Writing your communication
You've done the planning so here are some tips on writing your communications message.
Before you write a word
- Identify who you are trying to reach – the audience (or the variety of audiences). They could be staff (who could be PSS, academics, researchers, manual, technicians). They could be students. They could be an international audience. They could be our external stakeholders (industry partners, politicians, would be students, parents or teachers of would be students etc).
- Decide what you want them to do having read your communications message. This could be to understand that a new system will be in place, to fill in a form to give the University data it needs or simply to watch Professor Danielle George’s new TV show.
- Now you can think about how to write your article – so that the audience/s will do what you need them to do.
- And you can choose which channels to publish your article on to best reach your audience/s.
Writing the message
Headline
- 50 characters maximum
Strapline
- Short description of the article 75 characters
Main story
- Text for new article, 400 words maximum
What are you trying to get across?
- Stick to two or three key messages
- Say the most important thing first
- Don't save the best bit till last - people might not get there!
What do you want people to do with the information you're giving them?
- Act on it?
- Read and digest?
- Consult and feedback?
Use the inverted pyramid model
Crucial information must go at the beginning - they could stop reading at any time! Use the inverted pyramid model:
1. Information they MUST have for your communication to be successful
2. Additional information that is helpful but not crucial
3. Be nice if they had it
Remember, you can always include a link to your website or a document for further information.
Also, try to keep to:
- Simple, short sentences (15-20 words)
- Short paragraphs
- Clear and concise
- Use quotes (more engaging - someone is talking to them)
- Use sub-headlines to break up longer copy
- Bullet points if you've got lots of information
- Avoid jargon and acronyms
Image
Images increase the profit of stories.
A story will not appear in the top box of the news pages without an image.
More information
Send your article to: uninews@manchester.ac.uk or contact us for more information.
If you would like your article to be included in eUpdate, please include a request for this when you send your article.