If you want to get your message across to a wider audience, you need to create content that journalists and reporters will love. Journalists and reporters are busy, selective, and skeptical, so you have to catch their attention, provide value, and build trust. Here are some tips on how to do that.
Before you create any content, you need to research the media outlets and journalists that cover your industry, niche, or topic. Find out what kind of stories they publish, what angles they prefer, what format they use, and what tone they adopt. You can use tools like Google News, Twitter, or HARO to identify and follow relevant media sources and contacts. This will help you tailor your content to their needs and expectations.
In my experience, it is crucial to think like the reporter. Create a narrative and story with the media member and their specific audience in mind and at the core, not necessarily your client’s. Ask yourself what’s in it for them and their readers/viewers. Figure that out first then weave in the client’s value proposition that will help create a compelling story.
I like to work backwards and start by identifying the top 10-20 outlets that matter most to the client and work forensically to find writers there who make sense. Once I've honed in on my targets (based on reading and research), it's a matter of capturing their interest with a pitch that's relevant to them, that's newsy and not self-serving, and that offers smart data and/or insights about what's happening in the wider world. Client credentials are also important.
Los medios están compitiendo con las redes sociales en velocidad para generar contenido e informar. Cada vez es más desafiante para una organización generar contenido que sea de valor para un medio y le permita ganar relevancia y velocidad en el ciberespacio. No obstante, no olvidemos los fundamentos de la noticia: novedad, interés y coyuntura. El contenido tendrá mejor recepción en un medio si se tiene en cuenta esos elementos. Una noticia en exclusiva siempre será un buen gancho para un contenido relevante, por ejemplo.
Hire an out of work journalist and ask them. Surely you’ve seen all the cutbacks in the news industry. A lot of very seasoned people took buyouts or got pushed out. You can now have their expertise for a song. When your client has a bad idea you can run it by your news consultant and if they rip it to shreds then you are just passing on the feedback from a journalist. Been doing this as a side hustle for years.
I never pitch a reporter completely cold. I will follow and interact with their social content, compliment a well done piece, etc. Then, when it’s time to pitch the reporter, I tell them WHY I think they will find the pitch interesting and tie it back to a few past pieces they’ve written. To be clear - this is a tactic that takes time, but the results are far more effective than a standard pitch.
Your headline is the first thing that journalists and reporters will see, so you need to make it compelling and clear. Use words that convey urgency, curiosity, relevance, or emotion, but avoid clickbait, hype, or exaggeration. Your headline should summarize the main point of your content and include keywords that match the media outlet's style and audience. You can use tools like CoSchedule Headline Analyzer or Sharethrough Headline Analyzer to test and improve your headlines.
Absolutely agree! With people's attention span decreasing year by year, it's crucial to capture their interest within seconds. Emphasizing effective subjects and headlines is key. I often tell my team to craft content that you'd eagerly share with friends on WhatsApp – something that instantly grabs attention! #EffectiveCommunication
Hot Headline Tip (from a former journo and corporate media trainer): Use the "ST Factor" in the headline. Eg. best, first, fastest, latest, biggest, longest, greatest etc
Crafting a compelling and clear headline is critical for getting your content noticed. A great headline can make the difference between a journalist or reporter clicking on your story or passing it by. Using words that convey urgency, curiosity, relevance, or emotion can grab the reader's attention and entice them to read further. However, it's important to avoid sensationalized language or clickbait tactics, which can damage your credibility and turn readers away. Summarizing the main point of your content in the headline is key, and including relevant keywords can help your story to be easily found and indexed by search engines.
Es evidente que el titular debe ser atractivo o "seductor", primero para los ojos del periodista y luego para los ojos del público al que estemos apuntando.
I tend to focus on the core issue on the subject matter of the headline. I do not rely upon other third party sources to eschew the originality of my point of view.
Your summary is the second thing that journalists and reporters will read, so you need to make it informative and concise. Your summary should provide the key facts and figures of your content, such as who, what, when, where, why, and how. You should also highlight the value proposition and the unique selling point of your content, such as what problem it solves, what benefit it offers, or what insight it reveals. You can use tools like Hemingway Editor or Grammarly to check and refine your summary.
In my experience, a crisp summary covering all the key issues and solutions, serves as an important differentiator. It also helps in simplifying the jargon and gets the message across to the target group.
