Elements of a Strong Story Angle

By Christine Vivoli

Every story is unique, but what truly makes a story angle strong? I interviewed Snackbox’s PR pros about their insights and secrets into what the process entails.

Q: What element of a story angle best catches a reporter’s attention?
A: Probably relevance to the publication. Is it a good fit? Meaning, will the readers, viewers, listeners be intrigued.

Q: What is the most important element of a strong story angle?
A: There are several. I would say creativity, relevance, proximity and timeliness are all key.

Q: What makes a story angle strong?
A: Uniqueness and relevance to the target audience.

Q: Where does inspiration for a story angle come from?
A: A number of things including current events, trends, location, etc.   A strong PR person will try to get into the mindset of the specific target audience (example: teenage girls, moms, men who golf, people who own pets, people from Austin, etc.) and will brainstorm angles with that population in mind.

Okay, public relations pros, anything to add to our list of what makes a strong story angle?