Before you can engage consumers and key stakeholders, you must reach them – a task that’s getting harder given the information overload and news fatigue that Americans face on a daily basis. And this fall, brands are also contending with ongoing election commentary and holiday marketing messages.
While there are several ways to stand out in today’s noisy environment, storytelling remains one of the most powerful and authentic ways to connect with your audience, wherever they are – from insider trade publications to social media.
And no one is more of a storytelling pro than Lisa Thomas-Laury, a trailblazing news anchor and Senior Advisor at Brian Communications. Lisa has covered some of the biggest stories from around the world over the course of her 40-year career, breaking barriers and overcoming tremendous adversity with her signature warmth, candor and thoughtfulness.
As a member of the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame, Lisa has had an up-close view of exactly how the media – and its audience – has evolved, and how to effectively engage with audiences across age groups, demographics and platforms. She joins us today to discuss what it takes to build trust and connection with your audience.
Matt Broscious: Lisa, it’s a pleasure to talk to you today! Let’s start with a look back. You’ve seen the incredible shifts as digital news, social media and video became prominent. How do you think audiences’ consumption habits have changed in response?
Lisa Thomas-Laury: When I first came to Philadelphia and Channel 6 in 1978, everybody watched TV. Our ratings were through the roof; everyone got their news from television. The shift in media habits was slow, but constant. It became apparent to me just how much things had changed after I became ill in 2011, with what turned out to be a rare blood disorder, POEMS Syndrome. It was misdiagnosed and I was away from work for nearly three years.
When I returned to the job, my news director said, “You know, when you finish your story, the first thing you need to do when you return to the station is post it on Twitter and social media.”
I said, “But will I have time to package my story for viewers to see on air?” And the answer was, “You’ll get the hang of it; social media first, then they see it on TV!”
It was quite a change for me. Younger audiences, especially Gen Z and Millennials, don’t watch news on TV anymore, but they dominate our social media platforms. And we’re finding that audiences today have a very short attention span. They’ll read the first two or three sentences of a story, so we have to craft it accordingly.
As the storytellers and the ones delivering the news, we must find different ways of presenting the information so our viewers get the most important facts up front and in a very concise way.
You just mentioned the shorter attention span of audiences on social media sites, and we know that those platforms also create expectations of high entertainment value. How do you work to tell a complete, compelling story within the parameters of social media?
First – you have to know your audience. Understand their interests and the demographics of what resonates with them to craft a relevant story. Start with a hook that draws them in and get the important information up first.
You also need to put emotion in your story to not only tell, but show your audience what is going on. Incorporate those personal anecdotes and imagery so that you can be authentic and relatable with your audience. That emotion is what will bring them in.
In addition to the new parameters and expectations from digital and social platforms, communicators today are facing a reluctant audience. As Americans are bombarded by news and information at every turn – especially in an election season – it's more likely that consumers will try and tune everything out. What’s your insight on how a message can break through a cluttered environment and deliver something of value?
Consumers do try to tune things out. And for a message to stand out, in addition to knowing your audience and using visual storytelling, you need to put some of your own human interest in the story. Think of something that caught your eye as the writer or communicator. If it captured your attention, it’s going to capture the attention of a significant portion of your audience.
We also have to respect those short attention spans. Be concise and deliver the story in a succinct manner, while still giving more of the facts than they might normally receive. Engaging your audience with questions, polls and comments can also be effective – people like to get involved.
On top of creating a really great story, what do you think companies and communications professionals need to know about engaging audiences today?
I think that audiences are looking for something helpful to their lives, something relatable. I cringe to call it “infotainment,” but people do want to be entertained. And when you have an important story that you know will disseminate valuable information, you might not think about entertainment.
So instead focus on adding the visuals, emotion and human anecdotes. Then you’ll have something that’s more relatable, while also including the helpful information that you need to share. As a communicator, you have to create something your audience won’t get bored with!
You just talked about the value of focusing on shared humanity in stories. Your book, On Camera and Off, tells your personal story, including your medical battle with POEMS Syndrome. How did your own experiences guide you in choosing stories to cover and relating to audiences at Action News?
You know, it was never my plan to write a book! But my one day my son said, “Mom, don’t you realize how many people you could help with a book?”
I realized he was right, and as I began writing, it was important for me to carefully communicate the medical aspect of my experiences, recognizing that because it was so time-consuming and difficult for me to navigate the medical system, it might be nearly impossible for people with fewer resources to do the same. My husband is a doctor and asked all the right questions. I’m a journalist; it’s my job to research the facts and dig for answers. I envisioned many people in my situation, giving up. I wanted to help them find those answers, and remind them that they must be advocates for their own health care, and not be afraid to get a second and third opinion if necessary.
But, I knew that might not be enough to draw everyone in, so I decided to integrate some of my own personal stories of hardship – like when I was confined to a wheelchair and couldn’t walk across my kitchen floor. I decided it was important to share that there was a time that I became deeply depressed, and even that I became dependent on prescription pills at one point – that I was really no different than some of my readers or some of their loved ones.
I also wanted them to know that when I returned to Action News after my illness, I knew I no longer wanted to report on shootings and violence. I wanted to tell positive, uplifting stories about people overcoming obstacles in their lives. Underdog stories. Given my own experiences and the hope that those stories gave me, I thought those perspectives were extremely important to include in our daily newscasts.
Hope and perseverance – those are stories we all need in our lives. Thanks for sharing your time and insights, Lisa.