A well-crafted summary can be the difference between a journalist or reporter reading your entire pitch or dismissing it. A concise, informative summary that provides key facts, figures, and information can help journalists quickly understand the value and relevance of your story. Highlighting the value proposition and unique selling point of your content can also make it more compelling and engaging. Using writing tools such as Hemingway Editor or Grammarly to check your summary for clarity, grammar, and readability can help to ensure that your message is communicated effectively. A strong, concise summary can help to capture the attention of journalists and increase the likelihood that your story will be published.
Package your content in easily consumed Kng and short format and ensure short form is framed as social targeted shareable bite sizes. Ensure content has a compelling headline sparking interest and closes with a clear call-to-action and an accessible and appealing hook. But above all else make sure the content has a distinct and strong supporting visual drawcard. Media regardless of new or old platforms craves good copy and as is critical as this is - strong visuals are mission critical.
Generar contenido con cifras, respaldadas por instituciones de prestigio y ojalá comparables. Eso permite entregar una información precisa y de gran interés en los medios. Ahora, si se suma una explicación experta, mucho mejor.
En mi experiencia tras casi 30 a?os ejerciendo la profesión de periodista, siempre es mejor un texto corto y concreto. Es mejor que el lector se quede con ganas de más antes que deba hacer un esfuerzo para terminar el texto.
Your structure is the third thing that journalists and reporters will scan, so you need to make it simple and logical. Your structure should follow the inverted pyramid model, which means that you start with the most important information and then provide more details and background. You should also use subheadings, bullet points, lists, and quotes to break up your text and make it easier to read and understand. You can use tools like Yoast SEO or Readable to assess and optimize your structure.
Your first line and headline are key. Starting with why they should they care and creating urgency if possible, while making sure it’s relevant to what’s happening in the world. Bullet out any key details and if it’s an email then lay out any additional need to knows’ below your signature to keep key points concise. The shorter the better.
After years of creating internal and external presentations to communicate new ideas and opportunities with the objective of garnering buy in on investments in technology and innovation to advance the business, I find it paramount to frontload the payoff or the “why” in the initial statements and then gently roll out the technical details of the "how" in digestible morsels which allows everyone of all technical competencies and attention spans to be on the same page.
The structure of your pitch is critical for making your story easy to read and understand. The inverted pyramid model, which prioritizes the most important information first and gradually provides more details, is a tried-and-true structure that journalists are familiar with. Using subheadings, bullet points, lists, and quotes to break up the text can also make your story more engaging and readable. Tools such as Yoast SEO or Readable can help you to optimize your structure for readability, clarity, and SEO. A well-structured pitch can make it easier for journalists to quickly grasp the key points and understand the value of your story. In turn, this can increase the chances that your story will be published and reach a wider audience.
Study the way your target publication tells stories. If they love starting with a strong stat, do the same. Put your best number first. Show them clearly why your story fits their style and audience. This isn't just about making a good pitch, it's about showing you get what they and their readers like. This approach isn't just more likely to get your story noticed, it shows you understand their work.
Ao abordar a estrutura de um comunicado de imprensa é importante manter a simplicidade, mas o foco principal deve ser a relevancia do conteúdo. Conteúdos relevantes frequentemente incluem dados interessantes, pesquisas ou informa??es provenientes de institutos, órg?os governamentais ou entidades prestigiadas. Esses elementos conferem credibilidade ao seu conteúdo e aumentam seu valor aos olhos dos jornalistas e do público. Uma estrutura simples, combinada com informa??es bem fundamentadas e relevantes, pode fazer uma grande diferen?a na eficácia da sua comunica??o.
Your visual elements are the fourth thing that journalists and reporters will notice, so you need to make them attractive and relevant. Your visual elements should complement and enhance your text, not distract or contradict it. You should use high-quality images, videos, graphs, charts, or infographics that illustrate your data, examples, or stories. You should also provide captions, credits, and sources for your visual elements. You can use tools like Canva, Piktochart, or Lumen5 to create and edit your visual elements.
Visual elements can be a powerful tool for capturing the attention of journalists and readers and for conveying information in a more engaging and memorable way. Using high-quality images, videos, graphs, charts, and infographics can help to illustrate your data and examples, and can make your story more visually appealing and compelling. However, it's important to ensure that these visual elements are relevant and enhance the text, rather than distract from it or contradict it. Providing captions, credits, and sources for visual elements can help to ensure that they are accurately and properly attributed, and can increase the credibility of your story.
