I recently penned this article which was picked up by NZBusiness and NewsTalk ZB’ ‘Bosses Rebuilding’ with Heather Du Plessis-Allan, which showcased the story of ReachMedia’s CEO and his leadership approach during Covid.
It takes a lot for mainstream media to pick up an article these days and they’re like sniffer dogs for any whiff of a sneaky sales pitch…or self-serving company promotion.
Along with some successes for my own marketing brand in the publications space this year, I thought I’d take pen to paper to jot down a couple of helpful tips if you too are seeking to have a voice as a key thought leader. And to give my quick-fire tips for how to do it in a way that will generate interest and leave an impression, either in mainstream media or within your own social networks.
For me it’s just about:
The care factor.
Asking yourself: why do people need to know what you’ve got to say? How will it help them? Why should they stop to read? Why is this topic something they should read about right now.
The delivery of the story
You’ve got to entertain: regardless of whether it’s the latest ebook on BitCoin analysis or a Will Farrell movie, we humans love to be ‘entertained’. This can mean as much as a well thought out paragraph with straight forward language as it can mean side-stitches laughter. Think about the journey the reader will go on with you through your piece, as if it was a movie. Some depth in the ‘characters’ (honesty and openness), the highs and lows (failings, learnings and successes…) and the organisation of the information – easy, quick if possible, punchy.
The cut-through.
Click-bait with no value delivery? = No. But a quirky angle, a stop-scrolling title?…A moment of truth shared? If relevant to your piece, these brave and creative factors will start the journey for your reader.
The above can be difficult when you’re writing about yourself.
So the final tip would be to consider getting someone (i.e. me 🙂 ) to ‘interview’ you and write it up on your behalf. You could provide the raw views, opinions, lessons and facts.