Though it may seem like a rental Car Company and the National Hockey League have little in common, Enterprise’s new content marketing strategy is proving otherwise. In February, the company debuted a documentary film, The Road Through Warroad: Hockeytown USA,which chronicles a small town’s uncanny ability to churn out Olympian-level hockey players. Produced by Cannonball, the film shows how advanced and important content marketing has become. It’s not an ad in the traditional sense. It’s a fascinating tale that hockey fans would love to hear.

But it raises a question: why would a company that primarily specializes in car rentals align itself with hockey lovers?

The thing is, when it comes to content marketing, Enterprise has actually been doing a few pretty interesting things as of late. It’s rebranded itself recently as a transportation solutions company—not just a place to rent a car. Enterprise’s VP of North American Marketing, Lee Broughton, told Adweek that the rebranding is a part of its mission to emotionally connect with consumers by inviting them to take part in an experience. Notably, Broughton doesn’t say “brand experience,” because, well, it’s not about the cars.

When producing the film, Broughton says that they hadn’t originally intended for it to be a documentary, but he thought the content was so fascinating that his customers would be delighted to see a 30-minute film. It wasn’t about how many shares it could receive (though that’s always a plus), it was about delighting NHL fans and sponsoring something cultural for a mass audience. As Broughton said, “content for content’s sake isn’t going to find its way into anyone’s heart and mind.”

This type of content production plays into the company’s larger drive to promote itself as more than just a rental car company. Without sticking to definite business boundaries, “Enterprise” could start to stand for anything, such as a luxury travel company that solves its customers’ mobility issues. Ads from last August during the Olympics began to position Enterprise as a multi-service transportation company. Speaking about the shift in a press release from last fall, Broughton explained that the new business and content strategy, “brings to life the fact that, whatever stage our customers are in—renting, buying, or sharing—we’re there to keep their lives moving forward in a very real and practical way. It’s music to our ears when they tell us we make the daunting easy and the mundane quite delightful for them. It means we’ve done our job.” Touché.

The Road Through Warroad isn’t the only forray into more cultural, people-driven content by Enterprise. Take for example Enterprise Pursuits, Enterprise’s recently launched lifestyle publication. It stands out as a publication that captures active lifestyles, but doesn’t plug its business into every post. The content has stellar photography and video, and offers off-the-beaten-path tales of travel from bloggers who have followings of their own. The key, though, is that Enterprise has identified a particular customer, one that craves adventure and wants to rent a car to discover things on their own. Enterprise doesn’t have to sell its rental business to this person through content—this consumer will readily aim to be apart of interesting experiences, and therefore would already have a connection with Enterprise without the company having to sell itself.

Enterprise also has a new partnership with Live Nation, which ensures that Enterprise will be seen as a company who backs the arts. The partnership will include exclusive video content of popular bands and artists while they’re on the road. This is where it pays to know who your customers are: Enterprise did a study of their customer base and found that the vast majority of them held music and concert-going in high importance. Again, the goal for Enterprise is about tapping into their customers’ passions to build a marketing strategy around. In a press release about the partnership, Broughton emphasized Enterprise’s aim to to have content that consumers won’t want to miss.

“Music moves all of us in very personal and emotional ways,” Broughton said in the statement. “This exclusive video content is going to be ‘must watch’ material for music fans. We’re amped to be bringing them personal stories from their favorite artists that they can’t get anywhere else.” Makes sense: Give consumers what they want and they’ll become brand devotees.

So far, the passion-oriented SEO content approach seems to be working: Broughton told Ad Age that customers have so far responded positively for the company’s forray into other businesses, and revenues have been steadily increasing. In 2015, the company reported a 10 percent increase in airport car rentals, and in 2016, topped $20.9 billion in global revenue, $1.5 billion more from the previous year. With the company’s growing reach in other areas and ability to diversify its business and marketing campaigns, Enterprise has positioned itself to take over the world. Okay, not really, but it’s presenting itself as the go-to brand for the large swath of consumers who love music and adventure, and if revenue growth is any indicator, it’s a good strategy.

Even in the age of inbound marketing, the art of the press release is alive and kicking. In fact, the modern media release is better than ever before — read on good friends, and we’ll tell you why.

Regardless of your industry, a press release helps your business or organization earn media coverage across the globe and within your community. A professionally written and widely distributed press release can help your company gain coverage in news outlets (both local and not-so-local), trade publications, influential blogs, industry-specific journals, and other targeted publications.

