Every company has its own internal document review protocol. Some are structured. Some are organic. Some are downright mad. One company may routinely require 15 or more drafts, enlisting what seems like every employee and his sister to repeatedly edit revisions. Other companies enthusiastically sign off on the first draft. The vast majority fall somewhere in the middle.
Here's what you need to know:
Own the process. Committees may be good for some things, but they're not good at managing copy approval. Someone – emphasis on one – needs to own the process within your organization. This typically falls to a solid writer within the corporate communications or PR department who is also organized and detail-oriented.
Make the rules. The single best thing you can do for yourself and your company is to establish rules for document review and ensure they are followed. They don't have to be detailed policies vetted by a committee. Settle on a few simple guidelines that work for your company.
Brand your approval process. You're a marketing professional; come up with a catchy name for your news release approval process so it becomes more memorable with your company.
Communicate your policy. Once your news release approval process is nailed, put it in writing and share it with all relevant stakeholders within your organization. Explain why the policy is needed and how it benefits your company. Encourage discussion, but remember someone must lead the process.
Nail down content up front. There is typically one content owner for each announcement, whether it's the VP of sales with all the detail on a new customer relationship or the CFO who knows all the facts behind the quarterly earnings. Connect that person with the writer, and establish messaging consensus before you initiate any writing. Discuss the headline, subhead and first two paragraphs first and reach consensus on these items before anything is written. This – more than anything else – will ensure news release first drafts are in the right zone with the announcement content owner.
Limit reviewers. Beyond the primary content provider, you might have two or three other senior executives who must see every release, perhaps the chief marketing officer and the CEO. Expand this universe only as necessary.
Secure customer first. Before writing a customer-focused news release, contact the customer to secure their advance cooperation in the process. Lots of time can be wasted writing a news release a customer may never approve.
Set deadlines. Tell your colleagues the release is going out on this date and all revisions are due by this time on this date. Make this very clear. After the deadline date, second tier reviewers forfeit their right to suggest changes. Make sure this is spelled out in your written approval process so people understand the consequences.
Tell reviewers what you want from them. If you pass along a first draft and ask only, "whaddya think?" you're going to get more feedback than you bargained for. And it may be nebulous, like the dreaded, "It doesn't thrill me. Please rewrite." If you feel good about the draft being forwarded for review, say so. If you don't, then don't circulate it in the first place. Give your colleagues specific directives, e.g., "review for accuracy," or "give me feedback on the second and third paragraphs only." Also, keep people in their zone of expertise – i.e. a product manager commenting on a customer win may not be relevant or needed feedback.
Include but manage legal. The legal department is critical for avoiding liability that could adversely impact your company. Sometimes, however, lawyers take their well-intentioned feedback too far, finding potential litigation in every line of a news release and cluttering up plainspoken documents with legalese. Try not to let legal write your news releases, because they typically are not the best writers. This can be easier said than done, especially with public companies.
Reject some edits. It helps to understand why people edit. Sometimes it's to correct the record or strengthen the message. Other times it's to make a personal contribution or to vet. Accept the edits that improve the document, and reject gratuitous ones. For example, an original draft might say something like "Our new SST technology will dramatically improve all of our products." Reviewer Jones wants to append "and effectively" after "dramatically." It's redundant clutter. Don't take that edit. Don't even acknowledge it. Feel the power. Remember that many people who edit are not professional writers; it's your job to control writing quality. Similarly, don't accept edits to foundational writing devices such as the boilerplate and descriptor phrase which have already been heavily debated and revised.
Don't take verbals. Document all edits in the review cycle. Cover your bases in the event a mistake occurs – misspelled words, omitted text, typos, overlooked content changes, etc. You will need to prove what happened during the review process, particularly if an erroneous news release is publicly issued.
– Steve McGrath, Sr. Technology Writer
