Viewers are not paying nearly the attention we think they are. They are usually doing something else while watching the news and that means we have to work extremely hard to capture their attention. And that magic moment has to happen within the first 20 seconds, maybe even 10 seconds!
Compelling video and sound
If you have great video, don’t back into it. Get right to it. Often reporters will go into the field and get some great sound or pictures, and then try and save it for their story. But if it’s that good, you want viewers to see it right off the top of the show. If you are a reporter with great stuff, you want to share that material with promotions, the producers, etc. The more viewers know the station has great content, the more likely they are to watch.
Start the show and the story with the great material. It’s okay to repeat it. Used in the lead-in, it’s just a set up for the story; it’s the magic moment that grabs the viewers. It’s then up to the reporter to put it all into context.
Newsmakers and guests
The same theory applies with newsmakers and guests. If you have a book author coming on the morning show to talk about ways to save money at the grocery store, don’t spend the first 20 seconds introducing the author and setting up the author’s credentials. Get right to it. You almost want to start in the middle. Get right to the best tip or advice. Don’t start off with a long winded set-up: “We are joined this morning with an expert in how to save money at the grocery store. We are delighted to have The Frugal Shopper with us who has written a book called ‘Saving money in the grocery aisle.’ Jim, welcome to the show. How are you doing today? Thanks for coming and visiting us today. These are pretty tough times aren’t they?” See, no magic moment. No compelling reason for the viewers to stay. They figure it’s going to be the same lame tips they’ve heard before.
Instead, just get right to the most important information:
Talent: “Tips now on saving money at the grocery store. The Frugal Shopper is here!”
Guest: “First of all, the best time to shop is early in the morning, before 9am, because that’s the best time to get the marked down items. Also, the best deals are on the front and back of the supermarket flyer.”
See, you’ve just given two great tips, right in the first 20 seconds. Viewers are hooked. If it’s a book they are pitching, you can plug that at the end of the interview. Get to a shocking detail right away.
The important issue to remember is that you control the segment, not the guest. They might be there to plug their book or product, but your goal is great content. Save the plugs for the end.
Don’t let your viewer tune out
So whether you are a producer putting a newscast together, a reporter writing a package, a writer scripting a vo, or a segment producer putting together a guest segment, make sure you have a magic moment right off the top.
If you don’t grab viewers within the first 20 seconds, you are going to lose them.
Doug Drew is a morning news specialist with 602 Communications. He can be reached at ddrew@602communications.com