Even if you don’t have the next breaking CNN headline or an Ellen-worth saga to share, it’s likely that you and your team are doing great work within your industry or community. A few popular reasons for issuing a press release include: sharing company news (obviously), addressing an issue, responding to a crisis, making announcements, releasing product updates, sharing accolades, broadcasting achievements, sharing data, announcing an upcoming event, or promoting an upcoming book, movie, or album release.

So whether you’re launching a new website, announcing a new tour package, or releasing your latest eBook, a press release gets the word out in the world. Exactly where it needs to be.

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A Press Release is an Excellent Public Relations & Marketing Tool

A well-crafted and carefully distributed press release is a cost-effective public relations and marketing tool. It can be especially useful or beneficial for startup companies or for entrepreneurs interested in growing their small business.

When writing a press release, keep your goals in mind so that you can share them with a broad audience. It’s a great way to guarantee that information about your products, company, events, or policies are shared accurately.

Southern tour operator, Sweet Magnolia Tours enjoyed coverage on a local CBS affiliate as a result of a recent media release announcing the addition of a new Savannah tour package.

Control Your Story

Legend has it that that first press release was created by Ivy Lee, a publicist for Pennsylvania Railroad, in the aftermath of a devastating and fatal train wreck in Atlantic City in 1906. Before unsupported (and unflattering) versions of the accident could be published, he released a statement directly to journalists and invited them to the scene to encourage open communication. Media outlets were so impressed with Lee’s version of the story that many printed it verbatim.

While our relationship with the media may have changed since the turn of the previous century, a press release still grants you control over your news. A press release is your opportunity to articulate what’s important to you, share your intentions behind a service, explain your product’s unique value, and to respond to claims that others may have made about you, your services, or your company.

Proactive Reputation Management

Certainly, a majority of the media releases that enjoy widespread distribution fall into the “announcement” category. However, there’s another type of release that your company may find incredibly useful: the consumer alert release. These releases alert the public to recalls, safety concerns, security breaches and more. When done well, these kinds of releases are generally factual and informative in nature and can help diffuse potential powder kegs and mitigate crises.  

Improve Your SEO

If it seems like everything is about search engine optimization, well, there’s a reason. These days, SEO goes way beyond keywords and has its fingers on everything from your website’s image descriptions and alt tags, to its content, links, and citations. Although it’s pretty rare, a press release may directly boost your company’s search engine results pages (SERPs) when its URL ranks. Take a look at what a recent press release did for MIDCO Building Products:

If your press release is written well and is viewed and engaged with by many, your release may appear in an organic search, as MIDCO’s did. Or, perhaps you’ll see a bump on Google’s “News” section. Although direct SEO bumps are possible, it’s far more likely that your press release will have an indirect impact. In other words, if you distribute an eloquent and compelling press release that is then picked up by a newspaper, media outlet, or blog, your company gains a link, like, mention, visibility, brand recognition, citations, and the grand prize: referral traffic.

Distributing your release through a service like Cision’s PR Newswirecan dramatically improve referrals: “Independent research shows PR Newswire’s website has the most unique website visitors and the highest rate of search engine referrals in the industry.” The company’s SEO practices ensure that a professionally written and distributed message will receive plenty of ROI-worthy exposure.

Give Your Social a Boost

Go for a quick spin on Twitter or Facebook to see just how popular press release content is on social. Search your feed for #PRNewswire. It’s pretty likely that someone will have tweeted something within the past few minutes (or even seconds).

Plus, you can use your news release a point of interest for future tweets and status updates. Make a point of driving traffic to your release from your social platforms to increase traffic, generate buzz, and provide additional depth and content.

This Will Go Down on Your Permanent Record

The digital world is an amazing place. News releases get saved, stored, and archived to serve as a digital record of where you’ve been and what you’ve done. If your website and social presence are content-driven (and it should be) your press releases can populated the news, media, or blog sections of your website. Nashville-based real estate investment company, Canopy South Capital Management, used the content from its recent press release to generate additional blog content and redirect readers to the company’s eBook about self-directed IRAs.

