Capulet Communications

Today, I came across this creative note to PR professionals. If only we'd done better in Math:

Dear PR - The probability of a successful pitch can be calculated by the following handy formula applied to the details of your client's latest wheeze.

3NT x 4UP x 2BI x 5EAI
----------------------------- = P(copy)
3M^3 x 2ACE x 10L

Where NT = New Technology, UP = Unique Product, BI = Beer Involved, EAI = Engineers Available for Interview, M = Marketing Managers, EMEA or Mornings, ACE = Already Covered Elsewhere (ie, your American brethren have already spilled the beans) and L = the word Leading or Leader in the first para of the press release.

Ever since I started working in technology, I've watched companies make the same communications error again and again. When talking about their products, they start by talking about "how it works" or "what it does".

Here's a secret: hardly anybody cares how it works. They may say they do, but what they really mean is this:

How will it make my life better (where 'better' means 'more fun' or 'more productive' or 'longer' and so forth)?

I Built It and Here's What It Does

I first observed this phenomenon when I worked as a technical writer, writing and editing software manuals. I'd often review support documentation for a product that was written by the software engineers who built it.

Inevitably, the docs would itemize the product's functionality, often by describing each interface element: "The Save button enables you to save your work" and so forth.

It's an understandable mistake among developers. They built it, and they're describing how it works from their perspective.

The right way to write docs (and any product collateral) is to focus on tasks, not functionality. If the user will be saving files, then provide a topic called "How to Save Files" or "Saving a File". 

But before you get into the nitty-gritty details, you need to answer that all important question: how will this make my life better? 

Writing web content is a big part of what we do at Capulet. When we review web text we often encounter the same problems. Follow these rules for a clearer, more compelling website.

1. Focus on what potential customers want, not on yourself. No one likes getting stuck beside the guy who only talks about himself. The same rule applies on the web. Instead of telling visitors about YOU, explain how you can help THEM. If you must talk about yourself, get a customer to do it in a testimonial.
2. Leave out tech jargon and acronyms. Need an SSL VPN or NAC for your SMB? Don't spatter your homepage with technical buzzwords. Instead, use real english to outline the problem your visitor may be experiencing and then clearly explain how you can help them solve it.
3. Include at least one call to action. Even if you've written a compelling, well-crafted website, you need to instruct visitors what to do next: download a white paper, sign-up for a beta program, try a 30-day free trial. Our client PutPlace's website is a good example of what it looks like make bold calls to action. 

Happy web writing!

For the last few years, local (local to Vancouver, that is) PR guru (and, tangentially, our client) James Hoggan has been publishing weekly PR tips in the Vancouver Sun. They're pretty elementary , but still useful reminders of what to do and what not to do in the thorny world of public relations.

As it turns out, they've got over two years worth of tips on their website. Here are a couple of samples:

If You Can’t Fix it, Don’t Ask About it - A critical step in any consultation comes in conceiving the questions that you put to your audience. If you start asking for feedback on issues that you can’t – or won’t – change, you are setting them up for disappointment and yourself up for a heap of grief. So, define the parameters carefully and whatever questions you ultimately ask, be prepared to treat the answers seriously.

Public Speaking: The Risks and Rewards of Winging It - Most people have been impressed at some point in their lives by a speaker who could be scintillating off the cuff, who just seemed to grab one great idea after the other out of the air. So it’s tempting, as a presenter, to want to emulate that style. And in rare cases it could be the right thing to do if you have easy command of the material and if the risks of an error are negligible. But if the stakes are high – and you’re not completely confident – work up a prepared text. Even if you memorize it and only refer to it for prompts, the discipline may save you from making a serious mistake.

That's a big schwack of tidbits. Some are less useful than others (do we really need tips on 'a winning wardrobe'?) but the majority are worth reading. Especially, as Glenn Kelman recently recommended, if you want to do your PR DIY-style.

Via Chris Pirillo, I learned about Pitchwire. From their pitch to Chris:

PitchWire is an online community for influencers (journalists, bloggers and analysts) and publicists that promotes responsible pitching and transparency. The results are more successful “hits” and a better relationship between influencers and publicists.

Leveraging PitchWire’s patent-pending technology, you can create a personalized PitchWire page, your first line of communication (or defense in some cases) with the PR community. You can also find sources and content for an upcoming story and manage your pitches, sources and contacts in a CRM-like database (think of it as a MySpace.com, eHarmony.com and Salesforce.com all rolled into one).

Off the top of my head, this sounds a bit like The WeblogWire, which appears to have gone the way of all times.

Well, I'm (ahem) both an influencer and a publicist. Why don't I try out both sides of the service and pitch myself?