Soundbites. Entrepreneurs & Founders Need Them Now - Here’s WHY.
News likes speed, clarity, and impact.
Can you imagine how many other stories are competing for the same 20–30 seconds of airtime or whitespace in a printed publication as yours? Creating a bank of short, sensational, memorable snippets of your overall messaging will help position your brand to move at the speed of news cycles in a crystal clear way that sways the audience in your direction.
I trust that you’ve already learned the importance of having a 2–3 minute elevator pitch (or lift speech, depending on what part of the world you are in) in your memory bank at all times. I suggest memorizing 2–3 soundbites and creating their digital equivalent somewhere in your online footprint, as well. Like an elevator pitch, you design a soundbite to sell a message in a short amount of time.
For the purposes of this article, soundbites are not those ‘hot mic’ moments that celebrities and politicians get shamed for...after which, people like my team of Press Relations experts then clean up and create a new story for people to dwell on.
In this article, soundbites or sound bites or the very fancy sound bytes, in their short and simple form, are an extract of a speech or audio that summarizes, promotes, or exemplifies your larger, overall message. It’s typically nothing more than a short phrase or a sentence that entices the reader or listener. Beware, if your soundbite is too good though, it can easily overshadow your actual message.
So, if you’ve never put thought into creating a pocketful of soundbites…and want to start now…keep reading on.
You’ve got a message, product, service, or position on a matter that has caught the attention of your local news desk…or more likely, your Media Relations has pitched you to your local news stations, and now there’s a reporter and cameraperson coming to record you and learn more about what you have to say. Great. Congratulations; you’re making news. You get all dressed up, except for your shoes because you’ll be standing and want to be comfortable; and you practice an entire keynote speech. You spend several minutes in a pre-recorded conversation…maybe even twenty with the news crew. You tell everyone that you know to watch you on the 10 pm news. When your story airs, the camera is pointed at your feet and all that is shared is two quick blurbs of audio from the entire conversation.
Not your fault…you were probably just unprepared to be succinct and clear when you were asked the first couple of questions from the reporter. So, let’s really give the reporters, journalists, and online influencers something to quote you on. Use these three (3) clues to deliver a stellar, sharp soundbite next time you have a radio or tv spot to tell your story on.
- The media has time restrictions to contend with. Deliver your best talking points early to capture the lion’s share of air time.
- Plenty of others are competing for the same airtime and media coverage as you. Your soundbite has to stand out from the pack to stand a better chance at competing for coverage.
- Speak the media jargon back to the reporter or journalist. Use the terms ‘grabs’ or ‘clips’ and outright ask how many they would like you to provide so you can value your time and theirs.
Let’s be clear in a world that is often satisfied with limited, bits of abbreviated information, do not solely rely on creating sound bites to carry your message. There is an audience somewhere that will appreciate the effort and value that you’ve added through your entire message. While soundbites will get you earned media, keep pumping out the content that will also get you booked on stages and paid your value plus tax.
For musical artists, your soundbite, sound clip, or audio clip is a bit different. I’m covering the importance of having an Electronic Press Kit in an upcoming article stay tuned.
Creative Writing experts, like the team at AscentMediaPro.net, can help you generate soundbites that help you show up out front & in the news.
or read my previous article by clicking the image below:
Successful people do what unsuccessful people refuse to. That’s why Ascent Media Production (AMP) Network offers creative products, influential media promotion services, and relationships that help you show up out front and in the news.
Cheers,
President and Editor-in-Chief, AscentMediaPro.net
