The Importance of Teamwork

Quick reference

• 00:05 In this lesson we're going to discuss the importance of teamwork.
• 00:09 Now in medium to large businesses, a fully fledged PR department is
• 00:14 normally responsible for creating and distributing the press releases.
• 00:18 But in a small business, the PR department might not be very large, or
• 00:23 there might not be one at all.
• 00:25 So irrespectively of the size of your PR team,
• 00:29 writing a press release should really be seen as a team exercise.
• 00:33 Now blending is going to be the key,
• 00:36 because a great press release is going to blend some thorough product knowledge
• 00:41 with an understanding of how the product fits into the bigger picture.
• 00:46 And really a deep awareness of the company's philosophy and
• 00:50 the history that we've got.
• 00:51 And then, of course, we're going to need some excellent writing skills to
• 00:56 pull all of those points together.
• 00:58 Now, it would be quite hard for
• 01:00 one individual to possess all of these skills that we've just mentioned.
• 01:04 And this is precisely why we want to have a well rounded press release
• 01:09 that's put together by our team.
• 01:11 So it really depends on good teamwork.
• 01:14 And really, as much as producing a smooth and well-rounded tasting coffee is going
• 01:20 to depend on blending the different types of beans, so is it with the press release.
• 01:25 Because each member of the team is going to contribute some meaningful and
• 01:29 specialist knowledge along with their experience.
• 01:32 So let's look at teamwork and practice then, and brainstorming in particular.
• 01:37 Whether you've got a small or large business,
• 01:40 the people who can contribute to the press release, they need to sit together and
• 01:44 they need to brainstorm the following aspects.
• 01:47 We'll typically start with ideas for a catchy headline and
• 01:51 of course an informative sub-heading, and
• 01:53 it's really important to start at this particular point.
• 01:57 Then we need to look at what the press release is going to cover in
• 02:00 the bullet point, and of course, from this point onward,
• 02:04 we need to think about what the writer needs to develop further.
• 02:07 And this is, of course, where the bullet points will guide them.
• 02:11 We also need to think of the tone in which the information is going to be conveyed.
• 02:15 The tone will very much depend on the focus of the press release and
• 02:18 the message we're trying to get out there.
• 02:20 Then we need to source somebody or ask somebody to produce a suitable quote
• 02:25 that's going to support the general message of the press release.
• 02:30 We also need to think then about how the company is going to present it, and
• 02:34 we need to think about whose contact details are we going to provide.
• 02:39 Will it be the manager?
• 02:40 Will it be a field specialist?
• 02:43 Or whatever the case might be.
• 02:45 Finally, we want to appoint two members of staff, and preferably at least two,
• 02:49 that's going to help us to proofread this press release and
• 02:53 make sure that it's free from any grammatical or spelling mistakes.
• 02:57 If you follow these steps and do them in a team, then, of course,
• 03:02 it's going to increase the chances that the press release will be approved.
• 03:05 And of course,
• 03:06 that will lead to further interviews and the publishing of the release.
• 03:11 Now I would argue that the secret is really in the title, and
• 03:15 let me quantify that.
• 03:17 The title is the most difficult part of the press release because
• 03:21 ,today with websites fiercely competing for
• 03:26 eyeballs on the web, you need to get spotted for your press release to be read.
• 03:31 So really, the title represents your chance of ensuring the audience will
• 03:35 continue to read the press release instead of just moving on quickly to
• 03:38 something else that's a bit more catchy, or perceived to be catchy, at least.
• 03:43 So your title should snap the attention of the reader,
• 03:47 as the media will also want to be reading more if they see an interesting title.
• 03:53 This is really with the power of teamwork and
• 03:55 brainstorming is going to come in to play, as we say, two heads are better than one.
• 04:01 It all comes down to being organized.
• 04:03 As with everything, good organization is so important.
• 04:06 So mark it in your business calendar, look at some upcoming events and
• 04:10 product launches for the year, and try to structure the team meetings around that,
• 04:14 so that there's always enough time for
• 04:17 good planning and to make sure that we're ahead of the game with our press releases.

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