Broadcast newsrooms are working with less and less people. This means when you know your content is worthy but might not rise to the level of sending a news crew, you can still get :20-:30 of coverage by providing a link to download some video and a short sound bite. An added benefit is you gain more control over what material hits the air.
Be careful of adding too many extras to a press release. Keep everything simple and within the body of an email and never send attachments, unless you’ve been asked for further information. You can provide a link to images. Journalists don’t have time to look at lots of additional attachments.
Visual elements, like charts, infographics, models, and renderings, can set your story apart from the pack—and that's so important in saturated conversations. When pitching product visuals to reporters, limit branded embellishments—like logos, starbursts, and filters—which come off as too promotional for earned media. Also, keep the product imagery accurate to the user experience so as not to mislead readers.
Muchas veces, un gráfico o una imagen dicen mucho más que las palabras. Cuadros estadísticos simples son una herramienta fundamental. Lo mismo pasa con las fotografías, más aún cuando son generadas por reporteros gráficos que conocen los secretos de la profesión.
Your call to action is the fifth thing that journalists and reporters will consider, so you need to make it clear and easy. Your call to action should tell them what you want them to do next, such as contact you, visit your website, download your report, or share your content. You should also provide your contact details, such as your name, email, phone, or social media handles. You can use tools like HubSpot or OptinMonster to design and track your call to action.
Get right to the point - many folks include too much fussy language without getting to what they're asking journalists for - open up - I have this story and am looking for this coverage - then provide the context - put the journalist should know by the subject line and first couple of sentences what you're pitching and why they should be interested.
Every well-structured written article should answer the What Next Question. What are you asking the reader to do? The storyline should be geared at challenging the reader to take action or contribute to something related to the topic.? The call to action should create more opportunities for further discussions and investigations among peers.? Therefore, the message should be easy to understand,?deliver, and apply.
Key Principles for an Effective CTA: Clarity and Simplicity: Make your CTA clear and straightforward. Journalists should instantly grasp the desired action without ambiguity. Diverse Action Options: Tailor your CTA to diverse actions, ensuring flexibility. Whether it's contacting you, exploring your website, or sharing content, provide options that align with journalistic preferences. Contact Details: Accompany your CTA with your contact details—name, email, phone, or social media handles. Facilitate seamless communication by offering multiple avenues.
Incluir um CTA é fundamental para qualquer pe?a de comunica??o. Imagine atrair o seu público e n?o ter como ele se comunicar com você, seja num direcionamento para seu site, produto, whatsapp, email, telefone, endere?o, etc.
Neste tópico, é fundamental ter um CTA que seja claro e direto, para saber se sua história será contada. Já nas primeiras linhas fa?a um bom pitch para que ele entenda a importante daquele assunto e se interesse. Ofere?a várias possibilidades para que o jornalista decida qual é o melhor meio para que ele possa entrar em contato com você, seja por e-mail ou telefone. Mas lembre-se que esse tipo de abordagem é comum e nem sempre terá respostas, já que o jornalista tem pouco tempo e acumula atividades.
Relevance. The content must be relevant to real time events, trends and developments that are driving markets, industries, regions, and economies. Also, creating content and producing insights that anticipates where the story will be, is also a winning formula for attracting journalist attention.
Consider complementing your pitch with both quantitative and qualitative facts, insights and proof points to create a compelling story and narrative. Journalists love data and insights that are unique and exclusive
This might seem obvious but have 1-2 articulate and unique sources available to recommend. A doctor and a patient. A nonprofit and a client. A school board member and a student. And have them available in a visually interesting location. Those sound bites or quotes along with the “staging area” will enhance a story.
All great stories are built around people who audiences can relate to. So tell the journalist who she'll get to interview, offer to make the introductions and then get out of the way. Ideally, you'll connect the journalist with an ordinary person who's done something extraordinary because of your organization. The person with the most impressive job title in your organization may not be the most interesting, intriguing and inspirational person to build a story around. Also remember that all journalists - and their editors and producers - will be asking "why should anyone care?" and "why should we tell this story now?". The more people who will care about your story, the better your chances of the journalist taking it on.
Be skilled in how a reporter writes, thinks, and interviews. Your content needs to mimic this style. It's why so many journalists transition to PR and marketing! They are incredible storytellers. Your content should be an incredible story as well that answers all the questions you knew you had and didn't know you had. Good content makes you learn something new in a memorable way, and this is what journalists do every day. Challenge your content and put it to the test. It needs to be concise and tell a story about something you didn't know about before.