You are an Expert in Your Field

If you’re practicing real estate law, for example, don’t think of yourself as simply “an attorney.” Instead, position yourself as an expert in commercial and residential real estate transactions. Become an authority and a participant in any conversation about real estate law. A press release can help you do just that. Take a look at this release for the eBook, “A Comprehensive Guide to Commercial Real Estate Closings,” which was posted to a local NBC affiliate’s website:

Focus, Focus, Focus!

We’re well past the days of sealing envelopes, licking stamps, and trekking down to the bulk mail room of the local Post Office (sorry, USPS). Tools like Cision’s PRWeb can target distribution based on tagging, keywords, filters, industry, journalistic interests, and more. It also allows you to specify, to the minute, when you’d like to release your statement to the world.

Performance, Reporting, and Metrics

Know exactly where, when, and how the media is interacting with your release. Using Cision’s PRWeb, a leading press release distributionservice, Horton Group shares your newsworthy updates across multiple channels including traditional news outlets and blogs. Clear, detailed reports show you exactly how many headline impressions, full release reads, online pickup, your release enjoyed.

The press release may be more than 100 years old, but it still packs a wallop. If you need some help crafting and distributing your next media release, let us know, we’re happy to help. We’ll make sure that your release is written according to best practices (tone, length, links, and style), maximizes keywords, and reaches a broad audience.

The Statement of Purpose is probably one of the most misunderstood aspects of graduate applications. Most students pass it off like it is just another essay about themselves, and naturally, write monotonous stuff that doesn’t stand out. That is why, the university admissions committee puts a hefty weight on statement of purposes and their structure – they want to see whether you take the interest in letting them know how much you want to study at their university.

Most Statements Of Purpose Start Off Like This:

“I am applying to the Master of Science program in Something Engineering at the University of Example because I believe my technical skills will blossom at your program as it is a place where I will be challenged and where I can develop my scientific and technical knowledge.”

Or Like This:

“I am honored to apply for the Master of Science program at the University of Example because for as long as I can remember, I have had a love affair with science. Since I was a kid in school, I have known I wanted to be a scientist/engineer.”

Now, almost 99% of the statements are structured similarly, and often times, students copy-paste, and edit statement of purposes from their seniors or friends, making it sound even more generic or irrelevant to their applications. If you want to stand out from the crowd; if you want the admissions committee to remember your essay at the end of the day, even after going through hundreds of applications; if you want to gain that extra advantage by being somewhat special and unique, you will have to draft a great statement of purpose. Great, but original.

How Can Your Statement Of Purpose Stand Out From The Crowd?

How do you write a great statement of purpose that sounds original, but at the same time gives the admissions committee what they are looking for? Simple. Basically, every university expects a student to answer to some basic questions that the admissions committee has. They may not ask you openly, but these are generally what they expect you to answer:

• What you want to study at graduate school?
• Why you want to study only this degree?
• Why do you want to study at this particular college? What do you like in us?
• Why did you choose to study in this particular country? What do you like about it?
• How much and what kind of experience you have in your field?
• Is your experience related to you choice of degree?
• If you are already experienced, what additional skills are you planning to gain from the degree?
• What you plan to do with your degree after graduation?
• Would you choose to end up with a job or take up research?
• What are your expectations from both the graduate program, and the university?
• Would you like to study or do research under any particular professor? If yes, why only them?
• How can you contribute to our university and our program? What specific skills do you bring to the table?
• Apart from work and education, what are your hobbies, interests, and habits? What are you like, as a person?
• What do you understand about our student community and culture? Why do you think you will fit in?
• What is that one unique aspect/characteristic about you that we should know? Why does it matter to us or to the fellow students of your class?

Now, these are the questions you will have to consider before starting off with your statement of purpose. Write down answers separately to each of the questions asked above, and try to build a story that the admissions committee would love to read. Remember, unlike an MBA program, you won’t be having any personal interviews for a graduate program, so the only way to impress the admissions officers is by telling your story through the statement of purpose. You will have to convey your story in the best possible way, such that the committee finds you interesting enough. And if you are interesting enough to them, you will end up with not only admission, but also a decent scholarship as well.

Strategies to Write a Powerful Statement of Purpose

It is important that you follow a specific strategy when it comes to drafting your statement of purpose. Though most students write whatever comes to their mind, or whatever they see on the internet, you are not most people. You would want your statement of purpose to sound brilliant, and original. And for that, you’ll need some strategies.

1. Write Stories. Not Statements

If given a choice, would you prefer reading a novel or a newspaper?

