Journalists are drowning in pitches. Every day, their inboxes are flooded with press releases, media alerts, and ‘exclusive’ story ideas – many of which sound eerily similar. It’s easy to default to that familiar PR tone: rigid, overly formal, and packed with buzzwords. But it might just be killing your pitch.
Here’s the thing: journalists are people
So are CEOs, investors, and the decision-makers you’re looking to reach. And people don’t speak – or think – in corporate jargon.
Let’s be honest – no one really believes your CEO is “delighted” about a partnership with an office stationery supplier. And if you’re describing a software update as “groundbreaking,” you might want to take a step back. At best, clichéd PR jargon makes your announcement instantly forgettable. At worst, it turns journalists off completely.
If you want to avoid all the effort of copywriting and pitching going down the pan, here are some key PR language pitfalls to steer clear of.
1. Buzzword overload
If your pitch can’t explain its value in plain English, it’s unlikely to land. Instead, focus on concrete details: what makes your story different, and why does it matter?
If your product is the first of its kind, you don’t have to tell people it’s innovative. And if you demonstrate how it’s different to everything that’s come before, cutting-edge is implied.
It’s also just good behavioural science if you want to stand out. The idea of the ‘concreteness effect’ comes from research that shows we remember concrete words better than abstract ones (here’s one bit).
2. Technical jargon
A trade journalist might understand niche industry terms, but if you’re pitching to a mainstream outlet, keep it accessible. If your story only makes sense to experts, don’t expect your target audience, the general public – or the journalist writing for them – to engage. Write in a way that anyone (within reason) could understand.
Worried that makes you sound less informed or intelligent? It doesn’t. When put to the test, readers find the simplest writing to be the most legit – because it sounds on the level, with no fancy fluff. (Those receipts again.)
Here’s a good test: if you were explaining it to a friend who doesn’t work in your industry, would they follow along? If not, simplify.
3. Unrealistic enthusiasm
A simple rule: if you have to force excitement, it’s probably not there.
Not every business update is earth-shattering news, and that’s okay. If you overhype something that’s clearly pretty standard, journalists will see right through it. This is where getting a colleague (or a lovely PR agency) to review your content can come in handy.
There’s nothing wrong with being excited and proud about what’s going on inside your organisation, and it may be really significant to your colleagues, but to the wider world, it may look a bit much.
4. The hard sell
If your company sells lawnmowers, don’t try to convince a journalist that lawnmowers are “the future of technology” (unless, say, they’re scanning your lawn and the weather and pinging out alerts when it’s the perfect time to mow). The media isn’t your sales team: focus on the story, not just the product. Journalists want stories that inform, surprise, or entertain – not a thinly veiled sales pitch.
Also, remember that no-one else is as interested in your company’s bottom line as you are – so focus on what journalists really want to know: the benefit to customers and society.
5. Going on and on…and on
Whether you’re writing a press release, a pitch or even the subject line of an email, don’t overdo it. Not only are journalists time poor, often the good stuff gets nudged to the bottom and potentially not even seen at all.
Don’t lead with your company name (unless you’re Google or something). Instead write a short, engaging subject line, and make sure the first line of your email and the first paragraph of your story hook people in.
So, does your PR language pass the ‘human test’? If not, it might be time for a rethink. We can help with that.
Written by:
Ben Rowe, Senior Comms Consultant
Jasmin Martin, Senior Media Relations Executive
Alex Goldstein, Creative Director