The current times are cruising through a 24×7 multimedia age where brands still crave premium media space despite a plethora of opportunities. To gain presence in the ‘mediaverse’ can feel daunting even when you have a great story to tell. Moral? Write like an editor and follow some simple best practices in drafting attention-worthy stories so that your emails don’t land up in the virtual trash bin.
Most media professionals confess that they spend only a few seconds reading the subject line, which decides the fate of your emails. Bigger brands have it easy because they are omnipresent but smaller companies got to be creative. Captivating subject lines promise newsworthy information and gets the media to click and read through your email and attachments. When media doors open at the first knock with impressive subject lines, you have won the attention but the real task only begins.
Be it media pitches, articles, releases, or press alerts; all of them are valuable tools that work even after you think their purpose is served. They promote your business and therefore should be drafted such that it archives important data for future use and improves your SEO as well. One must have in mind these integral aspects while drafting stories for the media. Once the editors get to know that you know the tricks of the trade, your reputation is built to last.
Media means business and your content should deliver justice to their time and attention. Avoid echoing where your headline and sub-headline say the same thing as repetition does more harm to your reputation. Also, content curation for the press isn’t an opportunity to show off your language skills. Editors abhor language that’s tedious, dense, and difficult to get through. If they’re unable to pull off a point even after reading the entire press release, the efforts put into the draft do not count. Cut the chase, explain what’s important and key takeaways in crisp and clear language.
The biggest mistake to make is assuming one draft will suffice all. Your stories should fit the needs, demographics, and interests of the reader profiles to gain traction. Having said that, the needs of a lifestyle magazine are different than that of a lifestyle influencer or blogger. Gain an edge over these nuances to make your pitches relevant and compelling. If you are clear about your message to the audience of a particular publication then it makes it easier to get the media to buy your story.
Go that extra mile to study how the media publishes their stories. Right from interviews, product launches to industry analysis; there is a pattern that’s unique to each publication. It is imperative that you thoroughly do this homework before pitching for exclusive stories. Analyzing the components and understanding why those stories were published helps in gaining better insight into what the editors are looking for. Think format, not topic.
Understanding what your client wants to convey and spinning it into what publishers want to read is an effective content strategy.