A novel, without a doubt. Do you know why?

Because while a newspaper gives you mere news and some eye-catching headlines, a novel tells you a story; a beautifully written piece of literature that you will be emotionally connected to. It brings those humanly feelings out of you, and involves you in its storyline. You imagine yourself in place of the narrator/character, and understand why he/she has done that, or taken such decisions. We remember stories much easier than statements.

Because stories connect to us, statements don’t.

For example, most people say this:

“I used to work in a multinational software company in the development team, and I had to do the same job every day: code stuff. There was nothing new for me to learn at work, and there was nothing very exciting about going to the office. One day I decided that I had to get out of there, so I applied to college to study higher courses and get a better job.”

Doesn’t that sound like most stories? Albeit, a very normal story? Instead, how about saying this:

“Late in the night one Monday, I had found myself in the middle of a deserted office, and fifteen thousand lines of code. Full of caffeine in my bloodstream, and an empty life beyond office, I realized that the computers started coding my brain, and controlling my life. No longer wanting to let the machines feed on me, I decided that college would be my salvation.”

Both the stories come to about four lines. But which narrative do you think will keep the admissions committee reading? Which story do you think will be remembered by them even after reading 5000 applications?

Think again. Do you want your statement of purpose to read like a novel or a newspaper? If the former is your answer, then you need to put in a lot of effort to tell your story. Think about ‘why’ you want to study what you want to study. Is there a strong reason behind it? Is the reason emotional, economical, or any other? Think hard, and you will find a connection. The reason might not seem obvious in plain sight, but when you think hard enough, you will understand that there is strong reason why you want to study a particular course/degree.

Now, when you have found this strong reason, tell it as a story. Write a short, but great narrative about what made you make this choice. About why you have chosen to study this course at this university. Impress the committee with your creative storyline, and you will reap the benefits big time.

2. Quantify Your Stories

Even though we asked you to write a story, you will have to remember that your story should not read like a thesis. It should rather serve as the best source of information about you. And when it comes to information, numbers play a key role. Your story should be not only qualitative, but also quantitative. And that means, your story must contain measurable quantities instead of just stories, so the reader can understand the depth of it.

For example, if you have worked for a local NGO teaching math to primary kids, you could say:

“During my engineering days, I helped a local NGO by joining as a math tutor, where I taught basic math concepts to school children.”

Now even though this sounds really good, it doesn’t give the reader the entire picture and they certainly do not know how much of an impact you made on those children.

So, you could change that bit to something like this:

“During my second year of engineering, I joined ‘Teach Math’, a local NGO, where I was a part of the Math tutoring team. For a period of 10 months, I taught basic math like algebra, geometry and arithmetic to more than thirty 5th and 6th grade students. And every single student I taught to, secured an A in math that year. I’ve never been prouder in my life.”

Do you see the difference? These numbers suddenly give a whole new perspective to the readers, and their respect for you is suddenly multiplied. That’s the power of numbers; they add authenticity, and authority to your stories. If you can quantify your stories properly, and show the results instead of just actions, the committee will not forget your name. You can use the same strategy for the rest of your story, no matter what it is about.

Whether it is a research project you did, or a college fest you organized, or a college sports team you led, whatever it is, add numbers to your stories, and make them sound more realistic, and more beautiful.

3. Be Specific

You have to make sure that whatever you say in your statement of purpose, you need to be very specific with it. Don’t just say something because you think it will impress the admissions committee. Whatever you say, you have to really dig into details. Be introspective. Don’t just say “I chose this degree because I love this field.” Explain clearly why you love this field, what made you decide that you want to work in this field for the rest of your life, what skills you are trying to amass, why it completes you as a person, etc.

Don’t beat around the bush like you normally would, when you talk to your friends. Don’t use ideal sentences like ‘I want to change the world’ or ‘I want to find my inner self’ or any of those cheesy lines. Just be straightforward and always to the point, but not so much as to come off as arrogant. Find your reasons and then find a nice, memorable way to say it.

Grad school admissions officers require the statement of purpose not just because they want to find about you and your dreams. More importantly, they want you to think for yourself, as to why you are taking such a life-changing step; why you think this is the best thing that can happen to you; and why you think you truly need it to succeed in life.

The ‘why’ is always profoundly important, and also an extremely difficult question to answer, which is why, if you can find answers to all the whys, then you are almost in.

