“On the show today: giant carnivorous birds, flying snakes, and what all of that has to do with how you season your French fries.”

That’s how Caitlin Kenney, associate producer of NPR’s “Planet Money,” introduced a recent podcast about the history of spices. These summaries at the top of radio shows and podcasts are called billboards.

And that’s what publication editors can learn from podcasters: Billboard your stories. Tell readers what they’re going to get and sell them on the story to promote your content.

Nobody billboards better than “Planet Money.” In fact, sometimes one host will congratulate another on a billboard.

“That was very well billboarded,” contributing editor Alex Blumberg said after Kenney’s spice story promotion.

So how can you create praiseworthy billboards for your publication?

1. Choose the right billboard.

Billboards are known as “refers” in the publication world. (Not that, silly! Refers because they refer readers to specific stories.)

They come in many forms. Consider billboarding your story in coverlines, tables of contents, skyboxes, rails, refers and indexes.

2. Draw readers in.

There are two main ways to drive readers to your story, whether in print or in podcast: 1) promise a benefit or 2) entertain. So focus on news readers can use or choose or on creative techniques like humor, drama or human interest for your billboard.

“Planet Money” entertains with billboards that tease the listener into sticking around for the story. (Yes, these people manage to make complicated economics stories hilarious or heart-warming — a skill any communicator could emulate.)

Here are some recent “Planet Money” billboards:

“On the show today, homeowners who want to be foreclosed on, and banks saying, ‘Eeeh … let’s wait a minute.’ The foreclosure mess enters a topsy-turvy, upside-down new phase, and we’ll hear all about the fascinating details from a foreclosure attorney in Phoenix.”

Alex Blumberg: “Our topic today, David, is tied to our economic indicator. The indicator is $14 billion. And that is one estimate for the size of California’s largest cash crop.” David Kestenbaum: “Oranges?” Alex: “Nope.” David: “Organic milk?” Alex: “No. … Marijuana.” David: “I thought that number seemed high.”

“On our show today, a story about a cable TV producer from New Jersey, a podcasting Libertarian economist, an international pop superstar and the two dead economists who brought them all together.”

“On the podcast today, we have something almost every economist loves and almost everyone else hates. Well, not everyone, but a lot of people.”

Adam Davidson: “Today, we have the second half of our look at Denmark.” David Kestenbaum: “Denmark: the awesome-est economy on earth, the country that figured everything out and figured out the best way to …” Adam: “(interrupting) Alright, David. Easy, easy …”

Get more tips for writing refers.

3. Don’t drop the billboard.

Content promotion — advertising stories within your publication — helps drive readership. Don’t forget to promote your stories within the publication itself.

Rev Up Readership

Want to master the art of lifting your ideas off the page with display copy?

• Bring Ann to your organization for a “Rev Up Readership” workshop.
• Work with Ann to write better display copy in one-on-one writing coaching.
• Have Ann review your publication or Website.
• Get dozens of tipsheets on writing better display copy at RevUpReadership.com.

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Publications that delight their readers — those that offer fresh information in unique editorial and design packages — are the ones that stand out in this crowded marketplace.

That’s what communicators at the Saint Luke’s Hospital Foundation (Kansas City, Mo.) had in mind when they turned to Wylie Communications, Inc., to make Saint Luke’s Report more engaging and easier to produce. Here are the steps Wylie took to achieve those objectives — steps you can replicate with your own publication:

• Develop a logical issue flow
• Commit to feature-style writing
• Create multiple layers of information
• Give the magazine a face-lift
• Communicate clearly
• Get the bottom line

Develop a logical issue flow

“A magazine is like a restaurant dinner,” says Ann Wylie, president, Wylie Communications. “A good one includes appetizers, or little nuggets of savory information; a meat-and-potatoes course, or a robust feature well; and, of course, dessert, or something short and sweet to top off the experience.”

Wylie transformed Saint Luke’s message points and coverage needs into a series of standing departments. Among them:

• Saint Luke’s Index: easy-to-read facts and stats about health care. The Index also allows the Saint Luke’s Hospital Foundation to communicate some of its successes
• Leadership in Caring: a one-page, “Dewar’s Profile”-style look at a Saint Luke’s staff member
• New & Noteworthy: a roundup of news items. New & Noteworthy helped clean up the feature well, making it the place for in-depth stories, sidebars and boxes, instead of bits and pieces of unrelated information

The results: The magazine flows more consistently, feels more like a “real” magazine, costs less to design because of the standing layouts — and is easier to plan.

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Commit to feature-style writing

“New research detailing the benefits of feature-style writing is piling up,” Wylie says. “Still, too many communicators make the mistake of sticking with the inverted pyramid, regardless of the topic, the vehicle, the audience and the frequency. Saint Luke’s Report is definitely a publication that demands strong storytelling skills to draw readers in and make them care about the issues.”

Wylie Communications’ team of award-winning writers specialize in the feature-style structure. They relish the opportunity to write compelling human-interest narratives, as they were able to do for Saint Luke’s Report.

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Create multiple layers of information

“Handled well, presentation copy — headlines, decks, callouts, cutlines and subheads — performs three functions,” Wylie says. “It draws readers into the copy, breaks up copy so it looks easier to read and communicates even to flippers and skimmers.”

Wylie Communications writers develop presentation copy designed to achieve these three objectives for every piece they write.

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Give the magazine a face-lift

Wylie Communications brought in a design firm to create an attractive, attention-getting look for the magazine.

The centerpiece of the new design: simple, full-page, black-and-white stock photographs with very subtle tints, used on the opening spread of each article as well as on the cover.

“I didn’t know whether to be more delighted that the designer came up with such an elegant, dramatic approach or that Saint Luke’s leaders were sophisticated enough to buy it,” Wylie says.

A nice side benefit: The designer’s decision to use stock photos and to use fewer photos more dramatically not only made the publication look more sophisticated, but it also reduced the photography budget.

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Communicate clearly

“We were pleasantly surprised that, despite all the changes we were making in the magazine, the publication met its production schedule,” says Saint Luke’s Millard.

“We also appreciated Wylie Communications’ ‘no-surprises’ approach to the budget. Ann and her team work on a project rate, which means that if you don’t change the parameters of the project, you know to the penny what the final invoice is going to be before the project begins.”

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Get the bottom line

“You really put your reputation on the line when you work with vendors,” says Saint Luke’s Millard. “If the vendor you choose doesn’t perform, that reflects on you and your organization.

“So I was extremely pleased when our executive director joined us for a one-hour debriefing meeting after we’d finished the first issue. ‘We have a real problem here,’ he said. ‘I don’t have enough time to tell you how much I like the revamped Report.’”

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Polish your communications

Want to reach more readers by revitalizing your publication, Website or blog?

• Bring Ann in to revamp your publication, Website or blog.
• Get ideas for improving your own publication, Website or blog with a communication review.
• Bring Ann to your organization for a communication workshop.
• Get dozens of tipsheets on planning powerful publications at RevUpReadership.com.
• Read Ann’s Plan Powerful Publications learning tools.
• Subscribe to our free writing tips e-zine.

About Ann Wylie

Ann Wylie is president of Wylie Communications Inc., a training, writing and consulting firm. She works with communicators who want to reach more readers and with organizations that want to get the word out. Wylie is the author of RevUpReadership.com, a toolbox for writers, and Wylie’s Writing Tips, a free e-zine. She has earned more than 60 awards, including two IABC Gold Quills, for her work.

Copyright © 2006 Ann Wylie. All rights reserved.