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Building a Standard Release
Page history
last edited
by Stuart Froman 13 years, 5 months ago
Start Here
- Business value – not technology – provides the wow
- Most releases require more thinking and editing than writing
- Imagine the story – and messages – you’d like to see in print
Strategy
- Find the news – journalists ask, “Why would my readers care?”
- Why would anyone besides the client want to know this?
- How does the announcement benefit users? the industry? This requires understanding the industry and the point of view (and pain points) of CXOs, analysts, the media, etc.
- What are the specific, defensible points of differentiation (only, first, largest, smallest, fastest, cheapest, etc.)?
- For momentum and milestone releases, find the industry context, benefits to users, newsworthy differentiators (yes, it can be difficult).
- Validate the news - Someone besides the client has to believe it: quotes, numbers, analyst research
- Emphasize benefits over features
- Provide facts, not hype
- Write news, not an advertisement or brochure
- Ensure quotes are relevant and validating
- Ensure the accuracy of information – contracts signed, information ready to go public, etc.
Structure
- Structure from most important to least important – don’t assume readers will read to the end
- If the development is truly newsworthy (e.g. dramatic customer ROI from a client’s solution), consider putting it before any quotes
- If a quote by a well known and credible customer includes strong validation, consider putting it before any development
- Avoid repetition
Sentencing
- Consult the Eastwick Style Guide or the AP Stylebook
- Be clear for the intended readers
- Be brief and make every word, sentence, and point count
- Eliminate jargon and fluff
- Never exaggerate
- Avoid clichés and worn expressions
- Proofread!
Headlines and Subheads – It’s Still Who, What, When, Where, Why, How
Approaches to headlines – where’s the news?
- Simple announcement: news – but not too specific (can be combined with name dropping or main benefit) – “Visual Numerics Announces TS WAVE 4.0”
- Name dropping – “Burger King Selects Business Objects”)
- The main benefit – “Burger King Selects Business Objects to Drive Down Costs of New Franchises”
- Trigger interest with the wow factor – “11th Cadence ‘Stars & Strikes’ Raises $944,500”
- Humor/pun connection, if not worn or too obvious – “National Weather Service Sees Clear Skies Ahead with Business Objects”
- Consider keywords for search engine optimization
- Approaches to Subheads
- Balance announcement/benefits with headline
- Add intriguing, newsworthy detail – more who, what, when, where, why, how detail
- Consider keywords for search engine optimization
Quotes
To write quotes that don’t sound the same every time, avoid simply restating the announcement or using the company’s marketing-speak. Read it aloud.
- For customer executives: Consider the specific business value delivered
- For client product managers: Consider the specific technical benefits
- For client executives: Consider wider industry issues and market issues, business trends
Building a Standard Release
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