As PR professionals, we want to spark the interest of busy journalists to motivate them to consider our story idea. These journalists receive hundreds of pitches per day. So, how do we pique their interest?

Success often starts with presenting compelling information to journalists at the right time. It sounds pretty simple, but it can prove to be quite difficult. It’s challenging to PR professionals because we need to have newsworthy content and know how to frame it correctly. This means articulating a clear story angle and demonstrating why it is news.

The story angle is the specific viewpoint or perspective from which a writer tells his or her story – and often the same story can be told from a different viewpoint. Consider the fairytale of the “Three Little Pigs.” The story traditionally is told from the perspective of the pigs who are upset with the big bad wolf for blowing down the first pig’s straw house and the second pig’s house of sticks. The wolf is unable to destroy the third pig’s house, made of bricks.

This same story, however, can be told from a different angle. In “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, the story is told from the wolf’s perspective. For more on this, check out this fun YouTube video.

Our distribution of a press release about Richmond Capital Partners acquiring Smartlabs Inc. is a clear example of how different perspectives can shape the story angle. For this distribution, each reporter covered the news using a different angle. Casey Coombs with Puget Sound Business Journal decided his angle would focus on Rob Lilleness and his next career move. While Paresh Dave with the L.A. Times focused on the financial aspect of the acquisition. These reporters covered the same news, but used different angles for their stories.

According to Ragan’s PR Daily article, 16 Story Angles That Reporters Relish, some elements that make for a strong story angle include: conflict, an incident, extremes or superlatives, originality, relevance, and emotion. The inclusion of at least one of these elements, along with a personalized perspective, is a sure way to create an interesting and easily manifested story.

When pitching a story or writing an article, it is a good idea to consider all the potential angles and why each of those angles are significant. That way, you can weigh the pros and cons of one story angle versus another to come up with the strongest possible edge. Once you’ve decided on the story angle, you’ll begin writing and developing your lead.

Leads (or ledes) are strong, concise and usually are composed of 30 words or less. A lead is composed of the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the story. Using a relevant anecdote comprised with specificity to the story to is an effective way to create a lead and pique the reader’s interest.

Here are some examples of intriguing leads:

• “Silicon Valley’s steady march toward self-driving cars took another step forward Friday as the ride-hailing company Lyft said its customers will be able to summon a driverless vehicle on some roads by the end of the year.” – The Washington Post
• “In eight decades since Amelia Earhart’s ill-fated flight around the globe, residents of her Kansas hometown have grown used to renowned historians and armchair researchers claiming to have finally solved the mystery of her disappearance.” – The New York Times

The headline creates motivation for the readers to determine whether or not they will invest time in reading your story. Headlines create an initial impression that will either draw readers in or fail to capture their attention.

In our blog post revolving around which headlines resonate with readers, we investigate what makes for an engaging headline and the steps the New York Times has taken to ensure its content is receiving views. As Mark Bulik, senior editor at the Times points out, the headlines with the most success are clear, powerful, and written in a conversational tone.

Headlines must embody the underlying theme of the story, and try not to mislead readers into thinking the story is something different, entirely. For more information on how to make an impact with your headline, read our blog post How Headlines Shape Perceptions.

Below is a sampling of the headlines about Richmond Capital Partners acquiring Smartlabs, Inc. (a full list of the editorial coverage is included in this post). By scanning these you can see at a glance, the various angles that reporters used:

• Cash infusion could bring Smartlabs more recognition, L.A. Times
• Smartlabs to open Seattle office after it’s acquired by Richmond Capital, The Seattle Times
• Seattle tech veteran buys first IoT company with new investment firm, Puget Sound Business Journal

For more articles to help you build your PR skills, please check out these related Communiqué PR blogs:

• Writing the Winning Press Release
• Understanding AP Style and its Importance
• Seven Habits of Highly Effective Writers
• Thoughts on Feature Writing
• Communiqué PR What Makes a Good Story