Imagine that you are a radio producer. You have to fill three hours a day, five days a week, every single week. You need topics that inform, enrage, entertain, educate, motivate, and otherwise engage your audience. How do you find those topics, and the guests to make them come alive?
Radio shows use lots of guests, and if you can show them why you would be a good one, you can be on the air. The great thing about radio is that you can be on a show anywhere in the world--without leaving home! I've done radio shows in Denver, Washington DC, Phoenix, San Diego, Atlanta, and lots of other places, all from my home near Houston--and often while I'm still in my jammies. (If video phones ever catch on, I'm in trouble!)
Getting on radio can be as simple as targeting the stations or programs that seem to be a good fit for your topic (or finding a way to slant your topic to fit). Then, contact them by phone, e-mail,letter or fax. Send your pitch to the producer, and explain why you would make a great guest for their show.
Once they express an interest, be prepared to follow up with an information sheet or bio, and a list of suggested questions for them to ask you. Some will use these questions, others won't, but it's a good idea to have them available. Fax the info, or if there's time, you may want to mail these items along with a product sample or other promotional item. I offer to give them a couple of my books to give away to listeners.
Be prepared to give listeners a way to contact you, and a reason to do so. For example, I give out my toll-free number and offer a free bonus (such as an extra booklet or tape) when listeners order and say they heard me on that station. Make the contact info easy to remember. My toll-free number is 888-BOOK-888. It's easy to remember, even if you're in your car and far away from a pencil to write it down. You may also want to give out your website URL.
Practice some answers to the questions you expect. Make them short and punchy. If you're taking more than 30 seconds or so to answer, you may be talking too long (although that is largely determined by the type of show).
Once you're on the air, remember that you are there to give them a good show, not to sell. Most will be good about giving your contact info, but be ready to work it in if they don't. Whether your interview is 10 minutes or an hour, it will go quickly. At the end of your first interviews, you'll remember all the things you wanted to say, but didn't get to. You'll get better with practice.
Relax and have fun, and remember to give them a good show. When you do, you'll have lots of opportunities to tell your story on the air.
Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with inexpensive and free marketing ideas. Get free tips, articles and more at inexpensive and free marketing ideas.
scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..Does it really make sense to bet your PR budget... Read More
A Press Release is a captive story that can be... Read More
Layout1. 1-2 pages in length.2. Double-space.3. 1.5 to 2 inch... Read More
Southern grandmothers have often said, "there are only three... Read More
So, you've had your book published or you've gone the... Read More
When do you use the newspaper for publishing announcements for... Read More
NOTE: Brad Phillips was a Producer for CNN's The Capital... Read More
An effort built around a string of print and broadcast... Read More
Things are pleasant for many business, non-profit or association managers... Read More
You know, where you do something positive about the behaviors... Read More
Can your PR do something positive about the behaviors of... Read More
Relationships are based on trust-not just romantic relationships, or doctor/patient... Read More
"We are in the communications business, the business of conveying... Read More
Recently I had a craving for... Read More
Created properly, an extremely effective marketing tool.It's a great concept,... Read More
You are getting a good deal when you accept the... Read More
The most sensible way for business, non-profit or association managers... Read More
How do you make a friend of the media? A... Read More
If your key ? that's KEY ? outside audiences don't... Read More
You can have dozens of marvelous ideas to get free... Read More
As a business, non-profit or association manager, your public relations... Read More
As a business, non-profit or association manager, let the tacticians... Read More
Where is there a business, non-profit or association manager who... Read More
There's the old joke about the two buzzards sitting in... Read More
?lose the confidence of your key target audiences? discourage them... Read More
reliable maid service Lincolnshire ..Publicity will take your financial planning practice, your business, and... Read More
It can bite you and waste your public relations budget... Read More
I address this article to businesses, associations, non-profits and public... Read More
When, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you are... Read More
If you're trying to promote your store, but you don't... Read More
In this great country of ours, there are basically three... Read More
E-mail is becoming the preferred way to receive media releases.... Read More
Do small-business owners always have to rely on large PR... Read More
Although media relations is not all there is to PR,... Read More
You know that getting publicity is vital to the health... Read More
It's the time of year when calendars crowd out the... Read More
It's one thing for a senior manager to approve story... Read More
Are you hesitating about hiring a publicist or, if you... Read More
As if making sure your company runs smoothly on an... Read More
It's difficult enough running the day-to-day aspects of a business,... Read More
You worked hard to get a story on your business... Read More
NOTE: Brad Phillips was a Producer for CNN's The Capital... Read More
Should it be measured in "publicity by the pound," or... Read More
What else, for goodness sake, could you as a business,... Read More
Experience tells me that too many business, non-profit and association... Read More
Whether you are a business, non-profit or association manager, your... Read More
Business, non-profit or association managers hurt their own public relations... Read More
To many marketers, the press release is something of a... Read More
You've heard "them" say it, haven't you?By "them" I mean... Read More
Yes?Good!Still, as a business, non-profit or association manager, if you're... Read More
Public Relations |