have your hand on your head with a knot under it' My grandma and namesake, Annie B. Vrana, was an Oklahoma farm woman and one of the most colorful people I've known. When she spoke, she painted pictures in your head. What I didn't know then that I do know now is that word pictures increase understanding. Because Grandma talked in pictures, we could literally … [Read more...] about Paint word pictures
Archives for May 2015
Master the Art of the Storyteller
Learn to engage readers with wordplay, metaphor, storytelling and more My husband likes to quote Anonymous, who said: "If a man speaks in the forest, and no woman is there to hear him, is he still wrong?" The corporate communication writer's corollary: If you cover your terribly serious and important stories, and nobody pays attention, does your message still make a … [Read more...] about Master the Art of the Storyteller
Big stories, tiny words
The Times' word length averages 4.9 characters When I recommend to my clients that they limit their word length to 5 characters per word, they roll their eyes and chortle. But when I tell them I know they can do it, because The New York Times does it every day, they sit up and take note. (The Wall Street Journal also accomplishes this feat, day after day, rarely rubbing … [Read more...] about Big stories, tiny words
Please remember this
A click is just a click ... a share is just a share The other day, I was discussing ROI with a group of ridiculously talented, impossibly young PR pros in their first year at a big agency. They report ROI to their clients in clicks, shares and likes. "As a business owner," I told them, "if I invest a dollar in your services, I want to receive my dollar back, plus a … [Read more...] about Please remember this
Do you give journalists a headache?
Make their lives easier with multimedia pitches Nearly seven in 10 journalists believe their jobs have gotten harder over the past five years, according to a 2014 survey by media platform ISEBOX. You don't want to be part of that problem, do you? Here's how to avoid being a journalist's worst nightmare: 1. DO the math. Most journalists produce at least five … [Read more...] about Do you give journalists a headache?