The average sound bite is only 8 seconds long.
To be heard, you have to be concise. That is the reality in today’s media environment. Media space is in short supply. The average television news story is a minute and thirty seconds. The average sound bite is now less than eight seconds. Newspaper quotes are rarely longer than a sentence or two.
It’s a reality few people like: to get their message out, corporations, organizations and politicians all have to adapt. Condensing complex, multi-faceted issues into quotable, media-friendly nuggets is an increasingly vital skill.
Communicating within your office or organization is comparatively easy. People there are paid to listen. Journalists and consumers of news are not.
If the message is too long or dull it will be shut out. A simple click of the mouse or remote control is all it takes.
Shandobil Communications will work with you to sharpen your message.
Here’s How
- Determine your organization’s top three goals: what should your audience do after they hear your message?
- Analyze your audience.
- Craft messages to meet your different audiences.
- Make your message relevant: answer the “what’s in it for me” question.
- Show real life context and benefits: stories and anecdotes that illustrate the benefits.
- Create the “elevator pitch”: a message so clear and concise it grabs your audience between the lobby and 10th floor.
- Clarity is king: make your message easy to understand.
- Strip away insider language: reach out to your audience.
- Come up with the hook: make the message irresistible to the media.
- Differentiate your message from your competitor’s message.
- Come up with proofs to support the veracity of your message.
- Identify the ideal media outlets for your message.
- Road test the message: bring in new eyes.
