Headlines make and break people every second in today’s digital era. If you’re at the older end of the millennial bracket like me, you may remember going outside to pick up the newspaper for your parents, and if you’re older than me, you might even recall the era of newsboys yelling, “Extra, extra, read all about it!” Emblazoned on that printed newspaper was a bold headline that spurred raucous debate from corporate offices to local watering holes.
News formats have changed quite a bit from when Johann Carolus launched the first newspaper in 1605 to today’s career-defaming tweets and real-time reporting by the public via Facebook Live. What hasn’t changed is the power of a strong headline to capture the world’s attention, setting one news channel above the rest on the same topic.
In business, you need to think about how your newspaper headline can differentiate your company from the rest. When I work with clients to develop strategic communications plans to grow brand engagement (internal and external), I ask them to think about each month as a key topic. A 12-month headline plan might look like this:
• January: Launch a new product to drive this year’s sales, giving your clients lead time.
• February: Reinforce the value of your current products via testimonials and data.
• March: Drop a line about your next best offering to stay interesting.
• April: Spring is here, and it’s time to spring into action with your best offering.
• May: How may we help you? Send a reminder about customer experience and service.
• June: Focus on leadership and bringing in top talent once your budget is done.
• July: If you’re an American-based company, highlight your Americana around the Fourth of July.
• August: It’s back to school. Highlight how your company helps students and working families.
• September: Remind everyone that there’s still room to engage with you before year’s end.
• October: Have a foundation? Consider showcasing it.
• November: Get sentimental and show your vulnerable side. If you don’t have one, get one.
• December: What’s your year-end headline?
As this year comes to an end, I encourage you to think about your year-end headline. What is your top accomplishment for the year? Then, do this:
• Create the boldest headline you feel most uncomfortably comfortable with. Bold wins in today’s distracted world. If you aren’t bold, you’re wasting your time. Turn that negative moment into a year-end victory for your cheering section to celebrate your milestone at the finish line.
• Highlight a business success, team learning, philanthropic impact, quick tweet from the CEO or high-quality picture that tells a powerful story in each section of your company’s year-end newsletter.
• Better yet, make a brief highlight video to place on social media; you can even run some Facebook ads to reinforce your value to your key market and target a diverse demographic you want to pull in. You don’t need a million dollars to do this; you need the drive and desire to make your story stand out.
Now you might be thinking, “I’m not a big business. In fact, I’m a real estate agent, and my business is just me.” My response to you is this: You are a brand.
People are engaged with you, or they aren’t. Your bank account is either in the black or in the red (which should spur you to take critical action). Remember that every single person in this world has an amazing story to tell. Share a side of you that people can relate to, that they’ll remember in a positive way. Above all else, think more of yourself and the time you spend doing what you love to do as an entrepreneur by sharing value with your world.
Whether you’re a bigger company, someone getting their side hustle on or building a business, go big or go home! The choice is up to you. You can roll into another year with the same results, or you can be bold enough to share your year-end headline letting the world know about the hours you put in each day to provide the best service or products to your customers. What’s your decision?
