Credibility is one of the most important components of public relations. It is how you build trust among your audiences, bring authenticity to your brand and position yourself as an expert in your field.  

How you write says a lot about your credibility. Your elevator pitch may be perfect, but how does that translate into your content? Strong writing reinforces your credibility. Equally, poor writing can hurt your credibility. Here are a few ways linguistic prowess contributes to your overall perception.. 

Good writing delivers your message.

Your writing should effectively deliver your message. This is accomplished through concise sentence structure, clear thoughts and effective words. Writing with distractors like jargon and run-on sentences can damage your credibility. If your message is clunky and confusing, it may not resonate with your audience.

Good writing connects with people.

Public relations practitioners differ from advertisers in the way we talk about a brand. PR professionals are not necessarily “selling” something, but instead, we’re engaging with audiences, building a relationship with them and showing value. Your writing should connect with people in an authentic way. Depending on your brand voice and tone, you can accomplish this through humor, empathy or storytelling.

Good writing gets people to take you seriously.

Do you have issues with grammar, punctuation misuse and typos? Such mistakes can undermine your brand’s legitimacy and deter audiences from wanting to learn more about your organization. Always remember to edit your work and then edit again! The last thing you want is for someone to swipe to the next post if you mix up “their,” “they’re” and “there.”

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Contrary to popular belief, public relations professionals spend most of their days writing instead of party planning. How you write is important — it requires you to be strategic with your words. If your writing is objective, professional and concise, your audience is more likely to connect with your message and trust your brand. Poor writing can do the exact opposite. Don’t let your credibility come into question by overlooking these simple practices. If you need help with PR writing and messaging, contact our team today!