In an ever-changing media landscape, how do you know what journalists will want to cover? How do you deliver the best media hook and get them to bite on a story pitch?
Every story has a journalist that’s willing to write about it. Your job is to find a way to position your story so it’s appealing to that journalist.
But how?
The Hook Brings You Back
This is where the words of Blues Traveler ring true: “…the hook brings you back.”
“A hook is a way of presenting your news or story that will stimulate interest from your chosen media audience.”
In other words, the hook is what gets a journalist or an audience to pay attention and want to learn more.
Finding the hook is the secret sauce of a public relations professional. It’s a sort of sixth sense to look at a story idea and identify what specific audiences will be interested in.
But, finding the right hook for your story can be challenging, even for some of the most experienced public relations professionals.
The Foundation
Before you even start your hook-finding process, there are a few key things to keep in mind to keep you grounded in a solid communications strategy:
- Know Your Audience: who are you trying to reach with this message? What are the preferences of that reporter you’re getting ready to pitch? How do they typically communicate to their audiences? These are all questions that need to be answered to craft the perfect hook for your story.
- Research: do your homework on the topic and know what else is out there about your storyline. Have others talked about it before? Have studies been conducted on this topic? Has that reporter covered this type of story in the past? This helps determine how to craft your pitch and your hook for the greatest impact. It also helps prepare you for potential questions during your conversations.
- Keep the Goal in Mind: it’s easy to get lost in creating the BEST PITCH EVER, that sometimes we forget why we’re doing it. Is the goal to get that journalist to write about your product/service in a certain way? To get them to want to learn more? Remember what you’re trying to achieve with this effort and make sure every action supports that goal.
Finding The Best Media Hook
Pitching media is as much art as it is science, so make sure you check out our previous blog on Tips for Pitching Media.
Crafting The Perfect Media Pitch
Regardless if it’s a national TV outlet, a regional newspaper or an industry blog, you have to have your hook spot-on to increase your chances of getting your story picked up.
There are many strategies to crafting compelling hooks, but here are five strategies that I have found particularly effective:
- Make it Timely and Relevant – if you’re pitching a story about something that was “so 2019” and not relevant in the lives of your audience, they’re going to send it straight to the trash bin. Even if it’s something you’ve been doing for a while, find a way to make it timely for what’s happening today.
- The Story Behind the Story – Dig deeper than the surface level to flesh out your story, and your hook. You may be promoting a new product, but perhaps there’s a story about someone that was positively impacted by that product. Or a family that’s attended that annual event for the last 15 years. Find something that goes beyond the surface level.
- The Personal Touch – this goes back to doing your homework. Find a way to make it personal and meaningful to your audience. If you’re pitching a reporter, maybe they have a story that ties in to your pitch to make it meaningful for them.
- Trending News – is there a particular trend or hot topic that relates to your pitch or storyline? Journalists want to report on things that their audiences are talking about, so tailor your pitch so it provides a twist on something that’s trending or topical for your audiences.
- Nationalize a Local Story, Localize a National Story – look for what’s happening on the national news scene that will help frame your story to broaden its impact and appeal for journalists. Reporters are always looking for a local angle or expert for a national story, or a story that has national relevance. Use this to your advance…give them what they want!
As you’re creating your news hooks, here are some recent blogs to help guide your planning:
– Don’t Let Perfect Be The Enemy Of Effective
– Wake Up. Kick Ass. Repeat.
– Why Owned Media Is Vital In Your Communications Mix
– How to Create Content That Engages Audiences and Builds Brand Trust Quickly
– 7 Tips to Measure Your Strategic Communications Campaigns
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