Media resources continue to remain tight and more and more outlets are relying on contributed content. This presents a great opportunity for organizations to position themselves as thought leaders in their respective industries.
But what types of stories tend to resonate with editors and readers? When I’m writing blog posts, I typically write about tips, and there is a reason: People tend to scan rather than deeply read and absorb articles. Articles that are in the form of lists or quick tips provide the key takeaways quickly and clearly. I came across an article in Ragan’s called, “3 reasons list stories work,” written by Lydia Howard, that suggests why list stories are the way to go.
Consider the following:
- People Have Short Attention Spans. People have a limited amount of time and often receive news and information on the go. This means you only have a limited time to make your point. SocialTimes posted an infographic that suggests social media has shortened our attention span from 12 minutes to five minutes. People are more impatient and they want information quickly. Short and sweet also makes an article easier to share. For example, a tweet that reads “Learn five tips for better buying” is more enticing than a tweet that points to an essay about the evolution of the buying experience.
- You Can Be Bold. With a list or tip story, your point can usually be one compelling sentence per tip. You can include explanations following your statement, but the bold statements help to keep it memorable.
- Your Content Lasts Longer. Howard points out that in-depth articles typically analyze current events or trends. This means that the article can become irrelevant more quickly. With list or tip stories, you are typically providing guidance that can be useful months down the road.
We partnered with our client Attachmate to pitch a list story that highlighted the “Top File Transfer Headaches and How to Find Relief.” The article set up a problem and provided five potential headaches an organization may face when transferring files and what solutions are available. The article appeared in Data Center Journal and positioned Attachmate’s Sam Morris as a thought leader in the industry. The five headaches are bold, memorable and still relevant today.
When developing a pitch for media, consider pitching a list-format story. It helps condense the points you want to get across and can have a big impact on readers.