A new study came out today reported by Vox.com showing that Americans now spend 8 hours a day consuming media on their various screen. If you create media messages, it’s the best of times, there’s never been a better time in history. Unfortunately, since there are now about 8 billion web posts, videos, tweets, and books being posted every minute of the day, it’s the worst of times for producers of media messages, if they want people to actually consume their messages.
Increasingly, the hardest skill to teach and master for anyone who aspires to communicate to larger audiences is this: how to be interesting. Whether it is what you say or who you are, the rarest commodity is saying something or being interesting.
And if you aren’t willing to distribute a sex tape, like Kim Kardashian, or reveal all about your change in gender, it can be even harder.
Too many people, when they begin the process of drafting a press release, new website or even a book, focus primarily on gathering as many facts as possible. But that is the wrong focus. In an internet era, there is almost no value to facts, because they can be found instantly for free.
The first focus for anyone drafting a press release, web page or book should be answering this question:
“What is the one idea or message I have that will truly stand out as interesting, memorable, different and unique to people?”
Don’t go to step two until you’ve answered that question. If you can’t come up with an answer to that question, maybe you shouldn’t bother putting out a release, web page or book, because it’s unlikely you can get more than 5 people to look at it. In that case, just call up the five people and tell it to them. It will be cheaper and faster for you and a better experience for those five people.
TJ Walker is president of Media Training Worldwide. You can find his online training courses here. https://www.mediatrainingworldwide.com/online-training.html