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Ag Media Summit Nuggets

by | Sep 8, 2023 | Ag Media Summit, Events, Professional Development, What I Learned

Ag Media Summit Nuggets

By Kenna Rathai, VP|Group PR Director, broadhead, and ACN Board Member

nugget [nuhg-it] anything of great value, significance or the like: nuggets of wisdom

I always try to get at least one take-home nugget from any professional development session, reading or discussions I participate in. Here are a few from two of the AMS sessions I and my teammates attended this year!

 

Fight Back Against Your Writing Demons, presented by Cathy Merlo

  • Reader reality check
    • Acknowledge that writing is hard work, a clear sentence is no accident.
    • A reader’s attention span is 30 seconds.
    • Most readers read at a 10th-grade level or below.
  • Before you start writing
    • Ask the right questions (in your interviews).
    • Don’t be afraid to call source back for more information.
    • Always collect more material than you will use.
    • Review all your materials and pull all your favorite pieces – facts, figures, great quotes, concrete evidence, anecdotes, examples, etc.
  • While you are writing
    • Hammer out one sentence. Then do another.
    • Short sentences = better
    • Take a break or change up your scenery. Give yourself permission to step away; studies show walking helps us think and can trigger ideas.
    • Be bold and daring.
    • Hammer out a nut graph (holds the essence of the story).
    • Don’t delete your bits and pieces. Move them to the end of your document. They could be resurrected later in your story.
    • The most important sentence is the first one.
      • It must capture your reader immediately and force them to keep reading
      • Must cajole with freshness, novelty, paradox, humor, surprise, etc
      • Must provide the hard details explaining why it was written and why it should be read
    • When writing headlines, try fresh, unusual words and verbs.
  • Final thoughts
    • The perfect ending should take your readers by surprise and yet seem exactly right.
    • If you’ve presented all the facts and made the point, look for the nearest exit.
    • Read, read, read – writing is learned by imitation.
    • Even if you read it a long time ago, read On Writing Well by William Zinsser

Communicate With Attitude, presented by Matt Booth

  • The fastest way to get someone to like you = SMILE
  • The fastest way to get someone to trust you = MAKE DIRECT EYE CONTACT
  • There is no easy button. Get up off your butt and change things for yourself. Move. Do something different.
  • The goal of communication is to understand what the other person is thinking, feeling, needing — and that helps us connect better.
  • Remember the 3 primary learning styles, and create a mix of how to reach your audience:
  1. Visual: infographics, PowerPoint slides, video
  2. Auditory: verbal, sounds, podcasts, audiobooks, convos
  3. Kinesthetic: touch/movement/feeling, hands-on, practical, role-playing