Last Tuesday was a very good day. My PR guy, Gary Frisch at Swordfish Communications, called with the news that I landed an interview on a morning show in a major market, Good Day Philadelphia. It had been four weeks since Gary sent out the press release about my Entrepreneur Boot Camp, which resulted in a front page news story in the business section of the SJ Times. With three days to go until my boot camp, a morning show interview was not even on my radar. Lucky for me, Gary was working behind the scenes to make it happen. He got the call on Tuesday to bring me into the Good Day Philadelphia studio on Thursday for a live interview. Good thing I was getting my hair color touched up at a salon near Nordstrom Rack when he called! My mother would call that a sign…
Here’s 5 PR Secrets To Landing A TV Interview
1. Make friends with someone in PR: Even though I’m an author, my expertise is not in writing a press release that gets read. You’ll have more success when you build a relationship with a PR pro so they can get to know you, and your story.
2. Timing is everything: There are two key reasons I invested in a press release, which maximized my results. 1) My boot camp launched strategically in March, during Women’s History Month, when the media was looking to cover stories about women. 2) I had just received an Enterprising Women of the Year award, which made me more newsworthy. It was a perfect storm, allowing me to combine both the Enterprising Women award and the entrepreneur boot camp into one slam-dunk press release. Gary worked his magic to do the rest.
3. Ask For What You Want: The Boot Camp was launching in South Jersey so I told Gary I wanted to make the local news, but my big goal was to get on Good Day Philadelphia. I joked that I’d give Gary a lifetime supply of candles if he succeeded in getting me the interview. He went for it (he must really like candles) and copied me on emails to the Good Day Philly producer asking for a coffee meet-up to “discuss a local woman entrepreneur (me!) who would be great for the show”. Thanks to the interview, my book sales on Amazon soared and my Boot Camp sold out. And…my Dad has bragging rights with his friends, which is kind of cool.
4. Practice Makes Perfect: You’ve heard the answer to “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”, right? “Practice. Practice. Practice.” Gain experience by interviewing on Blog Talk Radio shows – they’re one of the best kept secrets to getting free PR. I’ve been interviewed on so many radio shows I can share my key message in my sleep. Check out the Blog Talk Radio lineup to see what show you’ll want to pitch (based on your expertise) and throw your hat in the ring at RadioGuestList.com. You’ll also want to subscribe to HARO (Help A Reporter Out) to find free PR opportunities.
5. Be Ready For Your Close-up: Sure, you want your small biz to be in the news. Getting TV coverage is even better. But do you have a professional head shot, bio and talking points? Trust me, there is no such thing as an “overnight” success.
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Join my VIP Group for direct sellers and get my popular Vendor Event Course as a bonus... a $97 value! PLUS 2 more gifts: What to post on your Facebook Page to book more Facebook parties and my Top 10 Call-To-Action Posts For Facebook Parties, along with How To Build A Booming Facebook Group in your exclusive Members-Only Learning Center. Learn more. Lynn Bardowski is an award-winning entrepreneur and bestselling author of Success Secrets of a Million Dollar Party Girl. In addition, she speaks to global audiences about Direct Sales Success, Women’s Empowerment, and Social Selling. What's more, she's a valuable resource for press, media and bloggers. Follow Lynn on her social sites by clicking on the icons on the top left of this page.