4. Customize Your Essay

One of the biggest mistakes students make is to prepare a basic template for their statement of purpose, and if they are applying to more than one university, they simply change the relevant names and details. But the rest of the statement is an exact copy.

This is never a good idea, because though they might seem quite similar to each other, every university is vastly different from the others. Each of them has a diverse set of characteristics that define them, and their cultures, methodologies, visions, values, mottos, strengths, weaknesses, etc., vary greatly. These things are much more important than the departments, or university rankings, or number of Ph.D.’s or other materialistic qualities.

So, if you are applying to multiple universities, you need to factor in all these qualities of every university, and customize your statement accordingly. Mere changes in names and details won’t suffice. You need to tailor your essay such that the admissions officers think you will fit in well into their community. Remember, every student community is like a family, and if you give hints that you cannot fit into a family or their culture, you may not be welcomed easily.

Speaking of cultures, different countries obviously have different cultures, but even a large country like the US has different cultures in different parts of the country. So, before you begin writing, try and research the general culture within the region in which your target university is, and learn something about it. It may also help in aiding your decision process; if a culture doesn’t attract you much, then there’s no point in wasting an application.

5. Use a Formal But Conversational Tone

Nearly all statements or essays come under two categories: The super formal, and the super friendly. The first category is when you write a statement of purpose that is so formal, it looks like you are writing to your lieutenant in the military. The second one, of course, looks like a casual email to a friend. Now, when asked which one seems like a better choice, most students say the formal way is the way to go, and super friendliness is a big no. And still, a minor set of applicants think they can outsmart the admissions committee by sounding friendly, welcoming, and funny.

But, on further reflection, you would understand that neither of the approaches is ideal. And you are right, neither of them is right. Like we talked about it already, your statement of purpose should read like a novel: slightly formal language, but still a tinge of fun and uniqueness. That is what you need. A conversational tone is the best and the safest way to go. Write like you are talking to someone, but avoid using casual language.

Imagine you are talking to your dean, or the director of your college. What would your language be like? That’s how your statement of purpose should sound. Now, occasional humor is okay, but you shouldn’t try to sound too funny or too smart. No intentional jokes or funny lines should find their way into your statement. After all, it’s a statement of purpose, and the purpose is to pursue a graduate degree, not to impress people with your sense of humor. So, if what you write brings a smile on the readers face, then it’s perfectly alright. But it shouldn’t make them throw away your application because you didn’t seem serious enough to them.

6. Decide How You Want To Portray Yourself. And Learn How to Portray Indirectly.

You must see that the statement of purpose serves as a medium to convey your attitude, your personality and your character. Alright, those are some heavy words, and it can actually be difficult to them on paper. So, what you can do is, learn what your statement of purpose should portray you as, in terms of a few criteria, which tell the admissions committee that you are:

1. Very passionate about the field of study you have chosen.
2. An Intelligent student who can withstand the academic workload of a graduate program.
3. Well-prepared academically and personally, and eager to study new courses.
4. Able to take on the challenges of studying at an international graduate school.
5. Able to build and maintain a good rapport with professors and fellow grad students.
6. Able to finish the graduate degree within time, and graduate with a good percentage.
7. A potential remarkable representative of that grad school in your future career.
8. A successful alumni of the grad school who in the future can help in recruiting graduates.
9. A responsible alumni who in the future will help raise funds for the grad school, to spend on research, infrastructure, facilities, student scholarships, etc.

These are basically the parameters that grad school admissions officers look at, when they decide who is joining their class.

Now, you might be wondering that the statement of purpose can only be as long as 1000 words, and that there’s quite a lot to cover in that little space. This is where your writing skills should come in. You simply can’t just go ahead and write “I am very passionate about the field of study I have chosen.” That is the last think you would want to write. What you should instead write is a sentence that indirectly means the same. You will have to choose your words wisely so as to indirectly communicate your “passion. You can use brief examples to show why you are so passionate about it.

For example, you can say something like:

“My grandfather was a car mechanic. I remember when I was nine, he took me to his garage for the first time and showed me how he could repair my damaged bicycle so I could ride it again. When he passed away a few years later, he left me the entire garage. It was a turning point in my life. Some of my best days were spent inside the garage, where after coming back from school, I tried fixing various appliances in the house. That was what led me to choose to be a Mechanical Engineer.”

