How to Create a News Hook that Grabs the Audience’s Attention

Immediately grabbing your audience’s attention is an integral part of keeping the readers and viewers engaged and interested in your topic. Creating an attention-grabbing news hook ensures that the audience is not only initially captivated, but that they stay interested in your information.

Using a news hook that is relatable and relevant to the audience will encourage them to consume your content. How exactly do you go about finding a news hook that will prove your topic is relevant? Read on to find out!

 

Facts come first

With video or audio, you have about 3 seconds to grab your audience’s attention before they move on. When using a news hook, be sure to start your information off with important facts that will leave your readers or viewers wanting more.

Use things such as polls, statistics or case studies to further prove that your story is relevant. Link to or mention other articles or news stories connected to your topic to help support facts and prove timeliness. 

 

Keep it simple

Keep your language concise, yet thorough. The goal is to make sure your audience gets the most out of the content they consume. Include the who, what, when, where, why, and how in the first paragraph or two or first minute of your story. Your audience needs to know exactly what they are diving into and be encouraged to continue listening to or reading what you have to say.

Spell out any acronyms you use so your audience can follow along. Avoid industry jargon that people may find confusing or that you would need to explain in further detail. The fastest way to lose someone’s interest is to make them have to do their own research to understand the content. 

 

Do your research

Research is essential when crafting a news story. Many websites have pages upon pages of news stories with little to no engagement. The story has all the facts; why isn’t anyone interested? 

Researching an event or story is the easy part. You need to research the audience or media that you’re pitching to and make sure your content is relatable and relevant to them specifically. Having an audience that connects to your story creates engagement and interest. Put yourself in their shoes; why would your topic or tips matter to them? Leverage quotes and interviews from members of that community or audience that your story will impact to make it more relatable.

 

Utilize timeliness and impact

Getting your story out timely is an important aspect of ensuring that your audience will be eager to read it. No one wants to read old news on repeat. Make the story timely and be sure that you list the impacts that this story has on your specific audience. 

Personalize the data you’ve found; how will your readers understand what’s happening if they can’t understand the data you’re presenting to them? Will anything change for them? How will this affect the community? Addressing these questions for your audience will connect them personally to what they are reading.

 

Stand out

How do you intend to make your story stand out? What’s different about what you’re saying? Provide a twist for your audience to make them want to hear what you have to say! Give them information that other media may have missed, make the information relatable and utilize human interest to make your story stand out.

 

Be objective

If you only see one side of the story about a particularly trendy topic, don’t be afraid to represent the other side. The danger of a single story is that the audience is not exposed to the other angles. Enlighten them! Use this opportunity to be the contrarian and talk about what everyone else is choosing to overlook. Representing the opposing side can also position you as an expert and compel people to want to hear more about what you have to say. Make yourself a reliable source for unbiased news.

When you’re trying to create scroll-stopping news hooks, remember, the content has to make your audience want to stop and read. Make your news hook stand out despite all the noise and quick news that is available online. 

Do you have trouble curating eye-catching news hooks? If you need help identifying your target audience, crafting perfect pitches, or developing content that stops viewers in their tracks, book a call with me today! We can find the perfect plan that suits you and your needs while creating pitches and news hooks that get you noticed!