You have a great product, service or book, and you know it. But just like the "better mousetrap," it doesn't mean a thing unless your market knows it, too. Interviews on TV and radio talk shows are great avenues for promoting your product to the masses, and are generally far more dynamic than basic print advertising.
You may believe the only way to get great TV and radio exposure is to buy advertising time, but there is an even better and more cost-effective way - harnessing the marketing power of PR.
Regardless of the product or message you'd like to promote, a targeted TV or radio talk show offers a great forum to get your word out. Hosts are always looking for guests that will help them entertain and inform their audiences. With the correct PR strategy you can land these terrific guest spots - pure marketing gold!
Why are these spots gold? You see, when you or your spokesperson is on the air, you're a featured guest on a show whose host has an established audience that trusts his message. Your appearance on the show as a guest confers an implicit endorsement, enhancing your credibility with the host's audience; they're hearing about you and your product or service from their trusted friend.
The best part? An interview as a guest on a TV or talk radio show is free! Even if you decide to employ the services of a public relations firm to arrange these interview spots, such a campaign usually costs about one-tenth of an advertising campaign.
My PR firm was once approached by the CEO of a life insurance agency, and we ended up representing his agency for years. They initially wanted us to arrange local and national radio and TV appearances for the CEO, who was also their spokesman. Now, I don't think it will offend anyone if I state here that as an interview subject, insurance is perceived by consumers as dull, dull, dull. An angle was needed that would not only interest audiences, but resonate with them as an issue of great importance.
We created a very effective headline for our pitch: "Can You Afford to Survive Without Your Spouse?" The interview focus was about the need for spouses and children to be protected financially after the death of the family breadwinner. In effect, it became a human interest story instead of a boring interview with an insurance salesman.
Our client did a large number of both radio and TV guest appearances, but it was clear after a while that the CEO was a terrific spokesman, particularly on the visual medium of television. So the focus for the remainder of the 3-year-long campaign was on TV talk shows. The CEO appeared on numerous national TV news shows, such as CNBC, speaking to the vital issue of financial security for women and families. The result? The highest number of new leads the company had ever experienced, for any type of promotion.
If you think PR can help market your product or service, here are four specific PR tricks you can use to effectively pitch TV and radio producers and hosts:
1. Stay current. Follow the news, know what the hot trends are, and what people are talking about. What is the current "buzz?" Talk radio and TV are all about current events, so make it your business to be "in the know."
2. Tie In to the News. As you follow the hottest stories in the news, think of ways you can relate stories to your product or service. Look for controversy or big names...these are always tantalizing topics for talk show hosts and their listeners.
3. Pitch Your Topic. Keep in mind that TV and radio hosts are interested in what you can do for their audience, not what they can do to help you promote your product. They want an interview, not an infomercial, so when pitching to hosts and producers emphasize the issue or problem for which your product or service is the solution.
4. Follow the Right Press Release Formula. Your press release is critical - it's the key to the media's door! Make sure your headline is enticing and attention-grabbing, and that the text elaborates on the subject matter and what the interview would be about. Also include a short but impressive bio or company profile. As well as a couple of well-chosen juicy or provocative quotes.
And if you have decided to tackle arranging your own interviews the above can be summed up to a couple of key PR rules to keep in mind when approaching media hosts or producers. First, never pitch yourself - pitch the issue on which you are an expert (and you ARE an expert - have you read my book, "Celebritize Yourself"?). Second, never pitch your product - talk instead about the problem your product addresses and how your product ties in as a solution. Good luck!
For 20 years Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations as CEO of EMSI, a national public relations firm. Her firm represents corporations and experts in a wide array of fields such as business, health, food, lifestyle, politics, finance, law, sports and entertainment. Some of the more prominent names on her client roster are Teamster's President Jimmy Hoffa Jr., Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane and the famous Motown Group, the Temptations. She consults individuals and businesses on a daily basis and is frequently asked to speak at conferences about how to harness the power of publicity. Go to http://www.emsincorporated.com to claim your free "Power of Public Relations" video today! Or call 727-443-7115, ext. 202, or email her at info@marshafriedman.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment