Righteous indignation is now one of the hottest cottage industries in America.
Today, it runs the gamut from decrying every piece of political news to shaming the United States women’s national soccer team for celebrating its goals too much.
In our experience, however, helping organizations we work with channel this energy in a more productive and strategic manner can pay huge dividends for their bottom line and overall reputation.
Our core purpose is to share authentic stories that can move hearts and minds, inspire action and deliver measurable results. Success depends on getting the right message in front of the right audience at the right time and in the right space.
Nowhere is that space at more of a premium (and of more value) than in the opinion section of a daily online or print news publication. For nearly 20 years, we’ve helped our clients craft, submit and place opinion pieces across the country. Here are the top tips we’ve learned through that hard-earned experience.
- Make it timely – Editors have tons of options to consider, especially at large outlets. If you can’t articulate why yours is more urgent than the alternatives, the odds of it appearing are slim.
- Have a take – Take a stand. Don’t walk with one foot on each side of the center line. Clearly define your view of the issue and why it matters to this audience.
- Give it wide appeal – For those of us who used to be reporters, this is also known as the “So what, who cares?” test (and that’s using polite language). The issue must be accessible and easy to grasp.
- Propose a solution – It’s easy to identify problems, but what’s the answer? If it’s not easy for readers to recognize your intended outcome, then make it clear and make it clear early.
- Include a call to action – What do you want readers to do with the information you’ve shared? Is it awareness? Should they contact someone in support or against the issue? Know your goal before you start writing.
- Cut out the fluff and filler – Eliminate adverbs like very, strongly, really, etc. Those dilute your argument and make it hard to keep the word count within the industry standard length of 700 words or fewer.
- Deliver the data – Nothing bolsters your argument like an independently validated recent study or survey. The more you can root your argument in verifiable facts from non-partisan, respected sources, the harder it is to refute.
- Lose the anger – Use logic and reason as your weapons, not grenades. Experience tells us 20 percent will always hate you, 20 percent will always love you and 60 percent are in the middle. Play to the middle to move the needle.
- Do your homework – Know the arguments and counterarguments and be prepared to acknowledge opposing viewpoints while simultaneously poking holes in them. Issues always have multiple positions. Be sure yours is the most logical.
- Follow up – Opinion editors are inundated by topics, letters and ideas that aren’t relevant or newsworthy. Even the good ones get lost in the shuffle. Check in regularly by email and pick up the phone after a few days if you haven’t received a response.
- Know what success looks like – Be sure you and your clients are on the same page in terms of the best outlet for their submission. The New York Times for an industry or an issue specific to a region or state typically isn’t the actual New York Times.
- Have a backup plan – Count on lulls in communication, back and forth with editors and often long periods of frustration or rejection. Be ready to pivot to other outlets if your top target passes.
Remember, these are simply best practices and nothing is a guarantee. In this era of polarization, I hope we can all agree no one bats 1.000. If not, please don’t @ me.
Jeremy Church is a partner, vice president and director of results at WordWrite. He can be reached at jeremy.church@wordwritepr.com or @churchjerem