The above paragraph speaks volumes about you as a person and your passion for Mechanical Engineering without you actually saying it. Any admissions officer in the world wouldn’t reject an applicant with such a deep reason, and such a wonderful story behind him/her. Now, remember, you don’t have to lie. Try and remember stories from your life that have shaped your decisions. And connect them beautifully to your goals and dreams.

Now similarly, your “intelligence” can be conveyed by how you write. The quality of the statement of purpose, the organization, expression, etc. of your statement tells how intelligent you are. Demonstrating knowledge of the field, and using related jargon shows that you are “well-prepared”. Showing what you have done already describes your ability “to take on the challenges of grad school”. Your grades and your previous performance prove your ability “to finish the graduate program in time”. Being a “future remarkable alumni” can be implied by your being a commendable representative of your previous institutions, like your high school, or undergraduate school. Similarly, you will have to try and represent all the qualities mentioned above in an indirect, but powerful way.

7. Don’t Create Stories. Be Yourself

Because we asked you to write stories, there would naturally be an inclination to “create” stories out of thin air. Do not do this at all. Write great stories only if you have great stories. Some people might come from normal backgrounds, who had normal lives, and probably didn’t achieve anything spectacular. It’s completely okay. If you don’t have anything great to write, don’t write it. Be normal, and write normal stories.

It is better to be normal than to pretend to be someone you are not. The admissions officers are expert psychologists, and they can spot a true applicant from a false applicant with just one reading. So, you will badly hurt your chances of getting into your dream school if you try to be someone else. Just be yourself, and write only about the things that have happened to you, and the things that you are passionate about.

For instance, saying “I love research” just because you think they will like it, isn’t going to help you a lot. Whatever you say just for the sake of it, won’t appeal much to the committee, as they would look for relevant evidences in your stories and in your past. So, don’t even think about fooling the committee with a false storyline. Try and be yourself throughout the essay.

8. Address Your Problems

The Statement of Purpose is a great opportunity for you to address some of your problems. If you have had any problematic academic background, or a gap year in your career, or if you had any work-related problems, you can address them on the statement of purpose in order to reassure the admissions committee. You must try and be as honest as possible, and talk about your problems in a matured manner.

Instead of trying to defend yourself, you can point out the actual reasons that led to the problems, but more importantly, you should highlight ‘how’ you overcame the situation, and ‘what’ you have learnt from the experience. For example, let’s say that you got all C’s or all D’s in one semester. This normally isn’t the kind of academic profile a good grad school would want from you, unless there is a strong reason behind it. So, take some time and dedicate a few lines to explain whatever happened.

If you had a health problem during your semester exams, or if you faced any emotional setback during that time, if you experience any personal loss, or if you had to take up additional family responsibilities other than studying, you can mention that in your statement. But, more importantly, you should not forget to demonstrate how your grades have been steadily improving since then, and that you now have a decent grade-point average in the discipline.

If you can spin this story well enough for the committee to empathize with you, then your story will enhance the admissions committee’s image of you as a matured student, with the abilities to “take on additional challenges” and “to finish on time”, even when things are against you.

9. Do Your Homework

This is one very important point you should exercise while you are writing a statement of purpose. You should be thorough with the details of all the universities you are applying to, and list down all the things you like about each university, before you write the essays.

Most students simply write generic sentences like “I am impressed by the importance your university gives to research” or “I would like to study here because you have 100 Ph.D.’s and 20 Nobel prize winners.” etc. No, that is not how you do it. The admissions committee knows how great their college is; you don’t have to remind them again and again. But, you should let them know what exactly you like about them, that you so badly want to be there. The specifics are really important.

For example, you could say something like this. (Excuse the random jargon, it is only to give you an idea.)

“I would fully utilize the resources that the Wallenberg Hall provides, as I am particularly interested in the field of molecular chemistry. The special 24/7 laboratories provided for student research on molecular processing is exactly the kind of opportunity I am looking for, as I could totally see myself working in the labs day and night.”

And something like:

“I especially want to study under Dr. Mark Adams, Ph.D., as I have been an avid follower and admirer of his work in the field of quantum chemistry, which is not only the field I would choose for my research study, but also is a topic that I am zealous about, personally. I would be more than honoured if I can earn a spot in his research group.”

