FIVE STRATEGIC STEPS TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE CONTENT PITCH

 

 

 

 

Content creation is an art and involves a lot of creativity. There is no hard and fast rule to compile a content. Content creation is the process of identifying a new topic and then deciding to present the content in a form. Then formalising a strategy and then actually producing it.

Content creation covers a wide spectrum which includes photography, video, online commentary, updating websites apart from blogging and article writing. Maintaining social media accounts, editing and distributing of digital media also gets enveloped in content creation.

The major content types are

1.     Blogs

2.     E-books

3.     Infographics

4.     Videos

5.     Listicles

 To create any of these content types, a proper planning and execution is highly appreciated.

 I. The following step by step process aids in successful creation of a digital content:   

 

·       Start with an idea

·       Do the research

·       Choose the form of your content

·       Put a catching headline

·       Write

·       Proof read and publish

 

II.    How to get an idea? Where to find “Prompts”? How to get Inspiration? For all these, the best ways to find an idea is to focus on:

 

·       Blog comments

·       Recent events

·        Social media followers

·       Established websites

·       Fix interviews

·       Go for recommended ideas  for your blog from ideas panel

 With these you can create a topic lists, and start writing a new content.

 

III.    Content creation also covers writing an article for a particular website. For which the familiar term used is “PITCH”

Cheryl- Ann Couto, features editor at Elle, says, “A good pitch is important because it has the inbuilt ability to let me gauge

·       The way you think and write i.e. ability and wavelength

·       If you ‘ve done your research and understand the essence and tone of the magazine i.e. thoroughness

·       How interesting your ideas are and ideally, also the scope of your contacts/ networks.”

 

IV.   Every Editor no doubt needs a good pitch. How to create a good content pitch?

 

·       Again everything starts with a commendable topic, followed by an extensive research, remembering the tone and the audience of the website or magazine. Not to forget to go through the links provided by the Editor if any or else thoroughly read the previously published contents on the site. 

·       When you start to write down, remember these words of Cheryl, “I’d like to know the peg of your pitch in a single sentence, to begin with.  The pitch should speak to the Editor the need to publish it now and how this is the right time?

      Be completely free of spelling and grammatical errors

·       Pitches should be well –focussed and short says Heather Timmons, former editor of India Ink

·         Anjali Joseph an award author says, “Pitch things that seems related to the content of the magazine already carries.”

 

V.   With these words of the experts in the field, the process of creating a good content pitch moves forward to deal with

* Attention grabbing first line

     * Elaboration of the topic

     * Writers views

     * Reason to publish

 These points surely lead towards a good content pitch and have a much better chance of being commissioned. Pitches should always be short, crisp and punchy because “I spend about an average of 30 seconds on a pitch from an unknown writer,” says Peter Griffin, Forbes Life

In spite of adhering to these conditions and rules the reason that some succeed and  some fail is that, to be effective, content has to be more than just good; it must be fulfilling, compelling, convenient and efficient. Apart from all these, some good contents have a video & answers questions. Good contents are intentional &result focused and definitely original.