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Great PR with Radio Interviews
Follow these six
steps to spread your message coast-to-coast without spending a fortune.
By Kim T. Gordon
Do you want to raise awareness for
a product, service, or issue, but lack the deep pockets required for a national
advertising campaign? Or perhaps you're looking for the kind of credibility
advertising can't buy. You can win the publicity you need and generate millions
of gross impressions to promote your company -- or yourself as an expert in your
field -- by conducting your own public relations radio tour. Just follow these
six steps:
1. Set a Public Relations Goal
What do you want your radio tour to
achieve? Suppose your firm specialized in diagnosing and treating "sick
buildings." Your goal would be to become recognized as a national expert on
remedying indoor air pollution. Or imagine you've created a child recovery
program that helps ensure the safe return of lost children. You could present
important safety tips with the goal of raising awareness of your program among
parents.
2. Target the Right Media
Simply choose the right format
(generally news and information rather than music) and geography. You can pitch
your story to just the stations in your local area, those in the top 25 markets,
or to networks that allow you to reach numerous markets. Decide exactly whom
you're trying to reach, then find the best stations using sites such as
www.radio-locator.com, where you can search by format. Visit each station’s Web
site to identify which shows to pitch, and contact them by phone to get the
names of the producers and learn whether they prefer to receive alerts by fax or
e-mail.
3. Develop Your Message
The trick to pitching and
delivering a great radio interview is to focus on information the listeners
really want. And you'll create an effective media "hook" by leading with
statistics or facts that make your story newsworthy or of special interest. Your
top priority is to provide information that benefits listeners while weaving in
your own principal public relations themes. For a successful radio tour that
consistently communicates the key themes and messages, write a short, one
paragraph message platform, in essence a rough script. In addition, prepare
answers to typical questions and have someone test you until your delivery is
smooth and conversational.
4. Write a Media Alert
Like a press release, an alert has
contact information at the top and a headline based on your hook that draws the
producers and radio show hosts into your story. These are followed by one or two
paragraphs that explain the issue or topic and why it's important. Finally, the
alert introduces you (the expert) with a short overview of your credentials and
announces your availability for interviews.
5. Pitch the Stations
If you or someone on your staff is
skilled at making sales calls, you'll find that securing bookings for radio
appearances isn't that different. You can send your alert by fax or e-mail,
depending on the preference of each producer. But send only as many at once as
you can comfortably follow up by telephone within 24 hours. When you call, focus
on your hook -- explain why the issue or topic is of special interest -- and
close for an interview.
6. Deliver Great Interviews
This is the easy part. Most
interviewers will draw all their questions from your alert and any
substantiating materials you send them. And no matter what you're asked, you
should always be able to "bridge back" to the central points in your platform.
"Bridging” describes giving an answer that links one subject to another. Since
most interviews are taped and then edited for broadcast, keeping your answers
short and concise will ensure your key messages survive intact and that you
successfully achieve your PR goal.
Get In-depth
Coaching on this Topic>>
Kim
T. Gordon's columns and articles are read by more than
3 million small-business owners each month. She is a small-business expert
and the author of four books, including Maximum Marketing,
Minimum Dollars: The Top 50 Ways to Grow Your Small Business.
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whole or part without expressed permission from the author. |