Do you see how professional it sounds? Such things show how well prepared you are, and how eager you are to study at that university. Now, to write something like this, you obviously need to do lots of research both online and offline, and be very thorough about the college, its facilities, courses, and professors. Yes, it is very difficult, but you better believe it is completely worth all the hard work.

10. Proofread, Edit, and Re-edit. Ask Friends and Family To Grade Your Essay

Another mistake students make is, they try and keep their essays to themselves. Maybe they are shy, or maybe they think their friends and family aren’t necessarily experts on the subject. So they think there’s no point in asking friends and family to critique on their essays. Wrong. Your statement of purpose speaks about you as a student, as an individual. Yes, there is technical slang involved, and yes your family members may not be experts on that. But, they sure are experts on ‘you’. Which is exactly why you should approach them.

They can not only give you additional points to add, but they can give you valuable stories about your childhood or schooling days, which you probably won’t remember. Plus, it’s very easy to say something about others, but at the same time, it’s painfully difficult to describe yourself to someone. Which is why someone very close to you, like friends and family, can describe you accurately. You will get new perspectives on your stories, which sometimes are better than your own versions, and including them in your statement of purpose will do you a lot of good. Also, remember to proofread your statement time and again, and keep on re-editing content until you, your family and friends think you have the best statement in the world.

Remember that your statement of purpose is a literary picture of ‘you’ as a person, and it is representing on your behalf. So, make it a top priority to avoid typos, misplaced commas and semicolons, overused quotes, being too wordy, using too many complex words and sentences, and being too straightforward. Be careful. Be a perfectionist when it comes to writing. It shows how much you care about going to a particular college. And, once you are done with everything, do not forget to ask your friends and family to grade your statement of purpose, and ask them to criticize it accurately, so you can avoid submitting a less than perfect copy of your statement.

11. Take Advice From Professors.

If you know a professor at your undergrad institution, don’t hesitate to approach him/her for advice regarding your statement of purpose. They are of course very experienced prospects, and they might have seen thousands of statement of purposes and students in their careers. So, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for their opinion. Plus, since unlike your family, they are technically sound, they can also provide you valuable insights on how to project your technical expertise and project works in the statement.

After all, a professor knows what another professor looks for in a prospective student, so it would only help if you approach your college professors. And, if they are really close to you, you can also ask them for a really good letter of recommendation. So whichever way you look at it, there are only benefits for you.

Checklist for a Powerful Statement of Purpose

Here’s a basic checklist designed to help you draft a flawless Statement of Purpose. Make sure you write in an organized manner, and cover your points in a proper order. We have given this checklist so that you can write your statement of purpose without confusing yourself and the readers. Following a meticulous order like this will make your statement of purpose a lot better to read and understand about you and your story. Feel free to add anything else to the list if you think it will boost your chances, but remember to not write too much because you would then be exceeding the word limit. 

Organization:

• Introducing yourself in a unique manner.
• Demonstrating your passion for the field.
• Story about your background or experience in the field you’ve chosen.
• Description of your academic background in the field you’ve chosen.
• Specific classes or special courses you have taken, that are related to your field of interest.
• Some of the professors you have studied under, especially if they are well-known in that field.
• Co-curricular and Extracurricular activities in the field of you interest.
• Publications or other professional accomplishments in the field (perhaps conference presentations or public readings)
• Any community service or leadership experience while in college.
• Explanations about problems in background (if needed)
• Explanation of why you have chosen the specific grad school and other related questions as discussed in the beginning of this article.
• Mention what you like about the university you are applying for, and why: facilities, infrastructure, etc.
• Mention names of one or two professors in that school and what you know of and appreciate about their work, and why you want to study or work under their guidance.
• Specific features of the grad program and the university, which attract you personally. And why.
• Get advice from several of your professors, family, and close friends. Ask for stories about yourself.
• Proofread and edit; ask friends and family to proofread for you as well.

So, those are some strategies and tips for you to write a powerful statement of purpose, impress the committee, and thereby ace the admissions process. Make sure you do every one of these things, and you won’t be far away from the college of your dreams. Do you have any strategies that worked well for you? Do let us know in the comments section.

We almost forgot! We are giving away a sample Statement of Purpose for download, so you can get an actual glimpse of how the aforementioned tips and strategies have been incorporated in a real Statement Of Purpose. But remember, this should serve only as an inspiration to your own Statement of Purpose, but not a source to copy from. Close to 10000 students check this space regularly, and if every single one of them uses the same phrases in their own statement of purposes, very soon, everyone will be held for plagiarism. So, try and copy only the framework and the organization, but not the actual content. Happy Writing!

