From PRofessional Solutions, LLC’s February 2014 newsletter:

PR is still all about writing despite the attention being given to social media tools like Twitter, Instagram and Vine. The cornerstone of the industry has and always will be strong writing skills. It’s the number one request from our clients. The better you write, the more success you’ll achieve for yourself and your employer. Here are our top five tips for successful PR writing:

1. Always define acronyms. It’s tempting to shorten text by using just an acronym for an organization with a long name, but be sure to explain the acronym first so readers understand the reference.

2. Eliminate clichés. Finding alternatives to clichés makes for clearer writing. Instead of using “bring it, try “perform at a higher level”. Rather than saying “call the shots”, use “exercise authority”. (For more examples of common clichés and ways to cut them from your writing, view Kate Perrin’s blog post, Wage War on Clichés!)

3. Avoid jargon. If someone outside the field won’t understand it, don’t use it. For example, if you’re writing about a medical topic, don’t assume your audience knows what “vitals”, “BP” and “EEG” mean.

4. Make it absolutely clear what action you want from the reader. Spell out your expectations, including a call to specific action.

5. Be concise–short words, short sentences, short paragraphs.