PR Professionals: Please Explain Your Industry Jargon and Acronyms

I just read a press release from a company targeting marketing technology folks like myself. In that press release, they mentioned:

OTT, PaaS solution, IPTV, AirTies hybrid OTT, and OTT video service platform, OTT video services platform provider, over-the-top video delivery through an integrated media management system, hybrid demo of OTT, digital video broadcasting (dvb-t), AirTies Air 7320 hybrid set-top box, IP Multimedia Product Line, set-top boxes that support integrated OTT solutions for both SD and HD video.

I’m not making this up. That’s not all… here’s the last bullet point:

A new range of DVB-T/IP hybrid STBs, the Air 7320 and the 7334, the Air 7130, a Personal Video Recording (PVR) STB with internal Hard Drive and the new Air 7100, standard definition low cost STB.

After reading the press release, I have no idea what this company does. Not a clue. They are so heavily embedded in their industry and technology that they assume anyone reading the press release would understand what they did and sold.

Best Practices with Industry Jargon

When sharing highly technical news and information about your company with news outlets or technology bloggers, it’s important to make the content accessible and easy to understand. Here are some best practices to follow:

1. Provide clear explanations: Include brief, easy-to-understand explanations for technical terms and acronyms. This helps journalists and bloggers who may not have in-depth knowledge of your industry.
2. Create a glossary: Develop a glossary of terms and acronyms specific to your company or industry. This can be provided as a separate document or included at the end of your press release.
3. Use analogies and examples: When explaining complex concepts, use relatable analogies or real-world examples to help illustrate your points.
4. Highlight the benefits: Focus on the benefits and impact of your technical news, rather than just the technical details. Explain how your news will affect users, customers, or the industry as a whole.
5. Provide visuals: Include images, infographics, or videos to help break down complex information and make it more engaging for readers.
6. Offer expert quotes: Include quotes from your company’s subject matter experts to provide insight and lend credibility to your news.
7. Be concise: Keep your press release or blog post concise and to the point. Provide links to additional resources or background information for those who want to dive deeper.
8. Offer media training: If you anticipate frequent interactions with the media, consider offering media training to your company’s spokespeople to ensure they can effectively communicate technical information.
9. Follow up with journalists: After distributing your news, be available to answer questions or provide additional information to journalists who may need clarification on technical aspects.

By following these best practices, you can help ensure that your company’s technical news is accurately and effectively communicated to news outlets and bloggers.