When figuring out how to write a speech, the essay form can offer a good foundation for the process. Just like essays, all speeches have three main sections: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

However, unlike essays, speeches must be written to be heard as opposed to read. You need to write a speech in a way that keeps the attention of an audience and helps paint a mental image at the same time. This simply means that your speech should contain some color, drama, or humor. It should have “flair.” Several tricks to giving a speech flair include using attention-grabbing anecdotes and examples.

Determine the Types of Speech You’re Writing

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Since there are different types of speeches, your attention-grabbing techniques should fit the speech type.

Informative and Instructional speeches inform your audience about a topic, event, or area of knowledge. These can be a how-to on podcasting for teens or a historical report on the Underground Railroad. They also can be related to health and beauty, “How to Shape Perfect Eyebrows,” or hobby-related, “Make a Great Bag Out of Old Clothing.”​

Persuasive speeches attempt to convince or persuade the audience to join one side of an argument. You might write a speech about a life choice, such as, “Abstinence Can Save Your Life,” or getting involved in the community, such as “The Benefits of Volunteering.”

Entertaining speeches entertain your audience, and topics may not practical. Perhaps your speech topic could be something like, “Life Is Like a Dirty Dorm,” or “Can Potato Peels Predict the Future?”

Special occasion speeches entertain or inform your audience, like graduation speeches and toasts at celebrations.

You can explore the different types of speeches and decide what speech type fits your assignment.

Craft a Creative Speech Introduction

Grace Fleming, Thoughtco.com

The introduction of the informative speech should contain an attention-grabber, followed by a statement about your topic. It should end with a strong transition into your body section.

As an example, consider a template for an informative speech called “African-American Heroines.” The length of your speech will depend on the amount of time you have been allotted to speak.

The red section of the speech in the graphic provides the attention-grabber. It makes the audience member think about what life would be like without civil rights.

The last sentence states directly the purpose of the speech and leads into the speech body, which has more details.

Determine the Flow of the Body of the Speech

Grace Fleming, Thoughtco.com

The body of your speech can be organized in a number of ways, depending on your topic. Suggested organization patterns are:

• Chronological: Provides the order of events in time.
• Spatial: Gives an overview of physical arrangement or design.
• Topical: Presents information one subject at a time.
• Causal: Shows cause and effect pattern.

The speech pattern above is topical. The body is divided into sections that address different people (different topics).

Speeches typically include three sections (topics) in the body. This speech would continue to contain a third section about Susie King Taylor.

Writing a Memorable Speech Conclusion

Grace Fleming, Thoughtco.com

The conclusion of your speech should restate the main points you covered in your speech and end with a memorable statement.

In the sample above, the red section restates the overall message you wanted to convey: that the three women you’ve mentioned had strength and courage, despite the odds they faced.

The quote is an attention-grabber since it is written in colorful language. The blue section ties the entire speech together with a small twist.

Address These Key Objectives

Whatever type of speech you decide to write, you should find ways to make your words memorable. Those elements include:

• Clever quotes
• Amusing storieswith a purpose
• Meaningful transitions
• A good ending

The structure of how to write your speech is just the start. You’ll also need to finesse the speech a bit. Start by paying attention to your audience and their interests. Write the words you’ll speak with passion and enthusiasm, but you also want your listeners to share that enthusiasm. When writing your attention-grabbing statements, make sure you are writing what will get their attention, not just yours. 

Gain inspiration from others’ speeches. Read famous speeches and look at the way those successful speeches are constructed. Find things that stand out and figure out what makes it interesting. Oftentimes, speechwriters use a lot of rhetorical devices to make certain points easy to remember and to emphasize them. ​

Remember to begin and end your speech with something that will gain and hold the attention of your audience. If you spend too much time getting into your speech, people will zone out or start checking their phones. If you get them interested immediately, they will be more likely to stick with you until the end.  

How you deliver the speech is also important. When you give the speech, think about the tone you should use, and be sure to write the speech in the same flow that you’d use in conversations. A great way to check this flow is to practice reading it out loud. If you stumble while reading or it feels monotone, look for ways to jazz up the words and improve the flow. 

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.