Why negative messages gain traction Did Stanley Kubrick fake the moon landings? Was President Obama holding a rocket launcher in a car with an ISIS leader? Does your favorite shampoo cause hair loss? No, no and probably not, according to Snopes' "25 Hottest Urban Legends." Fear appeals work (Rev Up Readership members only; join Rev Up Readership), according to 50 years … [Read more...] about Fear factor
research
Say it ain’t so
Reporters shoot down PR quotes What's the least important element in a release — less important even than the dateline or the boilerplate? Quotes, say one in four reporters surveyed in a 2014 study by Greentarget. According to Greentarget's research: 13% of journalists never use quotes from releases. 31% rarely use quotes from releases. 28% use quotes … [Read more...] about Say it ain’t so
Your brain on wordplay
We pay attention to and remember puns, alliteration A hand shoots up in my Make Your Copy More Creative workshop. "But," the communicator says, "don't you risk confusing people with wordplay?" Well … yes, you do. And that's part of the point. When readers encounter wordplay, they first try on the literal meaning of the words. When that doesn't work, … [Read more...] about Your brain on wordplay
Color bind
Yes, Communicator, you can make your copy more colorful How can scanning old news headlines, getting a quick education from Wikipedia or asking your BFF and research assistant Google a question or two save a boring story? By helping you add concrete detail to your message in 30 minutes or less. One of my favorite editing assignments is to turn dry, abstract message … [Read more...] about Color bind
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