5 AP style rules PR pros should follow

Craft better press releases with these writing tips. 

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These five tips can clear up common AP style mistakes:

1. Avoid unnecessary capitalization.

Proper nouns that indicate a specific person, place or thing should be capitalized. This includes any common nouns that are within a company’s name.

Correct: Quaker Oats brand managers announced a new product line Wednesday.

Correct: Justin Bieber was spotted without a shirt on River Street on Saturday.

In headlines, only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns should be capitalized.

Correct: How marketers can easily create infographics

Incorrect: How I Learned To Incorrectly Write A Headline

2. Don’t make alphabet soup.

Only use abbreviations and acronyms readers will quickly recognize; don’t use them just to save a few words. Acronyms and abbreviations for well-known entities can be used in headlines as well as within the body of a press release.

Correct: The FBI arrested a suspect Tuesday night in connection with three recent armed robberies.

Incorrect: Members of TWOLSTEFW defended the organization’s ridiculously long name.

Don’t follow an organization’s formal name with an abbreviation or acronym in parentheses or dashes.

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